Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a specific reading disability. It has to do with how the brain processes graphic symbols. The learning disability results from the way the brain processes written material and how the words are recognized, spelled and decoded. Those with dyslexia will have problems with reading comprehension. Dyslexia is a neurological and genetic condition. It is not the result of poor teaching, instruction, or upbringing nor is it related to intelligence. 

Dyslexia is not a visual learning problem but rather linguistic. An individual with dyslexia may be a brilliant student but read at a level lower than others their age. It is not a delayed reading development but it is one of the most common learning disabilities. According to the International Dyslexia Association around 20 percent of all Americans have some symptoms of dyslexia including but not limited to reading slow or inaccurate, poor spelling or writing or mixing up similar words. Because of this high number effecting individual students in classes with dyslexia amount to 1 or more per class. Take a look at an issustration of how a child with dyslexia may feel in the classroom. 

Worried that your child may have dyslexia or want to know what to look for?? While dyslexia does interfere with reading skills it is not the only area of concern. Other indicators that it may be dyslexia include:

• Lack of organisational skills
• Problems with sequencing, such as throwing and catching
• Difficulties with time perception
• Tendency to zone-out
• Mood swings, which can result in behavioural problems
• Visual motion sensitivity
• Problems with long and/or short term memory and information processing speed

Teachers and administrators have test that can find out if your child does have dyslexia. There is no medication that your child can take to help make it better. Dyslexia is not a developmental delay either so children will not be able to grow out of it. Children with dyslexia grow up to be dyslexic adults. Get busy start reading and continue reading. Go back to the old beginning and learn phonics. It was great when I learned it and will help your child as well. Research and work with educators to find out how to help your child.

Dyslexia is often referred to as the hidden disability. A person may be dyslexic and learned to hide it well. This happened with my oldest daughter. Through the first 5 years of school she did great and got by then she started more individual study and we realized something was wrong she could not read. She wanted to learn so badly that she had memorized so many words but could not read. 

If you are concerned parent one place to turn is research. Here is a great resource for you to find hopefully just what you need. 

4.  Trying harder.  Dyslexia is sometimes called a ‘hidden disability’.  You cannot tell if a person is dyslexic by looking at them, listening to them speak or hanging out with them at the mall.  Because people with dyslexia are bright and articulate, their reading and writing struggles are often masked.  This can appear to those who are as yet uneducated about dyslexia, to be a lack of effort or laziness.  This is not the case.  People with dyslexia desperately want to read and write better.  Trying harder doesn’t help!  The writeteaching dyslexics the way they learn is what will help.

5.  Worry.  It is normal to be concerned about your kids’ future.  All parents wonder about how to provide the best opportunities for their children.  However, worrying about these things won’t help.  What will help is to get educated about what dyslexia is, how dyslexics learn and what you can do as a parent to empower and advocate for your kids.  Visit our Resources Page for our top picks on reliable sources of dyslexia information.