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Dyslexia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dyslexia
Classification and external resources

Ten variations of the word "Teapot" as written


by dyslexics[citation needed]
ICD-10

R48.0

ICD-9

315.02

OMIM

127700

DiseasesDB

4016

MedlinePlus

001406

Patient UK

Dyslexia

MeSH

D004410

Dyslexia also sometimes known as alexia[1] or developmental reading


disorder,[2] is characterized by difficulty with learning to read and with
differing comprehension of language despite normal or above-average
intelligence.[3][4] This includes difficulty withphonological
awareness, phonological decoding, processing speed, orthographic
coding, auditory short-term memory, language skills/verbal
comprehension, and/or rapid naming.[5][6]
Dyslexia is the most common learning difficulty.[7] Some see dyslexia as
distinct from reading difficulties resulting from other causes, such as a
non-neurological deficiency with hearing or perhaps vision, or
poor reading instruction.[8][9] There are three proposed cognitive subtypes
of dyslexia (auditory, visual and attentional), although individual cases of
dyslexia are better explained by specific underlying neuropsychological
deficits (e.g. an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a visual
processing disorder) and co-occurring learning difficulties (e.g.
dyscalculia and dysgraphia).[10][11] Although it is considered to be a
receptive (afferent) language-based learning disability, dyslexia also
affects one's expressive (efferent) language skills. [12]
Contents
[hide]
1 Classification
2 Signs and symptoms
o 2.1 Language
o 2.2 Associated conditions
3 Causes
o 3.1 Neuroanatomy
o 3.2 Genetics
o 3.3 Geneenvironment interaction
4 Mechanisms

5 Diagnosis
o 5.1 Central dyslexias
o 5.2 Peripheral dyslexias
o 5.3 Neglect dyslexia
6 Management
7 Epidemiology
8 History
o 8.1 Research
9 See also
10 References
11 External links
Classification[edit]
Internationally, dyslexia is designated as a cognitive disorder related to
reading and speech. More than seventy related names are used to
describe its manifestations, characterizations or causes. The National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke definition describes,
"difficulty with spelling, phonological processing (the manipulation of
sounds), and/or rapid visual-verbal responding." [4] Many published
definitions are purely descriptive or embody causal theories. These
definitions for dyslexia encompass a variety of reading skills, deficits and
difficulties with distinct causes rather than a single condition. [13]
Acquired dyslexia, alexia, can be caused by brain damage, stroke,
and atrophy. Forms of alexia include: surface dyslexia, semantic
dyslexia, phonological dyslexia, and deep dyslexia.[14][15] Acquired
surface dyslexia arises after brain damage in a previously literate person
and results in pronunciation errors that indicate impairment of the lexical
route.[16][17] Numerous symptom-based definitions of dyslexia suggest
neurological approaches.
Signs and symptoms[edit]
See also: Characteristics of dyslexia

In early childhood, symptoms that correlate with a later diagnosis of


dyslexia include delays in speech,[18] letter reversal or mirror writing,
difficulty knowing left from right and directions, [19][20] and being easily
distracted by background noise.[21] This pattern of early distractibility is
sometimes partially explained by the co-occurrence of dyslexia
andattention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Although this disorder
occurs in approximately 5% of children, 2540% of children with either
dyslexia or ADHD meet criteria for the other disorder.[22][23]
Dyslexic children of school age may exhibit signs such as difficulty
identifying or generating rhyming words, or counting syllables in words
(phonological awareness),[24] difficulty segmenting words into individual
sounds or blending sounds to make words (phonemic awareness),
[25]
difficulty with word retrieval or naming problems. [26][27] They are
commonly poor spellers,[28] which has been called dysorthographia
or dysgraphia (orthographic coding). Whole-word guesses and
tendencies to omit or add letters or words when writing and reading are
considered tell-tale signs.
Problems persist into adolescence and adulthood and may be
accompanied by trouble with summarizing a story, memorizing, reading
aloud, and learning a foreign language. Adult dyslexics can read with
good comprehension, although they tend to read more slowly than nondyslexics and perform more poorly at spelling and nonsense word
reading, a measure of phonological awareness. [29][30]
A common misconception about dyslexia assumes that dyslexic readers
all write words backwards or move letters around when reading. In fact
this only occurs in half the population of dyslexic readers. [31]
Language[edit]
Main article: Orthographies and dyslexia
The complexity of a language's orthography (i.e., its conventional
spelling system, see orthographic depth) has a direct impact upon how
difficult it is to learn to read that language. English has a comparatively
deep orthography within the Latin alphabet writing system, with a
complex structure that employs spelling patterns of several levels:
principally, letter-sound correspondences, syllables, and morphemes.
Other languages, such as Spanish, have mostly alphabetic
orthographies that employ letter-sound correspondences, socalled shallow orthographies, making them relatively easy to learn.
English, by comparison, presents more of a challenge.
[32]
Logographic writing systems, notably Japanese and Chinese
characters, have graphemes that are not linked directly to their
pronunciation, which pose a different type of difficulty to the dyslexic

learner.[33][34]Different neurological deficits may cause more problems in


learning one writing system than another, as the neurological skills
required to read, write, and spell can vary between systems. [33]
Associated conditions[edit]
Several learning disabilities often occur with dyslexia, but it is unclear
whether these learning disabilities share underlying neurological causes
with dyslexia.[35] These disabilities include:
Dysgraphia A disorder which expresses itself
primarily through writing or typing, although in
some cases it may also affect eyehand
coordination, direction- or sequence-oriented
processes such as tying knots or carrying out a
repetitive task. In dyslexia, dysgraphia is often
multifactorial, due to impaired letter writing
automaticity, finger motor sequencing
challenges, organizational and elaborative
difficulties, and impaired visual word form which
makes it more difficult to retrieve the visual
picture of words required for spelling. [36]
Attention deficit disorder A significant degree
of co-morbidity has been reported between
ADD/ADHD and dyslexia/reading disorders,[37] it
occurs in between 12% and 24% of those with
dyslexia.[38] Research studying the impact of
interference on adults with and without dyslexia
has revealed large differences in terms of
attention deficits for adults with dyslexia, and
has implications for teaching reading and writing
to dyslexics in the future.[39]
Auditory processing disorder A condition that
affects the ability to process auditory
information. Auditory processing disorder is a
listening disability.[40] It can lead to problems
with auditory memory and auditory sequencing.
Many people with dyslexia have auditory
processing problems[41] and may develop their
own logographic cues to compensate for this
type of deficit. Auditory processing disorder is

recognized as one of the major causes of


dyslexia.[42][43]
Developmental coordination disorder A
neurological condition characterized by a
marked difficulty in carrying out routine tasks
involving balance, fine-motor
control,kinesthetic coordination, difficulty in the
use of speech sounds, problems with short-term
memory and organization are typical of
dyspraxics. [18]
Causes[edit]
Main article: Theories of dyslexia
Researchers have been trying to find a biological basis of dyslexia since
it was first identified by Oswald Berkhan in 1881[44] the term dyslexia was
coined in 1887 by Rudolf Berlin.[45][46]
Neuroanatomy[edit]
Main article: Neurological research into dyslexia
In the area of neurological research into dyslexia,
modern neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography(PET) have
produced a correlation between functional and structural differences in
the brains of children with reading difficulties. Some individuals with
dyslexia show less electrical activation in parts of the left hemisphere of
the brain involved in reading, which includes the inferior frontal
gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, and middle and ventral temporal cortex.
[47]
Brain activation studies using PET to study language have produced
a breakthrough in understanding of the neural basis of language over
the past decade. A neural basis for the visual lexicon and for auditory
verbal short-term memory components have been proposed,[48] with
some implication that the observed neural manifestation of
developmental dyslexia is task-specific (i.e., functional rather than
structural).[49] fMRI's in dyslexics have provided important data
supporting the interactive role of the cerebellum and cerebral cortex as
well as other brain structures.[50][51]
Genetics[edit]
Main article: Genetic research into dyslexia
Genetic research into dyslexia and its inheritance has its roots in the
examination of post-autopsy brains of people with dyslexia.[52][53] When
they observed anatomical differences in the language center in a

dyslexic brain, they showed microscopic cortical malformations known


as ectopias and more rarely vascular micro-malformations, and in some
instances these cortical malformations appeared as a microgyrus. These
studies and those of Cohen et al. 1989[54] suggested abnormal cortical
development which was presumed to occur before or during the sixth
month of fetal brain development.[55] Abnormal cell formations in
dyslexics found on autopsy have also been reported in non-language
cerebral and subcortical brain structures.[53][56] MRI data have conrmed
a cerebellar role in dyslexia.[57]
Geneenvironment interaction[edit]
Main article: Geneenvironment interaction
Research has examined geneenvironment interactions in reading
disability through twin studies, which estimate the proportion of variance
associated with environment and the proportion associated
with heritability. Studies examining the influence of environmental factors
such as parental education,[58] and teacher quality[59] have determined
that genetics have greater influence in supportive, rather than less
optimal environments.[60] Instead, it may just allow those genetic risk
factors to account for more of the variance in outcome, because
environmental risk factors that affect that outcome have been minimized.
[61]
As the environment plays a large role in learning and memory, it is
likely thatepigenetic modifications play an important role in reading
ability. Animal experiments and measures of gene
expression and methylation in the human periphery are used to study
epigenetic processes, both of which have many limitations in
extrapolating results for application to the human brain. [62]
Mechanisms[edit]
Main article: Dual-route hypothesis to reading aloud
The dual-route theory of reading aloud was first described in the early
1970s.[63] This theory suggests that two separate mental mechanisms, or
cognitive routes, are involved in reading aloud, with output of both
mechanisms contributing to the pronunciation of a written stimulus.[16]
[64]
One mechanism is the lexical route, which is the process whereby
skilled readers can recognize known words by sight alone, through a
dictionary lookup procedure.[63][65] The other mechanism is
the nonlexical or sublexical route, which is the process whereby the
reader can sound out a written word. This is done by identifying the
word's constituent parts (letters, phonemes, graphemes) and, applying
knowledge of how these parts are associated with each other, for
example how a string of neighboring letters sound together.[63][65]

Diagnosis[edit]
Central dyslexias[edit]
Central dyslexias include surface dyslexia, semantic
dyslexia, phonological dyslexia, and deep dyslexia. [66][67] ICD-10
reclassified the previous distinction between dyslexia (315.02 in ICD-9)
and alexia (315.01 in ICD-9) into a single classification as R48.0. The
terms are applied for developmental dyslexia and inherited dyslexia
along with developmental aphasia and inherited alexia, which are now
read as cognates in meaning and synonymous. [68]
Surface dyslexia[edit]
Main article: Surface dyslexia
In surface dyslexia, words whose pronunciations are 'regular' (highly
consistent with their spelling e.g. mint) are read more accurately than
words with irregular pronunciation, such as colonel.[69] Difficulty
distinguishing homophones is diagnostic of some forms of surface
dyslexia.[69] This disorder is usually accompanied by (surface) agraphia
and fluent aphasia,[69] surface dyslexia is associated with lesions in
the temporo-parietal region of the left hemisphere.
Phonological dyslexia[edit]
Main article: Phonological dyslexia
In phonological dyslexia, patients can read familiar words but have
difficulty reading unfamiliar words (such as invented pseudo-words). It is
thought that they can recognize words by accessing lexical memory
orthographically but cannot 'sound out' novel words. Phonological
dyslexia is associated with lesions in varied locations within the territory
of the middle cerebral artery. The superior temporal lobe is often also
involved. Research has pointed towards the theory that phonological
dyslexia is a development of deep dyslexia. A treatment for phonological
dyslexia is the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program (LiPS). This
program is based on a three way sensory feedback process. The subject
uses their auditory, visual, and oral skills to learn to recognize words and
word patterns. This is considered letter-by-letter reading using a bottomup processing technique. Case studies with a total of three patients
found a significant improvement in spelling and reading ability after using
LiPS.[70]
Deep dyslexia[edit]
See also: Deep dyslexia
Patients with deep dyslexia experience semantic paralexia (paradyslexia), which happens when the patient reads a word, and says a
related meaning instead of the denoted meaning. [69] Deep alexia is more

recently seen as a severe version of phonological dyslexia.Deep


dyslexia is caused by lesions that are often widespread and include
much of the left frontal lobe,[69] research suggests that damage to the left
perisylvian region of the frontal lobe causes deep dyslexia.
Peripheral dyslexias[edit]
Peripheral dyslexias have been described by Bub as "impairment to
processes that convert letters on the page into an abstract
representation of visual word forms". These include hemianopic
dyslexia, neglect dyslexia, attentional dyslexia, and pure dyslexia (also
known as dyslexia without agraphia). [67]
Pure dyslexia[edit]
Main article: Pure alexia
Pure dyslexia, also known as agnosic dyslexia, dyslexia without
agraphia, and pure word blindness; is dyslexia due to difficulty
recognizing written sequences of letters (such as words), or sometimes
even letters. It is 'pure' because it is not accompanied by other
(significant) language-related impairments. Pure dyslexia does not
include speech, hand writing style, language, or comprehension
impairments.[71] Pure dyslexia is caused by lesions on the visual word
form area (VWFA). The VWFA is composed of the left lateral occipital
sulcus and is activated during reading. A lesion in the VWFA stops
transmission between the visual cortex and the left angular gyrus. It can
also be caused by a lesion involving the left occipital lobe and the
splenium of the corpus callosum. It is usually accompanied by
a homonymous hemianopsia in the right side of the visual field.
[69]
Multiple oral re-reading (MOR) is a treatment for pure dyslexia. It is
considered a top-down processing technique in which patients read and
re-read texts a predetermined number of times or until reading speed
and/or accuracy improves a predetermined amount. The idea behind
MOR is to learn how to use context, syntax, and semantics of the text to
process written information rather than using bottom-up processing
techniques in which letter by letter (LBL) reading is necessary. The
theory that the MOR technique only uses top-down processing has been
questioned and some studies have shown that in fact, bottom-up
processing is in part responsible for reading improvement. This has been
proven by reading tests that are engineered to use as few of the same
words as possible that are used in training texts during MOR treatment.
In these studies, patients did not significantly improve in reading speed
or accuracy when reading untrained passages. Untrained passages are
defined by having differing vocabulary from the texts used in reading

practice. This supports the findings that MOR also has bottom-up
processing components.[71]
Hemianopic dyslexia[edit]
Commonly considered to derive from visual field loss due to damage to
the primary visual cortex. Sufferers may complain of slow reading but
are able to read individual words normally. This is the most common
form of peripheral alexia, and the form with the best evidence of the
(possibility of) effective treatment.[72]
Neglect dyslexia[edit]
In neglect dyslexia, some letters are neglected (skipped or misread)
during reading - most commonly the letters at the beginning or left side
of words. This alexia is associated with right parietal lesions.Use of
prism glasses in treatment has been demonstrated to produce
substantial benefit.[73]
Attentional dyslexia[edit]
People with attentional dyslexia complain of letter crowding or migration,
sometimes blending elements of two words into one. The lesion usually
affects the left parietal lobe (Warrington et al., 1993). Patients perform
better when word stimuli are presented in isolation rather than flanked by
other words and letters. Using a large magnifying glass may help as this
should reduce the effects of flanking interference from nearby words;
however, no trials of this or indeed any other therapy for left parietal
syndromes have been published.[74]
Management[edit]
Main articles: Management of dyslexia and Dyslexia interventions
Through compensation strategies and therapy, dyslexic individuals can
learn to read and write with educational support. [75] There are techniques
and technical aids that can manage or even conceal symptoms of the
disorder.[76] Removing stress and anxiety alone can sometimes improve
written comprehension.[77] For dyslexia intervention with alphabet writing
systems, the fundamental aim is to increase a child's awareness of
correspondences between graphemes (letters) and phonemes (sounds),
and to relate these to reading and spelling by teaching him or her to
blend the sounds into words. It has been found that reinforced collateral
training focused towards visual language (reading)
andorthographic (spelling) yields longer-lasting gains than mere oral
phonological training.[78] Intervention early on while language areas in the
brain are still developing is most successful in reducing long-term
impacts of dyslexia.[79] There is some evidence that the use of specially

tailored fonts may provide some measure of assistance for people who
have dyslexia.[80][81] Among these fonts are Dyslexie and OpenDyslexic,
which were created with the notion that many of the letters in the Latin
alphabet are visually similar and therefore confusing for people with
dyslexia.[82] Dyslexie, along with OpenDyslexic, put emphasis on making
each letter more unique to assist in reading. [82]
Epidemiology[edit]
The prevalence of dyslexia is unknown; with estimations varying greatly
between 1% to 33% of the population.[83] It is often estimated that the
prevalence of dyslexia is around 510 percent of a given population
although there have been no studies to indicate an accurate percentage.
[38][84]
Internationally, there are differing definitions of dyslexia, but despite
the significant differences between the writing systems, Italian, German
and English speaking populations suffer similarly from dyslexia.
[85]
Dyslexia is not limited to difficulty in converting letters into sounds, but
Chinese dyslexics have difficulty in extracting shapes of Chinese
characters into meanings.[86]
History[edit]
Main article: History of developmental dyslexia
Dyslexia was identified by Oswald Berkhan in 1881,[87] but the
term dyslexia was coined in 1887 by Rudolf Berlin, who was
an ophthalmologist in Stuttgart.[45] He used the term to refer to a case of
a young boy who had a severe impairment in learning to read and write
in spite of showing typical intellectual and physical abilities in all other
respects. In 1896 W. Pringle Morgan, a British physician from Seaford,
East Sussex, published a description of a reading-specific learning
disorder in a report to the British Medical Journal titled "Congenital Word
Blindness". This described the case of Percy, a 14-year-old boy who had
not yet learned to read, yet showed normal intelligence and was
generally adept at other activities typical of children that age.
[88]
Castles and Coltheart describe phonological and surface types of
developmental dyslexia (dysphonetic and dyseidetic, respectively) to
classical subtypes of alexia which are classified according to the rate of
errors in reading non-words.[55][89] The surface/phonological distinction is
only descriptive, and devoid of any etiological assumption as to the
underlying brain mechanisms.[90] Studies have, however, alluded to
potential differential underlying brain mechanisms in these populations
given performance differences.[91][92]

Definition
By Mayo Clinic Staf
Dyslexia is a learning disorder characterized by difficulty reading due to
problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to
letters and words. Also called specific reading disability, dyslexia is a
common learning disability in children.
Dyslexia occurs in children with normal vision and intelligence.
Sometimes dyslexia goes undiagnosed for years and isn't recognized
until adulthood.
There's no cure for dyslexia. It's a lifelong condition caused by inherited
traits that afect how your brain works. However, most children with
dyslexia can succeed in school with tutoring or a specialized education
program. Emotional support also plays an important role.

Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic Staf
Dyslexia symptoms can be difficult to recognize before your child enters
school, but some early clues may indicate a problem. Once your child
reaches school age, your child's teacher may be the first to notice a
problem. The condition often becomes apparent as a child starts
learning to read.
Before school

Signs and symptoms that a young child may be at risk of dyslexia


include:

Late talking

Learning new words slowly

Difficulty learning nursery rhymes

Difficulty playing rhyming games

School age
Once your child is in school, dyslexia signs and symptoms may become
more apparent, including:

Reading well below the expected level for your child's age

Problems processing and understanding what he or she hears

Difficulty comprehending rapid instructions

Problems remembering the sequence of things

Difficulty seeing (and occasionally hearing) similarities and


diferences in letters and words

Inability to sound out the pronunciation of an unfamiliar word

Difficulty spelling

Trouble learning a foreign language

Teens and adults


Dyslexia symptoms in teens and adults are similar to those in children.
Though early intervention is beneficial for dyslexia treatment, it's never
too late to seek help. Some common dyslexia symptoms in teens and
adults include:

Difficulty reading, including reading aloud

Trouble understanding jokes or expressions that have a meaning


not easily understood from the specific words (idioms), such as "piece
of cake" meaning "easy"

Difficulty with time management

Difficulty summarizing a story

Trouble learning a foreign language

Difficulty memorizing

Difficulty doing math problems

When to see a doctor


Dyslexia is characterized by a delay in the age at which a child begins to
read. Most children are ready to learn reading by kindergarten or first
grade, but children with dyslexia often can't grasp the basics of reading
by that time.
Talk with your doctor if your child's reading level is below what's
expected for his or her age or if you notice other signs or symptoms of
dyslexia. When dyslexia goes undiagnosed and untreated, childhood
reading difficulties continue into adulthood.

Causes
By Mayo Clinic Staf
Dyslexia has been linked to certain genes that control how the brain
develops. It appears to be an inherited condition it tends to run in
families.
These inherited traits appear to afect parts of the brain concerned with
language, interfering with the ability to convert written letters and words
into speech.

Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic Staf
Dyslexia risk factors include:

A family history of dyslexia

Individual diferences in the parts of the brain that enable reading

Complications
By Mayo Clinic Staf
Dyslexia can lead to a number of problems, including:

Trouble learning. Because reading is a skill basic to most other


school subjects, a child with dyslexia is at a disadvantage in most
classes and may have trouble keeping up with peers.

Social problems. Left untreated, dyslexia may lead to low selfesteem, behavior problems, anxiety, aggression, and withdrawal from
friends, parents and teachers.

Problems as adults. The inability to read and comprehend can


prevent a child from reaching his or her potential as the child grows
up. This can have long-term educational, social and economic
consequences.

Children who have dyslexia are at increased risk of having attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and vice versa. ADHD can cause
difficulty sustaining attention as well as hyperactivity and impulsive
behavior, which can make dyslexia harder to treat.

Preparing for your appointment


By Mayo Clinic Staf

You may first bring up your concerns with your child's pediatrician or
family doctor. To ensure that another problem isn't at the root of your
child's reading difficulties, the doctor may refer your child to:

A specialist, such as an eye doctor (ophthalmologist)

A health care professional trained to evaluate hearing loss


(audiologist)

A doctor who specializes in brain and nervous system disorders


(neurologist)

What you can do


To prepare for your appointment:

Make a list of any symptoms that your child is


experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for
the appointment.

Prepare key personal information, including any major stresses or


recent life changes.

Make a list of any medications, vitamins or other supplements your


child is taking, including the dosages.

Ask a family member or friend along, if possible, for support and to


help you remember information.

Make a list of questions to ask your doctor to help you make the
most of your appointment.

For dyslexia, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:

Why is my child having difficulty reading and understanding?

What kinds of tests does he or she need?

Should my child see a specialist?

Can dyslexia be treated?

Are there other diagnoses that can be associated with or confused


with dyslexia?

Are there any alternatives to the primary approach that you're


suggesting?

How quickly will we see progress?


Are there any brochures or other printed materials that I can have?
Can you recommend any websites?

Will my other children have dyslexia, too?

What kind of help for dyslexia can I expect from my child's school?

What to expect from your doctor


Your doctor will likely have a number of questions for you as well, such
as:

When did you first notice that your child was having trouble
reading? Did a teacher bring it to your attention?

How is your child doing academically in the classroom?

At what age did your child start talking?

Have you tried any reading interventions? If so, which ones?

Have you noticed any behavior problems or social difficulties you


suspect may be linked to your child's trouble reading?
Has your child had any vision problems?
Can you describe your child's diet, including cafeine and sugar
consumption?

Tests and diagnosis


By Mayo Clinic Staf
There's no one test that can diagnose dyslexia. Your child's doctor will
consider a number of factors, such as:

Your child's development, educational issues and medical


history. Your doctor will likely ask you questions about these areas.
The doctor will likely also want to know about any conditions that run
in your child's family, including whether any family members have a
learning disability.

Your child's home life. The doctor may ask for a description of your
family and home life, including who lives at home and whether there
are any problems at home.

Questionnaires. Your child's doctor may have your child, family


members or teachers answer written questions. Your child may be
asked to take tests to identify reading and language abilities.

Vision, hearing and brain (neurological) tests. These can help


determine whether another disorder may be causing or adding to your
child's poor reading ability.

Psychological testing. The doctor may ask you or your child


questions to better understand your child's psychological state. This
can help determine whether social problems, anxiety or depression
may be limiting your child's abilities.

Testing reading and other academic skills. Your child may take a
set of educational tests and have the process and quality of reading
skills analyzed by a reading expert.

Treatments and drugs


By Mayo Clinic Staf

There's no known way to correct the underlying brain abnormality that


causes dyslexia dyslexia is a lifelong problem. However, early
detection and evaluation to determine specific needs and appropriate
treatment can improve success.
Educational techniques
Dyslexia is treated using specific educational approaches and
techniques, and the sooner the intervention begins, the better.
Psychological testing will help your child's teachers develop a suitable
teaching program.
Teachers may use techniques involving hearing, vision and touch to
improve reading skills. Helping a child use several senses to learn for
example, listening to a taped lesson and tracing with a finger the shape
of the letters used and the words spoken can help him or her process
the information.
If available, tutoring sessions with a reading specialist can be very
helpful for many children with dyslexia. A reading specialist will focus on
helping your child:

Learn to recognize the smallest sounds that make up words


(phonemes)

Understand that letters and strings of letters represent these


sounds

Comprehend what he or she is reading

Read aloud

Build a vocabulary

If your child has a severe reading disability, tutoring may need to occur
more frequently, and progress may be slower.
Individual education plan

In the United States, schools have a legal obligation to take steps to help
children diagnosed with dyslexia with their learning problems. Talk to
your child's teacher about setting up a meeting to create a plan that
outlines your child's needs and how the school will help him or her
succeed. This is called an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). To
receive help, your child may need a structured, written plan.
Children with dyslexia who get extra help in kindergarten or first grade
often improve their reading skills enough to succeed in elementary
school and high school.
Children who don't get help until later grades may have more difficulty
learning the skills needed to read well. They're likely to lag behind
academically and may never be able to catch up. A child with severe
dyslexia may never have an easy time reading, but he or she can learn
skills that improve reading.
Academic problems don't necessarily mean a person with dyslexia can't
succeed. Students with dyslexia can be highly capable, given the right
resources. Many people with dyslexia are creative and bright, and may
be gifted in math, science or the arts. Some even have successful
writing careers.
What parents can do
You play a key role in helping your child succeed. Take these steps:

Address the problem early. If you suspect your child has dyslexia,
talk to your child's doctor. Early intervention can improve success.

Read aloud to your child. It's best if you start when your child is 6
months old or even younger. Try listening to recorded books with your
child. When your child is old enough, read the stories together after
your child hears them.

Work with your child's school. Talk to your child's teacher about
how the school will help him or her succeed. You are your child's best
advocate.

Encourage reading time. To improve reading skills, a child must


practice reading. Encourage reading of print materials.

Set an example for reading. Designate a time each day to read


something of your own while your child reads this sets an example
and supports your child. Show your child that reading can provide
enjoyment.

What adults with dyslexia can do


Success in employment can be difficult for adults struggling with
dyslexia. To help achieve your goals:

Seek evaluation and instructional help with reading and writing,


regardless of your age

Ask about additional training and reasonable accommodations


from your employer or academic institution under the Americans with
Disabilities Act

Coping and support


By Mayo Clinic Staf
Emotional support and opportunities for achievement in activities that
don't involve reading are important for children with dyslexia. If your child
has dyslexia:

Be supportive. Trouble learning to read may afect your child's selfesteem. Be sure to express your love and support. Encourage your
child by praising his or her talents and strengths.

Talk to your child. Explain to your child what dyslexia is and that it's
not a personal failure. The better your child understands this, the
better he or she will be able to cope with having a learning disability.

Take steps to help your child learn at home. Provide a clean, quiet,
organized place for your child to study, and designate a study time.

Also, make sure your child gets enough rest and eats regular, healthy
meals.

Stay in contact with your child's teachers. Talk with teachers


frequently to make sure your child is able to stay on track. Be sure he
or she gets extra time for tests that require reading, if needed. Ask the
teacher if it would help your child to record the day's lessons to play
back later.

Join a support group. This can help you stay in contact with
parents whose children face similar learning disabilities. Support
groups can provide useful information and emotional support. Ask
your doctor or your child's reading specialist if there are any support
groups in your area. Or search reputable sites on the Internet for
dyslexia or reading disability support groups.

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