Introduction:

Dyslexia, a learning disability affecting upwards of 20% of today's population, can feel like a complex problem for individuals or families to solve. However, the hard work put towards successfully addressing dyslexia will pay off in the end. There are many famous people that had dyslexia who worked to overcome the challenges of it, including Albert Einstein, Walt Disney, and JFK. This article is written as a resource for people with dyslexia and their loved ones to learn more about this learning difference. Understanding dyslexia’s true definition, its myths, its long history, and possible ways to address it can help overcome dyslexia so that they can reach their true potential.

Section #1: Dyslexia definition & types of dyslexia

The International Dyslexia Association (IDA), an organization committed to finding better ways to treat and help people with dyslexia as well as other learning disabilities, defines dyslexia as “a specific learning disability that is neurobiological 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.”

This definition can be confusing to someone who has not studied in the field of education and who is therefore unfamiliar with these terms. Dyslexia is brain-based. It is often associated with difficulties in word recognition, spelling, and the sounding out of words (which can therefore sometimes impact comprehension and vocabulary, as well). Dyslexics have a deficit in the “phonological component of language,” meaning that they have difficulties understanding speech sounds themselves and/or the connection between letters and sounds. Although dyslexics have this deficit, they are just as intelligent as any other child, if not more so.

There are four types of dyslexia, which are different, but ultimately fall under the same umbrella of learning disability. The first is called phonological dyslexia, which is difficulty with sounds, word-parts, either by listening and/or by reading. A person's phonological awareness is the ability to hear a word's sound and process it. This skill is very weak in a person with phonological dyslexia. People with this type of dyslexia also have difficulty with putting sounds to letters, difficulty with syllabicating words (breaking words into syllables). Phonological dyslexia is the most common type of dyslexia. The second type of dyslexia is orthographic dyslexia (also known as surface dyslexia). People with this type have problems with sight words, or words that are not spelled how they should be (ex. Yacht). The third type of dyslexia is called rapid automatic naming (RAN) dyslexia. When a person has this type of dyslexia, their processing speed of letters and numbers is slowed. The last type of dyslexia is double deficit dyslexia, which is present when a person has any two or three types of dyslexia listed above. This is more common than one might think. Understanding the type of dyslexia you or a loved one has will help them along the journey in getting the right assistance that they need. For more information on the types of dyslexia  go to this website.

There are plenty of misconceptions about dyslexia which can hurt the self-esteem and motivation of the student who is learning and the parent who is supporting. It is important for people to understand what is true about themselves so that they can find the right path for themselves. One of the most common misconceptions is that people with dyslexia see letters written backwards in their mind. Another misconception is that dyslexia can be cured. Dyslexia does not go away once a person learns to read. They will be dyslexic for the rest of their lives; they may just not show any signs of it. Lasty, just to state, dyslexia is not caused by a lack of reading at home; it actually starts from birth in most cases. Understanding the misinterpretations and the truth surrounding dyslexia is necessary to get a full and accurate grasp of what dyslexia is right from the start.

Section #2: History of dyslexia and the mind of a dyslexic

Dyslexia has a rich history that goes back hundreds of years. The word dyslexia was coined by Rudolf Berlin, and it translates to trouble (dys) words (lexia) so it means trouble with words.    The man who is credited with discovering dyslexia is Adolph Kusmal. He discovered late-onset dyslexia, which was caused by a stroke or brain injury. In this case, the deficit was not even present until the incident. Congenital (present from birth) dyslexia is the form of dyslexia we more commonly discuss today. After dyslexia was found to be congenital, almost all the research shifted toward congenital and away from late-onset. In the early days of dyslexia research, doctors would have to cut open the brain in autopsies just to understand what was different from one person’s brain to the next. There were visible differences in the brains of a dyselxic and non-dyslexic.

Scientists worked hard and found that the brain is split into two halves, with the left controlling more language based processing and the right more movement and other spatial functions. Studies have shown that those with dyslexia often rely more on the right side of their brain during the reading process, rather than the left hemisphere. This slows down the reading process. In the non-dysleic brain, functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) scans show activity in the middle of the brain (including the temporal lobe, used to help process phonological information and the parietal lobe, used for decoding) and the back part of the brain (occipital lobe) helps to recognize letters and “sight words.” The dyslexic and non-dyslexic minds receive the information the same, but they process it in different ways. Scans have also shown that for the dyslexic brain there is more activity in the frontal lobe than in the temporal or occipital lobes during reading. The dyslexic brain’s processing speed is therefore slower during reading because the frontal lobe is not made to do language processing (and is therefore made to work harder).

Another difference in dyslexic and non-dyslexic brains is the amount of white and gray matter present. Gray matter is largely responsible for processing information and is mostly composed of nerve cells located on the outer portions of the brain. White matter is located deeper in the brain and is necessary for communication between nerves around various parts of the brain. The white and gray matter that makes up the brain is less present in the dyslexic brain. This difference affects how the brain processes language, and as a result it slows down the act of reading. These differences in the brain are important to understand because they are what make dyslexia a real learning difference. These differences are also what inspired scientists and teachers to work together to find better ways for all kids to gain literacy.

Section #3: Orton & Gillingham and structured literacy

Researchers began to look at the differences in the mind and try to help kids with dyslexia and other differences learn to read. One pioneer of this is Samuel T. Orton, one of the two founding members of a defining way to teach kids to read called the Orton & Gillingham (OG) method. Before founding the OG method, Orton worked as a pathologist. He conducted a study of 14 under-performing students and found that they had a defect in only reading and writing, not IQ. After this study, he began to integrate a multisensory approach to learning literacy. The multisensory part is what rewires the brain so that the words can be processed at a faster pace. Orton met with Anna Gilingham, an educator and psychologist, and together they created what is now known as the Orton & Gillingham approach. Their research showed that their method could teach students the sounds and parts of the English language in a way that anyone could  understand (except those words with spelling exceptions (sight words). After establishing their method, Gillingham was the one who trained teachers and published papers informing other people about why they should switch to their method.

The Orton & Gillingham method involves learning to read based on a structured approach. Structured literacy is an umbrella term that includes any program (including OG) that is “explicit, systematic, multisensory (and) that focuses on giving students the ability to decode the words they encounter when learning to read.” (IDA, https://dyslexiaida.org/history-of-the-ida/) Some of the major structured literacy systems are Wilson, Barton, and Orton & Gillingham.

From program to program reading is taught differently. With the OG-based reading approach, a student gets tested before beginning instruction and their teacher combats only the areas where they need the help per the results of the test. On the other hand, when someone who is diagnosed with dyslexia goes through the Wilson (or another OG) method, they learn everything in the program, not just “what they need.”

There are advantages and disadvantages to both of these types of instruction. Although the OG-based reading approach is faster in theory, the student may not learn some parts of language which they need help in. If a student gets a high score on a part of their initial reading test that they might not actually be familiar with, they will not learn that part. On the other hand, a student working through the Wilson (or OG) method has to go through the entire program, even if they already know some of the concepts. This could slow them down and cause them to learn the full program slower. People have to weigh the options and choose whatever approach is best for them.

Additionally, there are reading programs that schools use that won't be effective to someone who has dyslexia. The two that are most popular are the Balanced Literacy approach and Whole Language Reading. Balanced literacy is when teachers require read-alouds, small group lessons (which often teaches students to guess at words or use picture or context clues, rather than teaching phonics), independent reading, and writing. Whole Language was designed to let the student learn to read naturally “by being immersed in literature.” This reading style essentially involves handing a kid a book and saying “learn to read.” Our brains are not wired to learn to read naturally, as they are to speak. These methods do not work well for the dysleixc brain, which can have difficulties with automatically understanding and processing language. For people with dyslexia, the Whole Language approach is like asking a person with two broken feet to run a marathon with no support. It’s just not effective.

Many people are unaware of what dyslexia truly is and how it affects a person. I hope that this article leaves you with a more complete understanding of dyslexia and the ways to help remediate it. By exploring the definition of dyslexia, types of dyslexia, and its myths, we found out the truth about dyslexia. In learning more about the history of dyslexia and the mind of someone who has dyslexia, we gained background knowledge on how dyslexia works. Finally, through discovering more about Orton & Ghillingam and structured literacy, we learned what instruction works for people with dyslexia. By being equipped with this information, people with dyslexia and their loved ones can not only help spread awareness to the cause, but can also work to overcome their difficulties and unlock their true potential.

Bio/about the author:

Michael T attends Redwood Literacy, where he started by completing the 12 Step Wilson Reading System. He now works on the Wide Reading program, where he reads and writes about a variety of interesting topics, such as dyslexia. In his free time, you can find him playing lacrosse and soccer.

This article was written by Michael T. using the Writing Revolution approach. Some parts have been edited for clarity by Briana Richards.

Resources

https://dyslexiaida.org/definition-of-dyslexia/

https://www.everydayhealth.com/dyslexia/types/

https://www.understood.org/en/articles/common-myths-about-dyslexia-reading-issues

https://www.readnaturally.com/about-us/blog/the-birth-of-dyslexia-the-early-brain-science-of-19th-century-medicine

https://dyslexiaresource.org/dyslexia-and-the-brain/

https://www.lexercise.com/blog/the-history-of-the-orton-gillingham-method

https://dyslexiaida.org/history-of-the-ida/

https://www.understood.org/en/articles/orton-gillingham-research

https://www.understood.org/en/articles/structured-literacy-vs-balanced-literacy