Dyslexia Awareness Month is an annual observance held during the month of October to raise awareness about dyslexia, a specific learning disability that affects reading, spelling, writing, and sometimes even speaking.
It’s important to raise awareness because many people still hold misconceptions about this learning disability. You can think of this post as a “Dyslexia 101” introduction. I’ll provide a comprehensive overview of the most commonly studied of the specific learning disabilities. Afterward, you can check out my newer post that debunks common myths about dyslexia.
What is the definition of dyslexia?
The International Dyslexia Association (2012) defines dyslexia as a language-based learning disability that is characterized by “a cluster of symptoms, which result in people having difficulty with specific language skills, particularly reading.” Wendling and Mather (2012) define it as “a neurobiological disorder that causes a marked impairment in the development of basic reading and spelling skills.”
How common is dyslexia?
Research indicates that 15-20% of the population have some symptoms of dyslexia (IDA, 2020). As many as 80% of individuals identified as learning disabled have a reading disability, which is why reading disabilities/dyslexia are the most commonly known and most widely studied type of learning disability (Hudson et al., 2007).
What are some signs of dyslexia?
Individuals with dyslexia commonly have difficulty reading, spelling, and pronouncing words. The way it manifests can change in its expression, quality, and degree over an individual’s lifetime (IDA, 2013). An overarching difficulty with word recognition is due to a deficit in the “sound component of language” that makes it difficult for individuals to make connections between letters and sounds to successfully read and spell. Have a look at these checklists from the IDA to help you estimate an individual’s risk.
Is there a connection between dyslexia and ADHD?
An estimated 30% of individuals with dyslexia also have ADHD, which further impacts their acquisition of reading skills (IDA, 2008b). Learn about the overlap between ADHD and dyslexia in this blog post. Other diagnoses that commonly occur with dyslexia include dyscalculia, dysgraphia, Developmental Coordination Disorder, Specific Language Impairment, and autism.
Is dyslexia related to problems with vision?
Although some people mistakenly believe that dyslexia is a visual weakness, it is actually a weakness in language processing at the phoneme, or individual sound, level (Hudson et al., 2007). Shaywitz (1996) explains that dyslexia’s overarching impairment in basic phonological processing impairs the individual’s ability to use higher-order language processing skills. Essentially, the phonological deficit impairs word reading and the word reading deficit impairs comprehension. Even if the individual possesses the cognitive skills necessary to comprehend oral language, their weaknesses at the sound level can impact their ability to comprehend written language.
Does the dyslexic brain perform differently from the non-dyslexic brain?
It is interesting to note that there is not one single area of the brain devoted to the reading process. This is because reading is a “cultural invention” (IDA, 2015) that appeared after the evolution of modern humans. As a result, we humans recruit various parts of the brain to complete the task of reading. Brain imaging research reveals that a network of regions in the left hemisphere support the reading process. In individuals with dyslexia, decreased activation is seen in these areas, and there is also evidence of compensatory over-activation in other areas not typically used for skilled reading (WLT, 2015).
What factors (unique to the individual) impact the development of reading skills?
There are many cognitive skills as well as knowledge-related and environmental factors that impact the development of reading skills (Wilson, 2021, p.509). How dyslexia is expressed in an individual will be impacted by these factors. Here’s a short explanation of the cognitive skills and knowledge needed to become a skilled reader:
- Oral comprehension is the foundation that leads to the development of reading comprehension.
- Orthographic memory/ orthographic knowledge and rapid naming skills lead to the development of reading fluency and automaticity of word identification.
- Knowledge of sound-symbol correspondence, alphabetic knowledge, phonological memory, and phonological and phonemic awareness all lead to the development of word identification skills and decoding accuracy.
Encompassing all of these factors are an individual’s executive functioning skills. Executive functioning skills such as working memory, attention, and inhibition can either accelerate or impede the development of all the other skills required for skillful reading. This means that we must help students develop effective strategies for either improving or compensating for weaker executive functioning skills in order to support their reading development.
What environmental factors impact the development of reading skills?
Environmental factors have the potential to either enhance or hinder the development of the aforementioned skills. Let’s explore the adverse effects:
- Limited exposure to high-quality oral language, limited life experiences, and poor or limited instruction in oral language comprehension and reading comprehension can impact an individual’s development of reading comprehension skills.
- Limited exposure to print, limited practice applying reading skills, limited instruction in orthographic patterns, and being moved along before developing mastery can impact an individual’s development of reading fluency and automaticity with word identification.
- Limited phonological awareness instruction, limited or implicit phonics instruction, and being moved along before developing mastery can impact an individual’s development of word identification skills and decoding accuracy. Read more about “compensators,” or kids who develop ineffective habits under these conditions.
What environmental factors positively impact the development of reading skills?
Each of those scenarios above can also be considered in reverse:
- Robust instruction in language and reading comprehension coupled with the development of abundant background knowledge through language exposure and life experiences supports the development of reading comprehension skills.
- Repeated opportunities to practice reading decodable text at the word, sentence and paragraph level, wide reading of text, systematic instruction in orthographic patterns, and skills being taught to mastery all support the development of reading fluency and automaticity with word identification.
- Direct instruction in phonological & phonemic awareness, phonics, and spelling skills combined with being taught to mastery support the development of an individual’s development of word identification skills and decoding accuracy.
What’s the best way to treat dyslexia?
The IDA (2012) states that dyslexia is best treated with a multisensory, structured language approach that is explicit and systematic. One-to-one instruction is best so that students can work at their own pace. Instruction should include frequent opportunities for structured practice, as well as immediate corrective feedback.
Can we treat dyslexia in older readers?
Absolutely! The IDA (2008a) makes recommendations for instructing older learners with dyslexia, which include teaching students:
- To identify and break words into syllable types
- To read multisyllabic words
- To recognize irregularly spelled words
- the meanings of common affixes and roots and how words with shared affixes and roots relate to each other
- To break words into parts and combine words based on their roots, bases, and affixes
- How and when to use structural analysis to decode unknown words
Do you want to learn more about dyslexia?
My next blog post, Seeing Beyond the Stereotypes: Challenging Dyslexia Myths, debunks prevalent misconceptions surrounding dyslexia and unveils the facts.
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Sources:
Hudson, R. F. (2007, April 16). Dyslexia and the Brain: What Does Current Research Tell Us? LD OnLine | All About Learning Disabilities and ADHD. https://www.ldonline.org/ld-topics/reading-dyslexia/dyslexia-and-brain-what-does-current-research-tell-us?theme=print
International Dyslexia Association. (2008a, May). Adolescents and Adults with Dyslexia Fact Sheet – International Dyslexia Association.
International Dyslexia Association. (2008b, May). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) and Dyslexia – International Dyslexia Association. https://dyslexiaida.org/attention-deficithyperactivity-disorder-adhd-and-dyslexia/
International Dyslexia Association. (2012). DYSLEXIA BASICS – International Dyslexia Association. https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-basics-2/
International Dyslexia Association. (2013). Gifted and Dyslexic: Identifying and Instructing the Twice Exceptional Student – International Dyslexia Association. https://dyslexiaida.org/gifted-and-dyslexic-identifying-and-instructing-the-twice-exceptional-student/
International Dyslexia Association. (2015). Dyslexia and the Brain – International Dyslexia Association. https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-and-the-brain/
Mather, Nancy, and Barbara J. Wendling. Essentials of Dyslexia Assessment and Intervention. J. Wiley, 2012. *Affiliate link
Shaywitz, S. (1996, November). Dyslexia. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dyslexia/
Wilson, B. (2021). Appendix. In Wilson Reading System Instructor Manual (4th ed., p. 509). Wilson Language Training Corporation.
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