Dyslexia

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Dyslexia Defined

The current International Dyslexia Association (IDA) definition for dyslexia is as follows:

“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability characterized by difficulties in word reading and/or spelling that involve accuracy, speed, or both and vary depending on the orthography. These difficulties occur along a continuum of severity and persist even with instruction that is effective for the individual’s peers. The causes of dyslexia are complex and involve combinations of genetic, neurobiological, and environmental influences that interact throughout development. Underlying difficulties with phonological and morphological processing are common but not universal, and early oral language weaknesses often foreshadow literacy challenges. Secondary consequences include reading comprehension problems and reduced reading and writing experience that can impede growth in language, knowledge, written expression, and overall academic achievement. Psychological well-being and employment opportunities also may be affected. Although identification and targeted instruction are important at any age, language and literacy support before and during the early years of education is particularly effective.”

Adopted by the IDA Board of Directors on October 22, 2025. 

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But What Is Dyslexia?

As stated in the DSM-5 TR, "Dyslexia is an alternative term used to refer to a pattern of learning difficulties characterized by problems with accurate or fluent word recognition, poor decoding, and poor spelling abilities."​

A dyslexia diagnosis fits under the umbrella of  "Specific Learning Disability"

Specific Learning Disability

Specific Learning Disorder with an impairment in reading is characterized by challenges in: word reading accuracy, reading rate or fluency, and/or reading comprehension.

Specific Learning Disorder with an impairment in written expression is characterized by challenges in: spelling accuracy, grammar and punctuation accuracy, and clarity or organization of written expression.

Specific Learning Disorder with an impairment in math is characterized by challenges in: number sense, memorization of math facts, accurate or fluent calculation, and/or accurate math reasoning.

These three sub-types of Specific Learning Disorder are characterized as dyslexia.  

Facts About Dyslexia

  • About 15-20% of the population (about 1 in 5 students) has a language-based learning disability.  Dyslexia is the most common of the language-based learning disabilities.

  • People with Dyslexia often struggle with phonemic awareness, which is the ability to hear and manipulate sounds within a one syllable word. It is an essential pre-reading skill and is necessary before phonic instruction begins.  This is why some children are behind on day 1 of Kindergarten.

  • Dyslexia affects people all over the world of different races, socio-economic backgrounds, and educational levels.

  • Early identification and intervention is crucial to preventing reading problems. Research shows that with appropriate early intervention, children can overcome many of their language difficulties and increase their reading skills to at least an average level.

  • Only about 1 in 10 children with dyslexia will be identified by schools as having a reading disability. Most children with dyslexia will go undiagnosed.

  • Dyslexia is a genetic, inherited disorder. It is not caused by lack of student motivation, poor teaching, poor parenting, or visual problems.

  • Dyslexia is a neurobiological condition in which the “wiring” of the neuro-pathways in the brain are structured and work differently than people without reading difficulties. Researchers using fMRIs can actually see the differences in the way language is processed in the brains of people with dyslexia and therefore classify dyslexia as a language processing disorder.

  • Dyslexia is not a developmental lag that will eventually go away. Waiting to intervene does not benefit a child. In fact, research shows that remediation is increasingly more difficult as a person gets older and instruction needs to be more intensive to overcome the deficits from years of reading failure. It is never too late to get help with dyslexia, but earlier is always better.

  • Children can be reliably screened for phonemic awareness and pre-reading skills as early as 4 and 5 years old. Full assessments can begin at the age of 6.

Signs of Dyslexia

If a person has three or more of the following warning signs they are at a high risk of having dyslexia and should be screened or tested for it.

  • Preschool

    • Delayed speech

    • Mixing up the sounds and syllables in long words

    • Constant confusion of left vs. right

    • Late establishing a dominant hand

    • Difficulty learning to tie shoes

    • Trouble learning letters, colors, and days of the week

    • Difficulty rhyming

    • A close relative who has dyslexia

    • Struggle to sequence events

    • Word retrieval challenges

  • Elementary School

    History of the preschool symptoms plus:

    • Dysgraphia (slow, non-automatic handwriting that is difficult to read)

    • Letter or number reversals continuing past the end of first grade

    • Slow, choppy, inaccurate reading aloud

    • Poor spelling

    • Often cannot remember sight words (they, were, does) or homonyms (their, they’re, and there)

    • Difficulty telling time on a clock with hands

    • Trouble with math, such as memorizing the multiplication tables

    • Dreads going to school

    • Trouble learning letters and their sounds

    • Trouble hearing individual sounds in words

    • Guesses words while reading

    • Avoids reading

  • High School

    History of the above symptoms plus:

    • Poor written expression

    • Unable to master a foreign language

    • Difficulty reading printed music

    • Poor grades

    • Reads slowly

    • Writing doesn't reflect oral skills

  • Adults

    Educational history similar to above, plus:

    • Slow reader

    • May have to read a page 2 or 3 times to understand it

    • Poor speller

    • Difficulty putting thoughts onto paper

    • Still has difficulty with right vs. left

    • Finds it hard to concentrate when there are distractions

    • Poor self-esteem

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The Dyslexic Brain is Amazing!

If you have a child with dyslexia, it is just as important, if not more important, to help them discover and develop their areas of strength and talent. Because dyslexia is considered a right-brain learning style, most dyslexics have special talents in areas controlled by the right side of their brain. By focusing on these gifts, you can change the paradigm in which your child views dyslexia and themselves.

Areas of Strength:

  • Art- especially 3-D expression and visualization

  • Athletics

  • Music

  • People skills

  • Highly intuitive

  • Mechanical skills

  • Inquisitive and Imaginative

  • Creative and Innovative

  • Global thinkers-“think out-side of the box”

  • Problem solvers-good at seeing the big picture

  • Strong verbal communicators

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Careers that take advantage of their strengths:

There are highly accomplished and successful adult dyslexics working in all professions, but there are some careers that many dyslexic adults truly excel in. Here are just a few….

  • Architecture

  • Interior or Exterior Design

  • Psychology

  • Politics

  • Marketing, Sales

  • Culinary Arts

  • Performing Arts

  • Engineering

  • Computers

  • Carpentry

  • Electronics

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Famous People with Dyslexia:

Some of the most brilliant, talented, and successful people in history are/were dyslexic. These people succeeded BECAUSE of their dyslexia, not in spite of it.

  • Tom Holland (Actor)

  • Jennifer Aniston (Producer, Actress)

  • Selma Hayek (Actress, Director, Producer)

  • Tom Cruise (Actor, Producer, Philanthropist)

  • Keanu Reeves (Philanthropist, Actor)

  • Cher (Entertainer, Actress)

  • Keira Knightly (Actress)

  • Robin Williams (Actor/Comedian)

  • Albert Einstein (Physicist)

  • Walt Disney (Creator of the Magic Kingdom)

  • Thomas Edison (Inventor)

  • …and many, many more!​

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Close-up of a black-handled magnifying glass resting on a blue surface with the glass frame in the upper left part of the image.

Reaching Their Fullest Potential

"The greatest stumbling block preventing a dyslexic child from realizing his potential and following his dreams is the widespread ignorance about the true nature of dyslexia."

(Shaywitz, 2003)
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An auditorium with tiered seating filled with people, a large projection screen displaying a presentation, and a speaker at a podium in front of the room.

Decades of Research

The National Institute of Health started studying dyslexia in 1978. Today there are 34 leading universities conducting research here in the US and collaborating with research centers from six other countries. We now have a great deal of independent, scientific, replicated, published research on dyslexia.

There are three things that a child with dyslexia needs:

  1. Early identification and intervention is crucial.

​Research has shown that with early and proper intervention, new neuro-pathways are created in the brain, allowing dyslexic students to overcome reading deficits. Best results are achieved when intervention is started before 4th grade.

2. It is necessary to use the correct intervention.‍ ‍

Research-based best practices for implementing an effective dyslexia reading and spelling program must include all the following:

  • Simultaneously Multi-Sensory – Using multiple senses at the same time will help the student to both store and retrieve information.

  • Direct and Explicit – The student must be taught each and every rule that governs our written words. Must be taught one rule at a time and practice it until it is stable in both reading and spelling before introducing a new rule.

  • Systematic – The student must be taught our language from the beginning and create a solid foundation with no holes, presenting one rule at a time and practicing it until the student can automatically and fluently apply that rule to both reading and spelling.

  • Cumulative – Continue to weave previously learned rules into current lessons to keep fresh and solid. The system must make logical sense to the student from the first lesson to the last.

  • Synthetic and Analytic – Teaches how to take individual letters or sounds and put them together to form a a word (synthetic) as well as how to look at a long word and break it into smaller pieces (analytic). Both synthetic and analytic phonics must be taught all the time.

  • Intense Practice – Dyslexic students need much more intensive instruction and more practice. At least 45 min to 1 hour, two times per week.

Orton-Gillingham based programs provide all of these practices in a single program. This is the approach recommended and considered the “best practice” by the International Dyslexia Association. This type of instruction will help “re-wire” your child’s brain and is intense enough to close the gap between their reading level and grade reading levels.

3. Classroom Accommodations‍ ‍

Classroom accommodations are extremely important for your child while they are acquiring their basic reading, spelling, and writing skills. These can make a huge difference in their success at school and how they feel about themselves and about their education.