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Can you read this sentence?: Dys lexiais alear ningd isa bility. With some difficulty, you may have finally realized that the sentence reads “Dyslexia is a learning disability.” Imagine if everything you read looked similar to the previous sentence; people with dyslexia struggle with that on a daily basis.

What it is
Dyslexia is a brain-based learning disability that impairs a person’s capacity to read. The disability comes in the difficulty of translating images received from the eyes and/or ears into understandable language. Dyslexia may occur at any intelligence level, and can cause any or all of the following in an affected person:

• Omission of letters/words
• Addition of letters/words
• Incorrect spacing between each word
• Transposition of letter order
• Not remembering what was read
• Reversal of word order
• Confusion of the author’s meaning
• Reading worse under pressure
• Feeling frustrated, stupid or embarrassed

However, the disability doesn’t just affect reading; it can cause difficulty with math, handwriting, listening, information processing, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well.

Causes and Types
There are 3 main types of dyslexia, all resulting from different causes. Trauma dyslexia occurs when the parts of the brain that control reading and writing are injured, such as when head trauma happens. Another type is labeled primary dyslexia, which is a problem with the cerebral cortex (the left side of the brain) that does not fix itself as a person matures. Usually the cause of primary dyslexia is attributed to heredity, and is found more often in boys. A third type of the disability is known as developmental or secondary dyslexia, caused by hormonal development while the child is still in the womb.

Symptoms
Dyslexia often goes undetected in early childhood. A child may become overly frustrated with the difficulty in learning to read, and may show signs of depression, low motivation and low self-esteem. Most often, dyslexia manifests itself in the form of behavioral problems at home and/or school.

Treatment
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the main focus of treatment should be on the specific learning problems of affected individuals. The usual course is to modify teaching methods and the educational environment to meet the specific needs of the person. For example, students with dyslexia may want to use flash cards or tape record classroom lessons instead of taking notes.
There is no cure for dyslexia, but with some help from specialists, parents, and teachers, those with the disability can lead fulfilling and normal lives.

For more information, go to The International Dyslexia Association at www.interdys.org.

Did you know...?
Your child’s school or clinical psychologist typically determines if he/she has dyslexia. It is important to stay up to date with how your child is doing in school, and to meet with the teacher(s) if requested.