In this article, we talk about dyslexia and its symptoms, and we suggest exercises for people with reading difficulties.
What is dyslexia: meaning of dyslexia
Dyslexia is a specific learning disorder characterized by impaired word recognition, slow and hesitant reading, and poor comprehension.
This neurodevelopmental disorder is estimated to affect approximately one in ten children, leading to school failure. To address this situation and improve learning, the disorder must be detected early.
How is it treated? Symptoms of dyslexia
Dyslexia doesn’t only involve difficulty learning to read and write; people with this disorder may also have difficulties with processing speed, motor skills, or visual and/or auditory perception. Their short-term memory, organization, sequencing, or spoken language may also be affected.
Below, we explain the main symptoms of dyslexia. It’s important to point out that every person with dyslexia is unique and doesn’t necessarily have all the symptoms:
- Problems with laterality.
- Altered spatial and temporal concepts.
- Confusing words with similar pronunciation.
- Difficulty articulating or pronouncing words.
- Transposing letters, changing their order, and reversing numbers.
- Error-prone, very effortful reading.
- Problems concentrating when reading or writing.
- Difficulty following instructions and learning routines.
- Balance problems.
- Short-term memory problems.
- Difficulty organizing their thoughts.
- Problems maintaining attention.
- Difficulties with math.
- In some cases, especially those that are poorly managed, speech difficulties appear.
Types of dyslexia
To classify dyslexia, we should talk about two types: acquired and developmental.
Acquired
Acquired dyslexia appears as a result of a specific brain injury.
Developmental
It isn’t caused by a specific brain injury. It is the most common type in school settings.
Another possible classification, based on the patient’s predominant symptoms, is:
Phonological or indirect
This involves a malfunction of the phonological route. The child reads visually and guesses instead of reading. For example, they may read “house” instead of “horse”, or “cat” instead of the pseudoword “cag”. Children with this type of dyslexia can read familiar words, but they find it difficult to read unfamiliar words, long words, or pseudowords.
Surface
The disorder lies in visual processing, so they read using the phonological route. Children with this type won’t have problems reading regular words, but they will when reading irregular words, such as “yacht” or “colonel”. These children’s reading speed also decreases as word length increases, they make errors of omission, addition, or substitution of letters, and they often confuse homophones (for example, “there” and “their”).
Mixed or deep
Two reading processes are damaged: the phonological and the visual. This leads to semantic errors.
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How is dyslexia corrected? Is there treatment for dyslexia?
How can you help a person with dyslexia? How do you work with a child with dyslexia? These are common questions families ask once a diagnosis has been made. The child should begin therapy with a specialist aimed at improving their difficulties in learning to read and write. As part of the treatment, the therapist may consider it appropriate to carry out a cognitive stimulation program focused on areas of intervention that improve the specific learning difficulties inherent to the disorder.
Dyslexia as a barrier in childhood
Dyslexia affects between 10% and 15% of the population. However, the main problem with this disorder occurs in children (developmental dyslexia), since education is based on reading and writing, and that is precisely where these people have the greatest difficulties.
One of the main problems is that this disorder clashes with the education system, since all learning goes through the written word, so a child with dyslexia can’t fully take in the content because they are unable to find its meaning through reading.
Dyslexia is a disorder that is genetically transmitted and is based on difficulty learning to read and write. In addition, this disorder isn’t due to a low IQ or to visual or hearing problems; instead, it appears to originate in a neurodevelopmental alteration.
NeuronUP activities for working with users with dyslexia
At NeuronUP, we present a series of cognitive stimulation exercises for working on dyslexia that professionals can use in their sessions:
1. Making Words
What does it involve?
The child must select each letter in the right order to form a word.
What does this activity work on?
It works on vocabulary, hemineglect, and working memory.
Format
This worksheet is available in both digital and paper formats.
2. Visual Discrimination of a Real Word
What does it involve?
The goal of this exercise is for the child to identify, within a group of words, which one actually exists.
Which of the following words exists: “brade”, “brave”, “brane”, or “prave”?
What does this activity work on?
This activity works on discrimination.
Format
This worksheet is available in both digital and paper formats.
3. Discrimination of Words and Pseudowords
What does it involve?
In this case, the task is to identify a word or pseudoword within a set of them.
What does this activity work on?
It’s useful for working on selective attention and discrimination.
Format
This worksheet is available in both digital and paper formats.
4. Finding Letters in Words
What does it involve?
In this activity, you have to find the words that contain the indicated letters. It’s a useful exercise to help people with dyslexia start discriminating letters.
It has several difficulty levels, from easy to hard.
What does this activity work on?
It’s useful for working on selective attention.
Format
This worksheet is available in both digital and paper formats.
5. Correct Image Name
What does it involve?
As we can see in the image, the child with dyslexia has to identify the word that matches the picture shown.
What does this activity work on?
This activity works on discrimination.
Format
This worksheet is available in both digital and paper formats.
6. Word Scramble
What does it involve?
This activity involves putting the letters shown in order to form a word.
Can you see the word?
What does this activity work on?
It works on vocabulary and working memory.
Format
This worksheet is available in both digital and paper formats.
Treatment of dyslexia beyond NeuronUP’s cognitive stimulation activities
Once a child has been diagnosed with dyslexia, they can learn to read at a level appropriate for their age and intelligence. The treatment we can follow with these children is based on patience and willpower. We should also know the child’s strengths and highlight them, since they may also have emotional or self-esteem problems. Computers and new technologies are tools that can help us a great deal with these children.
On the other hand, we must keep in mind that these children need an individualized plan tailored to their characteristics and needs.
Frequently asked questions about dyslexia
1. What is dyslexia?
A specific learning disorder that makes word recognition difficult and causes slow reading and reduced comprehension. It isn’t due to a low IQ or to visual or hearing problems; its origin is related to a neurodevelopmental alteration.
2. What are the symptoms of dyslexia?
They include problems with laterality, altered spatial and temporal concepts, effortful reading with errors, confusing letters and words, reversing numbers, and difficulties with attention, short-term memory, organization, and sequencing. It can also affect motor skills, visual/auditory perception, and, in some cases, speech.
3. What types of dyslexia exist?
There is acquired dyslexia, caused by a brain injury, and developmental dyslexia, with no identifiable injury and the most common type at school. By symptoms: phonological (difficulty with unfamiliar words), surface (errors with irregular words), and mixed or deep (both the phonological and visual routes are impaired).
4. What is the treatment for dyslexia?
The approach combines specialized reading and writing intervention, cognitive stimulation programs, and school accommodations. An individualized plan, patience, and emotional support improve outcomes. Educational technologies help. Early detection is key to reducing the academic impact.
5. What exercises help with dyslexia?
Useful examples: forming words by ordering letters, discriminating real words from pseudowords, finding letters in words, and matching pictures with their names. These exercises work on vocabulary, discrimination, and selective attention, and they can be done in digital or paper format.
6. How does dyslexia affect childhood and school?
In childhood, dyslexia can lead to school failure because much of learning is based on reading and writing. With early support, appropriate therapy, and accommodations, children can reach a reading level in line with their age and intelligence.
If you liked this blog post about dyslexia and exercises for people with this specific learning disorder, you may also be interested in this information:
“This article has been translated. Link to the original article in Spanish:”
Dislexia: qué es, síntomas, tipos y ejercicios para personas con dislexia
Awareness of Deficits in the Recovery from Acquired Brain Injury
Our family suspects that there’s always been something different with one of my nieces and just yesterday, we all agreed that we should look into getting her an online dyslexia disorder screening program, to be sure. We do appreciate your info on how one particular type of learning disability called dyslexia is typified by sluggish, reluctant reading, poor reading comprehension, and trouble recognizing words. It’s just sad that roughly one in ten children are thought to be affected by this neurodevelopmental disease, which causes significant challenges in the classroom.