Dyslexia is a complex and often misunderstood learning difference that affects millions of people worldwide. Despite its prevalence, there are many dyslexia myths that persist in our society. In this blog post, I will shed light on some of these common misunderstandings, debunk the myths, and provide a clearer understanding of what dyslexia truly is.
Did you know that October is Dyslexia Awareness Month? By dispelling these dyslexia misconceptions, we can collectively foster greater empathy, support, and inclusivity for those living with dyslexia. Join me on this journey as we separate fact from fiction! If you haven’t yet, please read my previous blog post, Dyslexia 101: Key Concepts Made Easy.
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Myth: People with dyslexia read and write backward.
One of the most common dyslexia myths is that individuals read and write words backward. Although some individuals with dyslexia may do this occasionally, the disability is much more complex than simply reading and writing in reverse.
In Equipped for Reading Success, Kilpatrick (2016) debunks one of the most popular of the dyslexia myths: that dyslexics read and write backward. “There is no mysterious basis for reversals and transpositions among those with dyslexia. Rather, these weak readers are making the kind of mistakes anyone would make who are at that early reading level. In other words, if you are reading at a first grade level, it doesn’t matter what your actual grade level is… you are likely to make the kind of reading and spelling mistakes that readers at the first grade level make.”
Myth: People with dyslexia are not smart and they cannot read at all.
The truth is that individuals with dyslexia often have intact cognitive skills and they are able to learn to read when given the appropriate intervention. Wendling and Mather (2011) state that “one central concept of dyslexia is that it is unexpected in relationship to the person’s other abilities.” That being said, it is possible for a person with any level of intelligence to have dyslexia.
Some companies recognize what are called “dyslexic strengths,” including problem-solving skills, creativity, and big-picture thinking. The UK’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), which is equivalent to the United States’ National Security Agency, actually seeks out individuals with dyslexia! In an online article for The Guardian, a spokesperson for the GCHQ stated that individuals with dyslexia “have valuable skills spotting patterns that others miss” and that the agency is “looking for people who can see something that’s out of place in a bigger picture.” It is also rumored that over 50% of NASA employees have dyslexia but I could not find a reputable source to confirm this.
Myth: Dyslexia is rare.
Research indicates that 15-20% of the population have some symptoms of dyslexia (IDA, 2020). For perspective, about half of all students who qualify for special education are identified with a learning disability, and about 85% of those students have a primary learning disability in reading. If you’re a classroom teacher, you can expect that 1 out of every 5 students has dyslexia! This might sound surprising but know that dyslexia occurs on a continuum, which means that individuals with milder symptoms may go unnoticed. If you’re a traditional special education teacher, you likely have a number of students on your caseload who have symptoms of dyslexia. (This is one of the reasons I believe passionately that special education teachers MUST receive appropriate training in structured literacy!)
Myth: Dyslexia cannot be diagnosed until third grade.
Have you heard this dyslexia myth in your school community? You might be surprised to learn that dyslexia can be identified as early as age five with the appropriate assessments (Wendling and Mather, 2011). Unfortunately, it may go undetected in a young child if his or her teachers do not know what to look for. Assessments of phonological awareness and rapid naming skills can contribute valuable information about the possible presence of dyslexia. Wendling and Mather explain that “in kindergarten and first grade, early naming speed deficits are good predictors of students who will struggle with reading fluency later in school.” They also note that rapid naming tasks are “an easy way to identify young children who are at risk for reading difficulties” and that the results can help differentiate between children with reading disabilities and children with other types of disabilities.
Newer research from Balci (2020) indicates that there are a number of characteristics to look for in kindergarten students, including:
- problems recalling information (songs, rhymes, words, and names)
- phonologic development
- rapid automatic naming skills
- simple sequencing and arithmetic skills
- time and spatial skills
- vocabulary weaknesses that are reflected in the child’s speech
Another newer study from Alonzo, et al. (2020) revealed that “in children with TL [typical language], both kindergarten letter identification and phonological awareness significantly predicted dyslexia in 2nd grade.”
Myth: All poor readers must be dyslexic.
The truth behind this dyslexia myth is that there are various constellations of factors that can lead to reading difficulties, and not all reading difficulties stem from the presence of dyslexia. Reading difficulties can also be caused or exacerbated by an individual’s intellectual or oral language ability, attention problems, insufficient instruction, interruptions in schooling, and lack of opportunity.
Even among the category of reading disabilities, we must remember hyperlexia and mixed reading difficulties exist, in addition to dyslexia. Kilpatrick (2015) explains that “these common types of reading problems occur across various disability categories… as well as with non-designated weak readers.” He also includes “the compensator” as a type of non-disabled weak reader.
Myth: Kids outgrow dyslexia.
Although individuals cannot outgrow dyslexia, appropriate intervention can reduce the impact that dyslexia has on their lives (Wendling & Mather, 2011).
Myth: Dyslexia is caused by bad reading instruction.
Although ineffective instruction can hinder the ability of a child with dyslexia to learn to read, dyslexia has neurobiological origins and cannot be caused by specific types of instruction or a lack of instruction (Wendling and Mather, 2011).
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Sources:
Alonzo, C. N., McIlraith, A. L., Catts, H. W., & Hogan, T. P. (2020). Predicting dyslexia in children with developmental language disorder. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 63(1), 151–162. https://doi.org/10.1044/2019_jslhr-l-18-0265
Balcı, E. (2020). Early predictors for kindergarten students at risk for dyslexia: A two-year longitudinal study. International Journal of Progressive Education, 16(3), 201–210. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijpe.2020.248.15
Dyslexia basics. International Dyslexia Association. (2020, March 10). https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-basics/
Kilpatrick, David A. Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties. Hoboken, New Jersey, Wiley, 2015.
Kilpatrick, David A. Equipped for Reading Success: A Comprehensive, Step-By-Step Program for Developing Phoneme Awareness and Fluent Word Recognition. Syracuse, NY, Casey & Kirsch Publishers, 2016.
Mather, N., & Wendling, B. (2011). Essentials of dyslexia assessment and intervention. Wiley.
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