Dyslexia

Definition from the International Dyslexia Association

Dyslexia is a neurologically-based, often familial, disorder

which interferes with the acquisition and processing of language.

Varying in degrees of severity, it is manifested by difficulties in

receptive and expressive language,

including phonological processing, in reading, writing, spelling, handwriting,

and sometimes in arithmetic.

Dyslexia is NOT the result of lack of motivation, sensory impairment, inadequate instructional or environmental opportunities, or other limiting conditions,

but may occur together with these conditions.

Although dyslexia is lifelong,

individuals with dyslexia frequently respond successfully

to timely and appropriate intervention.

Causes of Dyslexia

Dyslexia is an inherited condition.

Researchers have determined that a gene on the short arm of chromosome #6

is responsible for dyslexia.

That gene is dominant, making dyslexia highly heritable.

It definitely runs in families.

Neurological Differences

Dyslexia results from a neurological difference;

that is, a brain difference.

People with dyslexia have a larger right hemisphere

in their brains than those of normal readers.

That may be one reason people with dyslexia often have significant strengths

in areas controlled by the right side of the brain, such as:

artistic, athletic, and mechanical gifts

3-D visualization ability

musical talent

creative problem solving skills

and intuitive people skills.

In addition to unique brain architecture,

people with dyslexia have unusual “wiring.”

Neurons are found in unusual places in the brain,

and they are not as neatly ordered as in non-dyslexic brains.

In addition to unique brain architecture and unusual wiring,

f/MRI studies have shown that people with dyslexia

do not use the same part of their brain when reading as other people.

It is therefore assumed that people with dyslexia

are not using the most efficient part of their brain when they read.

A different part of their brain has taken over that function.

Symptoms you might recognize may include:

You rarely or never read for pleasure.
You hate reading out loud in front of your coworkers, friends, and children.
You have trouble understanding jokes, puns, or turns of phrase.
You struggle with tasks that require memorization and repetition.
You have time management issues, or things take much longer than you think they will.
You have trouble summarizing things you read.

How to Recognize Dyslexia Symptoms by Age

Overview

Dyslexia is a learning disorder that affects both children and adults.

Its symptoms are different with age, and severity can vary as well.

Generally, people with dyslexia have difficulty breaking down words into simple sounds.

They struggle to learn how sounds relate to letters and words,

which leads to slow reading and poor reading comprehension.

Dyslexia is often known as a reading disability,

or currently called Specific Learning Disorder (SLD).

It’s most often identified in childhood when reading problems first become apparent.

But dyslexia can go on diagnosed for years or even decades.

Dyslexia is not connected with intelligence.

Keep reading to learn how dyslexia symptoms can vary with age,

plus what symptoms to look out for and when.

The Preschool years

The earliest signs of dyslexia emerge around 1 to 2 years of age

when children first learn to make sounds.

Children who don’t say their first words until 15 months of age

or their first phrases until 2 years of age

have a higher risk of developing dyslexia.

However, not all people with speech delays develop dyslexia,

and not all people with dyslexia have speech delays as children.

A speech delay is just a cue for parents to pay attention to language development.

Children from families with a history of reading difficulties

should also be monitored closely for dyslexia.

Other dyslexia warning signs that arise before age 5 years include:

having problems learning and remembering the names of letters in the alphabet
having difficulty learning the words to common nursery rhymes
being unable to recognize the letters of their own name
mispronouncing familiar words or using baby talk
being unable to recognize rhyming patterns

Kindergarten and first grade

Around age 5 or 6 years, when kids begin learning to read,

dyslexia symptoms become more apparent.

Children who are at risk of reading disabilities can be identified in kindergarten.

Signs that your kindergartner or first grader may be at risk include:

not understanding that words break apart into sounds
making reading errors that aren’t connected to the sounds of the letters on the page
having a history of parents or siblings with reading problems
complaining about how hard reading is
not wanting to go to school
showing problems with speaking and pronunciation
having trouble sounding out basic words like “cat” or “map”
not associating letters with sounds (for example, that “p” sounds like “paa”)

Early intervention programs

usually focus on phonological (word sound) awareness,

vocabulary, and reading strategies.

Second through Eighth grade

Many teachers are not trained to recognize dyslexia.

Children who are intelligent and participate fully in class often slip through the cracks because they are good at hiding their reading trouble.

By the time your child reaches middle school,

they may have fallen behind in reading, writing, and spelling.

Signs of dyslexia in grade school and middle school include:

being very slow in learning to read
reading slowly and awkwardly
having difficulty with new words and sounding them out
disliking or avoiding reading out loud
using vague and inexact vocabulary, like “stuff” and “things”
hesitating while finding words and answering questions
using a lot of “umms” in conversation
mispronouncing words that are long, unknown, or complicated
confusing words that sound alike
having trouble remembering details, such as names and dates
having messy handwriting

Young Adulthood: High school and College years

High school and college involve a new set of challenges for students with Dyslexia.

They face far more rigorous academic challenges

when quick reading comprehension is essential.

These students are assigned more reading material.

They must also learn to work with several different teachers,

all with different expectations.

Without treatment,

some people’s childhood Dyslexia continues into young adulthood.

Others’ will improve naturally as their higher learning functions develop.

In addition to the signs already seen in childhood,

Dyslexia signs in young adulthood can include:

requiring a great mental effort for reading
reading slowly
rarely reading for pleasure
avoiding reading out loud in any situation
pausing and hesitating often while speaking
using a lot of “umms”
using vague and imprecise language
pronouncing names and places wrong frequently
having difficulty remembering names
confusing like-sounding names
missing quick responses in conversation
having limited spoken vocabulary
having difficulty with multiple-choice tests
considering themselves stupid despite good grades

Dyslexia in Adults

It’s unknown exactly how many adults have Dyslexia.

A lack of a uniform definition of Dyslexia makes it hard for researchers to study. Various estimates suggest that as many as 5 to 10 percent

of the population may have Dyslexia.

It’s typically diagnosed in childhood, but some people are never diagnosed.

If you’ve always had trouble reading, there’s a good chance you could have dyslexia.

Moving Forward

with Dyslexia