WHAT IS DYSLEXIA?
Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. This can impact on literacy development, mathematics, memory, organisation and sequencing skills to varying degrees. Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed (Rose, 2009).
The characteristics associated with a specific learning difficulty impact upon a range of skills and tasks operating across all learning processes (with additional demands posed by examinations in particular).
Dyslexia can co-occur with other SpLD’s and most commonly with dyspraxia, other co-occurring difficulties include AD(H)D, Autism and Dyscalculia.
Many dyslexics are never formally identified and can have very successful careers by using the positive aspects of their SpLD. We all know about Richard Branson , Richard Rogers and Tom Cruise but the CEO of Goldman Sachs is also dyslexic and puts his success down to his dyslexia. Many others have experienced huge difficulties which have led to impaired self esteem and motivation when teachers around them have not understood the complexity of their needs.
What are the signs of Dyslexia?
Unexpected discrepancies - for example good vocabulary and oral ability but not being able to put ideas down on paper
Poor sequencing ; days of the week/months of the year
Poor concept of time or not being able to tell the time
Not being able to remember instructions or repeat back a telephone number
Poor sense of direction - difficulty telling left from right
Reversal of numbers or letters
Forgetting PIN numbers
Good days and bad days - or as one adult described to me "good months and bad months"
Clumsiness
Not being good at team sports
Fatigue -particularly at the end of a school or work day due to having to work so hard to keep up with everyone else
