Dyslexia: What It Is and What It Isn't
Disproving some common myths about dyslexia.
Dyslexia. You may have heard of it or, at least, have a general idea of what it is. It has something to do with reading and spelling, right? But what exactly is dyslexia? How can it affect a person’s life? And what are some common myths about it that we’ve gotten wrong?
Let’s start off with what dyslexia is not. In the past, dyslexia has been regarded as a vision disorder that affects how an individual sees letters and words. This idea is based on a phenomenon where letters and numbers can appear reversed, scrambled, or jumbled to a dyslexic person. Since dyslexia was believed to be an issue with visual interpretation, many vision-based solutions cropped up to combat it. Specialized typefaces, such as Dyslexie and OpenDyslexic, are one such example. However, when tested with dyslexic individuals, such innovations have proved to be largely ineffective. Their lack of success can be traced to the fact that dyslexia is not actually a visual disorder, but a neurological one.
We have since discovered that dyslexia is a learning disability that affects how the brain processes language. The dyslexic brain has difficulty distinguishing phonological sounds and attributing them to corresponding letters. Reading speed, reading comprehension, pronunciation, and/or writing ability are often affected. Dyslexia entails issues with language processing, not visual processing. While the appearance of jumbled characters does happen, it’s not nearly as common among the dyslexic population as most people think. It's important to note that having dyslexia does not automatically mean someone is “dumber” or less intelligent than their peers.
Additionally, as with many neurological disorders, experiences with dyslexia will vary from person to person. A tool that helps one dyslexic individual may not help another. For example, tinted glasses have been known to reduce eyestrain and make printed text easier to distinguish on paper. Of course, this doesn’t target the root of dyslexia (since it relies on vision therapy), but tinted lenses still provide relief for some people. At the same time, they don’t for others. And that’s okay.
In conclusion, there are many misconceptions about neurodivergence, even today. This case study on dyslexia is a reminder about the importance of educating ourselves on the diversity of the human mind – not only to build a more accepting world, but to make room for new and improved accommodations in the world of neurodiversity.
REFERENCES:
“Dyslexia.” Cleveland Clinic, 4 Nov. 2023, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/6005-dyslexia
“Dyslexia Basics.” International Dyslexia Association. https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-basics/ . Accessed 10 Mar 2025.
Terada, Youki. “Do Dyslexia Fonts Actually Work?” Edutopia, 24 Jun. 2022, www.edutopia.org/article/do-dyslexia-fonts-actually-work/
“Do Special Fonts Help People with Dyslexia?” International Dyslexia Association, Jan. 2018, dyslexiaida.org/do-special-fonts-help-people-with-dyslexia/
“Dyslexia or Visual Processing Disorder?” Building Better Brains. https://lorrainedriscoll.com/dyslexia-or-visual-processing-disorder/ . Accessed 10 Mar 2025.
Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services. “Do Coloured Irlen Lenses Really Improve Dyslexia and Reading?” Melbourne Child Psychology & School Psychology Services. https://melbournechildpsychology.com.au/blog/coloured-irlen-lenses-really-improve-dsylexia-reading/ . Accessed 10 Mar 2025.