Children's Health Children's Diseases and Conditions

Breaking the Code of Dyslexia

Imagine trying to read a book in a foreign language. You know that the symbols and marks on the page must mean something, but no matter how hard you try to sound them out, you can't put the pieces together into understandable words.

That's what it feels like to have dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a learning disorder characterized by difficulties in reading, writing and spelling. It is genetic in nature, affecting how one's brain processes written language and even how it stores information for short-term work. Quite often, the people it affects are intelligent, but they have trouble learning in a world that they cannot understand as efficiently as everyone else.

"People with dyslexia have told me over and over that they feel like they have to exert more mental effort than others do with written language," says Dr. Virginia Berninger, director of the University of Washington's Learning Disabilities Center.

Making matters worse, this language barrier prevents effective written communication. For example, a child with dyslexia may be able to tell wonderful stories, but when it comes to writing them down, he's at a loss: letters become inverted, spelling is all wrong and it becomes so frustrating he just gives up.

This inability to communicate in writing effectively can impact many areas of education, not just English class, leaving many parents and teachers perplexed at why a child can seem so bright in some subjects but not be able to spell a simple word.

"Most people think dyslexia is a reading disorder, but it is also a spelling and writing problem," says Berninger.

Making Sense of Nonsense
It is estimated that 10 percent of the population is affected to some degree by dyslexia, which affects boys and girls equally. The first, most noticeable signs of dyslexia, according to Berninger, are a difficulty naming letters and attaching sounds to those letters.

The Dyslexia Institute also notes that delayed speaking as a baby, difficulty performing tasks in sequence and lack of concentration during reading lessons may also signal a learning disorder. These children may display a proficiency in other subjects, like math or art, making their deficiencies in language all the more pronounced.

"Usually, the parent just knows that something is wrong," says Berninger.

In the United States, most children with dyslexia are placed in special education classes where reading problems are addressed in small groups or one-on-one sessions. Special education classes that cater to the dyslexic mind help. In fact, the International Dyslexia Association reports that if children with dyslexia get special training by kindergarten or first grade, they have few problems learning to read at grade level.

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