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Dyslexia is the commonest cause of learning difficulties for children and young people in schools and colleges. The word comes from the Greek meaning 'difficulty with words'. Dyslexia is often referred to
as a 'specific learning difficulty', usually with symptoms such as difficulty
with writing and spelling, and often with reading and working with numbers.
A dyslexic person may also have problems putting things in order, following instructions,
and may confuse left and right. It helps to understand how someone is affected
by dyslexia if you think of a person who is color-blind. This means that they
are perfectly normal in all other respects, but cannot distinguish colors (to
a greater or lesser degree). Dyslexia has been referred to as 'letter-blindness',
though that is a poor description. A dyslexic person does not see words, with
their letters in order, as most people see them. The letters may appear to jump
around, or be hazy, and their eyes will move unevenly over the words as they read.
They will find it extraordinarly hard to remember the letters of a word in order.
Contrary to popular belief, dyslexics do not have any problems with their vision at all. The optic nerve is not that part of the brain that lacks a bit of wiring in dyslexics. Just because you see 'b' as 'd' does not mean that there is something wrong with your vision. It is actually in how your brain processes the information at hand. Seeing the letters would be the first step in how information is perceived by the optic nerve. Once the letters or numbers are seen, the brain would then process these visual details and translate them into written thoughts or words about what they correspondingly mean.
The first step is for an accurate diagnosis to be made. This may be undertaken by the school, by an educational psychologist privately, or by another specialist in the field.
For a dyslexic child or adult, the same level of concentration is needed any time they have to deal with text: filling in forms, reading a book, writing an email, and so on.
Look for an assessment that will not just show if your child is dyslexic or not, but will offer advice and recomendations on how to bring your child's educational achievement closer to the average for their age. If it is found that your child is dyslexic, it is important not to feel that he or she is doomed to fallure! There are well-developed courses of learning which can be used to bring your child up to the average level for their age in the areas they find difficulty with. Given the proper help, in most cases a dyslexic child can succeed at school at a level roughly equal to his or her classmates. Moreover, dyslexic children often have talents in other areas, which can raise their self-esteem. Artistic skills, good physical co-ordination and lateral/creative thinking and are often areas in which they may excel.
Dyslexia is not a 'disease' that someone should or can be cured of. It is a type of mind, like any other, with its own particular strengths and weaknesses. We all have different talents - things we are good at and things we find hard. Dyslexic children and teenagers find spelling and getting things in the right order very hard, but also have other areas at which they excel. The important thing is to keep up their confidence!
You will find lists of articles and resource items on our Information
page which might help you learn more about this learning difficulty which
affects so many children and young people.
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Being dyslexic does not necessarily mean that you are dumb. You may be a slow learner, but this just comes with the territory of the condition. The fact of the matter is that it is just the brain that is not wired as it should be.
In
the school situation, a dyslexic child may find he or she is experiencing failure,
but is not able to understand why. This frequently results in low self-esteem
and a severe loss of confidence, which can lead to the child being reluctant
to go to school. At this stage something has got to be done, and this is when
a lot of parents seek specialist help and advice. 
Having dyslexia has been compared to the way that driving on the wrong side of the road feels for the rest of us. If you have ever driven in a country where the traffic dives on the other side of the road, you will know how much concentration it takes. Even ordinary things like turning left or right take great concentration to avoid an accident.
The
causes of dyslexia are not fully understood, but it is thought to be inherited
as it usually runs in families. Dyslexia can also be acquired through early hearing loss (especially 'glue ear'. An assessment will clarify matters, and is usually
a source of great relief to the child or teenager, as well as to the parents!
As
a dyslexic child's difficulty is not visible - compared, say, to a child in a
wheelchair - it often goes unrecognized by teachers. The result can be that the
child is labelled as 'lazy' or 'slow' at school. However, an assessment
can make a big difference to the school's attitude, and frequently results in
extra consideration and help for the child. 
Many
dyslexic people have become famous, especially through their strengths in artistic
awareness, physical co-ordination and empathy. Here is a list of | Back to top | Copyright © Dyslexia Parents Group |