What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a learning disorder that includes the inability to read and pronounce sounds and their relation to the formation and reproduction of words. Dyslexia affects the areas of the brain that are responsible for encoding and decoding language. These areas are the brain’s language centers and communicate with the speech center for the generation of speech.
Dyslexia is a reading disability. The cause for many years was thought to be optic related, but it changed as science moved forward. It is a neurological disorder that develops throughout the life of a person. Through extensive research, it has been found that the issue does not originate or lie in the gene of individuals. The problems are with the phonological input of these individuals.
Dyslexic individuals misinterpret the phoneme parts of speech. This results in them losing the meaning, intent, and spelling of those words. This is why they need dyslexia treatment.
What are the Common Signs of Dyslexia?
People suffering from dyslexia face many issues. Following are some of the common signs of dyslexia:
- They have intense difficulty in reading (especially reading aloud).
- They may be slow and use speech movements that would be intensive for reading and writing.
- Have extreme difficulty spelling properly.
- They may be avoidant of reading and writing.
- Unable to pronounce words and names as well as unable to retrieve words from memory.
Dyslexia and its relationship with the Brain
Observations in Dyslexic individuals show that the left hemisphere of their brain fails to perform its functions adequately. There are two very important language centers in the brain. One is “Broca’s Area” and the other is “Wernicke’s Area.”
The Broca’s Area is responsible for the motor speech. Essentially, it is the one that produces movements for speech. Also, its location is near the brain’s motor cortex.
Wernicke’s area is responsible for comprehending speech and dealing with meaning. Both of these language centers function extremely poorly in people with Dyslexia. These are also some of the common signs of dyslexia.
Dyslexia Treatment and Diagnosis
The most effective way to diagnose Dyslexia is a test battery with the name Cognitive Assessment for Dyslexia. These include various tests aimed at measuring the individual’s ability in numerical, verbal, logical, written, and other reasoning.
Studies show that Cognitive Speech Therapy is very effective in helping dyslexic individuals with understanding and re-wiring their brains. Cognitive Assessment for Dyslexia includes effective applications of reading, writing, and language interventions.
Language pathologists are trained and certified in this form of treatment. Individuals with Dyslexia get training under their guidance. The term training refers to the language centers of the brain. The goal is to effectively help them re-wire.
Although dyslexic individuals may make great progress, some of the issues may arise from time to time. A good habit for a dyslexic person after successful dyslexia treatment is to read and write for practice.
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