What is Dyslexia?

Simple Definition

Dyslexia is an inherited condition that makes it extremely difficult to read, write, and spell in your native language—despite at least average intelligence.

Revised Definition from the International Dyslexia Association

Dyslexia is a neurologically-based, often familial, disorder which interferes with the acquisition and processing of language. Varying in degrees of severity, it is manifested by difficulties in receptive and expressive language, including phonological processing, in reading, writing, spelling, handwriting, and sometimes in arithmetic.

Dyslexia is not the result of lack of motivation, sensory impairment, inadequate instructional or environmental opportunities, or other limiting conditions, but may occur together with these conditions.

Although dyslexia is lifelong, individuals with dyslexia frequently respond successfully to timely and appropriate intervention.

Neurological Differences

Dyslexia results from a neurological difference; that is, a brain difference. People with dyslexia have a broader right hemisphere in their brains than those of typical readers. That may be one reason people with dyslexia often have significant strengths in areas controlled by the right side of the brain, such as:

• artistic, athletic, and mechanical gifts
• 3-D visualization ability
• musical talent
• creative problem-solving skills
• and intuitive people skills​

In addition to unique brain architecture, people with dyslexia have unusual “wiring.” Neurons are found in unusual places in the brain, and they are not as neatly ordered as in non-dyslexic brains.   

Scientific research has proven that effective, intense tutoring in an Orton-Gillignham curriculum can change pathways in the brain. ​

Some Common Myths Debunked

Myth: Every child who struggles with reading is dyslexic

Fact: Dyslexia is not the only reason a child will struggle with reading, but it is the most common reason.

How can you tell whether dyslexia is the cause of the child's reading struggles?

Dyslexia will impact way more than just reading. It will impact:

• their spelling: trouble retaining spelling words from one week to the next; not able to spell even the high frequency words like because, friend or does when writing sentences
• their speech: mixing up sounds in multisyllable words such as animal, spaghetti, helicopter, cinnamon, consonant, caterpillar, hamburger, magazine, hospital—and trouble making the R and L sounds correctly
• and cause extreme difficulty memorizing sequences… : the sequence of the alphabet, the letters in their last name, the days of the week, the months of the year
• …and random facts: such as multiplication tables

The more warning signs a child has, the more confident you can be that dyslexia is the cause of their academic struggles.

Myth: Dyslexia is caused by a lack of phonics instruction

Fact: That is not true.. Phonics is not the answer for a child with dyslexia. The teacher can use the best phonics program in the world, but it will not prevent a child with dyslexia from “hitting the wall” by third grade.

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Myth: If a dyslexic child reads out loud for 20 minutes a day, it will improve their reading

Fact: Reading out loud will not teach a dyslexic child decoding skills or improve fluency when they already struggle. They will continue to try to memorize the shape of a word, and use picture clues or context clues to guess at the words.

The inability to decode is caused by weak phonemic awareness skills. Part of the research-based definition of dyslexia is a child who lacks age appropriate phonemic awareness skills. Lack of word identification and fluency or slow reading is due to a weakness in automaticity which can only be strengthened through repeated reading of controlled passages.

Myth: Dyslexic children will never read well, so it is best to teach them to compensate.

Fact: People with dyslexia can become excellent readers, decent spellers, and good writers if they receive the right type of intervention or tutoring.

Independent, scientific, replicated research recommends an Orton-Gillingham based system as the most effective way to improve the reading, writing, and spelling skills of people with dyslexia.

That's why the International Dyslexia Association publishes two fact sheets on Orton-Gillingham.

There are seven well-known Orton-Gillingham based systems. The Barton Reading & Spelling System is one.

Portions of wording and information on this page were used by permission of Susan Barton, BrightSolutions.US