32 million Nigerians suffer from learning disabilities
Over 32 million Nigerians suffer from the learning disability, dyslexia, which affects reading, spelling, writing and comprehension.
Chairman Board of Trustees, Dyslexia Foundation Nigeria, Mr Ben Arikpo, made this known in Abuja, while speaking on the need to create more awareness on dyslexia in Nigeria.
Mr Arikpo also said one in every six students in Nigeria suffers dyslexia. He added that this makes the problem more endemic than autism which has only one victim in eighty persons.
According to him: “Over 32 million Nigerians in and out of schools face educational exclusion and negative life outcome on account of dyslexia, also over 32 million Nigerians struggle with the hallmark signs of dyslexia which may include reading,writing, spelling and comprehension difficulties.”
He regretted that despite the seriousness of the problem among children of school age, awareness has not been created for teachers to know how to handle children diagnosed with the condition.
“Statistics on dyslexia are troubling, one in six students are dyslexia and for autism is 1 out of eighty,32% of teachers attending our training never heard about dyslexia before the training,65% did not know how to describe dyslexia while 74& did not know the correct signs and symptoms of dyslexia”Arikpo said.
” Dyslexia affects an estimated 15 to 20% of persons in any given population and causes significant learning difficulties. In Nigeria, results from a recent study in one state in the south south estimate that one in six pupils in public primary schools saw significant signs and symptoms of dyslexia.
“This learning disability challenge can only be noticed in a child of age 3 and above, ” he added.
Low awareness
According to him, the lack of awareness among teachers, parents and peers had resulted in abuse of victims with the condition who lose their self-esteem in the process and sometimes, drop out of school.
He called on the Nigerian government to take over the license for training of teachers in primary and secondary school on dyslexia to correct the condition among students.
“Worst still, the awareness, support systems and necessary accommodations for persons with dyslexia and related learning disorders are virtually non-existent in the Nigerian educational system,” he said.
Arikpo further decried the lack of workplace policies to protect the rights of people with the condition, adding that this has resulted in a culture of silence and denial among many people with dyslexia as they are afraid to come public with their status.
He warned that “without identification and remediation, children and individuals with dyslexia are at risk of lifelong challenges along with the many negative social and economic consequences.”
“It is for this reason that the foundation has decided to mark the International Dyslexia Awareness Month with the 2nd National Conference on Dyslexia in Nigeria and a follow-up teachers’ training this October,” he said.
He said the conference, which is slated for October 29, would discuss and advocate for policy frameworks to support persons with dyslexia in Nigeria, as well as launch the first handbook on dyslexia for schools, teachers and families.
Dyslexia Foundation of Nigeria was established in 2015 with the goal of creating awareness, providing remediation, training and support to people with dyslexia.
