A study by UCL on dyslexic children in Singapore has shown that they are more prone to developing social and emotional problems such as anxiety.
Photo: Wired
SINGAPORE – A study by the University College London (UCL) shared on Tuesday (June 20) has found that besides facing literacy problems, dyslexic children are more prone to developing social and emotional problems as well.
Conducted by psychologists Dr Vivien Yang and Dr Sandra Dunsmuir, the study involved 99 Primary 3 students from 13 local primary schools.
It is estimated that one to two students in a class of 40 have dyslexia, a condition that affects literacy skills such as reading, writing and spelling. It also often occurs with other learning disabilities such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The study, completed in 2011, also found that besides having their literacy skills affected, dyslexic children also tend to have higher levels of panic and anxiety and emotional imbalance, and are more prone to signs of depression.
Mrs Haslindah Mohamed, 45, whose Primary 3 son is diagnosed with dyslexia, agreed with the findings of the study.
“When my son was younger, he isolated himself a bit, due to his difficulty in talking and understanding others. It is important to ensure that your child knows that dyslexia is not something to be ashamed of and that he or she is not alone.”
– MRS HASLINDAH MOHAMED
The findings of the study were presented at a conference organised by the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS).
Named Uniting Ideas In Teaching Excellence (UnITE), the annual conference aims to share new research and best education practices in supporting children with special needs.
The 2017 edition, called Specific Learning Differences, held at the Toa Payoh HDB Hub, saw more than 400 practitioners, parents and caregivers of children with special needs in attendance.
In June last year, the DAS had reported that there was an increase in students with dyslexia seeking help and support to learn their mother tongue, with an especially high demand in its Chinese programme.
It is further looking to support students in the Tamil and Malay programmes in the next three to five years.
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Local study shows dyslexic children at higher risk of developing social-emotional problems