Misconcpetions About Dyslexia

There are a number of misconceptions surrounding dyslexia. Many children with reading and spelling difficulties are not diagnosed partly because of these misconceptions. These children are struggling in school and may have dyslexiabut are not getting help because teachers and parents lack a proper understanding of what is dyslexia.

Some of the misconceptions:

• Individuals with dyslexia are not intelligent.

Many highly intelligent and successful people have or had dyslexia e.g. Lee Kuan Yew, Charles Schqab, Richard Branson, and Alber Einstein. Dyslexia is a language-based disorder. People with dyslexia have difficulty processing the sounds of words but this is not a reflection on how intelligent someone may be.

• Dyslexia only refers to reading and spelling difficulties.

Two of the more noticeable effects of having dyslexia are difficulties with reading and spelling, but these are not the only problems that children with dyslexia struggle with.

Children with this learning disability may also have difficulties with sequential memory and following directions, which can make tasks like tying dhoes, doing matehmatics, or typing just as challenging as reading. All of which could easily cause a wide range of other challenges in a classroom setting.

• If a child can read, he can't be dyslexic.

Being able to read isn't a sign that a child doesn't have dyslexia. Many children get quite good at using reading strategies such as suing context clues, relying on word shapes, and guessing to give the appearance of literacy. But these strategies will no longer work for them by Primary 3 or 4.

Without appropriate help, they cannot progress any further - no matter how intelligent they are and how hard they try. Many children are diagnosed with dyslexia later on, despite appearing to read well early in life.

• Dyslexia cannot be diagnosed in young children

While some children are not found to have dyslexia until later, progessionals and specialists in the field can diagnose dyslexia as early as age five years.

Parents who believe their child may have a learning disability should pursue testing as early as possible, as an early diagnosis can help children get the help they need.

• Children and adults with dyslexia see and write letters and words backwards.

Many believe that if a child does not reverse his b's and d's and p's and q's, he is not dyslexic.

Reversing letters is not a definitive sign of dyslexia. IT is a common phenomenon among children just learning how to write to reverse letters.

They are still honing their fine motor skills, and it often takes some time for them to properly form letters. A child may not reverse letters but is highly dyslexic.

• Dyslexia is a condition that can be outgrown.

As children grow up, they may struggle less and less with dyslexia, as they learn new methods to help them overcome their reading and spelling difficulties.

However, the reality is that the learning disability will follow any child into adulthood and cannot simply be outgrown. It is a lifelong battle for many, and even those who have mastered these skills will still read slowly and not automatically.

• Dyslexia is not a disease.

However, children with dyslexia can overcome their difficulties with appropriate specialized teaching. Early intervention is crucial and according to the International Dyslexia Association, "The principles of instruction and content of a multisensory structure language programme are essential for effective teaching methodologies."