Dyslexia

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Original Editor - Maram Salem Top Contributors - Maram Salem

Introduction

Dyslexia is a prevalent learning disability of neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by a child's difficulty with reading, writing, and spelling. The difficulty is due to phonological processing (i.e., the use of sounds of one's language to process spoken and written language), which consequently affects one's ability to read, speak, spell, and learn a second language. People with dyslexia can also demonstrate poor spelling and decoding abilities. It is the most common neurocognitive disorder.

Definition

People with developmental dyslexia demonstrate difficulty with reading, word recognition, and spelling despite exhibiting age-appropriate intelligence and sensory abilities.People with dyslexia are unable to decipher or decode what they are reading. Comprehension is usually intact. People with dyslexia will have trouble matching and combining letters on a page to sound out words. When this first step is disrupted, combining letter sounds and words to read sentences because complex. Fluency in reading becomes difficult. This struggle has no impact and is not reflective of the overall intelligence of the individual.

Children and adults with dyslexia have difficulty with phonological processing, or the ability to quickly and correctly hear, store, recall, and make different speech sounds. They also have difficulty with spelling and rapid visual-verbal responding.This becomes more evident with failed attempts to blend letters to sound out words, incorrect spelling, and difficulty verbalizing letters and words when prompted.

Dyslexia is a brain-based disorder. Parts of the brain responsible for detection and processing of auditory stimuli/sounds are affected. Children born with dyslexia are more likely to have family members with the impairment (compared to other children). It is important to note that dyslexia does not affect the brain's structure, its intellectual capabilities, creativity, or emotional wellbeing of a person.