How Dyslexia Affects A Child's Reading

Dyslexia is a genetic based condition that affects a child’s reading. It is a neurologically based disorder that interferes with the acquisition and processing of language and is diagnosed as a specific learning disability. People with dyslexia are at least of average intelligence, but struggle significantly with reading, writing, and spelling. There is no cure yet but there are many ways to overcome the reading challenges. Dyslexia is a lifelong, but it does not have to interfere with one’s level of success.
In the late nineteenth century, physicians in England and Scotland began writing in medical journals about children in their society who were bright, eager to learn, coming from well-educated families, had access to strong teachers, but could not read. In 1877, Adolf Kussmaul created the term ‘word-blindness to describe dyslexia. Physicians began observing two types of word-blindness, including acquired and congenital. Childhood reading difficulties were first reported in the U.S in 1905. The National Institute of Health started researching dyslexia in 1980. Before being studied, a dyslexia diagnosis was a “last resort.” When a child showed symptoms of dyslexia, he or she only received a dyslexia diagnosis if other issues were ruled out, including low intelligence, poor eyesight and/or hearing, and limited
In fact, 80% of students with learning disabilities have dyslexia. Two million students receive special help in school for dyslexia. One out of five kids have dyslexia, though boys are more likely to have this disorder than girls. In the U.S., 15-20% of people have dyslexia symptoms. Interestingly, dyslexia runs in families and according to some researchers, no family in America has been untouched by the disorder. In fact, 25-50% of kids born to a dyslexic parent will have the disorder. Additionally, if one twin has been diagnosed with dyslexia, there is a 65–70% chance for the other one to have it