When I first set out to study dyslexia, I thought I had a pretty clear understanding of what dyslexia was. I was sorely mistaken. Even with years of experience working in dyslexia workshops and teaching in a mainstream classroom, I was only aware of how dyslexia presented itself in the children's work. I didn't know why dyslexia was causing these problems for children, nor did I realise that the difficulties can extend beyond literacy. I was not aware of the extraordinary strengths that come with dyslexia, as I was focused on the difficulties that were presented to me in the classroom
The International Dyslexia Association define dyslexia as follows;
“ 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” .
This definition fails to recognise the dyslexic strengths but it gives us quite a simple understanding of how it manifests itself in children's academic performance.
The main points that I would like people to understand about dyslexia are that dyslexia -
- is hereditary
- Affects 10-15% of the population
- Lasts a lifetime
- Often co-occurs with other learning difficulties
- Comes with some very useful strengths
Dyslexic-type difficulties include:
These are some, but not all dyslexic-type difficulties. A child may have all of these or only one or two.
Some of the common strengths we see with our dyslexic learners would be
Dyslexia is as individual as a fingerprint. It occurs across a continuum and each learner has their own set of strengths and difficulties. Dyslexia makes school so very difficult for a pupil but with the appropriate supports we can help them to achieve their full potential.
“ 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” .
This definition fails to recognise the dyslexic strengths but it gives us quite a simple understanding of how it manifests itself in children's academic performance.
The main points that I would like people to understand about dyslexia are that dyslexia -
- is hereditary
- Affects 10-15% of the population
- Lasts a lifetime
- Often co-occurs with other learning difficulties
- Comes with some very useful strengths
Dyslexic-type difficulties include:
- Reading
- Spelling
- Writing
- Rhyme
- Sequencing
- Letters and Sounds
- Information retrieval
- Organising
- Handwriting
- Time
- Processing Speed
- Working Memory
These are some, but not all dyslexic-type difficulties. A child may have all of these or only one or two.
Some of the common strengths we see with our dyslexic learners would be
- Atypical approach to problem-solving
- Innovative
- Creative
- Determined to persevere
- Good procrastinators – taking time to find appropriate solutions
- Empathetic
- Often good verbal communicators
Dyslexia is as individual as a fingerprint. It occurs across a continuum and each learner has their own set of strengths and difficulties. Dyslexia makes school so very difficult for a pupil but with the appropriate supports we can help them to achieve their full potential.