Dyslexia

What is dyslexia? Dyslexia is a neuro-developmental condition and it may co-occur with other neurological (rather than psychological) difficulties; it is linked to hereditary / genetic factors and is independent of intelligence (Rose Report, 2009).

The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) provides a list of indicators that are likely to suggest dyslexia in school age children.

Adults who frequently experience some of the following should consider contacting us in confidence for an informal discussion:

Language:

• Confusing words that sound similar (e.g., tan / ton)

• Difficulty with remembering verbal directions / instructions

• Confusing the names of object (e.g., fridge / freezer)

• Slips of the tongue or Spoonerisms (e.g., car park / par cark)

• Difficulty with summarising the main ideas in a story, article or book, in a clear and logical manner without getting bogged down in details

• Difficulty with learning a foreign language, especially the writing

Reading:

• Difficulty with reading at a good pace and at the expected level for age and education

• Tendency of not reading for pleasure

• Difficulty reading aloud, maintaining fluency and accuracy

• Loosing place and missing out lines when reading

• Distinguishing printed words that look similar

Writing:

• Problems with spelling words correctly

• Difficulties with sentence structures and use of grammar

• Challenges when preparing outlines, organising thoughts on paper and fully develop ideas in writing

• Difficulties with proofreading and self-correcting work

Dyslexia is commonly defined as a combination of abilities and challenges, the latter affecting various aspects of language and communication, as illustrated above. One of its most noticeable indicators, however, remains a weakness in the acquisition of accurate, fluent reading and spelling (Hulme et al., 2009); this weakness is the consequence of the atypical wiring of some parts of the brain, involved in decoding written language.

In the majority of people, the left hemisphere of the brain processes most language functions, analytic thought, logic, science and maths, while the right hemisphere deals with holistic thought, spatial perception, intuition, creativity, music and art.

Brain scans have shown that while neuro-typical readers rely mostly on efficient left-hemisphere circuits of the brain to process written language, those with dyslexia rely more than usual on ‘auxiliary’ right-hemisphere structures to access written language (Wolf, 2008: 185). As a consequence, when dyslexic individuals read words, ther decoding process takes longer to reach those parts of the brain where language is finally processed (Wolf, 2008).

Dyslexia, which has an impact on the way individuals process, store and retrieve information, is likely to affect memory, sequencing, numeracy, concentration, time perception, organisation, fine motor-coordination and visual processing (Rose Report, 2009: 30).

According to the BDA, dyslexia affects about 10% of the population; some 4% may be severely dyslexic. Lord Richard Rogers (architect), Jamie Oliver (chef), Sir Richard Branson (business entrepreneur), Darcey Bussell (dancer) and Tom Cruise (actor) are some well-known celebrities with dyslexia. Other famous historic figures believed to have had dyslexia include Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein (Wolf, 2008).

Dyslexia is the most frequently occurring of a range of related Specific Learning Difficulties or 'Differences' (SpLDs) which include dyspraxia (also known as developmental co-ordination disorder), dyscalculia and attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder (ADHD).

These SpLDs are part of the same spectrum and, in some instances, they may co-occur; however, they will all affect individuals differently over time. The BDA estimates that around 15% of the population are affected by some form of SpLD to a greater or lesser degree.

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