INTRODUCTION:

Background of study:

Dyslexia is a developmental language disorder, characterized by deficits in phonological awareness, the explicit awareness of phonemes as separate entities, as operationalized with tasks that require the segmentation of words into their constituent phonemes and the manipulation of these units. These deficits lead to difficulties in reading decoding (i.e., accuracy) that, in severe cases, persist into adulthood.

Although reading comprehension is constrained by decoding skill, comprehension is frequently better, in keeping with better listening comprehension, i.e., the ability to understand spoken language, thus distinguishing dyslexia from developmental dysphasia. Prevalence is generally estimated to be 5 to 10% in the school-age population. (www.Ipch.org)

Dyslexics make more mistakes than normal readers in auditory perception tasks that require quick stimulus discrimination. Dyslexics have difficulties trying to perceive and process rapid information. This deficit might cause the

phonological deficits that dyslexics exhibit while reading. The similarities between these deficits and the visual system suggest that dyslexics' problem might be one of rapid information processing (Tallal, Miller, and Fitch,1995).

Developmental dyslexia affects between 5% and 17% of the population, representing a very large number of children. Although dyslexia is biological, reading can be improved with specific kinds of instruction and practice. (Kimberly Kopko, 2010)

Dyslexia is manifested by variable difficulty with different forms of language, often including, in addition to problems with reading, a conspicuous problem with acquiring proficiency in writing and spelling. (Dr. Reid Lyon (1995).

Results from the behavioral genetic studies show that approximately 50 percent of individual differences in reading ability are due to genetic factors, the remaining 50 percent attributable to environmental factors. Nonetheless, since the 1960s some researchers are skeptical about any substantial

role for genetic factors in the etiology of behavioral disorders (Rutter, 2000),

PROBLEM STATEMENT:

Prevalence of developmental dyslexia among school going children residing at Pallakkaplayam, Namakkal district

OBJECTIVES:

1. To assess the prevalence of developmental dyslexia among school going children residing at Pallkkaplayam, Namakkal (dist).

2. To find out the association between the scores of dyslexia assessment scale of school going children and their selected demographic variables.

HYPOTHESIS:

H1-There is a significant level of prevalence of developmental dyslexia among school going children residing at Pallkkaplayam, Namakkal (dist).

H2- There is a significant association between the scores of dyslexia assessment scale of school going children and their selected demographic variables.

METHODOLOGY:

Research Design:

The research design selected for the present study is descriptive in nature.

Setting:

The setting for study is Pallkkaplayam, Namakkal (dist).

Sample and sample size:

The samples for the present study were, parents of school going children residing at Pallkkaplayam, Namakkal (dist) who fulfill the sampling criteria. The sample size were 30 parents of school going.

Sampling Technique:

“Convenient sampling technique” is used to select cases.

SAMPLING CRITERIA:-

Inclusion Criteria:-

Parents of school going children:

· Having child in the age group of 6 to 8 years.

· Willing to participate in the study

· Understand and converse in English

· Residing at Pallkkaplayam, Namakkal (dist).

Description of the tool:

Section A: Dyslexia assessment scale

Section B: Demographic variables

Method of data collection:

After obtaining informed consent from parents the dyslexia assessment scale was administered and the data was collected.

RESULTS:

Table 4.2 Mean and standard deviation scores of dyslexia among school going children residing at Pallakkaplayam, Namakkal district .

Conveniently selected parents of school going	Score	Frequency	Percentage %
No dyslexia	0-3	16	53.3
Mild dyslexia	4-7	8	26.7
Moderate dyslexia	8-11	4	13.3
Severe dyslexia	12-15	2	6.7

The result shows that he most of the children had developmental dyslexia either in mild, moderate or in severe form.

Figure 1 The Pie diagram showing the frequency distribution of dyslexia among school aged children

Table 4.3 Chi square value of association between the scores of dyslexia assessment scale of school going children and their selected demographic variables

Demographic variables of school going children	Df	Value	Table value	Level of significances
Age in years	2	1.22	5.99	Not significant
History of delivery complications	1	0.78	3.841	Not significant
History of developmental delay	1	0.511	3.841	Not significant
Family history of learning disorders	1	4.41	3.841	Significant
Family history of mental illness	1	0.78	3.841	Not significant

P > Not Significant

P < Significant

The table reveals the association between the scores of dyslexia going children and their selected demographic variables.

DISCUSSION:

India is thought to have approximately ninety million people with varying degrees of learning disorders. Yet we do not having the clear idea about the learning disorders in India. Rama.S, Gowramma IP (2012).

This study aimed to assess the developmental dyslexia.

Objective 1:

To assess the prevalence of developmental dyslexia among school going children residing at Pallkkaplayam, Namakkal (dist).

a) Mean and standard deviation scores of dyslexia among school going children residing at Pallakkaplayam, Namakkal district

Developmental dyslexia is perhaps the most common behavioral disorder affecting the children, the prevalence rate ranging from 5% to 17.5%. (Interagency committee on learning disability).

The present study result shows that the 53.3% of school children were 26.7% of school going had mild dyslexia, 13.3% of school going had moderate dyslexia 6.7% of school going had severe dyslexia.

Hypothesis 1:

There is a significant level of prevalence of developmental dyslexia among school going children residing at Pallkkaplayam, Namakkal (dist).so the hypothesis was accepted

Objective 2:

To find out the association between the scores of dyslexia assessment scale of school going children and their selected demographic variables

b) Chi square value of association between the scores of dyslexia assessment scale of school going children and their selected demographic variables

The siblings of affected person with developmental learning disability may have increased risk 40% and among parents ranging from 27% to 49%. Huntington DD, Bender WN.(1993)

In the present study the obtained ᵡ² values regarding selected demographic variables (age in years, history of delivery complications, history of developmental delay, family history of mental illness) shows that there was no significant association. The result reveals that the family history of learning disorder was significantly associated with the scores of dyslexia assessment scale of school going children.

Hypothesis 2:

There is a significant association between the scores of dyslexia assessment scale of school going children and their selected demographic variables. So the hypothesis was accepted

CONCLUSION:

The early identification is important as it remains undetected and causes chronic poor school performance, class detention and dropping out of school. The children with developmental disability lose their self-esteem, develop aggressive behavior, anxiety, depression and anti social behavior. By mass health education and through innovative measures nurse educator should educate regarding the developmental dyslexia and its effect among nurses to take necessary action for creating awareness in the society.

REFERENCES:

Bottom of Form

1. Ramaa S. Gowramma IP. A (2012).”Systematic procedure for identifying and classifying the children with dycalculia among primary school children in India. IAP:8:67 -85

2. “Interagency committee on learning disabilities” (1987). A report to US Congress. Washington.

3. Huntington DD, Bender WN.(1993). “Adolescence with learning disabilities with risk”J Learn Disabilities;26:159 – 66

4. www.childrenshospital.org

5. www.lpch.org

6. www.wtnh.com

Received on 01.08.2014 Modified on 17.08.2014

Int. J. Adv. Nur. Management 2(3): July-Sept.,2014; Page 156-158