Dyslexia is a learning disability, and is a relatively broad term. It makes reading difficult because of the lack of learning comprehension and fluency seen by the dyslexic person (Cherry & Kruger, 1983). There are many ways in which dyslexia can manifest, including the processing speed of language, the verbal comprehension, the phonological awareness, and other factors (Willcutt & Pennington, 2010). Typically, most dyslexic people have trouble reading. It was not that long ago that there were few options for these people, other than struggling in school and not being good readers. As time went on and dyslexic people were studied, it became easier to determine why they were having trouble reading. That led to ways to help them learn to read more easily, so they would not fall as far behind their peers. Five to 10% of the population is believed to be affected by dyslexia, but studies have not confirmed this (Pennington, et al., 2011).
There are three subtypes of dyslexia, and which one a person falls under can also affect how that person is treated and what needs to be done to treat that person's dyslexia (Schuele, 2004). There is no correlation between dyslexia and IQ, and adult dyslexics often read with proper comprehension (Willcutt & Pennington, 2000). They do read more slowly, however, and have trouble with spelling and nonsense words. Instructional services for dyslexics have improved, but there is still only so much that can be done for these individuals. Their spelling and reading skills will generally never equal what is seen in the rest of the population, but that does not mean they are mentally deficient or they cannot lead normal and productive lives. Some people with dyslexia also have problems with voice recognition ability,...
No matter what the dyslexic person does for instructional help, support and understanding are also needed (Schuele, 2004).
When a person is getting involved in secondary curricula and focused on the instructional practices that he or she needs to use, dyslexia can be a serious problem. There are barriers to learning that the dyslexic must face, and these include not only the struggles at reading but the lack of understanding that may be afforded by others. Specifically, though, it is important to look at the curriculum issue that comes with dyslexia. Primary learning has to do with learning to read, and secondary learning has to do with using the ability to read to learn other things. When students already struggle to read, the idea of learning other things by using that reading may be very difficult for them (Cherry & Kruger, 1983). However, their entire school experience and probably a large majority of what they do in their job or career will also focus on them being able to read to an extent that they can address issues and understand concepts. Because that is the case, the biggest barrier the dyslexic student will come up against will be the fact that the student is only capable of a certain level of reading speed and ability.
Giving students extra help certainly makes sense, but providing too much of that is actually detrimental because the students do not use their abilities to the fullest extent possible. That can also keep them from being able to hold a job where they are required to have reading comprehension and work in a fast-paced environment. The more the students learn to do on their own and the more…
