Dyslexia

​

/disˈleksēə/

noun - difficulty with words

origin - late 19th century: from Greek dys - ‘difficult’ and lexis - ‘speech’ 

​

What is Dyslexia?

​

Dyslexia is not a medical or mental condition that can be diagnosed medically or treated with medicine. It is a physical and neurological difference that presents in twenty percent of the world's population (Shaywitz 30). In a non-dyslexic person, the left hemisphere of the brain is approximately ten percent larger than the right hemisphere. In a person who is "Dyslexic", both hemispheres of the brain are roughly the same size due to approximately ten percent more brain mass in the right hemisphere. This physical difference contributes to a dyslexic's heightened sense of creativity as well as to their uncanny ability to solve problems in unusual ways. Due to this neurological difference, a dyslexic is faced with a significant learning difference. A typical, non-dyslexic individual is born with an almost innate ability to grasp and master the act of reading. If you are NOT "dyslexic", you may not even really remember learning to read. For a "dyslexic" person, the challenge of language acquisition in the areas of reading, writing, spelling, and oftentimes speaking, leaves a lasting memory because of the difficulty associated with it.

​

What is Dyslexia's effect

​

Dyslexia has a profound impact on literacy rates in America resulting in a large segment of society that is
under-employed or unemployed.

​

There are many ways that these physical and neurological differences can affect a person. Some of the most easily recognized presentations are manifested in reading, writing, spelling, and speaking difficulties. These difficulties commonly cause frustrations which can lead a child to withdraw, act out, or become the class clown, as they attempt to distract from their apparent shortcomings.

​

Ignorance is not bliss. According to the National Center For Education Statistics, in the year 2017, based on a scale ranging from 1 to 5 where 5 is the highest skill level and 1 is the lowest skill level, 19% of U.S. adults performed at or below level 1 while 33% of U.S. adults performed at level 2. Adults who struggle with literacy started out as children who struggled with literacy. In today's world, nearly every significant academic discipline requires excellent reading and writing skills. Additionally, employers consistently rank the ability to communicate well as one of the most sought-after traits in an employee.

​

Dyslexia does not have to stop you!

​

Although Dyslexia is often labeled as a learning disability, once language is unlocked for a dyslexic, it often shines the light on their incredible brilliance.

 

For all the challenges that accompany dyslexia, we believe that if identified early, the pros may well out weigh the cons. An individual who is dyslexic will oftentimes be very empathetic (aware of the feelings of others), possibly due to personal experience with difficulty and suffering. Dyslexics have also displayed strong tendencys toward incredible creativity, have shown themselves to be some of history's most successful innovators, and out of the box problem solvers. This may be due to growing up in a culture that was not designed for them, and where simply surviving has required them to be adaptable and to solve problems in unorthodox ways. These character traits combined with sheer determination to succeed, uniquely equip them to become some of history's most successful business people, musicians, artists, scientists, researchers, athletes, and innovators.

​

​