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Dyslexia affects



of the population, making it the most commonly diagnosed learning disability and is one of the least understood disabilities

15-20%

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is neurobiological in origin, and is characterized by slow, inaccurate reading, as well as poor decoding and spelling. These difficulties often seem unexpected relative to other cognitive abilities. Dyslexia may lead to secondary consequences in comprehension, vocabulary, and background knowledge, due to reduced reading experience.

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Clues to Dyslexia

  • Speaking delays

  • Rhyme insensitivity

  • Word pronunciation errors

  • Word retrieval difficulties

  • Difficulty remembering instructions

  • Trouble learning sound/letter correspondences

  • Slow to acquire reading skills

  • Reliance upon context and visual cues when reading

  • Memorizing words, but not decoding them

  • Word substitution—house/horse, milk/like

  • Substitution/omission of common sight words

  • Omission/addition of letter sounds, words, or word endings

  • Difficulty with spelling and writing

Dyslexia Myths

Smart people cannot be dyslexic

Reading skill and IQ are not connected. Dyslexia occurs across the IQ spectrum and many dyslexic people are highly bright, creative, and have made tremendous contributions to our world.

Dyslexia is reading words backward

People with dyslexia do not see words backward. Letter reversal is a common part of reading development in young children. However, persistent difficulty with letter reversals in reading and writing beyond primary grades may be a flag for concern as it takes many more exposures for a dyslexic child to differentiate letters that are mirror images, or visually similar.

Kids with dyslexia just need to try harder

Often students with dyslexia are told they just need to read more, or try harder.  They may be labeled as “lazy” or unmotivated. Truth is that dyslexia requires specialized, explicit instruction to build automatic recognition and retrieval of letters and language structures. The idea that they will get there on their own, or they "just need more time" is not a solution, and typically delays vital intervention.

Dyslexia is uncommon

Epidemiologic data indicate that dyslexia is prevalent among 17.5%-21.5% of children and adults. Dyslexia affects all races and socioeconomic groups. (Connecticut Longitudinal Study of Learning)

Dyslexia can be cured

Dyslexia is neurobiological in origin, and is lifelong. Although dyslexics may learn to read accurately, they may continue to read and write slowly, and benefit from accommodations to demonstrate their true capabilities in school.

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What many teachers, and even parents may not recognize is that children with dyslexia might appear to be doing "fine" in school, particularly in elementary grades, because they understand the content in class, and try hard to succeed.
What we might not see are the feelings of isolation and fear, anxiety, and the intensity it requires to keep up.

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