Learning

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that can affect reading and writing skills, as well as other skills such as organisation. However, research has found those with dyslexia excel in visual and creative fields.

Dyslexia blocks

dyslexia

noun [dɪsˈlɛksɪə]

A condition of neurodevelopmental origin that mainly affects the ease with which a person reads, writes, and spells, typically recognized as a specific learning disorder in children.

"Dyslexia is not a pigeonhole to say you can't do anything. It is an opportunity and a possibility to learn differently."

What Causes Dyslexia?

Causes of Dyslexia
  • Genetic factors and differences in brain development
  • Differences in how their brains process language
  • Can affect phonological processing, memory, and the ability to connect sounds to letters
  • Early intervention and specialised learning strategies can significantly help

Signs and Symptoms of Dyslexia

General Symptoms (All Ages)

Dyslexia General
  • Difficulty reading, writing, and spelling
  • Slow and inaccurate word recognition
  • Poor decoding skills
  • Struggles with reading comprehension
  • Difficulty following written instructions
  • Challenges in remembering sequences or new words

Symptoms in Children aged 5 - 12

Dyslexia in Children
  • Late talking
  • Difficulty learning nursery rhymes
  • Difficulty paying attention, sitting still, listening to stories
  • No interest in letters or words
  • Finds it hard to learn to sing or recite the alphabet
  • Difficulty following written instructions
  • History of slow speech development
  • Messy or slow handwriting
  • Pauses often during speaking or fills with 'umm'
  • Confused by letters, writes them the wrong way around, e.g. 'b' with 'd'

Symptoms in Teenagers 13 - 18

Symptoms in both teenagers and adults are fairly similar.

Dyslexia in Teenagers
  • Avoiding activities that involve reading
  • Mispronouncing names or words, or problems retrieving words
  • Problems with spelling
  • Difficulty reading, including reading aloud
  • Difficulty following written instructions
  • Organisation, time-keeping and concentration is affected

Symptoms in Adults

Symptoms in both teenagers and adults are fairly similar.

Dyslexia in Adults
  • Difficulty reading, writing, and spelling
  • Spells erratically
  • Hard to scan/skim text
  • Need to re-read paragraphs to understand them
  • Hard to listen and maintain focus, especially if there are distractions
  • Challenges in remembering sequences or new words