What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is an increasingly recognized condition affecting anywhere from 15 to 20 percent of the population. It is characterized by difficulty in learning to read, write and spell, despite conventional instruction and adequate intelligence.

Children with dyslexia tend to be of average to above-average intelligence and are emotionally stable but despite typical school instruction, are not able to read, write or spell to their capabilities.

Current brain research indicates that these children experience difficulties because the auditory and visual processing areas of the brain do not function the same as in children without this learning difference. This causes an individual to perceive sounds, letters, visual images and other stimuli differently.

Some of the characteristics of dyslexia are:

• Average and frequently above-average intellectual ability and creative intelligence
• Problems with reading, writing and spelling
• Frequent reversal of numbers, letters or words (b for d, 18 for 81)
• Difficulty understanding what is read
• Poor handwriting
• Confusion with directions (e.g., left and right, up and down)
• Variable performance (good at something one day, poor at the same task the next)
• Short attention span and poor concentration
• Slowness in finishing work
• Poor organizational skills (cannot find homework; loses jacket, notebooks, etc.)

The federal government has included dyslexia in Public Law 94-142 (the Education of All Handicapped Children Act; now called Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or "IDEA") as a specific learning “disability.” Although the Settlement School does not refer to dyslexia as a disability, it recognizes that it can become a disability if students do not receive the appropriate educational services.

For the person with dyslexia, the emphasis on systematic development of a skill has proven essential to both early success and lasting results. Such techniques concentrate on the process of learning and allow the student to use his/her strengths to achieve success and maintain motivation. Dyslexic students who do not receive specialized assistance often lag behind and eventually join the ranks of school dropouts.

Visit our Parents + Students section to learn more about the programs Hindman Settlement School offers.