Dyslexia

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is an invisible disability that makes reading, writing, spelling and sometimes speaking difficult. It is caused by a disturbance in the brain’s ability to convert images or sound into an intelligible language. The eye condition is not an intellectual disorder as dyslexia and IQ are not linked.

There are several functions that can be affected by dyslexia:

• visual dyslexia: causing difficulty reading and understanding texts
• auditory dyslexia: causing difficulty interpreting and understanding sound
• attentional dyslexia: causes difficulty reading words in a sentence because too many words and letters are visible

The different types can vary in degree; the sooner all types are recognized and treated, the better the chance of improving language skills.

The realization that one has dyslexia can be difficult to accept. Knowing that one is not alone may provide support. There are many people in the same situation, some who have just been diagnosed themselves and some who have been living with it for years.

What are the symptoms of dyslexia?

The symptoms depend on the severity of the condition as well as the age of the person.

Up to 4 years:

• talk later
• slowly learning new words
• difficulty rhyming words, such as nursery rhymes
• limited knowledge of the alphabet
• reverse or mirror letters

In the first years of primary school:

• difficulty reading the alphabet and determining the order of the letters
• difficulty associating sounds and the letters they represent
• difficulty recognizing or naming rhyming words or counting the number of syllables in a word
• difficulty segmenting words into different sounds or blending sounds together to make words

In later years of primary school:

• reading slowly and sloppily (making many reading errors)
• bad spelling
• difficulty reading aloud, reading words out of order, or skipping words
• difficulty keeping track of time and realizing time when performing tasks
• difficulty with organizational skills
• tendency to add or skip letters or words while writing and reading

What can one expect from dyslexia?

Treatment always starts with extensive testing to determine where the specific problems are. There is no one solution, but there are several treatments that can reduce symptoms. The severity of dyslexia, as well as the age at which it is discovered, influence the way in which the eye condition develops and the way in which a person learns to deal with it.

More information on dyslexia

Extensive information is available. This information is intended to inform you about the most important aspects of this eye condition and is not intended to replace the information you receive from your doctor or practitioner.