What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability. Children (and adults) with dyslexia experience difficulty attaining the language skills of reading, writing, and spelling that are commensurate with their intellectual abilities. Persons with dyslexia are generally average to above average in intelligence and do not have any other primary disability such as a hearing, vision, or emotional disability.

Dyslexia affects individuals throughout their lives; however its impact can change at different stages in a person’s life. It is referred to as a learning disability because dyslexia can make it very difficult for a student to succeed academically in the typical instructional environment, and in its most severe forms, will qualify a student for special education, special accommodations, or extra support services.

A Few Dyslexia Facts

• Fifteen to twenty percent of the population is affected by dyslexia. Dyslexia exists on a continuum of severity–from poor spelling to a total inability to read.
• Dyslexia occurs in people of all backgrounds and intellectual levels.
• Dyslexia runs in families; dyslexic parents are very likely to have children who are dyslexic.