People with dsylexia have difficulty interpreting letters and words.
The meaning of dyslexia changed several times since first being recognized in the classroom. Children or adults who exhibit dyslexic symptoms are typically of normal intelligence, so learning problems only appear in areas related to language. As language ability has a significant influence on a person's ability to learn, dyslexia is classified as a learning disability.
Identification
The ability to read, write and recognize words comes from specific brain centers that regulate cognitive functions. When these brain centers are impaired in some way, individuals may have trouble in these areas. Someone of normal intelligence who has difficulty reading, writing or understanding words may be experiencing symptoms of dyslexia, according to Irish Health, a health information resource site. Approximately 60 percent of dyslexic people have phonetic difficulties, or problems distinguishing the sounds within words.
History
Before research studies looked into the causes and characteristics of dyslexia, a child of average intelligence, with normal hearing and vision was lumped into the dyslexic category for lack of any other possible explanation. Research studies by the National Institutes of Health in the 1980s shed light on test for dyslexia, though no methods for needed learning aids were developed at the time. From that point, the meaning of dyslexia identified an inherited condition characterized by problems with reading and writing, according to Bright Solutions for Dyslexia, a dyslexia information resource site.
Language Processing
A revised meaning for dyslexia was developed by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) in an effort to address the learning needs of individuals with this condition, according to Bright Solutions for Dyslexia. Research conducted by the IDA revealed the neurological component that causes the condition to appear. Abnormalities within the language processing centers of the brain account for problems with understanding and using words. Understanding how dyslexia works provides an idea of what types of learning aids are needed to help dyslexic individuals work around these difficulties.
Cognitive Abilities
Followup research conducted in the 1990s by the National Institutes of Health examined how language difficulties coexisted with other cognitive functions like speech, memory and mathematical abilities. Decoding processes, or the ability to separate out letters and syllables in words, helped to distinguish language processing from other related cognitive functions, according to Bright Solutions for Dyslexia. This is considered the phonological component of language, which can develop at a different rate than other cognitive functions.
Learning Disability
The far-reaching effects of dyslexia on a person's ability to learn, and integrate new learning with previous learning, accounts for its classification as a learning disability, according to Bright Solutions for Dyslexia. This category of learning disability excludes other problems like physical handicaps, emotional disorder or environmental disadvantages that can impair a person's ability to learn. In some cases, dyslexic difficulties can affect a person's ability to do math as well; however, not all dyslexics have learning problems where math is concerned.
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