DELINQUENCY in the classroom could be drastically reduced if teachers were able to recognise children with learning difficulties, according to a Brisbane remedial teacher.
Christine Alexander has been a teacher for the past 14 years in both Australia and New Zealand. The last six of those years have been spent as a private remedial teacher for people with dyslexia.
Mrs Alexander estimated that up to 25 percent of the people had dyslexia to some degree and most were unaware of it. (Dyslexia is a disorder that makes it difficult to distinguish some letters to recognise words when reading or writing. It bears no relation to lack of intelligence.)
"Most of the kids who come to me have above average intelligence, but because they have problems reading and writing they become the class clowns.
"A lot of classroom delinquency would disappear if more of these children were helped."
Since coaching dyslexics privately from her Kenmore home, Mrs Alexander has helped 90 families with students ranging in age from four to 34 years.