Neuroscience of Dyslexia
Many times people with dyslexia mix up their left and right sides. This is why “b” and “d” can be confusing. Sometimes, “up” and “down” can be obscured too. Rooms, lockers, and cars are unusually messy. The affects of dyslexia are unknown in the area of science. Many dyslexics were scientists, and as of now, no conclusive evidence has been found showing that dyslexia negatively affects the brain in the realm of science. Math can sometimes be challenging to dyslexics. Numbers can be blurred, and are ambiguous. They may have trouble with complex algorithms, or equations. The word dyslexia comes from the Greek. “Dys” means bad, or hard, “lexia” – words. Cognitive abilities are least impaired with early detection and response. Kids that are recognized as dyslexics between kindergarten and first grade have a significantly higher chance of learning how to read more easily. 70% of readers that had problems in 3rd grade are still poor readers in 9th grade. Sometimes they remain this way their whole life. While dyslexia is neurobiological, it is also genetic. Thus, they may have it if one of their parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles has it. There is no cure for dyslexia, as it isn’t a disease. It’s a different way of looking at, and seeing, words and letters. The mind of a dyslexic is mostly the same as a non-dyslexic physically. There are often nerve cells in unusual parts of the cerebral neocortex. These clusters of “ectopic neurons” are produced during gestation. The only difference in neural activity is the amount of work needed for a dyslexic to interpret letters and words, and to differentiate them. 15-20% of the population has some kind of language-based learning disability. Dyslexia is a very common learning disorder, but not an insurmountable one.
Works Cited
"Neuroscience for Kids-In the News."
"Dyslexia - Is It All In Your Mind?"