Dyslexic children need early intervention

MELAKA, 8 Jan -- Guru Matematik Program Pendidikan Khas Integrasi bagi Masalah Disleksia, Haslizah Hussin membantu anak salah seorang muridnya yang menghadapi masalah disleksia, Muhammad Idham Hakimi, 10, membentuk nombor menggunakan tanah liat pada sesi pembelajaran dan pengajaran di kelas ketika tinjauan Bernama di Sekolah Kebangsaan Padang Temu baru-baru ini. Murid disleksia mempunyai masalah mengenal atau menulis nombor yang betul dan sering terbalik terutama nombor enam menjadi sembilan dan sembilan menjadi enam. --fotoBERNAMA (2020) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA

MELAKA: Parents with dyslexic children are advised to seek advice from experts as early as possible.

They are also told to find support groups to help monitor their children’s development especially in terms of learning.

Norliza Abdul Wahid, 42, whose eight-year-old son suffers from the condition said it was important to have an early diagnosis and get early intervention services to assess its severity.

“Don’t feel embarrassed and we should not worry about what others think. Enrol them in the right programmes such as in schools that offer special education because they have trained teachers who will guide them.

“I, myself decided to send my youngest son to the special education programme after finding that it was difficult for him to study in the mainstream class,” she told Bernama at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Padang Temu here recently.

The mother of two said she first sent his son Noor Hadif Aryan Noor Hamly to SK Jalan Datuk Palembang here as a mainstream student but after a year her son was still having writing and spelling difficulties.

Haslizah helps dyslexic student Muhammad Idham Hakimi, 10, form numbers using clay in one of her classes. Photo: Bernama

Norliza said she and her husband Noor Hamly Haris, 42, decided to transfer their son to SK Padang Temu which offered the Special Education Integrated Programme.

For Noor Mimi Jailani, 43, she observed many positive changes in his son Muhammad Qawimu’izz Putra Nor Azmi, 12, after two years attending the special education programme at the same school.

The property agent said despite having some weaknesses in certain areas, children with dyslexia also have many strengths and abilities.

Meanwhile, special education teacher at the school Haslizah Hussin, 39, said students with dyslexia needed more attention compared to those in mainstream classes.

The Mathematics teacher said it was not easy to teach dyslexic students the subject as they have problems in recognising letters and numbers.

“A special education teacher should have a high degree of patience to teach these special children and interactive learning and teaching methods are needed to capture their interest and attention,” said Haslizah who has been teaching dyslexic students for 10 years. ― Bernama