It is frustrating for parents to watch their child struggle to read when all of the kids in the class seem to be able to do it so easily. When a diagnosis of dyslexia comes after months of struggle, the response is usually mixed between relief and fear. Parents sometimes worry that they did something to cause the dyslexia or could have done something to prevent it. As explained below, there is currently no known cause of dyslexia. As a result, there is no way parents can prevent dyslexia.
What is dyslexia?
Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities in the United States, with an estimated 15 to 20% of the U.S. population suffering from it in one form or another. Dyslexia tends to manifest as the inability of the brain to correctly process symbols that are graphical in nature, although there are many different ways to experience dyslexia. The only truly defining characteristic of this reading disability is that those who deal with it often read at a much lower level than their peers. People with dyslexia will read more slowly, have more trouble with accuracy, and make more spelling errors.
Certain languages will prove to be more challenging for those with dyslexia. Languages in which words are commonly pronounced phonetically will be easier for people with dyslexia to learn than those with irregular pronunciation rules.
What causes dyslexia?
No one truly knows the precise cause of dyslexia, but there are some contributing factors and warning signs.
This is a very uncommon cause of dyslexia, but some people will develop dyslexia after head trauma or stroke.
- Genetics Scientists have identified two different genes, DCDC2 and KIAA0319, that are present in those with dyslexia. This means that there is a high likelihood that people who have parents with dyslexia will be more likely to have it themselves.
- Acquired Dyslexia
- Phonological Processing Impairment
Phonological processing allows a person to see a word and break it down into phenomes, and then put it back together to understand what the word means. If the area of the brain that specializes in phonological processing has been impaired in any way, there is a greater risk for dyslexia.
