What do the entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, filmmaker Steven Spielberg, swimmer Michael Phelps and about 15% of the rest of the world’s population have in common? They all struggle to read – they all have dyslexia.
What is dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a name given to the inability to master reading − dyslexia is when people who have had proper conventional instruction and the opportunity to learn to read, still have difficulty with mastering reading.
Also sometimes known as specific reading disability, it affects people with at least average intelligence and normal vision. The cause of dyslexia is neurological: in people with dyslexia the brain cannot translate images received through sight and hearing into understandable language.
The severity of dyslexia can be from mild to severe. It is a lifelong condition with no cure, although with proper instruction it can be overcome to a large degree and many dyslexics can develop into good readers and writers.
Dyslexia is believed to be hereditary.
How is dyslexia recognised and diagnosed?
Dyslexia is hard to recognise in mild cases and in some people it goes undiagnosed for years, only to be diagnosed in adulthood. The most common warning sign of dyslexia is the reversal of letters and numbers, and also difficulty in knowing left from right. Some children find it difficult to copy work from the school board or another book. These reversals and confusions are normal in children up to about the age of eight, which is why teachers and/or parents are not always able to pick up that a child might have dyslexia.
Emotional symptoms may include depression and withdrawal, low self-esteem, difficulty with social interaction or acting up in class, and appearing unmotivated. These all stem from the child or individual’s frustration with the situation.
Only specially trained professionals should diagnose dyslexia through formal valuation. The individual’s ability to use and understand language, how he or she processes information and his or her functioning reading level in comparison to the potential reading level are tested. Auditory, visual, oral and kinaesthetic processes in learning are also evaluated, as well as the individual’s personal and learning environment.
Sources
dyslexia.org
www.dyslexia.com
www.mayoclinic.org
www.medicinenet.com
www.ncld.org