What is Dyslexia?

Explaining dyslexia can be complicated . Experts agree that there is not just one thing that points to dyslexia. Dyslexia is a -hidden disability". You can't tell someone is dyslexic just by looking at them.

Dyslexia can be more easily identified when we look at behaviour. Most dyslexic people will show a range of difficulties. They might experience difficulties in basic reading and writing skills, for example. Young children may have difficulty remembering nursery rhymes.

People who speak well find they can't get their ideas on the page. They might have difficulties with memory or mixing up the sounds in words. Organisational skills may be poor. Dyslexic people "forget" important dates and miss appointments more than most. Timed examination results do not truly reflect people's actual knowledge of their subject.

Identifying dyslexia can be made more difficult because it is often linked with other disorders such as speech and language problems, dyspraxia (Developmental Coordination Disorder), attention difficulties and disorders of communication such as Asperger's Syndrome. Another factor that makes identifying dyslexia difficult is the serious impact that being dyslexic can have on emotional and social development.

Many dyslexic people suffer badly with anxiety and poor self-esteem. Because their dyslexia is not identified at school they learn quickly to avoid pain and humiliation in class. They become very quiet and hope nobody notices they are there. Other people become angry and frustrated by their difficulties. They are sometimes referred to mental health specialists because of emotional and behavioural concerns.

In both cases it is the dyslexia which is causing an emotional reaction. Efforts to overcome these behaviours may not work well because the underlying difficulty (dyslexia) has not been identified. At HDL, we examine a wide range of thinking skills that may indicate a hidden disability and also take account of the real world difficulties the person experiences.

When we know what the underlying cause is and how it effects behaviour (how the person operates in the world), we can provide the best and most direct advice possible.