What is Dyslexia? A Guide for Parents

Dr. Tali Shenfield | March 20, 2016

Dyslexia is an old name for a subtype of learning disability related to difficulties in acquisition of reading. While dyslexia is relatively well-known, it is not well understood, largely because educators have yet to agree on what dyslexia truly is. While some experts are convinced it is a simple matter of being unable to accurately process the sounds of letters (leading to the dyslexic person being unable to decipher words phonetically), others feel that visual and perceptual issues are the primary culprit. The latter group believes this owing to the way children with dyslexia do not merely fail to “sound out” words in their minds in order to read and write them correctly, they also reverse individual letters which appear visually similar, such as b and d or m and w. Some dyslexics also regularly scramble the letters in words.

In actuality, it is likely that auditory, linguistic, and visual/perception problems are all involved to varying degrees in individual cases of dyslexia. The ways in which our brains process language hinge heavily on both hemispheres of the brain being able to effectively pass information back and forth between them, so that the more “automatic” functions of language processing (e.g. eye tracking and the automatic recall required for basic letter recognition) can interact with the “thinking” aspects of it innately and correctly.

Some experts are therefore pioneering the revolutionary idea that, what actually happens in children with dyslexia is that the so-called “left” (or “thinking”) brain is trying to act alone when processing language, causing the child to have to think about each individual step along the way. While at first glance this might not seem like a cause for frequent errors, imagine if you had to think about every single action (including remembering to breathe and blink) while walking down the street, or if you had to in essence “re-learn” each step involved in driving a car (how to accelerate, brake, activate the turn signal, etc.) while actually driving. You, too, would probably wind up making obvious errors each time you attempted these actions.

Both reading and writing are similar to the above processes in that they rely heavily on automatic recall. In order to read or write, one must be able to almost instantaneously retrieve the information needed to recognize letters, to comprehend whole words on sight, and to know how to sound out letter combinations, etc. Without the involvement of the “right” (automatic) side of the brain, all of this is simply impossible; even if a dyslexic child manages to read a given section of text, he or she will often take nearly as long as a youngster who has only just learned how to read.

There are, however, some caveats to be aware of before suspecting yourself or your child of dyslexia: Firstly, it's normal for many people to have some difficulty with one or two areas of language processing (such as a child who can read and spell at grade level, but struggles to learn neat handwriting); secondly, all children will struggle with language processing when they are very young (under six years of age). Dyslexia should only be suspected in a child if all of the areas of language processing are impacted and the child is past the first grade.

Psychologists use psycho-educational assessments to diagnose dyslexia. Generally, dyslexia is only diagnosed in those children who are in grade two or higher and who are still two years behind in reading or writing, though not all children who have the condition will be fully two years behind. In some cases, very bright children may learn ways to compensate for their dyslexia which allow them to read close to grade level, but in these cases, the child's language processing ability will be noticeably out of sync with his or her overall level of intelligence. One key factor to look for, in cases where dyslexia may be disguised, is letter reversals (e.g. placing m where w ought to be); if a child is still reversing letters past the first grade, it's a clear indicator that he or she is experiencing issues when processing written language.

A more complete breakdown of the various aspects of dyslexia is provided below:

Auditory Dyslexia: 

The child:

  • Has a hard time learning letters and shows an obvious lack of phonetic knowledge when spelling (e.g. “Monday” may be spelled “Mosday”).
  • Is frequently seen struggling to sound out even common words when writing.
  • Does not seem to be able to recall words within minutes of reading them.
  • Struggles to arrange letters into words.
  • Reading does not follow a phonetic pattern.

Visual Dyslexia:

  • Reverses words while reading, such as reading “no” as “on” or “big” as “dig”.
  • Reads very slowly (at least a year below grade level).
  • When writing out words, often scrambles the letters.
  • May describe words as “moving” or “wriggling” while reading.
  • The child has a hard time staying within the same line when reading.

Visual/Motor Dyslexia (Dysgraphia):

  • The child often reverses letters or numbers when writing.
  • Letters with “tails” (e.g. “y”) are written with the tails above the line.
  • Has a hard time remembering what letters look like.
  • Cannot spell correctly from memory and struggles to copy words accurately.
  • Dislikes writing.

Treating dyslexia requires a far more complex approach than just forcing a child to read aloud in order to improve his or her reading skills; today, most experts advise that parents and educators use what is known as Brain Integration Therapy. Brain Integration Therapy is designed to improve the “automatic” aspects of reading and writing, such as eye tracking and phonics. Likewise, once per week, a child should complete “brain training” exercises which focus on using physical movements to help the child's brain connect both of its hemispheres while processing language.

Useful brain integration techniques include offering children reading material with easy-to-decode words (to encourage reading independence) and having the child learn phonics through the aid of images. Exercises such as placing consonants, vowels, and letter combinations (“ow”, “aw”, etc.) directly on coloured pictures which give that sound may help children to begin to build an understanding of the sounds and appearances of longer words. Pictorial aids are often useful when teaching the child to write as well.

With the right approach, the exercises described above can become an enjoyable bonding experience shared between you and your child; dyslexic children, like all children, learn primarily through play and through observing adults, so making the experience of working around this learning disorder fun and interactive is a sure recipe for success. In time, as the right brain is sufficiently activated, the processes of reading and writing will become far more automatic and your child will be able to get on with his or her academic career.

 

About Tali Shenfield

Dr. Tali Shenfield holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Toronto and is a licensed school and clinical psychologist. She has taught at the University of Toronto and has worked at institutions including the Hospital for Sick Children, Hincks-Dellcrest Centre, TDSB, and YCDSB. Dr. Shenfield is the Founder and Clinical Director of Advanced Psychology Services.

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