What Is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia does not really exist; it is a catch-all term or it is rare.

The National Institute of Health's Longitudinal Studies have proven that 17-20% of the US population has dyslexia. It is a real condition that challenges millions of Americans who may not even be aware of it.

There's no way to truly diagnose dyslexia or it cannot be diagnosed until a child is at least 8 or 9 years old.

Trained professionals use a variety of tests to accurately diagnose dyslexia as early as age 5.

Children who experience reading and spelling difficulties will outgrow these problems - they're just developmentally delayed.

There is no research that supports the theory of "developmental delay" in learning. Difficulty reading and spelling are classic characteristics of individuals with dyslexia.

If a student repeats a grade this will allow him or her to develop the maturity and skills needed to be developmentally ready to read.

Having a student repeat a grade and teaching him/her the very same way will not improve the student's skills. Social maturity will not improve the student's ability to read.

You can outgrow dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a life-long condition; quite simply it is a difference in the way the brain processes information for language. There can be severe consequences into adulthood if reading is not remediated. But the good news is that there are specific tools to help the individual with dyslexia learn to read more effectively.

People with dyslexia see things backward; dyslexia is a problem with vision.

Vision therapies work for eye problems, but will not fix reading difficulties. People with dyslexia do not "see" things backwards; their brain processes language information differently.

Everyone who reverses b's and d's or p's and q's has dyslexia; if you don't reverse letters or numbers, then you don't have dyslexia.

Reversal of letters and numbers in kindergarten and first grade while you're learning to write is normal. If this persists beyond first grade, it is a definite indicator of dyslexia. However, not all dyslexics reverse letters and numbers.

Dyslexia affects four times as many boys as girls.

Dyslexia affects boys and girls in the same proportions. It is as common to find a girl with dyslexia as it is to find a boy with dyslexia.

If you are left-handed you are more likely to be dyslexic.

50% of people with dyslexia are left-handed and 50% are right-handed, so there are equal numbers of each. However, only 11% of the total population is left-handed, so this has contributed to this common misconception.

Dyslexic children will never learn to read well, so you have to teach them coping strategies. If you don't teach a dyslexic child to read by age 12, then he or she will never learn.

It's never too late to learn to read well. It's just best to catch it early in order to avoid the lack of confidence that develops from years of reading poorly.

The way to help a child learn to read is to force the child to read out loud for at least 20 minutes a day.

Forcing a dyslexic child to read out loud forces them to utilize the strategies that are already failing. Research shows that this practice will actually slow down the child's ability to learn.

Children with dyslexia are almost always identified at school and given special attention through the Resource or Special Education department.

9 out of 10 children with dyslexia will either never be sent for testing or will not qualify for services if they have been sent for testing.

In the school systems, most teachers, resource specialists, and reading specialists have been highly trained in dyslexia, stay updated on the latest research, and can use research-based reading programs to help a child with dyslexia.

Unfortunately, the education and certification requirements for our educators has generally been woefully lacking in information regarding reading disabilities, specifically dyslexia. This puts our educators at a distinct disadvantage when dealing with dyslexia in the classroom. There is always the exception to the rule, but sadly this is a broad problem within the education programs offered by colleges and universities.

The Resource or Special Education services in schools are designed to meet the needs of dyslexic students.

Generally, most schools are unaware of research-based reading programs that work for dyslexic students. It is the rare school that employs strategies that work specifically for dyslexia. Typical solutions will include pulling a child from class for special reading programs. Unless the school is utilizing an Orton-Gillingham system by a trained specialist who is using the system as it is designed, dyslexic students are not getting what they need to bring their reading, writing and spelling up to grade level.

There's something wrong with the dyslexic brain.

The dyslexic brain is actually larger, typically much more creative than the average brain, and has the ability to be highly innovative. The brain simply wants to learn to read differently than the average brain.

Dyslexic students are stupid or lazy. If they only tried harder they could do better in school.

Students with dyslexia are often very smart. They are already working harder than the average student because the way the teacher is presenting information is not effective for the dyslexic student. So, they're figuring out their own way to be effective in the classroom, which can be challenging and frustrating when they are unable to achieve success. Fortunately, there are simple accommodations that can be made to make the classroom experience more worthwhile for the dyslexic student.