In Plain Language: 5 Big FAQ’s

About Dyslexia
Psychologists, cognitive scientists, and neuroscientists are unraveling the
mysteries of dyslexia. But if you are a parent, teacher, or caregiver, it may be
hard to read and comprehend the latest research. Here are five important
frequently asked questions about dyslexia that cut through the jargon to
bring you up to date.

5 Important Questions and Answers about Dyslexia

1. What is dyslexia? Dyslexia is a biologically-based condition that makes

it difficult for beginning readers to learn to read. In laymen’s terms, the
typical brain organization for reading and spelling does not function
normally in dyslexic children even though they may be very smart.
Dyslexia is brain-based but its cause has nothing to do with intelligence.
Simply put, kids who are dyslexic have trouble learning to decode print
and to spell. Dyslexia is not a comprehension disorder; however, if one
can’t read words, one can’t comprehend. (This post does not address
acquired dyslexia in literate persons who suffer brain injury.)

Dyslexics can learn to read—most probably by reorganizing brain circuitry

and accessing different regions than the normal reading brain. Dyslexic
readers are known to be slower in reading rate but no one seems to know
why. I posit a simple theory for this condition in contrast to more complex
general-processing-speed-deficit theories on which scientists disagree:
Many dyslexics likely are slower in reading rate simply because they
subvocalize, that is, they “say each word in their mind” rather than use a
more direct route from seeing print to meaning. Even though most
dyslexics who learn to read likely say words in their mind when they read,
they can’t see words in their mind when they spell.

Indeed, lousy spelling is a tell-tale sign of dyslexia and it’s a good bet that
if you are dyslexic you will struggle with English spelling. It’s often easy for
dyslexics to spell the same word differently several times in the same
paper and never detect the variations. It’s theorized that a “word form”
area of the brain linking language to visual cues which is activated for both
reading and spelling is dysfunctional in dyslexics. This area seems to
access a function in normal proficient readers enabling them to see words
in their mind’s eye or “visualize” spellings.

No two dyslexics are alike—or have exactly the same brain functioning—
so expect variations in how this condition manifests itself.

2. How common is dyslexia? Nobody knows. I’ve seen estimates in the

literature on dyslexia ranging from 1% to one-third of the population.
Recent studies suggest that 1 in 5 people have neurologically-based
processing difficulty for learning to read. Contrast that with the fact that
65% of American fourth graders read below proficiency levels.

Part of the difficulty in determining the incidence of dyslexia is that dyslexia

manifests itself across a continuum: some cases are mild, others severe.

3. Does dyslexia run in families? Yes. It has a genetic origin. It’s

biologically and neurologically based so familial occurrence is not
surprising. Recent studies report that there are more dyslexic boys than
girls. If you are dyslexic, it’s likely that half of your brothers and sisters are
too. (Note: This post originally drew from research and reported that there
were just as many girls as boys who are dyslexic. That research has now
been debunked. More boys are dyslexic.)

4. Do dyslexics see words backwards? Probably not—though they

may write words or letters backwards when they attempt to spell them.
The science on this issue is muddled. Most recent studies associate
dyslexia’s causal factors with early difficulties in letter-sound processing
(phonological processing deficits) and not with a lack of visual abilities or
dysfunction in visual processing. The visual anomalies with dyslexia may
be a symptom, not a cause.

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5. How can we help dyslexics?

 Intervene early. Dyslexia or reading problems are considered to be
the most prevalent learning disability. They often are not diagnosed or
treated until it’s too late for easy recovery.
 Teach writing. Begin teaching writing in preschool and kindergarten.
Beginning writing and reading which are reciprocally connected in the
brain are nearly one and the same. Early writing builds interest and
stamina (both needed for literary), engages the brain in repeated
thought about how letters and sounds reflect meaning, addresses
multiple reading and reasoning skills, and helps activate both reading
and spelling regions of the brain.
 Teach phonics.
 Teach spelling. Spelling ability is the locomotive that powers the
reading brain. It’s crucial for how reading regions of the brain operate
smoothly or cause a train-wreck. Principals should stop telling
teachers not to teach spelling simply because spelling is not on high-
stakes tests. Teaching spelling explicitly in grades K through 8
increases automaticity and fluency resulting in readers and writers
who do betteron high-stakes tests. (Dyslexics need special
accommodations for spelling and more time for taking high-stakes
tests.)
 Teach handwriting. Technology is great but it doesn’t engage the
early reading brain in the same positive way as learning to move the
pen across the page to use letters as pictures-of-sound to express
thoughts. Brain scan studies show that early manuscript lessons help
activate and coordinate reading circuitry.
 Embrace repetition. The brain feeds on repetition to make doing
things such as reading automatic. Embrace repetition in the primary
grades for reading aloud, for rhyming, for matching letters with
sounds, for writing alphabet letters, for spelling, for sounding out
words, for automatic reading of words on sight, for making meaning
in print. Do it in balance and make it fun. Don’t expect perfection and
correctness at the beginning.
 Don’t ever give up with dyslexics. Remember, dyslexics are in the
process of reorganizing brain circuitry. They may need more time,
accommodation, and compassion. Some dyslexics experience
extraordinary literacy success in adulthood.
We don’t have all the answers about dyslexia. This clear set of answers is
my synthesis of thirty years of research and is informed by my work with
hundreds of dyslexics and my personal experience: I am dyslexic.

Dr. J. Richard Gentry is the author of Raising Confident Readers, How to

Teach Your Child to Read and Write–From Baby to Age 7. Follow him
on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and find out more information about
his work on his website.