A specific condition that alters the way the brain processes graphic symbols. Most commonly this condition affects the ability to read and manipulate written material.
Two commonly held perceptions about dyslexia are firstly that people with it tend to see letters or words backward and secondly that the problem is linked to intelligence. Both these beliefs are incorrect. The problem is a linguistic one, not a visual one. There are many high achievers who have had dyslexic difficulties.
The effects of dyslexia, in fact, vary from person to person. Some people with dyslexia read at levels significantly lower than typical for people of their age and intelligence.
Some children have great difficulty acquiring reading skills. The word Dyslexia is used to describe this problem but it is not a condition that everyone agrees about. Research shows that many poor readers share an inability to develop phonological awareness. This means they find it hard to split words into speech sounds and to blend individual sounds into words. Poor readers often have a history of problems with acquiring clear speech early on and research shows that it is important to try and help children overcome early speech difficulties before school entry if possible.
Some characteristics of Dyslexia:
- Failing to make progress with reading compared to peer group.
- Difficulty learning the ‘code’ of how letters stand for speech sounds.
- Inability to break words into sounds.
- Difficulty combining sounds into words.
- Failing to make sense of written text through:
- confusing similar-looking words,
- inability to discern punctuation,
- omitting some words so rendering the text meaningless,
- difficulty remembering what has been read,
- panic because the task is so stressful,
- lack of motivation to read and consequent reduced experience compared with others.