This paper examines dyslexia as a learning disability affecting approximately 5–10% of the population, exploring its three subtypes and the varied ways it manifests, including impairments in phonological awareness, processing speed, and verbal comprehension. The paper discusses barriers dyslexic students face within primary and secondary curricula, emphasizing that reading difficulties compound the challenge of content-area learning. It also addresses evidence-based instructional adaptations — including anxiety reduction, phoneme-grapheme awareness training, visual language instruction, and font modification — arguing that early intervention combined with teacher support is essential for improving outcomes, even though dyslexia cannot be cured.
Dyslexia is a learning disability — and a relatively broad term. It makes reading difficult because of the lack of learning comprehension and fluency seen in dyslexic individuals (Cherry & Kruger, 1983). There are many ways in which dyslexia can manifest, including impairments in processing speed of language, verbal comprehension, 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 individuals other than struggling in school and lagging behind as readers. As research on dyslexia advanced and dyslexic people were studied more carefully, it became easier to determine why they were having trouble reading. That led to the development of approaches 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, though studies have not confirmed this figure definitively (Pennington et al., 2011).
There are three subtypes of dyslexia, and which subtype a person falls under can affect how that person is treated and what interventions are most appropriate (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 over time, but there is still only so much that can be done for these individuals. Their spelling and reading skills will generally never equal those seen in the rest of the population, but that does not mean they are mentally deficient or incapable of leading normal and productive lives. Some people with dyslexia also have problems with voice recognition ability, and that can be more significant than the struggles they have with reading (Willcutt & Pennington, 2010). No matter what instructional help a dyslexic person pursues, support and understanding are also essential (Schuele, 2004).
When a student is engaged in secondary curricula and relying on the instructional practices he or she needs to succeed, dyslexia can be a serious problem. There are barriers to learning that dyslexic students must face, and these include not only the struggles with reading but also the lack of understanding that may be afforded by others. It is important to look specifically at the curriculum issue that comes with dyslexia. Primary learning involves learning to read, while secondary learning involves using the ability to read in order to learn other things. When students already struggle to read, the idea of learning other subjects through that reading can be very difficult for them (Cherry & Kruger, 1983).
However, their entire school experience — and likely a large portion of what they do in their job or career — will require them to read at a level sufficient to address issues and understand concepts. Because of this, the greatest barrier the dyslexic student will face is the limitation in reading speed and ability. Research from the National Institutes of Health has highlighted the importance of addressing reading difficulties early, given how central reading is to academic and professional success.
"Balancing teacher support with student autonomy"
"Stress reduction and phoneme-grapheme training strategies"
Since dyslexia does not have a cure and not all dyslexics are anxious or in need of stress reduction, there are other methods that can also be used. Training that is focused on visual language instead of oral language is one of the most significant ways to help people who have dyslexia (Willcutt & Pennington, 2000). The awareness of the relationship between phonemes and graphemes is vital to a solid understanding of reading, and that awareness is the focus when children with dyslexia are taught to become better readers (Willcutt & Pennington, 2010). The type of font used can also affect how a person with dyslexia reads (Willcutt & Pennington, 2010), and evidence-based research has shown that changing font type and using a specialized font has helped dyslexic readers. The other significant way to make an impact is through treating the problem aggressively from a very early age.
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