Dyslexia! How do we know? A bright child with a high IQ level, who has a wonderful vocabulary and knows everything related to football, faces trouble reading the names of the football players.
This is an example of Dyslexia. But what is the meaning of Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a learning disability which is generally found in children. If this condition is not immediately treated, you may have to deal with learning problems throughout your life.
However, you must not think that Dyslexia is a disease or genetic mutation. In fact, it is a condition which is caused due to the way the brain functions and processes.
What Is It Like to Have Dyslexia?
In order to comprehend the meaning of Dyslexia, you need to know what problems one may face if they have Dyslexia.
People with Dyslexia have difficulty reading simple words. They start to face this problem from a very early age. When they are in their 1st or 2nd grade, they are unable to connect letters with their sounds. When this happens, they are incapable to properly pronounce words which severely affect their reading skills. Although they may come across the same word multiple times, they may find it difficult to read that word every time they encounter it.
Due to poor reading skills, their reading is extremely slow. They try to sound out words, but doing so takes a lot of time. Reading a single word requires a lot of time, energy, and hard work. Therefore, people with Dyslexia exert more energy to read and fatigue quicker.
Moreover, they easily mix up letters in a word. For example, they might read the word “felt” as “left”. Similar looking words may confuse them as well such as ‘to’ and ‘do’.
This all affects their learning/studies. Since they don’t know how to read and retain words, they are unable to spell them correctly, and as a result, make spelling errors. They also find it difficult to express themselves in words which adversely affects their writing skills.
It’s not surprising when a student with dyslexia avoids reading aloud in class. This can lead to embarrassment, self-esteem issues, withdrawal and anxiety.
Is Dyslexia Really Bad?
The meaning of Dyslexia is incomplete if we do not highlight its positive aspects. Although Dyslexia is a condition that is often recognized by its disabilities, Dyslexia has strengths too.
Dyslexic people are highly curious and insightful. They have an innate ability to alter and create new, fresh perceptions. Where most of the people have a hard time adjusting to new circumstances, dyslexic people are prone to adopt new changes quite easily. They are good with solving puzzles and problems due to their ability to see an instant pattern and connection between things. Instead of getting lost in details, people with Dyslexia see the things more holistically. In other words, dyslexic people see the big picture.
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Good News!
In recent years, with better brain scanning equipment and knowledge neurologists and functional psychologists have gained in this area, there are now interventions to help the struggling reader. This is why we are so passionate about the movement to Solve Learning Disabilities. Check out what worked or our boy.
