“I liked my old school, but I like my current school better because I suffered a lot of bullying,” he says. The problem, he explains with his mother’s permission, wasn’t just in his learning, but mainly in how he was treated by his classmates.<\/p>\n
“I had to spell to read, and my classmates laughed.” \u201cThat\u2019s why I started refusing to read,\u201d he recalls. At his new school, Tiago says he feels more comfortable, since the teachers avoid having him read aloud.<\/p>\n
Although not identified early on, dyslexia has always been present in his school career. It was often mistaken for a lack of interest or effort. In Tiago’s case, it manifested as refusals to read, low grades, and situations of exposure in front of his classmates. Only later did medical consultations and confirmation of the diagnosis come.<\/p>\n
His mother, Maria, built an understanding of the problem through daily life, school messages, and her son’s difficulties. \u201cJames went to school every day, without fail, but he couldn’t read,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
A domestic worker with a limited income, she insisted on finding answers. \u201cI don’t have an education, but I realized it wasn’t normal,\u201d she says. The situation even led to physical punishment because she believed her son wasn’t studying enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen Tiago came home with low grades, I hit him because I thought he wasn’t studying,\u201d she admits.<\/p>\n
The change in perception It only emerged after the clinical assessment. At that time, Tiago had already repeated a grade and changed schools.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the first appointment, the pediatrician said it wasn\u2019t normal for a 5th-grade child to have that kind of delay,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n
A long journey through the public health system followed. \u201cI had to go to a neurologist, a psychologist, a speech therapist, and a neuropediatrician,\u201d she lists. Even after the diagnosis, Maria believes the school didn\u2019t respond with consistent adaptations. \u201cHe was evaluated the same way as his classmates,\u201d she states.<\/p>\n
The solution involved another school change. \u201cI ended up enrolling him in a private school.\u201d According to his mother, the difference was immediate. \u201cHe\u2019s happier, he\u2019s changed a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
The journey went from conflicts and constant calls to the school to greater stability. \u201cHe\u2019s already been named class leader and received a recognition plaque,\u201d \u200b\u200bshe proudly says.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis grades have improved a lot.\u201d In the first and second trimesters he didn’t have any failing grades and even brought in a 14\u201d test.<\/p>\n
Despite the progress, reading remains a challenge. \u201cEven with better grades, my son still doesn’t read well,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Student Reporting and Teacher Responsibilities<\/b><\/p>\n
On Fogo Island, a teacher, who prefers not to be identified and whom we will call Ana, recounts her experience with a 4th-grade student who had accumulated several failing grades. \u201cHe was already on his fourth failing grade.\u201d \u201cHis classmates were between 8 and 9 years old, and he was between 12 and 13,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Previous teachers had already commented that the student couldn’t read. When she started working with him, she confirmed the difficulties. \u201cHe really couldn’t even read the syllables.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite this, she points out that the student was better at math. \u201cHe could do all the calculations and did well.\u201d In reading, however, his performance was very low. To avoid humiliation, Ana stopped exposing him to reading aloud and tried individual strategies.<\/p>\n
\u201cI printed out vowels, a syllabary, everything from the basics.\u201d “I would break the words down into parts and work with him during breaks,” she explains. Even so, the student failed again.<\/p>\n
According to the teacher, the system does not sufficiently support teachers who identify students with special needs. “If a teacher wants to identify a student, they have to take responsibility for everything: reinforcement, psychologists, reports, and plans,” she says.<\/p>\n
Ana adds that this extra work is not accompanied by logistical or financial support. “It was a lot of work, and the school didn’t pay for travel.”<\/p>\n
Therefore, she admits, many teachers end up avoiding identifying students with special needs. Th
\ne family context also made the process difficult. “I mentioned the suspicion of dyslexia, but the mother said that her son was faking it and didn’t want to learn.”<\/p>\n
For the teacher, the lack of resources continues to be one of the main obstacles. “There are few psychologists, and it’s impossible to provide answers.”<\/p>\n
Teacher training is also insufficient. “We don’t receive training on dyslexia unless the teacher seeks it out on their own initiative.”<\/p>\n
What is dyslexia and how does it manifest in context?<\/b> Schooling<\/p>\n
Dyslexia is part of the group of specific learning disorders and has a neurobiological origin. It is not related to intellectual limitations, but it mainly interferes with reading and, consequently, writing.<\/p>\n
According to Arminda Reis, a psychopedagogue with about 17 years of experience in inclusive education, it is a condition that affects how a child processes written language.<\/p>\n
\u201cDyslexia is characterized by difficulties in reading and writing, but it is not related to intelligence. The child has preserved cognitive abilities,\u201d she explains.
\nIn the school context, difficulties become more visible in reading. The child reads slowly, with phoneme substitutions, omissions, and difficulty recognizing words. These limitations end up affecting writing and comprehension as well.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, difficulties may arise in phonological awareness, in distinguishing between similar sounds, and in memorizing simple sequences, such as days of the week or months of the year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe F and the V, or the P and the T, for example, can be confused,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
Photo credit: Depositphotos_8_XLA Identifying dyslexia requires a multidisciplinary team, involving neurologists, psychologists, educators, and speech-language pathologists. Often, the first signs become evident at school, when the child begins formal reading instruction. Even so, Arminda Reis warns that the diagnosis should not become a label.<\/p>\n
\u201cDyslexia is not a disease with a cure. It is a condition that accompanies the person throughout their life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regarding intervention, she advocates for collaboration between school, family, and healthcare professionals.<\/p>\n
\u201cJoint work between family, school, and specialized technicians is necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the strategies mentioned are strengthening phonological awareness, individualized support, and the use of adapted technological tools.<\/p>\n
In the classroom, adapting assessments is also essential. \u201cA student with dyslexia should not be evaluated in the same way as another without reading difficulties,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
According to the psychologist, the number of cases identified in Cape Verde has increased due to greater awareness and the existence of more specialists. \u201cThe estimated prevalence is around 5% worldwide. Today there is more awareness on the part of parents and teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite this, stigma is still present. \u201cThe diagnosis can bring labels and affect the child’s self-image,\u201d she warns.<\/p>\n
Therefore, she advocates for early intervention and less public exposure of the child. \u201cThe most important thing is to act on the signs, avoid reading exposure, and support the child in their acceptance.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Role of Speech-Language Pathology<\/p>\n
According to pediatric speech-language pathologist Viviane Moura, this professional helps identify difficulties related to language, reading, and writing, distinguishing pedagogical difficulties from specific learning disorders.<\/p>\n
The assessment includes phonological awareness, association between letters and sounds, word decoding, and phonological memory. “The speech-language pathologist conducts a detailed evaluation of the child’s oral and written language skills,” she explains.<\/p>\n
The work is done in conjunction with psychologists, neuropsychologists, and teachers, allowing them to understand the impact of the difficulties on the child’s daily life and define appropriate adaptations.<\/p>\n
Among the strategies mentioned are visual resources, reduction of extensive copying, more time in assessments, and multisensory methods. After the diagnosis, the follow-up aims to develop skills related to reading, writing, and text comprehension through individualized activities.<\/p>\n
“The goal is not only to improve school performance, but also to strengthen the child’s autonomy, self-esteem, and confidence,” she says.<\/p>\n
The specialist reminds us that dyslexia doesn’t disappear over time, but appropriate intervention helps develop strategies to cope with the difficulties. The work also includes guidance for families.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany parents believe that the child is lazy or uninterested, when in fact they are facing a real difficulty,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
_______________________________________________________<\/b><\/p>\n
What the law says about inclusive education<\/b><\/b>The Decree-Law on inclusive education, published in the Official Gazette on February 29, 2024, establishes a set of measures aimed at guaranteeing better conditions for the integration and support of children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in schools.<\/p>\n
The decree applies to public, private, and cooperative education, from preschool to high school, and stipulates that all schools must ensure equal oppo
\nrtunities, combat discrimination, and adapt the teaching process to the specific needs of each student.<\/p>\n
Among the measures foreseen are curricular adaptations, personalized pedagogical support, special assessment conditions, and the use of assistive technologies. The decree also provides for a reduction in the number of students per class when there are students with permanent special educational needs (SEN).<\/p>\n
The legislation also mandates the creation of Multidisciplinary Teams to Support Inclusive Education (EMAEI) in all Delegations of the Ministry of Education. These teams must include at least one educational psychologist, one teacher with experience in special education, and one social worker, responsible for the assessment, monitoring, and definition of support measures for identified students.<\/p>\n
Photo credit: Depositphotos_6_XL According to the decree, the identification can be made by parents, teachers,
\nTechnical staff or other services that accompany the child. After this process, the multidisciplinary team must prepare a technical-pedagogical report and an Individual Education Plan (IEP), a document that defines curricular adaptations, support strategies, and forms of assessment.<\/p>\n
Parents and guardians have the right to participate in meetings, monitor the preparation of the educational plan, and access information related to the student’s school process.<\/p>\n
In the assessment chapter, the legislation determines measures such as supplementary time for tests, reading instructions, test adaptations, supervised breaks, and the use of technological resources, according to the needs of each student.<\/p>\n
Schools must have specialized human resources, adapted materials, and adequate spaces to guarantee inclusion, and there must be coordination between Education, Health, Social Security, and local authorities to support children and young people with special needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“I liked my old school, but I like my current school better because I suffered a lot of bullying,” he says. The problem, he explains with his mother’s permission, wasn’t just in his learning, but mainly in how he was treated by his classmates. “I had to spell to read, and my classmates laughed.” \u201cThat\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":33342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-community"],"yoast_head":"\n