Facts About Dyslexia

Discussions of dyslexia require a definition of the term, and this is where we can come into some confusion if we are not careful. In fact, the “problem” itself exists in the defining of the word, and thus the labeling of those to whom the definition applies. However, with some knowledge of the etiology of “dyslexia” we can begin to ply our beliefs off the population of “dyslexics” and start to gain some understanding of their experiences with language learning. This is, after all, the intention of this research. Guardiola (2001) also assisted in redirecting the academic focus in this direction, towards the etiology of the term and how its history has shaped current social work, education, neurobiology, and psychology perspectives.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines dyslexia as a disorder in the brain that makes it difficult for an individual to write, read, and spell. People who have been diagnosed with the learning disability are often thought to be “lazy, dumb, careless, ‘not trying hard enough,’ or [have] behavior problems” according to Ronald D. Davis, founder of the Davis Dyslexia Correction Center.

A person with dyslexia can have many reading problems. Letters are often reversed for them so a q might look like a p and vice versa. Words can be read backwards and letters can be all jumbled up, they would see the word pot, but would read it as top. Words such as off may look like of or on. Dyslexics that might read aloud would probably stumble over words or say them completely wrong; if someone were reading aloud to them, it would be hard to follow. Words on one page may be read correctly the first time, but later on they would be unable to recognize that same word. Reading for dyslexics requires that sentences be read more than once for complete understanding of the meaning, whereas if

Channel 4 Dispatches programme entitled ‘The Dyslexia Myth’¹ was aired in September 2005. The purpose of the documentary was to inform society of the proposed misconceptions and myths of the condition which affects 1 in 5 people. The programme details how the common understanding of the learning impairment is not only false, but how this particular diagnosis makes it harder for children with reading difficulties to receive help. The director of the documentary clearly wants to get across the message that dyslexia is a myth. The documentary has since faced a lot of backlash from the media and families affected by the developmental disorder.

     Cau yon reab mwat I aw mriting? If yon caunot reab it waybe is is decanse this is hom a persou with byslexia wight reab somethiug. A person with dyslexia has a very difficult lifestyle to live. To understand dyslexia you must be aware of the causes, effects strategies, and teaching methods for coping with the disease. “Dyslexia means having difficulty with words in reading, spelling and writing – in spite of having normal intelligence and ability” (Make the Connection).

The term “dyslexia” was first introduced in 1887 by Dr. Rudolf Berlin when he suggested that difficulty with reading may be caused by “cerebral disease instead of brain injury” (Hennigh 1995).

When hearing the word Dyslexia what comes to mind? Nothing? Knowing the basic concepts about dyslexia can help teacher get a better understanding to help students improve and excel in school. It helps the students with improving their comprehension skills and getting a better grasp on phonics skills. Lastly, it can improve preparations for test and or quizzes. The problems caused by dyslexia will be reviewed with the goal of better understanding the condition so that we can better help students who have dyslexia improve in their reading comprehension skills, improve their ability to study better, and do better in school.

According to the Dyslexia & Learning Disability Centre in Las Vegas, Dyslexia is an ability within the sensory mechanism of the nervous system to perceive the world with a multidimensional view. However it comes with poor word reading, word decoding, oral reading fluency and spelling. Though with appropriate teaching methods, dyslexic individuals can learn successfully throughout their lives. Also, when properly trained and informed, a dyslexic can use their

Dyslexia is a lifelong struggle with constant challenges with reading and speaking. About five to ten percent of the United States population deals with the learning disorder dyslexia (Van den Honert, n.d.). It is a neurological condition that is mainly caused by genetics but there are some rare cases in which it is acquired. Dyslexia interrupts the normal processes of reading and speaking (Van den Honert, n.d.). All of which are used in daily life and this makes life and school so much harder for dyslexics. They must learn to live with the condition for their entire life and there is not really a treatment for it. With the constant struggle and reminder of their

According to the Dyslexia Research Institute, dyslexia is a disability that affect approximately ten to fifteen percent of the United States population (2004). Because dyslexia is often dismissed as lethargy, the disorder, its effects, signs and symptoms, and diagnosis process must be understood for the sake of those who suffer from the difficult disorder.

This article informs that in November 1896, a doctor in England published the first description of the learning disorder that would come to be known as developmental dyslexia. Almost hundred and twenty years ago a man was able to acknowledge a reading disorder that affects millions today, but sadly only recently are we able to help children and adult over this obstacle. I understand that this finding was a beginning, but do not understand the complexity of this disorder taking so long to help people.

Dyslexia is often thought of as a disability that makes something dumb or incompetent of reading, but this is far from the truth, it is not a disability that effects one’s intellectual knowledge. So what exactly is dyslexia? Dyslexia by definition is, “a General term for disorders that involve difficulty learning to read of interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but that do not affect one’s general intelligence.” Dyslexia is more common then you make think, 70-80% of people with poor reading skills are likely to have dyslexia. It was found that one out of every five students, equivalent to 15-20% of the population has a reading based learning disability, only a quarter of these students actually receive the help that they need. Why am I bringing up dyslexia? Simply because it is a large issue in the school system. Students who suffer from this disability are not being

The characteristics of a dyslexic person can be very different from one person to the other, just as the characteristics of students without disabilities are different. These students show a different combination of learning problems. “Such characteristics are learning style, motor dexterity, time/math, memory/cognition, language/reading skills, behavior and vision. Sometimes the dyslexic youngster has early or late developmental stages, such as crawling, walking or talking” (Grolier’s).

Of the three previously mentioned diseases, Dyslexia impairs a person’s ability to read, write, and spell (NINDS 2003). Although they are of normal intelligence, their reading level is below average. They will usually have “trouble with phonological processing (the manipulation of sounds) and/or rapid visual-verbal responding.” (NINDS 2003). Children with dyslexia complain they cannot read their textbooks, do not have enough time to finish tests, cannot take notes, and are unable to read their own handwriting (GVSU 2000). Dyslexia does not affect every person the same way, and signs of the disorder may not be prevalent until later, when grammar and more in-depth writing skills are introduced. Dyslexia can also create a difficulty in processing vocabulary and thoughts correctly when speaking, and understanding what one says when they are spoken to. Dysgraphia is another neurological disorder that focuses on writing. When a child with this disorder is first introduced to writing, they will make unnecessary spaces between their letters, and some letters will be

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is distinguished by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a