When I first heard the term dyslexia, I thought it was someone who reads words backwards. Little did I know that a majority of the conversations I have with parents would revolve around that one word. Understanding what dyslexia is and isn’t helps to create an understanding of the struggles and talents of these extremely gifted students.
What is dyslexia?
According to the International Dyslexia Association, "Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge."
In other words, someone with dyslexia has trouble reading words with ease, spelling, and sounding words out. This can naturally lead to trouble with understanding what is read. If you are not able to figure the words out, it is going to be difficult to figure out what it is all trying to say.
Myth #1: Dyslexics see things backwards.
Dyslexia is no more about seeing things backwards than saying them backwards. Dyslexics see things the same as everyone else. There is nothing wrong with their vision. The breakdown occurs in their processing of language and directionality, not vision. In fact, not all dyslexics will make letter reversals or transpositions.
Myth #2: Dyslexics must be dumb since they can’t learn to read or spell.
Someone needs to have an average to above average IQ to receive a diagnosis of dyslexia. People with dyslexia tend to be more verbal, creative, and problem solvers than many other students. The reason a dyslexic cannot spell or read well has to do with how they are processing language not their intelligence level.
Myth #3: Someone with dyslexia doesn’t know that they are reading poorly.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. Dyslexics know exactly what they are reading incorrectly. Because dyslexics are smart, it furthers their frustrations that they can’t read as well as they know they should be able to.
Myth #4: My child can read in the first or second grade so he can’t have dyslexia.
Since dyslexics are smart, they are very good at tricking adults. In the early grades, a child with dyslexia can be easily overlooked because they are able to remember so many of the words they encounter. Through memory alone, these children can read fluently. As the words become more difficult, however, the inability to decode the words becomes very clear.
Myth #5: My child can’t be dyslexic because he gets a 100% on the weekly spelling test.
Traditional spelling tests of memorizing words each week is a test most dyslexics can master. However, after the Friday test or in a writing assignment, the dyslexic cannot spell the words correctly. Memorizing words for a spelling test is not an efficient or effective way to learn how to spell, especially for dyslexics.
Resources to Learn More about Dyslexia
The famous children’s author, Patricia Polacco, wrote an autobiographical account of her struggles of learning to read in the picture book Thank You, Mr. Falker.
To find more about the signs of dyslexia, a free online book written by a teen with dyslexia is a powerful choice. Visit the Web site https://web.me.com/hannajc/Site/Welcome.html to read about Hannah’s struggles and what to look for in identifying possible signs of dyslexia.
A great wealth of information can be found at the International Dyslexia Association’s site, https://www.interdys.org/FAQ.htm.
