Dyslexia is a life-long learning difficulty. The term ‘dyslexia’ is Greek for ‘difficulty with words’ and about 10% of the population are affected to varying degrees. It often runs in families but is not linked to intelligence. People with dyslexia have difficulty processing word sounds and the effects can be seen in spelling, writing, short-term memory and organisation. Dyslexia varies in severity and will often be found alongside other specific learning difficulties, such as dyspraxia, ADHD or dyscalculia. The degree to which dyslexia causes problems for a person depends on many factors, including the severity of the dyslexia and the kind of support and teaching they may have received. The negative effects can be minimised by targeted literacy teaching, technological support and adaptations to the mainstream ways of working and learning. The earlier someone is diagnosed, the better, so that teaching and learning methods can be adapted to suit. Independent boarding schools that are specialist dyslexia schools have a lot of success with helping pupils learn to cope with dyslexia. The reason for this is that the pupils are in a regimented routine, receive a good diet and have the specialist attention of specifically trained teachers.This can be true of both independent schools and state schools. The wider community often see dyslexia as a negative but there is evidence that many dyslexics often make up for their difficulties by developing other talents such as visual creativity. This can lead to fields of work such as artists, architects, inventors, engineers and performers.
Children with dyslexia have said: ‘Being dyslexic is good because your brain can be wired up in a different and brilliant way,’ and ‘Being dyslexic has made me think more, so I love taking things apart and seeing how they work.’ In some ways it can be seen as a gift but in others it is of course a hindrance. However, it need not prevent high achievement and indeed many famous people are dyslexic such as Jamie Oliver, Richard Branson, Orlando Bloom and Albert Einstein.
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