Dyslexia examples

Although widespread, there are numerous misconceptions surrounding dyslexia. The only way to dispel them is to understand what people with this learning disability experience.

Coming up are the most common examples of symptoms and signs of this learning disorder, and what you can do about them.

Understanding dyslexia

Dyslexia is a developmental disorder that impairs basic reading and comprehension abilities. Affected individuals have difficulty decoding words and understanding how words’ appearances relate to what they sound like.

This disorder affects around 20% of the population in various severity, regardless of their intellect or vision. In other words, anyone can suffer from the condition and have difficulty reading, speaking, or spelling.

Identifying dyslexia early is critical. It allows teachers, parents, and other professionals to treat the impact of the symptoms of the condition effectively. Otherwise, the disability can severely affect the child’s ability to write and read.

Without these phonological skills, dyslexics can have long-term educational, economic, and social problems.

You should pay attention to the following signs of dyslexia to recognize the disorder early:

• Difficulty rhyming and isolating phonemes
• The child struggles to pay attention, sit still, and listen to stories
• Lack of interest in learning words, letters, and other language skills
• Poor spelling and word recognition
• Difficulty learning to recite or sing the alphabet
• Slow speech development
• Muddling words
• Struggles with rapid naming and following a simple rhythm
• Problems carrying out multiple instructions simultaneously (the only way to perform tasks is to present them in small units)
• Forgetting names of teachers, friends, or colors
• Limited ability to differentiate phonemes by sound (mostly associated with auditory dyslexia)
• Confusing up, down, and other directional words
• Family history of reading difficulties
• Low attention spans and self-esteem
• Reluctance to learn foreign languages
• Obvious mood swings when reading aloud

Achievement gaps between dyslexics and non-dyslexics can be huge if the condition isn’t recognized and treated properly.

These differences can be evident as early as first grade. Without proper help, the trajectories of the children can’t converge – they’ll never be able to catch up to their peers.

The consequences can be severe:

• Lower chance of graduating from high school
• Inability to go to college
• Limited job opportunities
• Mental health issues

Fortunately, there are many effective remediation strategies.

For example, the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) recommends implementing reading interventions as soon as possible. Administering them while the child is still developing its basic reading skills is a great way to improve their skills

Another way to help a dyslexic person is to provide emotional support. Rather than criticizing them for their low performance, you should praise them for their efforts.

Despite their struggles with reading comprehension, they’re doing their best to keep up with others. Encouraging them to keep going will motivate them to work on their skills.

It’s also important to consult a doctor to ensure a correct diagnosis. Otherwise, you may mistake the condition for dyscalculia, dysgraphia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other disabilities.

Common dyslexia examples

Life with dyslexia is hard. There are different types of dyslexia (e.g., visual dyslexia, surface dyslexia), but children with the most common type can’t recognize the shapes of letters and words correctly.

For instance, assume you’re reviewing a writing assignment of an eight-year-old. As their brain processes are different than non-dyslexic children, their work may contain the following elements:

• Mixed-up letter sequences
• Poor handwriting
• Distorted numbers and words
• Spelling a single word in multiple ways
• Missing letters
• Adding unnecessary letters
• Writing mirror images of letters (d for b; q for p)

Here are a few examples of dyslexia symptoms in terms of reading:

• Slow, or “manual” reading
• Low information processing speed
• Struggling to pronounce certain words
• Inability to repeat a previously read word or phrase
• Skipping new words or letters

Overcoming these problems is challenging due to several factors.

First, a dyslexic may perceive reading and writing assignments as punishment. Teachers and parents may consider them inattentive until they receive the right diagnosis.

Until that point, caretakers and mentors couldn’t do anything to treat the condition, and they constantly criticized the child. As a result, the children feel punished when they need to read or write.

Second, a dyslexic individual is lost without guidance.

They go to school at a very young age despite communication and learning difficulties. As they can’t keep up, peer pressure mounts, making it even harder to improve their skills. They push their limits and give up because no one helps them. Consequently, they feel lost.

Frustration is another limiting factor. The performance of dyslexics can vary on a day-to-day basis depending on their mood and anxiety. They do fine one moment but forget what they learned the next. In turn, they’re angry at themselves and want to stop trying.

However, parents and teachers need to make sure the child doesn’t give up. Dyslexics can achieve great things despite their difficulties. All they need is adequate treatment and emotional support.

Famous people with dyslexia

Dyslexia affects all areas of life. Nonetheless, sufferers can improve their phonological awareness and thrive.

Numerous successful people have been diagnosed with this learning disorder:

• Orlando Bloom – When he found out he was dyslexic in school, Bloom didn’t give up on his dreams. Instead, his mother encouraged him to take drama classes. He went on to appear in some of the best movies of all time.
• Tom Cruise – This blockbuster actor was diagnosed. He had reading problems and needed extra time to memorize lines, but eventually, he adopted several techniques to solve this problem.
• Whoopi Goldberg – Goldberg reached the top in multiple careers, including talk shows, political activism, and comedy. Despite her learning disorder, she won a Grammy, an Emmy, a Tony, and an Oscar.
• Steven Spielberg – This influential film personality has won three Golden Globes, four Emmys, and three academy awards. His accomplishments are even more impressive when you consider he’s a dyslexic.

Using text to speech to help those with dyslexia overcome learning obstacles

One of the most effective ways to support your Dyslexia treatment is to use text to speech technology. It allows you to understand writing without fearing written words.

Speechify is the text to speech app designed to assist dyslexics and people with other learning and visual impairments. The platform lets you listen to your content from any device or operating system. You can enjoy natural-sounding voices that read your PDFs, papers, and emails aloud.

All this helps build your confidence.

Plus, Speechify lets you maximize your productivity. You can speed up the recordings two to three times, so you never fall behind with your reading or learning.