What is dyslexia, exactly?

Dyslexia is an “unexpected” reading problem. That is, affected individuals should have been able to read, given their intelligence, upbringing, home and school environment, literacy training, motivation, intact vision and hearing. This reading problem leaves parents and teachers puzzled as to why these students can’t learn to read despite great effort.

Dyslexia is merely the effect of a set of deeper underlying problems. These underlying problems affect language processing. Dysolve® treats dyslexia as a language-processing condition.8 Others may include non-language-based disorders under the dyslexia label. But at Dysolve®, we distinguish the types of causal factors in order to deal with the condition effectively.     Most, if not all, of the students who come to us for evaluation display such problems.

This is why individuals with dyslexia often show other difficulties such as

• Unclear or inaccurate pronunciation
• Slow recall of words
• Word mix-ups
• Weak memory
• Limited attention
• Poor concentration

Root causes

Individuals with dyslexia typically have one or more of the root causes affecting language processing and cognitive (mental) functioning. We process language when we speak, listen, read, and write. We function cognitively when we understand, remember, and transform ideas and problem-solve. Language processing and/or cognitive functioning is disrupted in the brain for people with dyslexia.

Because the number and type of root causes differ from person to person, dyslexia occurs on a spectrum with wide individual variation.

Brain disruption

Brain studies consistently link reading disability with reduced or absent activity in the left hemisphere (temporoparietal regions) during certain tasks.9 Hoeft, F., et al. (2006). Neural basis of dyslexia: A comparison between dyslexic and nondyslexic children equated for reading ability. Journal of Neuroscience, 26, 10700-10708. See also Hoeft et al. (2007) and (2011).     Typical readers show dominant activation of the left hemisphere to process language rapidly and automatically while reading. In contrast, those with dyslexia tend to hyperactivate the right hemisphere instead. When language input is not processed rapidly and automatically, many daily and academic tasks are affected.

Complexity of reading

To understand a passage such as this one, we need to coordinate many processes at the same time:

• Match the words on the page with ones learned before and stored in memory
• Retrieve the spelling, pronunciation, meaning, and all types of associations triggered by a word
• Decipher the overall meaning of a sentence based on the order and combination of words
• Match word order to previous knowledge of phrases and sentences

We have to perform these processes and others rapidly so that we don’t forget the beginning of a sentence by the time we get to the end.

Automatization of reading

That is why we perform many of these subprocesses of reading automatically. Automatic processing frees up mental resources to enable us to think about what we are reading and respond with new ideas. The complexity of reading explains why many individuals with dyslexia get overwhelmed by the task.

Generally, for each person with dyslexia, one or more underlying root causes may result in a multitude of surface problems. Thus Dysolve® first separates out the causes from the effects. For example, if someone misspells simple words and misarticulates others, which is the effect and which is the cause?

If you or your child is facing such questions, you need an experienced evaluator to analyze the data necessary to answer questions about underlying causes accurately and fully. Only then can you pursue the best available solution to address the problem.

Dysolve® takes this logical approach.

How do I know if my child has dyslexia?

The fact that you are actively seeking an answer to this question suggests that you do not believe a simple lack of effort is behind your child’s reading difficulties. Parents are often very attuned to their children’s learning problems because parents get to see their children function holistically in a wide variety of situations. In contrast, your child’s teacher may only get to see your child function in limited roles in the classroom.

We strongly encourage parents to ask questions and pursue solutions when they believe their children are having difficulty learning.

Dyslexia is a language-related condition. Besides reading problems, if your child has dyslexia, he or she may also have trouble

• Speaking clearly
• Using words correctly
• Spelling simple words
• Recognizing familiar words
• Remembering what was said

Dysolve® consultants report that parents sometimes do not notice their children’s speech problems because they have grown used to their children’s speech habits. Does your child’s voice seem muffled or breathy? Does he or she mispronounce certain sounds?

Besides these general symptoms of dyslexia, your child may also reveal other behaviors in language and cognitive tests specifically designed to identify dyslexia. Dysolve® tests often uncover unexpected problems with simple language tasks. Dysolve® specifically designs these tasks to differentiate such learners.

First, you should get your child properly evaluated. A good evaluation may identify the exact root causes of your child’s language-processing problem. Complete and precise identification of the root causes of dyslexia is fundamental to addressing your child’s problem satisfactorily.

What are common dyslexia symptoms?

Many people with dyslexia find these difficult:

• Understanding and remembering spoken language
• Reading aloud fluently
• Recognizing small, common words (e.g., the, in)
• Recalling familiar words
• Spelling simple words

Based on Dysolve’s own fieldwork with this population, we can explain why these symptoms occur:

UNDERSTANDING AND REMEMBERING SPOKEN LANGUAGE — Many people with dyslexia have problems processing speech sounds and thus often face difficulties understanding speech as a result. Consequently, they may not store what was said accurately for later recall.

FLUENT READING — People who cannot process spoken language efficiently find reading demanding because of a host of difficulties. They may have trouble storing and retrieving word forms and spelling, confuse similar-sounding words, overburden their memory when tracking and analyzing sentence structure and meaning.

RECOGNIZING SMALL, COMMON WORDS — Small function words such as the, in and on are not prominent acoustically in speech and may be missed by people who have processing problems, especially since speech is uttered at a fast rate.

RECALLING FAMILIAR WORDS — Familiar words such as function words may be missed for the reason given above. Also, people who have trouble processing spoken language may store words in less efficient ways that are not sound-based. As a result, they may take longer to retrieve words or fail to do so successfully.

SPELLING SIMPLE WORDS — People with dyslexia may not be fully aware of the sounds that make up the words they use and thus have trouble translating sounds to letters in spelling. Speaking does not require conscious knowledge of the sounds of words, but spelling does.

There are many more symptoms that Dysolve® researchers have documented, many of which have gone unnoticed by others. These signs of dyslexia often surface when affected individuals perform Dysolve’s targeted yet comprehensive tests.

Beyond common symptoms of dyslexia, Dysolve® tests probe deeper for root problems specific to each individual. Dysolve® is designed to track and correct each root problem found.

I’ve tried hard to learn to read. Why isn’t it working?

A common misconception is that those who cannot read lack intelligence. In fact, intelligence and language ability are not directly related. Dyslexia is not caused by a lack of effort either.

There’s an underlying problem in the way your brain processes language. Which language processes are affected? How do these deficits manifest themselves while you’re speaking, listening, spelling, reading, and writing? What are the root causes of the language deficits seen?

To answer these questions, you need a complete and accurate evaluation of your language-processing abilities. Only at Dysolve® are evaluations customized to locate each person’s specific underlying deficits. Only at Dysolve® are evaluations continuous and integrated with corrective training.

Where can I get more informed about dyslexia?

We strongly urge you to learn as much as possible about dyslexia so that you can act effectively as your child’s or your own advocate. Many parents also want to support their children academically at home. This is important because less than 10% of US school teachers are fully trained to deal with reading disabilities.10 10 Wegner, L. M., & Reed, M. (2005). Language-based learning disorders. Pediatric Annals, 34(4), 300-309.     Moreover, a 30-year review finds little scientific evidence for the effectiveness of approaches commonly used in schools to provide reading remediation.11 Ritchey, K. D., & Goeke, J. L. (2006). Orton-Gillingham and Orton-Gillingham-based reading instruction: A review of the literature. The Journal of Special Education, 40(3), 171-183. See also Rose, T., & Zirkel, P. (2007). Orton-Gillingham methodology for students with reading disabilities: 30 years of case law. The Journal of Special Education, 41(3), 171-185.

The field of dyslexia research is still young, with many major questions still unanswered.12 See Elliott, J. G., & Grigorenko, E. L. (2014). The dyslexia debate. New York: Cambridge University Press.     The information on this site is based on our own studies, which involve over 30 years of research and 20 years of fieldwork with individuals with language disorders. This information is supported by findings from other peer-reviewed sources.13 Peer-reviewed sources include books and academic journals. These publications have been screened rigorously by experts in the field before they are accepted. Many of these publications have low acceptance rates (e.g. 5-20%), meaning that most manuscripts submitted are rejected. Many journals also use blind review, in which journal referees render objective judgments without knowing the identity of the manuscript’s author.

Read our book, Dyslexia Dissolved: Successful Cases of Learning Disabilities, ADHD and Language Disorders. Visit Dysolve.com/Research regularly as we provide the latest findings.