what is

Dyslexia

it's the child who...

…It’s the child who, in preschool, cannot recognize that the shapes he sees on paper are letters and words, or that what he sees and hears can be written down. From an early age, when you read to him, he doesn’t associate the sounds you make with the words you point to on the page.
Later in kindergarten, he struggles to remember the shapes, positions, and order of the letters in the words he’s learning to read or write. He often cannot remember the specific way his name is written, including its shape and letter sequence.
He might write his name in reverse, or use mirror letters and numbers that look alike, such as 3 and E. Similarly, he may confuse the placement of lines in letters like p, b and d, or q. Or the stem of ‘a’ may appear in different positions each time. Another great difficulty is making sense of all the letters and words in children’s books, no matter how much he tries or how he is guided to decipher words, reading remains a persistent struggle.
It’s the child who, upon entering elementary school, struggles to remember and apply grammatical rules, even after he has learned them. He learns spelling at home, only to forget everything by the next day. but the next day, he remembers nothing. Alternatively, he might not struggle with spelling but still has difficulty reading words correctly.
It’s also the child who may read fluently and accurately but struggles to understand or retain what he’s read. Or the child who reads slowly, mispronounces words, or reads syllable by syllable, yet fully grasps the content of what he’s read and answers questions about the text correctly. Additionally, it’s the child who may spell words correctly but faces significant challenges with structure and expression, struggling to organize and convey his thoughts or translate what he’s read into writing. He may may perform well in spelling exercises but make frequent errors in schoolwork or tasks like free writing.

Dyslexia, in short, involves difficulties in the surface structure of language, in encoding and decoding language. 

These challenges stem from difficulties in coordinating the different neuronal networks, motor and affective functions, and cognitive systems, in both the right and left hemispheres of the brain. To put it simply, it is due to the fact that the different brain systems (Central Nervous System) -that are activated in both the right and left hemispheres of the brain- to enable someone to write and/or read are not properly coordinated.

a little more on Dyslexia

More scientifically, dyslexia manifests in two key areas:

1. Writing/Encoding Language:
Encoding is the process of ‘writing’ using symbols or letters, such as representing what I hear, what I’m copying, or what I am trying to express in my own words. This area involves difficulties with the ability to convert thoughts into written language, which includes spelling, grammar, and organizing ideas coherently on paper.

2. Reading/Decoding Language:
Decoding, is the ‘reading’ of what is written with the symbols of language. This area involves difficulties with the ability to interpret written language, including recognizing words, understanding their meaning, and reading fluently.

Each child’s experience with dyslexia is unique, necessitating individualized strategies, taking into consideration the specific cognitive profile of the child and designing tailored interventions to support not only his learning, but also his emotional development.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM, 2013), Dyslexia is used as ‘an alternative term to refer to a pattern of learning difficulties characterised by problems with accurate or fluent word recognition, and poor decoding and poor spelling abilities.”

Dyslexia in Reading affects three axes:

• Accuracy in reading words,

• Fluency, expression, and speed in reading,

• Reading comprehension.

Dyslexia with Impairment in Written Expression affects three axes:

• Spelling,

• Grammar and punctuation,

• Written expression.

Given these factors, a proper learning evaluation must identify the specific areas where dyslexic characteristics are present in each individual case.

As a result, no two cases of dyslexia are the same. Thus, the approach and support must be tailored to the specific needs of each child, rather than expecting the child to adapt to a predetermined system chosen by a specialist.

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