Dyslexia

The word dyslexia is derived from the Greek ‘dys’ (meaning poor or inadequate) and ‘lexis’ (words or language). Dyslexia is a learning difficulty characterised by problems in expressive or receptive, oral or written language. Dyslexia is not a disease.

Most people think of dyslexia as merely a reading problem but in fact, there are many other aspects to dyslexia. Problems may emerge in reading, spelling, writing, speaking or listening.

Dyslexia can include sequencing problems, problems with organisation and managing time, difficulties in following verbal instructions and spelling problems. Many parents will see their child falling behind in reading, writing, spelling and in some cases, in maths. Many times, the child’s performance at school will not match their intellectual capacity. In the adult population a large number of people suffer from dyslexia to some degree or another.

Some early signs of dyslexia may include lack of crawling, delayed speech and difficulty learning rhymes.

People with dyslexia will often devise ‘strategies’ to cope with their difficulties. Whilst this allows them to cope on a day-to-day basis, the consequence is often that they are even less able to achieve at the level of their true potential. This will then be perceived as failure, which can lead to loss of confidence, low self-esteem, anxiety and in some cases depression.

We know that dyslexia affects the obvious performance skills such as reading, writing and spelling. How much thought is given to the less visible personal effects such as anxiety, loss of confidence and low self-esteem? The effects of dyslexia can express themselves in:

• Low self-esteem
• Poor self-confidence
• Difficulty listening and concentrating with purpose
• Easily distracted
• Tendency to daydream
• Reluctant to seek help or advice
• Very little communication
• Claiming not to ‘understand’
• Poor organisation skills

Dyslexia occurs irrespective of intelligence or background and more often in males. It is often hereditary and there is usually an auditory component such as sound confusion or hypersensitive hearing present, causing distortions in the information transmitted to the brain, which prevents the individual from perceiving and processing information in the normal way.