What Is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is an inherited condition that causes difficulty with spelling, reading and writing. It is the most common reason a bright child will struggle in school. Dyslexia is not rare. Research estimates that dyslexia affects about 20% of the population, or 1 in 5 individuals. The National Institutes of Health has been researching dyslexia for more than 30 years, which has resulted in years of replicated, independent, scientific research on dyslexia.

Here is the definition of dyslexia according to  the National Institutes of Health:

“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge”.

Dyslexia is often called a “hidden disability” because many people are not aware of it, nor do they know that it runs strongly in families.

Dyslexia erodes self-esteem, can cause intense daily frustration and can result in “homework wars”, which impact the entire family.