Frequent misconceptions about Dyslexia
Myth: Dyslexia does not exist.
There has been 30 years of documented, scientific evidence and research proving the existence of dyslexia. It is one of the most common learning disabilities to affect children. (Source: Dyslexia Help, University of Michigan)
People with dyslexia are not as intelligent:
Dyslexia and intelligence are NOT connected. Many dyslexic individuals are very bright and creative who will accomplish amazing things as adults. Some of the brightest children struggle to read. Dyslexia occurs at all levels of intelligence—average, above average and highly gifted. Many gifted people at the top of their fields are dyslexic. While people with dyslexia are slow readers, they often are very fast and creative thinkers. (source: Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity)
People with Dyslexia are lazy and don’t care:
This is typically a coping mechanism. Often they are working twice as hard to manage all of the steps required to perform a certain task. Research has shown, with the technology of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that those with dyslexia use a different part of their brain when reading and working with language. Dyslexic people show an abnormal pattern of brain function when reading: underactivity in some regions, overactivity in another which, according to researches, accounts for the difficulty they have in extracting meaning from the printed word. The findings provide evidence that people with dyslexia are not poorly taught, lazy, or stupid but have an inborn brain abnormality that has nothing to do with intelligence. Lack of awareness about this disorder among the teachers and parents, has often resulted in the child being branded as 'lazy.' If students with dyslexia do not receive the right type of intervention and/or classroom accommodations, they often struggle in school -- despite being bright, motivated, and spending hours on homework assignments both academically and emotionally. (source: Dyslexia Help at the University of Michigan)
A student with Dyslexia can be “cured”:
Dyslexia can’t be “cured”—it is lifelong. But with early screening, early diagnosis, early evidence-based reading intervention and appropriate accommodations, dyslexic individuals can become highly successful students and adults. (source: Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity)
If a dyslexic child reads out loud for 20 minutes per day, it will improve his or her reading:
Reading out loud will not help a child sound out unknown words. Instead, he will continue to try to memorize the shape of a word and use pictures and context clues to try and guess it which will not help his reading development.
Myth: Dyslexia is a medical diagnosis:
Dyslexia is not characterized as a medical problem and is not tested by doctors because they don’t have training on reading, writing and spelling testing. There is no pill or medication that can heal dyslexia, and nothing to do with dyslexia is covered by medical insurance because it is not a medical problem. And yet, the only way to obtain some of the services necessary, is to have a medical or educational psychological diagnosis.
Myth: Dyslexia cannot be diagnosed until third grade:
Professionals with extensive training can accurately diagnose dyslexia as early as age 5. The sooner a diagnosis is made, the quicker your child can get help, and the more likely you are to prevent secondary blows to their self-esteem. Parents need to be aware of the warning signs of a risk for dyslexia before 3rd grade. It should be noted that the combination of a family history of dyslexia and symptoms of difficulties in spoken language can help identify a vulnerable child even before he/she begins formal schooling.
Myth: Dyslexia is rare:
In the United States, NIH research has shown that dyslexia affects 20%, or 1 in every 5 people. Some people may have more mild forms, while others may experience it more severely. Dyslexia is one of the most common cause of reading difficulties in elementary school children because only 1 in 10 dyslexics will qualify for an IEP and special education that will allow them to get the help in reading that they need.
Myth: Dyslexic children will never read well, so it’s best to teach them to compensate:
Individuals with dyslexia can become terrific readers with the appropriate intervention. It is important to test a child early in his/her school career in order to identify any problems and attempt to prevent major reading difficulties before they even start.
Myth: People with dyslexia see things backwards:
Dyslexics do not see things backwards because dyslexia is not a problem with the eyes. Dyslexia may cause people to reverse certain words because of their confusion when discerning between left and right and their difficulties comprehending their reading. any young children reverse letters when learning to write. While it is true that dyslexic children have difficulties attaching the appropriate labels or names to letters and words, there is no evidence that they actually see letters and words backward.
Dyslexia is a boy “thing:”
A few decades ago, dyslexia was diagnosed much more frequently in boys than in girls. More recent research conducted by Dr. Sally Shaywitz and colleagues at Yale University, first published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, indicated that dyslexia probably affects a comparable number of girls and boys, although boys may be diagnosed more frequently because they may be more likely to exhibit problems sitting still and learning in early grades. However, there is some newer conflicting research that suggests that dyslexia may be two to three times more prevalent in males than females. Furthermore, neurobiological characteristics of dyslexia reported in males may be very different than those found in females (Evans et al., 2014) (Source: Scientific Learning)
References:
www.scilearn.com/blog/5-myths-about-dyslexia
https://www.understood.org/.../dyslexia/common-myths-about-dyslexia-reading-issues