Dyslexia- it’s a buzz word that gets thrown around a lot when a child struggles to read. But there is more to dyslexia than struggling to tell the difference between B’s and D’s. Let’s take a look at seven common misconceptions about dyslexia and how harmful they can be to students.

1.      Myth: Dyslexia is indicative of below average intelligence.

Reality: Any person, of any gender, at any level of intelligence can have dyslexia. However, in the American public school system, being able to not only read, but to read well is considered fundamental to academic success. This approach works for the
“typical” student, but for the student who struggles to read, their difficulties bleed out into other subject areas as well. They can’t do well in math because they can’t read the word problems they were assigned. They didn’t read the chapter in English or take their notes for science for obvious reasons.  Due to this culture surrounding reading, those who struggle with dyslexia may be under the impression that they are unintelligent- even though there are thousands of researchers that say otherwise. Students with dyslexia need to learn to read in a way that makes sense to them, so that they can find academic success on their own.

2.       Myth: Dyslexia is a condition that can be cured.

Reality: Dyslexia cannot be cured. It can be managed with compensatory techniques (like the Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes® Seeing Stars®: Symbol Imagery for Phonemic Awareness, Sight Words and Spelling program for reading that is offered at FWCL). In children, it is important to notice the warning signs of dyslexia and start taking steps as early as possible to begin the remediation process.

3.      Myth: Symptoms of dyslexia are only noticeable in elementary school when the child is learning to read.

Reality: Although dyslexia is a reading-related disorder, there are symptoms that present themselves before the child even begins attempting to read- things such as delayed speech, troubles identifying sounds, difficulty understanding jokes or other word play, and even delayed walking, crawling, and talking; Dyslexia is a neurodevelopmental disorder, so there can be indicators very early on in development.

4.      Myth: Dyslexia is only related to letter reversals.

Reality: Although everyone with dyslexia struggles with reading in some fashion, their struggles may manifest in different ways. For example, while some students will struggle with b’s and d’s, they may also mistake a “p” or a “q” for a “b” or a “d”- all of them are the same shape, just facing a different direction. They may also struggle recalling the proper sequences of letters in words or numbers, struggle to pronounce words, struggle to recognize common words, have delays in learning the alphabet, etc. Just because a child confuses b’s and d’s does not mean they are guaranteed to be dyslexic- students with visual motor impairments can struggle with letter reversals as well.

5.      Myth: Dyslexia is linked to vision issues.

Reality: Dyslexia is not caused by poor vision because it is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts language processing. Children with dyslexia can have poor vision, but their reading struggles do not come from their poor vision- so getting them glasses or otherwise targeting vision will not be an effective treatment for their reading difficulties (other than simply allowing them to see the letters more clearly).  

6.      Myth: Students with dyslexia are lazy or just need to try harder.

Reality: We, as a society, need to abandon this mindset. When we call students who struggle “lazy,” we are telling that child that despite their best efforts, it is their fault they cannot read. The feeling of shame that comes along with this insinuation can greatly affect how students view themselves- which can quickly lead to self-fulfilling prophecies: “I will never be able to do this, even Mr./Ms. ____ thinks so.”

7.      Myth: Students with dyslexia will never learn to read well.

Reality: While there is no cure for dyslexia, early, intensive, systematic, and research-based intervention can help the student keep up in school, which in turn will help with their self-esteem and poor self-perception as a learner. Here at FWCL, the Lindamood-Bell intensive reading program has proven the test of time and has helped hundreds of kids- many of whom had identified dyslexia- crack the code of reading and spark a love of reading for fun, not just because it was expected of them.

Dyslexia is the most common learning disability in the United States, present in an estimated 5-17% of the population according to recent research. Having dyslexia does not mean that a student will never be able to read- they just need to learn to read in a way that makes sense to them, and lines up with how their brain functions.

 *Fort Wayne Center for Learning is not affiliated with, endorsed, licensed or sponsored by Lindamood-Bell Learning Process® Corporation.

Sources:

“Dyslexia | Psychology Today.” n.d. Www.psychologytoday.com. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/dyslexia.

‌“Dyslexia Myths and Facts.” n.d. Dyslexiahelp.umich.edu. http://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/dyslexics/learn-about-dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia/dyslexia-myths-and-facts#:~:text=Dyslexia%20Myths%20and%20Facts%201%20Myth%3A%20Smart%20people.

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