Program & Services

Dyslexia

What is dyslexia?

A person with dsylexia is not able to learn the basic language skills of reading. At least 10 million children are poor readers. That's about 17 percent of school-age children. Reading problems happen at the same rate in boys and girls.

Reading is made up of different language skills, including the:

• Ability to identify and remember sounds that go with words.
• Ability to quickly make sense of sounds within words.
• Ability to understand words.
• Hearing and recall of spoken language.

Having trouble with these basic skills can mean the person has reading problems. Some people with this condition might not be able to tell the difference between similar sounds in words. They may process language more slowly than others.

It is common for those with dyslexia to have trouble processing language. They might also have trouble learning, but the effects can be very different from person to person. Each person can have different symptoms and also have different degrees of severity, but most people with dyslexia read at levels that are lower than expected for people of their age.

What are the causes?

The causes are not known. Dyslexia is based in the brain, is a life-long condition and is often inherited. Other family members may have similar learning patterns. Some people may have a slight difference in brain structure; they might function differently in the areas connected with language learning. Some might also not be able to process speech quickly.

What are the characteristics?

Ages six-11

• Reverses letters, words and numbers
• Confuses the order of letters in words
• Does not remember words previously learned
• Spells a word several different ways
• Does not recognize the correct spelling of words
• Does not hear differences in words (for example, writes "pin" for "pen")
• Confuses left and right
• May write letters backwards
• Has poor reading comprehension
• Has a hard time carrying out directions in order
• Has a hard time saying thoughts in an organized way
• Has a hard time saying words
• May say words backwards

Ages 12-adult

• Has a hard time remembering what he or she has recently read
• Has a hard time concentrating when reading or writing
• Is unable to determine what information matters and what does not
• Spells poorly
• Misspelling is not logical
• Has problems taking notes
• Has a hard time organizing and completing writing projects

Children might often show these characteristics while they are learning basic reading skills. Other teaching options should be considered when a child has a hard time learning basic reading skills and shows many dyslexic characteristics over a period of time.

How can educational evaluation help?

It is important to notice reading problems early. Poor reading skills can be improved if they are taken care of early. A person who is behind his or her peers in reading skills should be evaluated.

The results of the evaluation show where the person is strong and where he or she still needs work. A teaching method can then be suggested for the child. Children with dyslexia should work with a reading specialist. The specialist should have experience with reading disabilities. Good teaching and learning can help even the worst case.

What type of help is available?

People with dyslexia learn and process language differently. They need special programs to learn reading, spelling and writing skills. A structured phonetic method is the best. One-on-one teaching can also help.