Sarah hates reading aloud in class. She's never been a good
reader, and even when she recognizes the words on the page, she
seems to have trouble saying them correctly. School's never
been her favorite place anyway because her teachers always complain
about her writing and her spelling. She often gets discouraged,
thinking that she's not as smart as other students.
Fortunately, Sarah has discovered she has talents that others
don't. She's great at dreaming up costume and scenery ideas
in drama club, and she's one of the best artists in her school.
Sometimes she wonders how she can do so well in some areas of her
life and so poorly in others.
What Sarah, her parents, and her teachers don't realize is
that Sarah has dyslexia.
What Is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia
(pronounced: dis-
lek
-see-ah) is a type of
learning disability
. A person with a learning disability has trouble processing words
or numbers. There are several kinds of learning disabilities;
dyslexia is the term used when people have difficulty learning to
read, even though they are smart enough and are motivated to learn.
The word dyslexia comes from two Greek words:
dys
, which means abnormal or impaired, and
lexis
, which refers to language or words.
Dyslexia is not a disease. It's a condition that you are
born with, and it often runs in families. People with dyslexia are
not stupid or lazy. Most have average or above-average
intelligence, and they work very hard to overcome their learning
problems.
What Causes Dyslexia?
Research has shown that dyslexia happens because of the way the
brain processes information. Pictures of the brain, taken with
modern imaging tools, have shown that when people with dyslexia
read, they use different parts of the brain than people without
dyslexia. These pictures also show that the brains of people with
dyslexia don't work efficiently during reading. So that's
why reading seems like such slow, hard work.
Most people think that dyslexia causes people to reverse letters
and numbers and see words backwards. But reversals occur as a
normal part of development, and are not seen only in people with
dyslexia. The main problem in dyslexia is trouble recognizing
phonemes
(pronounced:
fo
-neems), which are the basic sounds of speech (the "b"
sound in "bat" is a phoneme, for example). Therefore,
it's a struggle to make the connection between the sound and
the letter symbol for that sound, and to blend sounds into
words.
This makes it hard to recognize short, familiar words or to
sound out longer words. It takes a lot of time for a person with
dyslexia to sound out a word. The meaning of the word is often
lost, and reading comprehension is poor. It is not surprising that
people with dyslexia have trouble spelling. They may also have
trouble expressing themselves in writing and even speaking.
Dyslexia is a
language processing disorder
, so it can affect all forms of language, either spoken or
written.
Some people have milder forms of dyslexia, so they may have less
trouble in these other areas of spoken and written language. Some
people work around their dyslexia, but it takes a lot of effort and
extra work. Dyslexia isn't something that goes away on its own
or that a person outgrows. Fortunately, with proper help, most
people with dyslexia learn to read. They often find different ways
to learn and use those strategies all their lives.
What's It Like to Have Dyslexia?
If you have dyslexia, you might have trouble reading even simple
words you've seen many times. You probably will read slowly and
feel that you have to work extra-hard when reading. You might mix
up the letters in a word, for example, reading the word
"now" as "won" or "left" as
"felt." Words may blend together and spaces are lost.
Phrases might appear like this:
You might have trouble remembering what you've read. You may
remember more easily when the same information is read to you or
heard on tape. Word problems in math may be especially hard, even
if you've mastered the basics of arithmetic. If you're
doing a presentation in front of the class, you might have trouble
finding the right words or names for various objects. Spelling and
writing usually are very hard for people with dyslexia.
How Is Dyslexia Diagnosed?
People with dyslexia frequently find ways to work around their
disability, so no one will know they're having trouble. This
may save some embarrassment, but getting help could make school and
reading easier. Most people are diagnosed as children, but it's
not unusual for people to be diagnosed as teens or even adults.
A teen's parents or teachers might suspect dyslexia if they
notice these problems:
- poor reading skills, despite having normal intelligence
- poor spelling and writing skills
- difficulty finishing assignments and tests within time
limits
- difficulty remembering the right names for things
- difficulty memorizing written lists and phone numbers
- difficulty with directions (telling right from left or up
from down) or reading maps
If someone has one of these problems it doesn't mean he or
she has dyslexia, but someone who shows several of these signs
should be tested for the condition.
A physical exam should be done to rule out any medical problems,
including hearing and vision tests. Then a school psychologist or
learning specialist should give several standardized tests to
measure language, reading, spelling, and writing abilities.
Sometimes a test of thinking ability (IQ test) is given. Some
people with dyslexia have trouble in other school skills, like
handwriting and math, or they may have trouble paying attention or
remembering things. If this is the case, more testing will be
done.
Dealing With Dyslexia
Although dealing with dyslexia can be tough, help is available.
Under federal law, someone diagnosed with a learning disability
like dyslexia is entitled to extra help from the public school
system. A child or teen with dyslexia usually needs to work with a
specially trained teacher, tutor, or reading specialist to learn
how to read and spell better. The best type of help teaches
awareness of speech sounds in words and letter-sound
correspondences (called
phonics
). The teacher or tutor should use special learning and practice
activities for dyslexia.
A student with dyslexia may get more time to complete
assignments or
tests
, permission to tape class lectures, or copies of lecture notes.
Using a computer with spelling checkers can be helpful for written
assignments. For older students in challenging classes, services
are available that provide any book on tape, even textbooks.
Computer software is also available that "reads" printed
material aloud. Ask your parent, teacher, or learning disability
services coordinator how to get these services if you need
them.
Treatment with eye exercises or glasses with tinted lenses will
not help a person with dyslexia. It's not an eye problem,
it's a language processing problem, so teaching language
processing skills is the most important part of treatment.
Emotional support for people with dyslexia is very important.
They often get frustrated because no matter how hard they try, they
can't seem to keep up with other students. They often feel that
they are stupid or worthless, and may cover up their difficulties
by acting up in class or by becoming the class clown. They may try
to get other students to do their work for them. They may pretend
that they don't care about their grades or that they think
school is dumb.
Family and friends can help people with dyslexia by
understanding that they aren't stupid or lazy, and that they
are trying as hard as they can. It's important to recognize and
appreciate each person's strengths, whether they're in
sports, drama, art, creative problem solving, or something
else.
People with dyslexia shouldn't feel limited in their
academic or career choices. Most colleges make special
accommodations for students with dyslexia, offering them trained
tutors, learning aids, computer software, reading assignments on
tape, and special arrangements for exams. People with dyslexia can
become doctors, politicians, corporate executives, actors, artists,
teachers, or whatever else they choose.
Reviewed by:
Laura L. Bailet, PhD
Date reviewed: August 2006
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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