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Dyslexia is a type of neurodiversity that affects a person’s ability to read, write and identify speech sounds. It “affects areas of the brain that process language.”
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Phonological dyslexia affects the language side of dyslexia. People with this type of dyslexia can have trouble with sounding words out aloud, breaking up words into individual sounds, not knowing their left from their right, reading stories and poems out aloud and singing.
For more information on phonological dyslexia, please watch this webinar from Exceptional Individuals on the subject:
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Similar to phonological dyslexia, surface dyslexia is when people “take longer to process language when they move beyond the decoding stage.” Not all words in the English language sound like the way in which they are written. For example, a person who has surface dyslexia may see the word, ‘”adobe,” and pronounce it, “AH-dobe,” but its correct pronunciation is, “UH-DOH-BEE.” People with visual dyslexia can “have trouble seeing the whole word.”
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People with visual dyslexia can struggle to read and remember what they have seen on a page in a book for instance. “Visual dyslexia affects visual processing,” which means that the brain does not receive the whole picture of what the eyes see. This can affect a person’s ability to learn how to form letters and master spelling.
For more information on visual dyslexia, please watch this webinar on the subject:
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This “refers to dyslexia when it is a result of a genetically inherited condition.” If a child has a dyslexic parent, the child is more likely to have dyslexia themselves. Primary dyslexia can affect a child’s ability to read, spell and do maths. Dyslexia tends to me more common in left-handed males.
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Some babies experience brain development issues before they are born. This “can cause neurological impairment and result in dyslexia.” People with secondary dyslexia respond best to treatment such as computer programs that focus on phonics work.
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Trauma or acquired dyslexia develop in adults and children who suffer from brain injury as a result of trauma or disease.
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Dyslexia can affect people of all ages. Below are the most common signs of dyslexia in different age groups:
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Dyslexia has the tendency to be hereditary. It seems to be connected to particular genes that “affect how the brain processes reading and language.” Environmental risk factors could also cause dyslexia.
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• A family history of dyslexia or other learning differences
• Premature birth or low birth weight
• Exposure to drugs, nicotine, alcohol or infections that could affect the foetus during pregnancy
• Individual differences in the parts of the brain that enable reading
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• Trouble learning, which means a school-age child can struggle with the basic skill of reading and “keeping
up with peers.”
• Social issues including low self-esteem; behavioural problems; anxiety; aggression; and withdrawal from
friends, family and teachers.
• Problems in adulthood such as long-term educational, social and economic consequences.
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People of all ages who have dyslexia can also be at a greater risk of developing ADHD. People who have already been diagnosed with ADHD can also be at a greater risk of developing dyslexia.
Symptoms of ADHD such as inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour can make dyslexia more difficult to deal with. If you experience any of these signs of dyslexia, try taking our online dyslexia test.