What is dyslexia?

Answer

The word dyslexia is of Greek origin and is made up of two parts: dys, meaning bad, hard, difficult and lex, meaning words.


The National Institutes of Health/International Dyslexia Association (IDA) research definition of dyslexia states that dyslexia is characterized by difficulties in single-word decoding and in acquiring proficiency in writing and spelling. A key word in this definition is unexpected. (p. 4) The NIH/IDA definition is an inclusionary definition.
Disorders related to dyslexia include, developmental auditory imperception, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia, developmental dysgraphia, and developmental spelling disability. (p. 3)
Although the exact cause(s) of dyslexia are not presently known, the main deficit in dyslexia is probably a lack of phonological awareness. There is also often a family history of similar difficulties.
In the classroom, the characteristics of dyslexia will be observed mainly in these areas: phonological processing, single-word decoding, reading fluency, reading comprehension, spelling, and/or writing composition.  

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a type of reading disability usually manifested as a difficulty with written language, particularly with reading and spelling. Evidence suggests that it is a result of a difference in how the brain processes written and/or verbal language. It is separate and distinct from reading difficulties resulting from other causes, such as deficiencies in intelligence, non-neurological deficiency with vision or hearing, or from poor or inadequate reading instruction.

Dyslexia is most commonly characterized by difficulties with learning how to decode at the word level, to spell, and to read accurately and fluently. Dyslexic individuals often have difficulty "breaking the code" of sound-letter association (the alphabetic principle), and they may also reverse or transpose letters when writing or confuse letters such as b, d, p, q, especially in childhood. However, dyslexia is not a visual problem that involves reading letters or words backwards or upside down, nor are such reversals a defining characteristic of dyslexia.

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