| Universiti Putra Malaysia

National School teachers in Selangor participate in Dyslexia Symptom Identification programme

By: Noor Eszereen Juferi

Photo by: Marina Ismail

 

SERDANG, August 21 – A total of 141 teachers from the National Schools in Selangor have participated in the Dyslexia Symptom Identification programme, which aimed to provide exposure to the basic knowledge about dyslexia and the identification process of dyslexia symptoms among school children.

 

Programme director, Prof. Dr. Vijayaletchumy Subramaniam, said dyslexia in learning has long existed among primary and secondary school students.

In this regard, she added the process of identifying dyslexia is important so that early interventions can be carried out to help dyslexic students.

The programme was organised by the Faculty of Modern Languages ​​and Communication (FBMK), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in collaboration with Seri Serdang State Assemblyman (ADUN), the Malaysian Dyslexia Association, Pertubuhan Tulir Malaysia and Selangor State Education Department. Also present at the event were the ADUN for Seri Serdang, Dr. Siti Mariah Mahmud and the Dean of FBMK, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohd Azidan Abdul Jabar.

As a lecturer who is directly involved in the field of dyslexia research, Prof. Dr. Vijayaletchumy said she hoped the programme would help school teachers to improve their knowledge on the identification process and handling students with dyslexia problems which could be addressed at an earlier stage.

 

“The identification process of dyslexia is vital so that early interventions can be carried out to help dyslexic students. If it is not curbed from the beginning, it will destroy the future of the children," she said.

Prof. Dr. Vijayaletchumy, who conducted a study on the use of an Intervention Screening Instrument for Dyslexia Symptoms (SISD) in 2018, said through the use of the instrument, preschool and Level 1 (Lower Primary) teachers can assess in advance whether students are showing symptoms of dyslexic learning problems.

"The diagnostic process of dyslexia will be quicker if the appropriate instrument is used in all schools," she said.

She said the diagnostic process of dyslexia is done formally through medical centres and hospitals, which takes between six months to a year involving various tests and assessments.

She mentioned the current scenario at schools demonstrate that Level 1 (Lower Primary) mainstream teachers who had no knowledge of dyslexia would categorise students who could not read, spell and write as slow learners and admit them to remedial classes.

 

"This will take a long time to determine the learning problems of the student. Through SISD, Year 1 mainstream teachers can identify the symptoms of dyslexia, and this record will assist special and rehabilitation teachers to speed up the identification process of dyslexia among students," she said. - UPM

 

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