Child Psychology and Psychiatry

Infancy and early childhood
a strategy of combining a partial decoding
strategy with their vocabulary knowledge and the
sentential framework within which the word is
embedded. This enables them to make the ‘best
possible estimate’ as to its actual pronunciation.
As children get older, their needs extend beyond
direct teaching of reading and spelling to include
instruction in the use of information technology
(computers, spell-checks and voice-activated soft-
ware) and techniques for improving organizational
skills alongside curriculum differentiation (which
may include exemption from studying a foreign
language) and assessment arrangements (typically
extra time in examinations but also possibly being
supplied with a ‘reader’ or scribe).
Understandably, the teaching of children with
dyslexia has focused largely on remediating their
reading and spelling problems. However, co-
occurring difficulties need to be addressed in their
own right. Management programmes should not
be limited to literacy instruction, but should also
consider the individual child’s need for speech and
language
therapy,
occupational/physiotherapy,
medication
or
behavioural
programmes
for
attention deficits and additional maths support.