Dyslexia

Essay by Jeff MehiHigh School, 10th grade April 1997

download word file, 4 pages 4.0

General information

Imagine if my report was written like this: Dyslexia is wehn yuor midn gets wodrs mixde pu. If you were dyslexic, that's how you might read my report. The word dyslexia is derived from the Greek "dys" (meaning poor or inadequate) and "lexis" (word or language). Dyslexia is a learning disability characterized by problems in expressive or receptive, oral or written language. It is characterized by extreme difficulty learning and remembering letters, written or spoken words, and individual letter sounds. Extremely poor spelling and illegible handwriting are common symptoms. Problems may emerge in reading, spelling, writing, speaking, or listening. Dyslexia is not a disease, therefore it doesn't have a cure. Dyslexia describes a different kind of mind, often gifted and productive, that learns differently. During my extensive research of this topic, I have become very interested and sympathetic for people who have it.

Dyslexia is not the result of low intelligence.

The problem is not behavioral, psychological, motivational, or social. It is not a problem of vision; people with dyslexia do not "see backward." Dyslexia results from the differences in the structure and function of the brain. People with dyslexia are unique; each having individual strengths and weaknesses. Many dyslexics are creative and have unusual talent in areas such as art, athletics, architecture, graphics, electronics, mechanics, drama, music, or engineering. Dyslexics often show special talent in areas that require visual, spatial, and motor skills.

Their problems in language processing distinguish them as a group. This means that the dyslexic has problems translating language to thought (as listening or reading) or thought to language (as in writing or speaking). Dyslexics sometimes reverse letters and words (b for d, saw for was). In speech, some dyslexics reverse meanings (hot for cold, front seat for back seat) or word sounds (merove...