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4 Things You Didn’t Know About Dyslexia

From symptoms and myths to treatment, the multifaceted aspects of dyslexia impact more than 40 million Americans.

ByAllison Futterman
Credit:Aliona Rondeau/Shutterstock

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Dyslexia affects approximately 20 percent of the U.S. population and represents 80 to 90 percent of all learning disorders. Despite its prevalence, many people with dyslexia experience a misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis or go completely undiagnosed.

It creates challenges in processing written and spoken language and is usually first noticeable in childhood, sometimes even as young as preschool age.

Signs of dyslexia include:

Reversing sounds when pronouncing words.

Slow reading speed.

Difficulty recognizing letters.

Trouble putting information in sequential order.

Avoiding reading tasks and processing challenges when reading.

There are several pieces of misinformation regarding dyslexia, which can be detrimental to those attempting to navigate the process of identifying and managing this condition. These dyslexia myths often include:

Myth: The main sign of dyslexia is reading and writing letters backward. Fact: While this can occur, it is not always true, nor does it mean that a child definitely has dyslexia.

Myth: ...

  • Allison Futterman

    Allison Futterman is a Charlotte, N.C.-based writer whose science, history, and medical/health writing has appeared on a variety of platforms and in regional and national publications. These include Charlotte, People, Our State, and Philanthropy magazines, among others. She has a BA in communications and an MS in criminal justice.

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