Myths about Dyslexia
Myth: Dyslexia is rare.
Fact: The National Institutes of Health (and many other research organizations) state that 15 – 20% of our population is dyslexic.
Myth: A person with dyslexia sees things backwards.
Fact: A person with dyslexia does not see things backwards. They do have trouble with directionality and can confuse b, d, p, q. However, dyslexia is not caused by a vision problem.
Myth: A person with dyslexia sees letters float around—maybe even change places!
Fact: A person with dyslexia does not see letters move, float or switch positions. A person with dyslexia may get the order of letters in a word wrong because they have trouble with the processing and sequencing of sounds. Dyslexia is not caused by problems with vision, nor by hearing problems.
Myth: A person with dyslexia can’t read at all.
Fact: Dyslexia comes in varying degrees: mild, moderate, severe, and profound (and everything in between). People with milder cases of dyslexia may read pretty well with no special tutoring. People with more severe cases of dyslexia may read by memorizing words (not decoding them) and by using context clues, etc. If a person with dyslexia receives effective tutoring, they will improve their reading and spelling skills significantly and will read by decoding (like most “normal” readers) but the person will still be dyslexic.
Myth: Dyslexia can be outgrown or cured.
Fact: Dyslexia cannot be outgrown or cured. People develop strategies to deal with their reading and spelling difficulties or they receive tutoring and become much better at reading and spelling. However, dyslexia is a genetic, life-long condition. A person with dyslexia will always have some challenges with directionality, memorization, word retrieval, and perhaps reading fluency. There are no medicines, eye glasses, or brain exercises that will “cure” dyslexia.
Myth: You cannot identify dyslexia until a child is in 3rd grade.
Fact: A well-trained screener or other specialist can identify dyslexia with great accuracy by the time the child is beginning first grade. There are many signs and symptoms that can be identified as early as 3 years old.
Myth: An extra 20 minutes of reading per day and/or more phonics instruction will help.
Fact: More exposure to and practice with written words does not help a person with dyslexia learn to read. Phonics instruction will not help. People with dyslexia need an Orton-Gillingham-based tutoring program that addresses phonemic awareness and teaches spelling and reading explicitly, directly, systematically, sequentially, and cumulatively. O-G-based programs are also simultaneously multisensory. O-G-based programs must be used exactly as intended with the appropriate intensity for reading and spelling skills to improve.
Myth: Reading slowly and spelling poorly are signs of a low IQ.
Fact: Reading and spelling skills are not connected to IQ. Many extremely intelligent people find reading and spelling difficult: Einstein, Winston Churchill, Dr. Maggie Aderin, Erin Brockovich, and many, many, more.
Myth: Dyslexia only affects boys.
Fact: Dyslexia affects boys and girls equally. However, boys may be referred for evaluation more often than girls because of rambunctious classroom behavior.
For more myths and facts, go to http://www.dys-add.com/dyslexia.html#anchorMyth, http://dyslexia.yale.edu/Myths.html or http://www.interdys.org/MythsAboutDyslexia.htm
Fact: The National Institutes of Health (and many other research organizations) state that 15 – 20% of our population is dyslexic.
Myth: A person with dyslexia sees things backwards.
Fact: A person with dyslexia does not see things backwards. They do have trouble with directionality and can confuse b, d, p, q. However, dyslexia is not caused by a vision problem.
Myth: A person with dyslexia sees letters float around—maybe even change places!
Fact: A person with dyslexia does not see letters move, float or switch positions. A person with dyslexia may get the order of letters in a word wrong because they have trouble with the processing and sequencing of sounds. Dyslexia is not caused by problems with vision, nor by hearing problems.
Myth: A person with dyslexia can’t read at all.
Fact: Dyslexia comes in varying degrees: mild, moderate, severe, and profound (and everything in between). People with milder cases of dyslexia may read pretty well with no special tutoring. People with more severe cases of dyslexia may read by memorizing words (not decoding them) and by using context clues, etc. If a person with dyslexia receives effective tutoring, they will improve their reading and spelling skills significantly and will read by decoding (like most “normal” readers) but the person will still be dyslexic.
Myth: Dyslexia can be outgrown or cured.
Fact: Dyslexia cannot be outgrown or cured. People develop strategies to deal with their reading and spelling difficulties or they receive tutoring and become much better at reading and spelling. However, dyslexia is a genetic, life-long condition. A person with dyslexia will always have some challenges with directionality, memorization, word retrieval, and perhaps reading fluency. There are no medicines, eye glasses, or brain exercises that will “cure” dyslexia.
Myth: You cannot identify dyslexia until a child is in 3rd grade.
Fact: A well-trained screener or other specialist can identify dyslexia with great accuracy by the time the child is beginning first grade. There are many signs and symptoms that can be identified as early as 3 years old.
Myth: An extra 20 minutes of reading per day and/or more phonics instruction will help.
Fact: More exposure to and practice with written words does not help a person with dyslexia learn to read. Phonics instruction will not help. People with dyslexia need an Orton-Gillingham-based tutoring program that addresses phonemic awareness and teaches spelling and reading explicitly, directly, systematically, sequentially, and cumulatively. O-G-based programs are also simultaneously multisensory. O-G-based programs must be used exactly as intended with the appropriate intensity for reading and spelling skills to improve.
Myth: Reading slowly and spelling poorly are signs of a low IQ.
Fact: Reading and spelling skills are not connected to IQ. Many extremely intelligent people find reading and spelling difficult: Einstein, Winston Churchill, Dr. Maggie Aderin, Erin Brockovich, and many, many, more.
Myth: Dyslexia only affects boys.
Fact: Dyslexia affects boys and girls equally. However, boys may be referred for evaluation more often than girls because of rambunctious classroom behavior.
For more myths and facts, go to http://www.dys-add.com/dyslexia.html#anchorMyth, http://dyslexia.yale.edu/Myths.html or http://www.interdys.org/MythsAboutDyslexia.htm