Dyslexia Testing - What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a
"common term" used to describe a Reading Disorder. The most
important feature of Dyslexia is a reading achievement (for
example reading accuracy, reading speed or reading
comprehension) that is significantly below the expected level, based
on a child's (or adult's) age, intellectual ability and education level.
Dyslexia interferes with all types of academic achievement and often interferes with
other activities that require reading (for example socialising with
other children).
Dyslexia is NOT a visual disorder. In
fact, to diagnose Dyslexia it is required that there is a reading
difficulty that is in excess of any sensory deficit that may
be present.
Dyslexia is a neurological disorder. The deficit
is in a small part of the brain that is involved in
reading and transmitting written information between the sensory system and
the brain.
Characteristics of Dyslexia
Dyslexia is characterised by oral distortions or
omissions. Both oral and silent reading show notable slowness and errors in comprehension. Some of the key characteristics of Dyslexia are listed below:
 |
-
Dyslexia is a learning disorder and
it is associated with difficulties acquiring reading skills.
The main characteristics
of Dyslexia are the inability to distinguish between
common letters and the inability to associate common phonemes with
letter symbols.
-
Children with Dyslexia often have difficulty
visually distinguishing between confusing or similar letters, such
as b and d, or p and q. This
could lead to a difficulty correctly reading words, such as
reading gall instead of
ball
.
-
Another common
characteristic of Dyslexia is the inability to track word lines. Children may read the
same line twice; they may jump over and skip words, or
skip lines when reading. In more serious cases children may
report that the lines start to "move on the page" or
get "washed out" and "blend into
each other".
-
Associated
symptoms of Dyslexia may include difficulties with writing, low self-esteem, behavioural
difficulties (particularly acting out during class), attentional problems, anger and frequent headaches after
the school day. |
Facts About
Dyslexia
There are
several misconceptions about Dyslexia. We are not going to list those
here, instead
let's get the facts about Dyslexia straight:
|
-
Dyslexia (Reading Disorder) is
a learning disability that affects approximately 4% of school
children. Most children
diagnosed with Dyslexia are boys (between 60% and
80%). The reason for this difference between boys and girls
is unknown.
-
Symptoms of Dyslexia are rarely present
before the end of Kindergarten and most children are not detected
until much later. Formal reading doesn't begin until the end of
Kindergarten and
Grade 1 and even children
with severe cases of Dyslexia can go
unnoticed.
-
Dyslexia often emerges between Grade 2 and
Grade 4. Before Grade 2 the focus is on reading and reading
skills. In other words, children predominantly learn to read.
Towards the end of Grade 2 and from the beginning of Grade 3 the
focus shifts from teaching reading skills to using reading as a
way of acquiring new information. In other words, children are
expected to read to learn. Children with Dyslexia symptoms are unable to
use reading to learn and consequently they
struggle academically.
-
Dyslexia is not related to intellectual abilities
(IQ). Children with
high or low IQ are equally likely to experience reading disorders.
However, components of intellectual functioning, such as short term memory, can predict the presence
of the disorder.
-
Children with above average IQ often manage
well beyond early school years and may only show noticeable
difficulties as the curriculum becomes more reading oriented. It
is not unusual to diagnose children with Dyslexia
symptoms in Grade 5 or 6, or even
later.
-
Early detection and intervention are key factors
in successfully treating Dyslexia. Although Dyslexia is a lifelong
condition, learning strategies and appropriate assistance can
improve children's reading ability and they can achieve academic
success. Many prominent professionals and academics suffer from
Dyslexia. |
