Dyslexia Facts
Dyslexia is a learning disorder that causes a person to struggle with reading, spelling and writing. It affects all ages. Early identification and effective teaching is key to helping dyslexic kids succeed at school and in life.
Myths about dyslexia abound, but many of them are false. Here are some facts about dyslexia: 1. It is a brain disorder.
1. It is a brain disorder
Dyslexia is a brain-based learning disorder that causes people to have trouble processing the letters and symbols of written language. It’s often diagnosed in elementary school, but it can occur at any age. People with dyslexia also have trouble with spelling, pronunciation, oral language, and memorization. Dyslexia is the most common reason for reading difficulties, and it affects all genders, socioeconomic backgrounds, and languages.
Dyslexic children often show warning signs, such as difficulty with phonics or reading words backwards. They may also have trouble recognizing the sounds that make up words, or they may confuse similar-sounding letters. They also have difficulty with decoding, which is using letter-sound relationships in combination with context to identify unknown words.
Despite these challenges, dyslexic students are usually very bright and creative. They work hard in school, but they sometimes feel isolated because they struggle with a disability that doesn’t seem to be apparent to their peers. Sharing our knowledge of dyslexia can help them realize they are not stupid or lazy, but that their brains process language differently than others’ do.
2. It is a learning disability
Dyslexia is a learning disability that affects reading, spelling and writing. It also causes problems with understanding spoken language. If a child shows these warning signs, it is important to identify the dyslexia at an early stage and use the right teaching methods.
Teachers should not confuse dyslexia with other disorders such as ADD or ADHD which also affect language and reading. Neither should they mistake it for being lazy or unintelligent. People with dyslexia often feel frustrated and try to cover up their struggles with friends or at work.
People with dyslexia have different brain structures and do not have a low IQ. Many famous authors, scientists, actors and actresses and sportspeople are dyslexic. In addition, a study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has shown that people with dyslexia use a different part of the brain to process words and letters than others. However, it is important to know that there is no correlation between IQ and reading skills or dyslexia.
3. It is not a vision problem
Dyslexia is a learning disability that affects reading, spelling and writing. It can also cause problems with memory and organization. It is one of the most common causes of reading difficulties in children. It affects boys and girls equally.
People with dyslexia can have a wide range of abilities and talents. They are often highly creative. They can be gifted athletes, musicians or artists. Some have very high IQs while others have average or lower IQs. Dyslexia is passed down through families. There is a 50% chance of having dyslexia if one parent has it and a 100% chance if both parents have it.
Many symptoms of vision problems mimic dyslexia and ADD/ADHD. These symptoms include blurred vision, eye strain and difficulty with reading. These symptoms can be treated with glasses or contacts. However, there is no evidence that visual treatments improve reading or learning disabilities. There is also no evidence that Irlen Syndrome (see this article in The Conversation) causes dyslexia or ADD/ADHD.
4. It is not a personality disorder
Many people with dyslexia believe that their struggle with reading is a result of poor character traits or bad habits. This is not true, and individuals with dyslexia can become terrific readers with appropriate, research-based intervention.
Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence. Children with dyslexia are often branded as lazy or stupid because of their struggles with reading. This is a tragedy because these children are frequently very bright and creative individuals who have accomplished amazing things as adults.
They appear intelligent and articulate; they test well orally, but not academically; they have high IQ scores but don't read at grade level; they feel dumb and ashamed; they hide their weaknesses with ingenious compensatory strategies; and they easily get frustrated and emotional when school reading and testing are involved. Fortunately, these children often have strengths in other areas of their lives such as sports, art, music, story-telling, mechanics, and sales. These talents can help them save their literacy programs for dyslexia self-image and self-worth.