October is Dyslexia Awareness Month.
Did you know, dyslexia impacts 15%-20% of people, and dyslexia accounts for over 80% of all learning disabilities. Dyslexia is caused by differences in how the brain processes language, meaning that people with dyslexia experience difficulties with reading, spelling, and writing. According to the International Dyslexia Association:
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological 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 the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.
Dyslexia does not impact intelligence, and there are many happy, successful, and intelligent people with dyslexia. People don’t “grow out” of dyslexia, so dyslexic children become dyslexic adults. People with dyslexia typically have trouble with directionality when it comes to language, but this does not mean that they literally see words backwards, like “that” as “taht”. Difficulty with directionality can mean struggling with left and right or up and down, for example: ‘b’ vs ‘d’, ‘w’ vs ‘m’, ‘q’ vs ‘p’. It is important to remember that reversing numbers and letters can be typical for a child’s development through the end of first grade.
To learn more about dyslexia, visit Decoding Dyslexia.
The IDB Library has many resources, programming, and accessible reading materials from books to magazines in audio and large print formats for people with dyslexia. Anyone with dyslexia or who cannot read standard print can Get a Library Card today to start reading!
