COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES ON DYSLEXIA - A Workshop organized by the PG Department of Psychology on 09.08.2024 ALIZA IRAM BAKSHI SYED, II B.Sc PSYCHOLOGY (2024 - 2025)

 

COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES ON DYSLEXIA - A Workshop organized by the PG Department of Psychology on 09.08.2024

ALIZA IRAM BAKSHI SYED, II B.Sc PSYCHOLOGY (2024 - 2025)

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COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES ON DYSLEXIA

 Have you ever thought what "Dyslexia" actually means? I'm sure many of the individuals would've watched the famous 'Amir Khan Movie' about the same.

Yeah. "Taare Zameen Par" - this movie puts out the concept of Dyslexia. But is it totally true ?

Dyslexia , also known as "Specific Learning Disability" - is a condition of neurodevelopmental origin that mainly affects the ease with which a person reads, writes, and spells, typically recognized as a specific learning disorder in children. This occurs mainly due to the delay in the development of the child.

Our Department had organized a Workshop about the same on 09.08.2024. The occasion was graced by Dr. Johann Ebenezer along with his team - the Healthsoch Academy Private Limited from Vellore.

The workshop was not something like a typical workshop would be. It was very distinct and very much explorative. The programme started with the team telling us what dyslexia actually means by the reference of "Taare Zameen Par”.

The movie shows how "Ishaan"(the boy) feels when he reads or write. He sees like the letters dancing and numbers becoming a solar system and him drifting into his imaginary world.

But. Is it true?

No it's not, this apprehension was put out in a way that it was easy for us to understand. It was done through a short drama, which was played by the team of the Healthsoch Academy. They had put up two scenarios in which we were to perceive if the said condition was Dyslexia, Autism or Mental Retardation. This actually boosted us to voice out our interpretations about the conditions provided to us, by utilizing the symptoms given to us. This activity, thereby developed our understanding about the differences between the three Developmental Disorders, by allowing us to contemplate and ponder upon the provided information.

The session was very much interactive, where all the students were given the room to let out what they knew about the developmental disorders and reflected upon what they knew of dyslexia, by answering the put up questions and followed by clarification of the doubts.

People with dyslexia may experience:

Cognitive: difficulty memorising, difficulty spelling, or difficulty thinking and understanding

Developmental: learning disability or speech delay in a child

Also common: delayed reading ability, headache, or speech impairment

An individual with the Specific Learning Disability could consult the following specialists ,

●       Clinical Psychologist

●       Neurologist

●       Psychiatrist

●       Pediatrician

●       Special Educators and more

Community Mental Health is about how one identifies the individual with the need for the support (Psychological and emotional) in a group of people.

For an individual to have a good diagnostic experience, one should stick to the IRF diagnostic measure. 

            I - Identification

            R- Referral

            F - Follow Up

These are the insights which we've gathered thorough this session.

This was one of the best sessions we've ever attended. The workshop taught us many things and it helped us knowing that not everything we see is true, unless we ourselves study about it. The only negative thing was the time limit given to us for the session. Otherwise it was very much explorative and an insightful session.