“Do I have Dyslexia?” People are often confused with the term and definition of this learning difference. As of today, Dyslexia has become associated with numerous characteristics, making almost anyone claiming one or more of the traits. 

Dyslexia refers to learning challenges in reading, writing, and processing information. It describes an extremely heterogeneous group of individuals who live with a spectrum of differences and unique abilities.

To get a deeper understanding of what Dyslexia is associated with, one needs to dive into the challenges faced and how it affects daily living.

Delving deeper into Dyslexia

Let’s dissociate from the myths about Dyslexia by exploring the true association of this unique learning ability.

Learning to speak – Uttering words similar to the intended word, like extinct instead of distinct. Similarly, having a word on the tip of their tongue but are unable to retrieve the word mentally.

Learning letters and their sounds – Is not a hearing impairment, rather the inability to process sounds the usual way. For instance, hearing the word ‘back’ as a single sound rather than “b – a – ck” 

Trouble with quickly naming colours, objects, letters – Linked to both reading speed and the processing speed for reading. Often takes longer to name colours, letters, objects, numbers, etc. 

Organising written and spoken language – Difficulty forming sentences while writing or speaking. 

Memorising numbers and facts – Challenged with memorising numbers, facts and figures in the order expected.

Reading quickly enough to comprehend – Faced with the difficulty to read fast in addition to quickly comprehending what is read.

Persisting with and comprehending longer reading assignments – Challenged with sticking to reading long assignments to facing the frustration of comprehension.

Spelling – Repeating the same spelling errors like bak for back, spidr for spider, and so on. Unable to respond to conventional instruction or feedback.

Correctly doing maths operations – Unable to address and resolve simple and complex maths problems.

Putting things into perspective, Dyslexia is a language-based learning difference that impacts an individual’s ability to learn how to read, write and spell. As you further delve into discussing Dyslexia, you realise that it is not correlated to one’s level of intelligence, but is linked to the specificities of the way the brain is wired. Also, it’s not ‘just’ about phonology, which is related to studying how language or dialects systematically organise their sounds. That said, children with dyslexia require specialised instructional approaches to enhance their ability to read.

If you are parenting a child with dyslexia or are an educator tutoring students with learning differences, learn more about our resources.