What is Dyslexia?

These are some signs of dyslexia

Thanks to the interest from the National Institutes of Health and the research they have supported, we now have more information on what causes reading difficulties than ever before.

The International Dyslexia Association and National Institutes of Health adopted this definition of dyslexia in 2002.

A New Research Definition of Dyslexia:
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It 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. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

Research into the genetics of dyslexia is ongoing. Dyslexia is an inherited condition. Researchers have determined that a gene on chromosome #6 is responsible for dyslexia. Several other genes have been identified as probable causes of dyslexia. This is an exciting area of research and new studies are investigating the genetic links to dyslexia. If one parent has dyslexia, the probability of a child also having dyslexia is 50%.

Dyslexia results from a neurological difference. The right hemisphere of dyslexic individuals is larger and neurons are found in areas of the brain that are not typical of individuals without dyslexia. Research is ongoing into this neuronal migration.

Dr. Sally Shaywitz, one of the NIH researchers, has discovered that people with dyslexia actually use different parts of the brain when performing phonemic tasks or reading than people without dyslexia. Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging her team has discovered what happens in the brain of dyslexics and more efficient readers. In addition, her research has shown how to actually rewire the brain of dyslexics to look like that of an efficient reader. (See Effective Teaching.)