ALL ABOUT DYSLEXIA

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Dyslexia is a specific learning difference that primarily affects reading, spelling, and writing. It’s rooted in the brain’s processing of language, particularly phonological processing, which involves the ability to identify and manipulate sounds in words. It is a neurological difference that influences how the brain decodes written language. 

Dyslexia manifests differently from person to person, making it a highly variable condition. While some individuals struggle primarily with reading fluency and word recognition, others may face greater challenges with spelling, writing, or processing spoken language. The severity of dyslexia can also range from mild to profound, with some people developing strong coping strategies that mask their difficulties, leading to late diagnoses. Additionally, dyslexia often coexists with other conditions like ADHD or dysgraphia, further influencing how it presents. This variability underscores the importance of personalized support and accommodations, as no two dyslexic individuals experience the same challenges in the same way.

It specifically affects language processing, particularly reading, writing, and spelling, rather than general intelligence or comprehension. Unlike ADHD, which impacts attention and executive functioning, or dyscalculia, which affects mathematical reasoning, dyslexia is rooted in difficulties with phonological processing—the ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds of language. This makes decoding words, recognizing spelling patterns, and reading fluently more challenging, even when intelligence and effort are high. While other learning differences may involve broader cognitive delays or sensory processing issues, dyslexia is unique in that it primarily disrupts the connection between written and spoken language, often requiring specialized interventions like structured literacy programs to improve reading skills.

• Phonological Dyslexia – Difficulty breaking words into their component sounds, making it hard to decode unfamiliar words.
• Surface Dyslexia – Struggles with recognizing whole words by sight, leading to difficulty with irregularly spelled words (e.g., "yacht" or "colonel").
• Rapid Naming Dyslexia – Slower recall of letters, numbers, or words when reading, often affecting reading fluency.
• Double Deficit Dyslexia – A combination of phonological and rapid naming difficulties, making reading especially challenging.
• Visual Dyslexia – Difficulty with visual processing, leading to problems recognizing letter shapes, tracking words on a page, or distinguishing similar-looking letters.
• Deep Dyslexia – Severe reading impairment where individuals substitute words with related meanings (e.g., reading "dog" instead of "cat").
• Primary Dyslexia – A lifelong, inherited form of dyslexia affecting language processing in the brain’s left hemisphere.
• Secondary (Developmental) Dyslexia – Caused by early brain development differences, often improving with intervention and maturity.

Dyslexia affects 20% of the population.