Resources

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a learning and reading disability that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding). It is not due to problems with intelligence, hearing, or vision, but rather a result of individual differences in areas of the brain that process language.

What are the four types of Dyslexia?

Phonological: difficulty processing the sounds of the individual letters and syllables and cannot match them with the written forms.
Surface: difficulty recognizing whole words, which probably results from vision issues or visual processing difficulties in the brain.
Rapid Naming Deficit: difficulty naming a letter, number, color, or object quickly and automatically.
Double Deficit Dyslexia: shows deficits in both the phonological process and naming speed.

What are some facts About Dyslexia?

Dyslexia affects approximately 5-10% of the population globally.
People with dyslexia usually are more creative, have a higher level of intelligence and problem solving skills.
Despite challenges, individuals with dyslexia can succeed in various aspects of life when provided with proper support and accommodations.
Dyslexia is a lifelong issue; yearly monitoring of phonological skills from first through twelfth grade shows that the disability persists into adulthood. Although many dyslexics learn to read accurately they may continue to read slowly and not automatically.

How is a child diagnosed?

School Psychologists, Neuropsychologists and Clinical Psychologists can help diagnose a child with dyslexia through the following tests:

Phonological Awareness: Measures a child’s ability to isolate and work with sounds
Decoding: Measures a child’s ability to decode words quickly and accurately. It also tests the ability to recognize familiar words.
Reading fluency and comprehension: Measures how well and child can read and understand what was read
Rapid Naming: Measures how quickly and easily a child can name common letters, numbers, objects and colors on a page

What are the signs of Dyslexia, and How Can I recognize them?

Difficulty reading, including reading aloud.
Slow and labor-intensive reading and writing.
Problems Spelling
Avoiding activities that involve reading.
Mispronouncing names or words, or problems retrieving words
Speed of processing: slow spoken and/or written language.
Poor concentration.
Difficulty following instructions.
Forgetting words.
Confuse visually similar words such as cat and cot.
Spell erratically.
Find it hard to scan or skim text.
Need to re-read paragraphs to understand them.
Find it hard to listen and maintain focus.
Find it hard to concentrate if there are distractions.