What Is Dyslexia?

According to Dr. G. Reid Lyon, the Chief of Child Development and Behavior at the NICHD: "The key to comprehension starts with the rapid and accurate reading of words.  In fact, difficulties in decoding unfamiliar words and learning to recognize words rapidly are at the core of most reading difficulties."

Dyslexia does not result from a lack of intelligence. In fact, dyslexics may have average to superior intelligence. Often, there is an unexpected gap between aptitude and achievement in school.

No two dyslexics are alike. Following is a partial list of symptoms that may vary in number and severity.

Some characteristics of dyslexics:

• Difficulty learning the alphabet
• Difficulty sequencing letters or numbers
• Difficulty rhyming
• Difficulty decoding words - single word identification
• Difficulty encoding words - spelling
• Difficulty organizing ideas for writing
• Difficulty with vocabulary retrieval
• Difficulty with organizational skills
• Difficulty paying attention and focusing