7 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Dyslexia

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month! An estimated 1 in 5 individuals have Dyslexia, yet many people (teachers included) do not know much about it.

In support of scholars with dyslexia, here are some things you probably didn't know about:

1. Dyslexia is a learning difference. Functional brain-imaging, first used in 1990, has given researchers an inside look at how individuals learn and process information. Looking at the brain scans of thousands of individuals you will find each one to be unique. No two brains learn the same way. When an individual is diagnosed with dyslexia it is because their learning style matches that of other Dyslexic learners. Learners with dyslexia have difficulty with tasks involving reading, writing, and spelling. A diagnosis of dyslexia may present differently among individuals with it.

2. Not all individuals with reading difficulties have dyslexia. Most recent data estimated 70-80% of poor readers have dyslexia. There are many other reasons an individual may struggle with reading including socioeconomic disadvantages, attention deficits, and visual problems.

3. Dyslexia has a genetic component. There is evidence that dyslexia can be inherited. However, cases of dyslexia may look very different among family members. For example, a mother with challenges in spelling may have a child with no spelling challenges, but extreme difficulty with reading fluency.

4. Dyslexia can be caused by weak underlying skills. The process of reading requires several underlying cognitive functions including: auditory processing, memory, semantic retrieval, association, etc. A weakness in one or more areas of processing may lead to difficulty with reading and writing tasks.

5. Dyslexia impacts areas other than reading. These underlying skills that are involved in the reading impact an individual's processing in other areas of life as well. For example, if someone has a weakness in auditory processing it may also impact their social skills and ability to keep up in large group conversations.

6. Individuals do not “outgrow” their dyslexia. Children with dyslexia grow up to be adults with dyslexia. Adults with dyslexia have likely acquired compensation techniques that mask their challenges with reading or they simply choose a career path that does not require the use of these skills.

7. Dyslexic learners can improve reading and spelling by strengthening their underlying skills. Appropriate interventions have been shown to reduce the impact of dyslexia on an individual's ability to read and spell. Cognitive training is one example of an intervention technique that has gained significant research and clinical attention for the last 50 years. Cognitive training utilizes various exercises that target underdeveloped processing skills so that individuals can become confident readers and life-long learners.

Share this post with a teacher or parent who would benefit from this information!