Amitabh Sharma, Features Coordinator

Samms-Vaughan

What do Galileo, Thomas Edison, Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Cruise, John F. Kennedy and Sir Richard Branson have in common? They are all famous personalities, icons who succeeded despite being affected by learning disabilities.

Some children's difficulty to read is not a disability, experts say. The condition can affect those with average or above-average intelligence.

Various factors

"There could be several factors, from environment at home to the lack of motivation on the part of the child," says Freda Jones, managing director of Applied Scholastics Jamaica.

Dr Maureen Samms-Vaughan, executive director of the Early Childhood Commission and a consultant developmental and behavioural paediatrician, says that dyslexia is the most commonly identified problem affecting children when they reach grade three.

Interventions from kindergarten to grade two are the most effective.

"Early identification allows programmes of sufficient intensity, duration and support to be introduced," she says.

Researchers say that children with reading disabilities can eventually become literate.

It is critical to examine the root cause to address this problem. "It is a mix of several factors," Jones explains. "At times, the child idolises those who are school dropouts, yet make big money. He sees no purpose in reading."

There is no single approach to address the problem. Programmes are individualised depending on the age and socio-economic conditions.

Jones points out that the key lies in getting the right phonetics.

"To be able to read, it is critical to understand the sounds," she says.

amitabh.sharma@gleanerjm.com