DYSLEXIA EXPLAINED

“One of the things I was thinking about today is that as a kid I had dyslexia.  I had a lot of trouble in school and was put into remedial classes. I thought that I was stupid.” Carole Greider, 2009 winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine

Dyslexia, simply put, means trouble with written language, with reading (decoding and comprehension), spelling, and writing. Dyslexia may also mean trouble with any, or a combination of several of the following:

• grasping and remembering what one hears (receptive language)

• using words to say what one wants to say (expressive language)

• difficulty with abstract words and ideas

• difficulty with memory and recall

• poor memory for basic arithmetic facts

• handwriting may be poor, chiefly from poor instruction

Brain research studies have shown that dyslexic individuals use different areas of the brain to process information; therefore, they may process information less efficiently, more slowly, and use more energy to do so.

Dyslexia is not an abnormality; it is not a disease or a condition that should be 'cured'.

Dyslexia is a normal variation in human development. It brings with it skills, gifts, and talents critical to our society. The schools and agencies listed here provide excellent information about identifying and treating individuals with learning disabilities.