DYSLEXIA: reading impairment/word blindness

Hello fellas! Welcome to another interesting subject.

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Dyslexia is the most common form of learning difficulty which reminds me about a couple of Indian movies I have seen over the years that portrays such disorder.

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin and is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Source

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Dyslexia makes simple reading difficult, which affects not only academic success but also self-esteem and socio-emotional development. The severity can vary from mild to severe, the sooner it is treated, the better the result. However, it is never to late for people with dyslexia to learn to improve their language skills.
Too often, students with dyslexia remain undiagnosed throughout their school careers, rather they are tagged as "lazy" or "not working hard enough". Some people with dyslexia are highly successful in their fields, they triumph over their difficulties and go on to develop their exceptional gifts in art, computer science, design, drama, electronics, music, physics, sales and sports. Many famous people are dyslexic including, Orlando Bloom, Whoopi Goldberg, Stephen Spielberg, Kiera Knightly, Albert Einstein(with estimated IQ of 160), Patrick Dempsey, John Chambers.

• Dyslexia occurs in people of all backgrounds and is found in speakers of every language and country, but rates vary.
• Men and women are equally likely to have dyslexia.
• Of those placed in special education for a learning disability, around 80% have dyslexia
  Somewhere between 25-40% of children with dyslexia also have ADHD(Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder) and conversely, approximately 25% of children with ADHD also have dyslexia.
  (Dyslexia-Reading-Well.com)

What causes dyslexia?

As the cause of dyslexia remain unclear to researchers, below are some scientific theories leading to the possible causes of dyslexia.

Impaired and non- impaired brain

1. Brain Development

Some researchers have found clusters of cells in the dyslexic brain that did not make it to the same location they are found in the non-dyslexic brain. In the non-dyslexic brain these cells are found primarily in the left side of the brain, the same area used dominantly for reading and language tasks, thus it is believed that these cell misplacements make it difficult for dyslexics to process language tasks.

2. Wiring of the Brain

In connection with the cell misplacement in the first theory, another theory is that dyslexia is caused by a unique wiring in the brain. Dyslexics have been found to have strong activity in the right side of their brain. Because of the strength of their right brain, they engage this area while performing language tasks. However, as mentioned before, language tasks are typically and most efficiently performed in the left side of the brain. Thus, the wiring of the dyslexic brain is often prescribed as the cause of dyslexia.

3. Genetic Inheritance

These differences in brain structure and development are often found to be generational. Not every child of someone with dyslexia is dyslexic, but it is common for a dyslexic to have a family history of the condition. Also, dyslexia has been found to correlate to left-handedness. Just because someone is left-handed does not mean they are dyslexic, but it has been found that about half of the family members of a dyslexic are commonly left handed.

4. Hearing Problems at a Young Age

Another theory is that dyslexia is caused by hearing problems while a child’s brain is still developing and learning language. Early colds and other infections can cause a child’s ears to get blocked on occasion and thus impair their hearing. By not having clear hearing, a child can have a difficulty learning the sounds of language (phonemic awareness). This early learning period of the sounds of language is very important for developing effective language skills in the future. This problem can be resolved if caught at an early stage. There are treatments available, the most common being a tiny tube that is inserted into the child’s ear to prevent it from getting blocked again.

5. Evolutionary Perspective

Lastly, there is a theory that dyslexia is a result of evolution. The theorists supporting this idea claim that reading is an unnatural act that was not required in the past, and has only been used in the recent past. Most societies have been reading for less than 100 years, and thus not all humans have evolved the ability.

Conclusion

Dyslexia is prevalent in our society, though not well recognized or understood. It is a life-long condition, which affect both children in school and adults in their vocational and social environments. Families and physicians must be aware of resources that exist in their communities and on the Internet for adults with dyslexia and allow access of these resources to enable them to best compensate for their disability.

Ref: Causes of dyslexia

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