Dyslexia is a specific learning disability in reading. Kids with dyslexia have trouble reading accurately and fluently. They may also have trouble with reading comprehension, spelling and writing.
Raising a child with dyslexia is a journey. As you move through it, you’ll gain a lot of knowledge about your child’s challenges with reading—and about the many ways you can help her succeed at school and in life.
Dyslexia is a lifelong condition that makes it difficult for people to read. It’s the most common learning issue, although it’s not clear what percentage of kids have it. Some experts believe the number is between 5 and 10 percent. Others say as many as 17 percent of people show signs of reading issues. The reason for the wide range is that experts may define dyslexia in different ways.
Dyslexia is mainly a problem with reading accurately and fluently. Kids with dyslexia may have trouble answering questions about something they’ve read. But when it’s read to them, they may have no difficulty at all.
People sometimes believe dyslexia is a visual issue. They think of it as kids reversing letters or writing backwards. But dyslexia is not a problem with vision or with seeing letters in the wrong direction.
It’s important to know that while dyslexia impacts learning, it’s not a problem of intelligence. Kids with this issue are just as smart as their peers. Many people have struggled with dyslexia and gone on to have successful careers.
Dyslexia impacts people in varying degrees, so symptoms may differ from one child to another. Generally, symptoms show up as problems with accuracy and fluency in reading and spelling. But in some kids, dyslexia can impact writing, math and language, too.
A key sign of dyslexia in kids is trouble decoding words. This is the ability to match letters to sounds and then use that skill to read words accurately and fluently.
One reason kids have difficulty decoding is that they often struggle with a more basic language skill called phonemic awareness. This is the ability to recognize individual sounds in words. Trouble with this skill can show up as early as preschool.
In some kids, dyslexia isn’t picked up until later on, when they have trouble with more complex skills. These may include grammar, reading comprehension, reading fluency, sentence structure and more in-depth writing.
One potential sign of dyslexia is when kids avoid reading, both out loud and to themselves. Kids may even get anxious or frustrated when reading. This can happen even after they’ve mastered the basics of reading.
Many kids have more than one learning and attention issue. There are a number of issues that often co-occur with dyslexia. That’s why testing for dyslexia should be part of a full evaluation that looks at all areas of learning.
Roughly 40 percent of students with ADHD also have dyslexia. ADHD can make it difficult to stay focused during reading.
Includes organization, flexible thinking, and working memory.
Kids are slower to take in, process and respond to information, making it harder to master basic reading.
Affects a child’s ability to sort through sounds, recognizing letter sounds and sounding out words.
Make it hard to process what the eyes see. Letters may seem like they are 'hopping around on the page'.
Affects ability to spell and form letters/numbers. Many kids with dysgraphia also have dyslexia.
Makes it hard to do math. Trouble learning to count is associated with both.
Dyslexia often runs in families. About 40 percent of siblings and as many as 49 percent of parents of kids with dyslexia have it, too. Scientists have found genes linked to issues with reading and processing language.
Brain imaging studies have shown brain differences in areas involved with key reading skills, such as knowing how sounds are represented and recognizing written words.
There are no medications for dyslexia, but a number of professionals can help with instruction, intervention, school supports, and diagnosis:
Source: NCLD, Understood