October 10, National Dys Day

Dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia… "dys" disorders are numerous and affect many children in France. To raise awareness on the subject, a national day of "dys" was created in 2007 and takes place on October 10. What are the "dys" disorders, and especially their impact on the lives of affected children?

Dys Dysfunctions:What Are They?

When we talk about "dys" disorders, we are referring to cognitive disturbances that will cause learning difficulties for children who are victims of them. They can also affect language, calculation, gestures, or even attention. There is no question of intellectual disability here and the intensity of the disorder may vary from one subject to another.

Here are the main "dys" malfunctions:

• Dyslexia :Dyslexics will tend to confuse similar letters and reverse syllables when reading aloud.
• Dysorthographia :it is an alteration of the production of writings and spelling. It will then be complex to write without making mistakes and to decipher a text.
• Dysphasia :these are language development disorders. Children will usually speak late and have a reduced vocabulary.
• Dyspraxia :here, it is the coordination of gestures that is affected. People with dyspraxia will find it difficult to perform simple gestures such as tying shoes or getting dressed.
• Dysgraphia :it is a writing disorder. The letters will then be poorly formed, and the lines will not be clean or even.
• Dyscalculia :this time we touch on numerical activities and the difficulty of understanding what a number is and its usefulness.

Dys disorders in a few figures

It is believed that 5-7% of school children are affected by "dys" disorders. In 1 to 2% of cases, the disorders are even severe and therefore particularly disabling. 40% of children with “dys” dysfunctions have more than one[1].

The daily consequences for children

Many and varied, "dys" disorders can also have serious consequences for the children concerned. They will quickly have great learning difficulties, because reading, writing and counting are among the first things you learn. These are essential bases for the rest of the schooling and if they are not mastered, other shortcomings will follow. These disorders can also cause isolation of the child. He may be ashamed to speak or interact with his classmates and may therefore remain in his corner.

"Dys" children need special care in some cases, different instructions, more in-depth follow-up. This can then involve a change in school structure, a break with the habits of the child, which can be confusing. These disorders are also difficult to diagnose. A child concerned may therefore take time to receive the help he needs and lose self-confidence.

Signs that can alert you

While "dys" disorders are hard to diagnose, there are still signs you can spot:

• Language delay.
• Poor coordination of gestures.
• Memory problem.
• Bad handling of a pen.
• Difficulty reading.
• Reversal of letters.
• Little or many lyrics.
• Difficulty following instructions.

In general, if you see that your child is having trouble keeping up with school or is out of step with his peers, ask yourself the question and talk to your doctor.

What are the diagnostic modes?

The first people who should pay particular attention to the subject are parents and teachers. Dys disorders can manifest themselves in both the school and family spheres. If you have the slightest doubt about your child, get closer to his teachers. Ditto if one of your students shows signs, contact their parents.

Before concluding on a "dys" disorder, intellectual disabilities and psychiatric pathologies must be ruled out. Only then can screenings be carried out such as a speech therapy, psychomotor or cognitive assessment depending on the "dys" disorder to be detected.

What are the different possible treatments and accompaniments?

These are lasting disorders that can follow the student for several years. To help him progress and reduce these disorders, psychomotricity, occupational therapy, orthoptics, or speech therapy are recommended.
With the Esprit Santé offer, the Mieux-Être mutual fund covers procedures carried out on medical prescription. The amounts reimbursed depend on the formulas chosen and the reimbursement of the Health Insurance.

It is also important to offer psychological support to the child so that he or she can best experience these disorders. At school, the ideal is a proper pedagogical adaptation with oral reading of instructions, photocopying of lessons, reformulation of certain instructions or even extra time during tests.

Apps to help you

To support children who are victims of "dys" disorders on a daily basis, several applications have been created. Among them, we can cite Atelecture which helps in learning to read in speech therapy, Orthographo to improve spelling, or even Deductimo which helps in better reading comprehension.

Very varied, "dys" disorders affect many children, even very young ones. It is important to monitor your child's progress to detect them as soon as possible. The national day of "dys" aims to raise awareness of these pathologies.

Source:

https://www.passeportsante.net/fr/Actualites/Dossiers/DossierComplexe.aspx?doc=etre-une-personne-dys-dyslexie-dysorthographie-dysgraphie-dyscalculie-

https://www.inserm.fr/information-en-sante/dossiers-information/troubles-specifiques-apprentissages

http://www.afped.ca/dynamiques/documents/afped_publications/liste_manifestations_nov-2018-vf.pdf

[1] Inserm