Dyslexia
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Dyslexia affects one in five people in the U.S. and was defined by the International Dyslexia Association until October 2025 as, “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.”
The new definition, approved October 22, 2025 eliminates the primarily “neurological in origin” description to include “environmental influences.”
“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability characterized by difficulties in word reading and/or spelling that involve accuracy, speed, or both and vary depending on the orthography.
These difficulties occur along a continuum of severity and persist even with instruction that is effective for the individual’s peers.
The causes of dyslexia are complex and involve combinations of genetic, neurobiological, and environmental influences that interact throughout development. Underlying difficulties with phonological and morphological processing are common but not universal, and early oral language weaknesses often foreshadow literacy challenges.
Secondary consequences include reading comprehension problems and reduced reading and writing experience that can impede growth in language, knowledge, written expression, and overall academic achievement.
Psychological well-being and employment opportunities also may be affected.
Although identification and targeted instruction are important at any age, language and literacy support before and during the early years of education is particularly effective.”
Despite typical classroom phonics instruction and despite having adequate intellectual abilities, many children and adults struggle to read and spell accurately because of a difference in the processing of language by the brain.
Generally it is hereditary with variations in how it may appear in other family members. Grandma may have struggled with spelling but been an average reader. Dad may have trouble with right and left and remembering travel directions. An uncle or cousin may have dropped out of school as a poor student.
The child could have dyslexia ranging from severe to mild in severity.
In addition to reading and spelling, some dyslexics have difficulty with:
- writing compositions
- handwriting
- word retrieval
- math facts
- directional issues like telling time, tying shoes, navigating frequently traveled route, etc.
Dyslexic students and adults can be successful in their studies and can reach their goals when they are given the tools they need.
Signs of Dyslexia
Frequently there is a family member who had difficulty in school with reading, dropped out of school, and has similar symptoms. Dyslexia affects 10-20% of the population. If someone you know experiences three or more of these symptoms, encourage them to learn more about dyslexia.
Preschool Years
- Late learning to talk
- Mispronounced speech
- Difficulty learning nursery rhymes, songs, & alphabet
- Difficulty learning letters in his/her own name
- Difficulty with right and left
- Delayed hand dominance-right-handed/left-handed
- Difficulty with word retrieval, names
Elementary Years
- Difficulty understanding that words can be broken into sounds
- Difficulty associating letters with sounds
- Letter or number reversals later than 2nd grade
- Inability to read common one syllable words-mat, hop, lid
- Complaints from child about how hard reading is for them
- Difficulty reading common sight words (they, with, does)
- Difficulty with or inability to sound out unknown words
- Guesses at words based on pictures, context, word’s first letter
- Substitutes words while reading (pony for horse)
- Many spelling mistakes
- Word retrieval issues-uses “stuff” or “thing” for lots of items
- Difficulty telling time from a clock with hands
- Delayed response to oral questions-needs more time to summon response
- Frequent pausing or losing their place when verbally relaying information
- Difficulty remembering address or phone number
- Difficulty learning sequenced information (days of week, months of year)
- Poor handwriting
- Difficulty learning math facts
Upper Grades & Adults
- (In addition to the above listed symptoms)
- Mispronounces names, place names, etc
- Dislikes reading; embarrassed or refuses to read aloud
- Slow laborious reading
- Unusually long hours spent reading school materials
- Difficulty with writing-putting ideas on paper, proof-reading, spelling
- Difficulty with foreign language or reading music
- Dislikes school; may want to drop out
- Poor grades