What Is Dyslexia?
Most of us may have heard about and used the term dyslexia at some point. Some of us may have even suspected that we have dyslexia. But, despite the fact that this condition affects around 20% of the general population, there are still many doubts, misinformation and prejudices around it.
While most people assume that dyslexia is merely a misspelling of words when writing, or writing words backwards (i.e. ‘brad’ instead of ‘drab’), the condition is much more ample, and determining whether someone has dyslexia or not is a task far more complex than we can imagine.
One of the most common errors is to assume that dyslexia is merely a learning disability.
In fact, dyslexia is one of several specific learning disorders, which include: Dyslexia (literacy impairment), Dyscalculia (math impairment), Dysgraphia ( writing impairment) and Dyspraxia (mispronouncing words), all of which are inter-related.
Dyslexia is the common term to cover a series of cognitive impairments which affect reading, writing, memorization, and sequencing or organization of tasks.
Most specialists agree that dyslexia has an important neurological component, and it’s believed to be genetic. So, if your mother or father had dyslexia, chances are you may have it too.
Due to its neurological nature, Dyslexia may often come accompanied by other disorders, such as the Attention Deficit Disorder and the Hyperactivity Disorder.
Before dyslexia was clinically determined as a cognitive impairment, and screening was incorporated into many school systems, students with this condition where often categorised as ‘slow’, ‘lazy’, or ‘unintelligent’.
Ironically, students with dyslexia often are bright and ingenious, but constantly fail in traditional school settings. If they do not count with teachers trained in learning disabilities, they may still be deemed as lazy, distracted, unfocussed, disorganized, unruly, etc.
Not all bad and unruly students are dyslexic or have a learning disability, but most students with dyslexia do present mild to severe academic impairment. They may exhibit poor reading comprehension skills, bad orthography, difficulty with maths and with following sequential instructions.
One of the difficulties of dyslexia lies in the complexity of the condition. To begin with, there are several levels of dyslexia, ranging from mild to severe. Thus, someone may suffer from mild dyslexia and, thanks to his own personal adaptative mechanisms, may still pass virtually undetected.
Also, dyslexia is a highly individual condition, and each person with dyslexia experiences it differently, making it almost impossible to categorize it. Some specialists argue that there are as many types of dyslexia as there are people with it.
Another common misconception is believing that dyslexia is only present in children.
In fact, many adults suffer from this disorder, but because their disability may have not been diagnosed early, they developed compensatory mechanisms to wade through it.
However, adults with dyslexia may suffer difficulty in reading comprehension, flawed orthography, bad handwriting, and difficulty in spelling or learning languages. In addition, they often present lack of confidence and insecurity.
So, how to determine whether someone has dyslexia or not?
There are non-formal screenings which, after a few questions, may indicate a tendency towards dyslexia. However, these tests are not designed to be comprehensive or determining.
Assessing and determining dyslexia is a long process involving a battery of specialized tests to measure factors and indicators. These tests are carried out and evaluated by specialists, usually a trained psychologist or neurologist.
Once a comprehensive diagnosis is established, the specialist may offer suggestions on how to help alleviate the effects of this condition so that the dyslexic may lead a more normal life, specially in respect to learning abilities.
In turn, these adjustments may infuse enormous resilience and adaptability to the dyslexic individuals.
Additionally, people with dyslexia often present high levels of creativity, visual imagination and enterprise which, added to their non-linear way of thinking, may become additional factors for success.
Proof of this are the dozens of famous and successful people with dyslexia, such as John Lennon, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Keira Knightley, Agatha Christie, Pablo Picasso, Mohammed Ali, Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise, Whoopi Goldberg and Cher, among many others.
Also, the hero of Rick Riordan’s series of young adult novels, ‘Percy Jackson’, is a dyslexic teen who, conversely, can read ancient Greek fluently.
“Dyslexia is a kind of disability,
but actually it’s an opportunity.”
-Richard Branson
Dyslexia is not a disease, but a different ‘wiring’ of the brain. And since it’s not a disease, it can’t be ‘cured’. It’s like being left-handed in a right-handed world - people with dyslexia must learn to manage in a world that is not always designed to their particular form of mental processing.
Nowadays there are many tools and methods to help people with dyslexia. They range from specialized teaching methods, such as the Orton-Gillingham approach or the Davis Method, to technical tools and apps that help with reading and writing tasks.
With these, and the growing awareness of this condition and its causalities, there’s no reason why people with dyslexia may not be able to achieve academic success and lead a satisfying and productive life despite their cognitive disadvantages.
To Learn More...
Curious to know if you may be dyslexic? Try the non-formal survey from the ‘Made By Dyslexia’ site, and in the meantime learn more about this condition:
If you want to learn more about the condition in adults, you may go to:
Sources: International Dyslexia Association, British Dslexia Association, Diverlexia.com, Dyslexia.com, Made By Dyslexia.org.
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