Dyslexia | Questions and Answers

According to the official definition, dyslexia is neurobiological, which means it’s related to an issue with the way the brain processes sound. Yet, it is unrelated to intelligence. Studies indicate that there are multiple reasons a student may struggle in reading and writing. Weak phonemic awareness skills (ability to hear and manipulate sounds), weak rapid automatic naming skills (ability to rapidly name objects or letters), and weak working memory (ability to hold information and use it) can individually or together make the reading and writing process difficult. Dyslexia is considered to be a spectrum disorder, which means that an individual’s learning struggles can be mild to severe. The following link shows what dyslexia looks like in the brain: http://headstrongnation.org/sites/default/files/tools/whatdyslexialookslike.pdf

Children and adults with dyslexia can learn to read and write! However, most cannot simply “outgrow” their struggles. An intervention that is explicit (clear) and sequential (one skill builds on the next) is beneficial for all students, but critical for those with dyslexia.

Dyslexia can affect all aspects of a child’s schooling experience! As reading and writing is an integral part of the entire curriculum, including math, a struggling student will experience difficulties in many or all subject areas. Often this leads to struggles with self-esteem as well.

Stephen primarily works with Elementary or Middle School-aged children.

Dyslexia is considered a language-based learning disability. Although issues with vision CAN interfere with the learning process, vision issues are not a primary cause of dyslexia.

Is Vision Therapy Helpful?

In 2009, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Ophthalmology released a joint statement showing no scientific evidence to suggest the following treatments for DYSLEXIA:

  • Vision therapy
  • Eye exercises
  • Tinted lenses or color overlays