What Is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty (SLD) which makes it hard for some people to learn how to read, write and spell correctly. It is now recognized that dyslexia is a complex neurological condition that relates to how the brain receives and processes external information.

Despite intensive research the exact cause of dyslexia remains unknown. We do know, however, that dyslexia has a genetic tendency to run in families.

Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence. It can effect not only reading, writing and spelling but many other aspects of the learning process.

Some difficulties experienced (symptoms) include:

• Phonological or pronunciation difficulties: where sounds and syllables of words are not recognised or spoken correctly. This causes problems with reading and spelling.

• Short term memory: problems with the amount of immediate information that can be retained, this can sometimes give the impression of lack of concentration.

• Long term memory: where previous information learned or stored cannot be recalled. Examples include timetables and spellings. (Knows spellings for spelling test but does not know spellings three weeks later.)

• Processing speed: Difficulty taking in new information quickly and getting work finished.

• Organisational issues: difficulty organising times, school work, clothes, dates. Also problems with prioritising or getting through tasks effectively.

• Motor skills: poor hand-eye coordination, poor at sport, difficulty copying down from the board and awkward pencil grip

• Other difficulties:
  • Experience of early speech and language problems
  • Poor reading comprehension: having a poor understanding of what has been read. 
    
  • Putting thoughts on paper: this can be difficult for students with dyslexia, who find it easier to answer questions orally.
  • Reading fluency: can be poor due to weak sight word vocabulary
  • Poor word pattern recognition: mixing up words like “saw” and “was”
  • Confusing left and right

Dyslexia is not an abnormality, disease or condition that should be “cured”. Dyslexia is a normal variation in human development; it brings with it skills, gifts, qualities and talents critical to our society

What can we do to help?

Once you have a diagnosis of dyslexia we can help you cope with school and everyday life.

For help with Reading see our Reading Therapy Programme.

For help with General Learning Dificulties see our Movement Therapy Programme.

For help with Studying see our Study Skills Programme.