Interview with Alfonso Cruzado: this is dyslexia

Of all the disorders that significantly influence our ability to learn and take advantage of education, dyslexia is one of the most common. Perhaps that is why it is also one of the most commented on in popular culture.

Unfortunately, the fact that this disorder is relatively "mainstream" causes many false beliefs to circulate about it. Therefore, on this occasion We interviewed Alfonso Cruzado, a psychologist with extensive experience in the treatment of learning disorders, to dispel some myths about dyslexia.

• Related article: "Learning Disorders: Types, Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments"

Interview with Alfonso Cruzado: understanding dyslexia better

Alfonso Cruzado Cardona He is a General Health Psychologist expert in child-youth and adult psychotherapy, and he attends both in person at his Ceuta office and through online therapy. Here he talks about the particularities of dyslexia, and about the way in which it affects people who develop this disorder.

What is dyslexia and what are its main symptoms?

Dyslexia is a learning disorder characterized by a difficulty in reading, without the existence of neurological alterations that can justify it.

It is a disorder of neurobiological origin, which affects approximately 10% of people. Where the greatest difficulties are observed are in the reading and writing field, which directly affects academic performance, as well as motivation. In addition, it also affects other areas such as work memory, attention, coordination or spatio-temporal orientation.

Normally, when talking about dyslexia, its incidence in children and adolescents is mentioned. Are the cases in which it affects adults rare?

It is a chronic disorder, which, although it can be observed in the infant stage, is usually diagnosed after the age of 7, where it is understood that the child has already acquired literacy.

Being chronic, once it is detected, it accompanies you for a lifetime, reaching adulthood, so it is not uncommon to find adults with this difficulty.

Currently, there is a commitment to a more complete attention to diversity, and this makes it possible to detect these difficulties in childhood, but it should be noted that there are numerous adults with this disorder, and without diagnosis.

What other psychological disorders is dyslexia often confused with, if it occurs?

It is a disorder with a very clear profile and it is difficult for it to be confused. Even so, sometimes, when the diagnosis is early, it can be confused with a TEL (Specific Language Impairment). The most important difference to take into account is that in dyslexia, the alteration is in written language, both in reading and writing, and in TEL it usually begins in oral language.

From what you have seen as a psychologist, do families generally take their sons or daughters to psychotherapy for the first time, suspecting that they are dealing with a case of dyslexia?

In the vast majority of cases, it is in the school and family environment where it is usually detected, and when they come to the consultation for evaluation it is simply to confirm suspicions.

I have to say that I have also found cases of boys or girls who came for an attention deficit, and finally, it was a learning difficulty.

What can be the consequences of not treating dyslexia cases as soon as possible?

Where there may be a greater incidence is in academic performance. They are children with slow reading speed and comprehension difficulties.

This problem, if not dealt with in time, will gradually prevent the minor from achieving their academic goals, and may even lead to early school dropout. They are children whose intellectual capacity is not affected, which is why feelings of frustration and low self-esteem.

What are the phases of psychotherapy applied to young people with dyslexia?

The intervention should focus on working on the four main processes involved in reading (learning the alphabetic code, syntactic and semantic processes and reading comprehension), in addition to the reading speed. Each child is different, so a personalized program will have to be carried out, depending on her difficulties.

In addition to this intervention, we must not forget the emotional aspect, so that the little ones do not give up and show their full potential.

And what should be the role of fathers and mothers during this process of professional support for children with dyslexia?

The greatest help that parents can show with their children is empathy and support. It is a disorder that cannot be seen with the naked eye, and in which it is common for boys and girls who develop it to see that they are reproached for not studying enough. Fathers and mothers have to be patient on countless occasions, and understand them and make them see that, with effort, they can achieve everything they set out to do.