What is Dyslexia?

What is dyslexia?

The National Institute of Health defines it as “a reading disability that occurs when the brain does not properly recognize and process certain symbols.”

If only it was that easy.

While the definition provided by the NIH covers some basic aspects of developmental reading disabilities, dyslexia can hardly be defined in one simple statement.

Dyslexia is more than a reading disability; it is more than misunderstanding certain letters and words. The symptoms of dyslexia span a very wide range and the difficulties experienced by a dyslexic person encompass more than just reading issues.

The symptoms commonly associated with dyslexia are just a small number of the larger whole.

During infancy and childhood, symptoms of dyslexia include:

• Reading below the expected level for their age
• Problems processing instructions
• Trouble rhyming
• Difficulty remembering sequences and patterns
• Inability to learn new words

As they age into teenagers and adults, the symptoms of dyslexia increase, adding:

• Inability to learn a foreign language
• Difficulty summarizing a story or conversation
• Not understanding common idioms or expressions that use a play on words, removing the words from their expected definition
• Trouble with time management
• Problems with memorization

These are just some of the more common symptoms associated with dyslexia. In some cases, a dyslexic will have trouble with hand-eye coordination and with making small, precise movements (writing small letters, for example). Some dyslexics are directionally challenged – they have difficulty distinguishing between right and left, over and under, and remembering where places are located. Many struggle with telling time, counting money and objects, and completing multi-step math equations.

Dyslexic students oftentimes find it hard to concentrate in class. Some students with dyslexia are hyper or they daydream rather than paying attention to the subject at hand. Teachers may perceive them as lazy or careless, believing that the student has a ‘behavior problem’ or simply needs to ‘try harder’.

Dyslexics often hear criticism that displays how little people know about the condition.

Dyslexia can make a student feel dumb and isolated from their peers, as they are unable to perform in the same way. However, many dyslexics have strengths in other areas, most often in drama, music, designing, and building.

Considering the huge variety in symptoms, differences between individuals, and the extremely vague indicators of the disability, it is obvious that dyslexia is not easily defined. Yes, it is “a reading disability that occurs when the brain does not properly recognize and process certain symbols.” But dyslexia is more than just trouble reading, and only with understanding the full extent of the disability can dyslexia be helped.