What is dyslexia?
- “Dyslexia is a neurobiological disorder that affects a person’s phonological processing and memory” (Johnston, 2019).
- Dyslexia is a learning difference, on a continuum, that is not connected to intelligence” (Johnston, 2019).
- “Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin” (Johnston, 2019).
Common Misconceptions about Dyslexia
- A person that is dyslexic sees letters or words backwards.
- People that have dyslexia are not intelligent.
- Dyslexia affects more males than females.
- Children that have Dyslexia could out-grow the condition.
- All children that struggle with reading are dyslexic.
Let’s Correct the Misconceptions about Dyslexia
- Up to second grade, many young children that are learning to read and write, reverse letter. The reversing of letters and words is not a for sure sign of dyslexia. There are children that are highly dyslexic and do not reverse letters or words. If child continues to reverse letters or words after the second grade, the child should be tested for dyslexia.
- Most people with dyslexia, have average to above average intelligence. The Dyslexia has impacted on their ability to read.
- New research has shown that dyslexia affects as many girls as it does boys.
- Children that have dyslexia will not outgrow the condition. With early intervention, they can be taught skills that will help them read, spell and write.
- Dyslexia is not the only cause for reading difficulties in children. Children that have dyslexia will show other signs of dyslexia (exp: difficulty spelling, writing, speech, memorization).
Dyslexia is Characterized by:
- Dyslexia is characterized by difficulties with accurate and or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities (Johnston, 2019).
- Children that are dyslexic usually begin to show signs in preschool.
- If a child does not receive early intervention, dyslexia will cause more difficulty as the child grows.
Dyslexia and Family History
- Dyslexia is genetic in origin. Children can inherit dyslexia from a parent. It is common for children with dyslexia to have a family member with dyslexia.
Areas of Difficulty
- Difficulty with phonological processing (manipulating sounds of language, segmenting and blending).
- Difficulty with rapid naming (remembering the names of objects or letters of the alphabet).
- Phonological Memory (difficulty remembering information about sounds and words).
- Difficulty in learning to read, writing and spelling.
- “The writing difficulties of students with dyslexia can be partially attributed to their reading difficulties and can manifest in many ways in their writing, such as poor spelling, poor legibility, lack of diverse vocabulary, poor idea development, and/or lack of organization” (Herbert, 2018).
Signs of Dyslexia
- Signs of a young child with dyslexia: difficulty learning rhymes, difficulty following directions, delay in speech, difficulty calling things by their correct names.
- Signs of dyslexia in a child in early elementary school: difficulty learning to read, trouble sounding out words, continued to reverse numbers and letters after second grade, difficulty rhyming, difficulty associating sounds with letters, trouble with spelling, difficulty with reading fluency.
References
Carroll, J.M., Mundy, I.R., & Cunningham, A.J. (2014). The roles of family history of
dyslexia, language, speech production and phonological processing in predicting
literacy progress. Developmental Science, 17, 727-742.
Ferrer, S., Echegaray-Bengoa, J., & Malathesa, J. (2016). Knowledge and belief about
developmental dyslexia in pre-service and in-service Spanish-speaking teachers. The
International Dyslexia Association, 66(1), 91-110.
Gonzalez, M., & Brown, T.B.H. (2019). Early childhood educators’ perception of dyslexia
and ability to identify students at risk. Journal of Education and Learning, 8(3).
Hebert, M., Kearns, D.M., Hayes, J.B., Bazis, P., & Cooper, S. (2018). Why children with
dyslexia struggle with writing and how to help them. Language Speech and Hearing
Services in school. 49, 843-863.
Van Reybroeck, M. (2019). Children with dyslexia show an inhibition domain-specific
deficit in reading. Reading and Writing. 33, 907-933.