Dyslexia

The Essentials

 

 

Dyslexia is most commonly characterized by demonstrable problems with learning how to decypher at the word level, also with spelling and to read fluently without error. Dyslexic persons often have difficulty in understanding sound and sometimes letter association. This is called the alphabetic principle. They may also reverse letters when writing or confuse letters from an early age. Many dyslexics are totally unaware they have a problem and it is usually a third party who notices spelling errors and points this out to a dyslexic person.

However, dyslexia is not a visual problem. A dyslexic person can easily understand a word but to them the word is spelt differently yet they perceive that they are spelling it correctly and if asked to spell it out loud, can do so without difficulty.

There is a lot of evidence scientifically that dyslexia is of a neurological origin. Research clealry suggests profound association with biochemical and genetic markers. It is effectively written into a persons DNA coding. However, professionals are in fundamental disagreement over the precise definition for diagnosis and also under what criteria dyslexia may be categorised. Some professionals are absolutely firm in the view that the term dyslexia should be abandoned altogether and replaced with the term reading disorder or reading disability. Because reading skills occur as part of life long learning with no clear distinction between typical readers and dyslexic readers, some experts assert that the term dyslexia should be reserved for the small percentage with the most severe reading problems.

Many individuals with dyslexic symptoms involving reading, writing, and spelling also demonstrate symptoms in other key areas such as poor personal organising, poor memory skills, problems processing the spoken word and issues with balance and co-ordination. These symptoms may be found to be working side by side with characteristics of ADHD, the inability to hear precise instructions clearly, developmental issues and perhaps also dyspraxia. However, dyslexia and ADHD are not truly co-related developmental problems.