Dyslexia has been little understood or noted for most of recorded history. Almost all of the recorded history of dyslexia has been in the last 25 years.

Dyslexics see things differently. Their eyes are the same as those of non-dyslexics, but their brains interpret the signals differently. Because of this they learn differently and need to be taught in the way they learn, not in the traditional mold.

In roughly the last fifteen years, dyslexia in children has routinely been screened for in elementary school. As part of their standard procedures, everyone went through preliminary screening. Those identifies as possibly dyslexic, plus all the teachers identified as having problems with reading, were put through full dyslexia tests which identified whether or not they were dyslexic, and, if so, what type and to what degree was the problem.

Before that, dyslexics were lumped in with the rest of the students and had to take their chances. Most were treated badly by the educational system, called lazy, slow learners, underachievers. They were made to feel ashamed of and embarrassed by their differences and learned to conceal them.

Millions of adult dyslexics today have never taken a dyslexia test. They still struggle with learning and reading difficulties that could be easily overcome if they were only known. A half-hour dyslexia test could make enormous improvements in their self-esteem and abilities.

There are many different types of dyslexia. In fact, there is no standard “type”; everyone is different. Dyslexics cannot be classified and put into different “boxes” to process. Each one must be tested and evaluated separately.

Different signs of dyslexia may include difficulties in spelling, difficulties in reading aloud (inability to guess the pronunciation of a new word from the way it is spelled), trouble in making sense out of a given piece of written text. Dyslexia is a many-headed beast and can cause a variety of problems.

For more info on dyslexia and how it can be overcome, click on any of the above links.

Disclaimer: Nothing in the above explanations is intended to be or represented to be or should be construed to be any form of medical advice. The information herein has been gleaned from medical journals, news articles in the popular press and other freely-available public sources. It is presented here for informational purposes only. For any medical advice the reader is urged to consult with his or her licensed physician or other medical specialist.

By George Openheimer