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Dyslexia is a common learning difficulty that can cause problems with reading, writing, and spelling.
Essentially, it's a condition defined by difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding).
Dyslexia affects areas of the brain that process language.
Signs of dyslexia usually become apparent when a child starts school. Symptoms include slow reading and writing, or mixing up words.
Other signs are poor or inconsistent spelling, an inability to speak clearly, poor concentration, and difficulty following instructions.
However, unlike a learning disability, intelligence is not affected by the condition.
Interestingly, those with dyslexia often excel in other areas, such as creative thinking and problem solving.
Dyslexia can also affect a person's numerical aptitude. Indicators include confusion with place value, e.g. units, tens, hundreds, etc., and difficulty remembering anything in a sequential order, e.g. tables, days of the week, the alphabet, etc.
Poor time keeping and difficulty telling the time are other signs of dyslexia.
Kids often struggle in the classroom because it takes them longer to read, write clearly, or follow instruction that's written down, even though most people with dyslexia have no trouble understanding information when told verbally.
Dyslexia can hinder a child's ability to interact with peers in a typical way, and respond appropriately in social situations. This can impact a youngster's confidence and self-esteem. Offering emotional support is therefore vital if a person is to overcome the condition.
Fortunately, most dyslexic youngsters succeed in school with careful tutoring or as part of a specialized education program. Emotional support also plays an important role.
Sometimes dyslexia goes undiagnosed for years and isn't recognized until adulthood. The tell-take signs are similar—erratic spelling, the need to re-read sentences and paragraphs to understand them, and difficulty concentrating, among other symptoms.
While symptoms of dyslexia tend to vary by age, people do not outgrow dyslexia. In fact, there is no cure for the condition.
Fortunately with early assessment and appropriate intervention, individuals with dyslexia can succeed in school and in the workplace.
It's important to reiterate that dyslexia is not related to a person's general level of intelligence. Instead the condition is linked to genes, which is why dyslexia often runs in families. You're more likely to have dyslexia if your parents, siblings, or other family members have it.
That said, the exact cause of dyslexia is unknown. It appears to be linked to certain genes that affect how the brain processes reading and language, as well as risk factors in the environment.
It's been suggested that premature birth or low birth weight serve as risk factors in developing dyslexia.
Dyslexia can also be a result of individual differences in the parts of the brain that enable reading.
If after additional teaching and support you're still concerned about your child's progress, it may be a good idea to request a more in-depth assessment.
Your child will very likely be assigned a educational psychologist or an appropriately qualified specialist dyslexia tutor.
Trained specialists can support parents, their offspring, and their teachers by helping improve the understanding of a child's learning difficulties and suggesting interventions that may help them. This assessment will also provide a clearer picture of someone's cognitive profile and their strengths and weaknesses.
An important aspect of supporting kids with dyslexia is finding ways to decrease their discomfort around reading. The aim is to make learning to read enjoyable, not humiliating.
Strengthening a child's phonological skills is vital if the youngster is to gain a better understanding of how words sound. Phonological awareness is an individual's appreciation of the phonological structure, or sound structure, of words. This awareness is an important and reliable predictor of later reading ability.
Effective reading programs will incorporate teaching comprehension strategies, to help kids derive meaning from what they're reading.
As a dyslexic youngster gains more confidence in their reading ability, tutors can begin minimizing the amount of time spent correcting them. This in turns fuels a real sense of achievement and boosts self-esteem.
Dyslexia is different for everyone. Fortunately, most people have little trouble overcoming the condition, and learn how to manage it.
(Dyslexia Reading Well) (Everyday Health) (British Dyslexia Association) (Child Mind Institute) (International Dyslexia Association)
See also: The amazing benefits of microlearning
Exposure during pregnancy to nicotine, drugs, alcohol, infection, or anything else that may altar brain development in the fetus have also been cited as encouraging the onset of the condition.
Dyslexia is a brain-based type of learning disorder that specifically impairs a person's ability to read. It is a common condition that also causes problems with writing and spelling. According to figures published by Dyslexia Reading Well , around 30 million adults in the United States are dyslexic. A further six million in the United Kingdom suffer from the condition. And in Canada, three million people have dyslexia. Signs of dyslexia usually become apparent when a child starts school, and it occurs in people of all backgrounds. But what exactly is dyslexia, what are its symptoms, and how can the condition be treated?
Click through and find out more about this learning disorder.
What do we understand about dyslexia?
Click through and find out more about this learning disorder
LIFESTYLE Learning disorder
Dyslexia is a brain-based type of learning disorder that specifically impairs a person's ability to read. It is a common condition that also causes problems with writing and spelling. According to figures published by the Reading Well, around 30 million adults in the United States are dyslexic. A further six million in the United Kingdom suffer from the condition. And in Canada, three million people have dyslexia. Signs of dyslexia usually become apparent when a child starts school, and it occurs in people of all backgrounds. But what exactly is dyslexia, what are its symptoms, and how can the condition be treated?
Click through and find out more about this learning disorder.