Childhood Disorders
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability whose origin is neurological. Typical characteristics are difficulty with accurate/ fluent word recognition, poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties are a result of a deficit in the phonological component of language. Secondary characteristics like problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience, can affect growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. It has been found that individuals with dyslexia process information in a different area of the brain than do non-dyslexics. Dyslexics are generally of average to above average intelligence.
Dyslexia is just one type of learning disability. Others include...
Dyscalculia - a mathematical disability in which a person has unusual difficulty solving arithmetic problems and grasping math concepts.
Dysgraphia - a neurological-based writing disability in which a person finds it hard to form letters or write within a defined space.
Some Facts and Figures
- The most common cause of reading, writing and spelling difficulties is Dyslexia.
- It affects both sexes and different ethnic and socio-economic groups equally.
- 15-20% of the people have some form of language-based learning disability.
- 70-80% of the students with specific learning disabilities, have problems in reading.
The causes for dyslexia are neurobiological and genetic. Individuals inherit the genetic links for dyslexia. Chances are that one of the child's parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles is dyslexic. Dyslexia is not a disease and hence it follows that it can not be cured. With proper diagnosis, appropriate instruction, effort, family and peer support, dyslexics can succeed in school and later as working adults.
Famous, but successful dyslexics include Ann Bancroft - first woman in history to cross the ice to both the North and South Poles.
David Boies - the lawyer whose high-profile clients include former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Jr., Napster, and the U.S. Justice Department;
Erin Brokovich - real-life heroine who exposed a cover-up by a major California utility that was contaminating the local water supply (Julia Roberts played her in the movie with the same name); and famous Academy Award winning actress Whoopi Goldberg.
You may like to look up the link http://www.dyslexia.com/qafame.htm to get an idea of other famous persons diagnosed with dyslexia.
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