What is Dyslexia?

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Dyslexia is a learning difference caused by naturally occurring variations in brain structure and function. This means that the learner has a different way of processing information and it affects reading, writing and spelling. It can also affect aspects of maths, organisation and coordination.

Dyslexia is far more prevalent than was once believed and it is estimated that 10% of the population are dyslexic. Research shows that there is a strong genetic influence, as the tendency to develop dyslexia runs in families.

Indicators of dyslexia

The symptoms and characteristics of dyslexia are extremely variable and, in fact, may not be consistent from day to day.

Dyslexia is primarily associated with difficulty in learning to read, so a diagnosis cannot reliably be made until a child is some way past an age when reading typically begins. This age can vary from child to child.

Signs in preschool-age children

Mixing up sounds of words, such as saying “pasgetti” for “spaghetti”, or “mawn lower” for “lawn mower”.
Confusing words describing direction in space or time, such as “up” and “down”, “in” and “out”, “yesterday” and “tomorrow”.
Difficulty in sequencing such as remembering the alphabet, days of the week, months of the year.
Forgetting or confusing words for known objects, such as “table” or “chair”.
Delayed speech development.
Frequent hesitation or stammering.
Difficulty with behaviour or learning.
Difficulty remembering and following instructions or directions.
Low tolerance for frustration.
Difficulty getting dressed, buttoning clothes and putting shoes on the correct feet.
Frequent tripping, bumping into things and falling over.
Difficulty with catching, kicking or throwing a ball, with hopping and/or skipping.
Difficulty learning nursery rhymes and rhyming words.
Difficulty in learning and remembering names of letters.
Difficulty in clapping in a simple rhythm.

Signs in primary school-age children

Dyslexia usually becomes more apparent when the child is in the first or second year at school when reading instruction begins. The child is likely to fall behind and begin to show signs of frustration at school. The child may still have difficulty recognising letters of the alphabet or they may know the letters and their sounds but seem unable to put them together to form simple words. They may be unable to remember words that they have seen before and find it difficult to sound out every word they see.

A probable indicator of dyslexia would be if the child seems bright and capable at home and at play, but then struggles with reading, writing and spelling.

Further indicators:

Confusing letters with similar appearances, such as b/d, p/q or e/c.
Confusion of letters similar in sound, such as v/f/th, or e/i.
Difficulty remembering common words even after repeated practice.
Stumbling, hesitations or making mistakes or omissions when reading small, easy words like ‘and’ or ‘from’.
Complaining that letters and words on the page move or become blurred.
Complaining of dizziness, headaches or stomach aches when reading.
Writing that contains frequent reversals (was/saw), transpositions (left/felt, auction/caution) or inversions.
Spelling phonetically and inconsistently, such as ‘wos’ for ‘was’.
Poor written work compared to the child’s ability to express their ideas orally.
Messy writing with lots of crossings out and incorrectly laid out work.
Foreshortening of words (rember for remember) and fusion of words (e.g. up written fused together).
Capitals omitted or in incorrect place.
i’s not dotted, t’s not crossed, l’s crossed.
Incorrectly formed letters or, if the shape is correct, formed in an unconventional way.
Omission of punctuation.
Difficulty in remembering multiplication tables or doing mental arithmetic.
Highly developed creative or mechanical talents.

Even when dyslexic children acquire the ability to decode and recognise words and sentences, they may still read with little comprehension. They find it difficult to keep their place on the line and to change from the end of one line to the beginning of the next. They read with little expression or with intonation in the wrong place.

Dyslexic children may also experience problems with maths. Even if their maths skills are strong, they are likely to have poor rote memory and difficulty memorising maths facts, such as multiplication tables. Their problems with language may also affect their ability in maths as they will have difficulty understanding or remembering maths’ concepts expressed in words.

Not all dyslexic children display all of these symptoms. They can have various combinations and dyslexic children are different from each other. They also learn in a different way from other children.

For further information on signs of dyslexia refer to the British Dyslexia Association website:

https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/advice/children/is-my-child-dyslexic

Impact on Learning

Dyslexia has a huge impact on learning. The child will fall behind in reading, writing and spelling. The child’s confusion and inability to understand much of what is happening in the classroom will adversely affect all areas of the child’s learning ability. This affects all subjects, even those in which the child has strengths or enjoys, such as science or maths.

The child with dyslexia will respond, and learn better, from a multi-sensory approach to teaching but a lot of classroom teaching is done verbally which a dyslexic child finds difficult to follow or process. While the child is trying to process and remember what the class teacher has just said, the teacher will already be on to the next thing. The dyslexic child gets left behind.

The stress and frustration a dyslexic child experiences could lead to disruptive behaviour in the classroom. Behaving badly or becoming the class clown is common. The teacher may complain that the child does not pay attention or follow instructions, or that they are slow to complete class work. Dyslexic children find it very difficult, and are slow, to copy from the board. They have difficulty concentrating for long periods, are easily distracted and can drift off into daydreaming. A dyslexic child’s self-esteem can suffer, which in turn leads to a lack of motivation and enthusiasm to want to learn.

In secondary school, when the workload increases, if a dyslexic child does not receive the appropriate intervention and support, this can lead to further frustration, low self-esteem and disengagement. Dyslexic children can struggle to manage and keep track of their homework and deadlines.

The gift of dyslexia

"Dyslexia is an island of weakness in a sea of strengths," Dr. Sally Shaywitz, neuroscientist and dyslexia expert.

Dyslexia can lead to real and undeniable struggles in school and beyond; however, dyslexia also brings many strengths and gifts that that can be celebrated and highlighted. Many dyslexics have excellent problem solving skills, visuo-spatial ability and 3D awareness. They may have good interpersonal skills, be highly creative and they can think outside of the box and see the big picture.

More recently, there has been raised awareness of the positive aspect of having dyslexia. Many famous and successful people are dyslexic and many have attributed their talents to their dyslexia.

Finding and celebrating the unique gifts and strengths of each child is important in helping to raise their self-esteem and confidence, especially when school feels like a struggle.

Further information on dyslexia

There is lots of dyslexia information for parents on the Nessy website:

https://www.nessy.com/uk/parents/dyslexia-information/

The Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre website also a wealth of information and courses for parents:

https://www.helenarkell.org.uk/

Watch this video made by the

British Dyslexia Association,

'See Dyslexia Differently.'