Understanding Dyslexia: The Different Types of Dyslexia

Over the past years, several advancements have been made in teaching the world about dyslexia and how it affects people with the condition and the people around them. However, for most people, there still seems to be a gap in understanding that not all dyslexic conditions are the same. If you were unaware of the different types of dyslexia, you are in luck because this article will discuss them.

Defining Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a condition that affects how individuals read, write, and sometimes spell because of how their brain processes letters and words. Contrary to popular belief, people with dyslexia are not less smart; rather, they just have a different way of thinking and processing information. As a result of how broad the condition is, there have been different ways to classify the condition, and that includes the causes of the condition. 

Causes Of Dyslexia

There are different types of dyslexia, which are classified based on two main categories: causes and symptoms.

Developmental Dyslexia

Developmental dyslexia, also known as primary dyslexia, is a type of dyslexia caused by genetic factors and present from birth. Individuals with a family history of dyslexia (e.g., a parent or sibling) are more likely to inherit the condition. 

This form is one of the most common forms of dyslexia, affecting up to 17% of the world's population. It impairs the brain’s ability to process language, particularly in reading and writing, and symptoms often become noticeable in early childhood. Most of these individuals often end up in special education, and as a result, 85% of children in special education have developmental dyslexia.

Acquired Dyslexia

Acquired dyslexia occurs as a result of an injury to the brain. Someone who might have grown up without dyslexia might end up acquiring the condition after being in an accident or experiencing a stroke.

Types of Dyslexia Based on Symptoms

The most common way to classify dyslexia is through he symptoms of the condition. The most common types of dyslexia based on this are:

Phonological Dyslexia

Individuals with phonological dyslexia struggle with phonemes, which affects their ability to rhyme. If an individual has phenological dyslexia, they often confuse words like "cap" and "cat" because they tend to guess words rather than read them.

Surface Dyslexia

If a person struggles with reading whole words and ends up reading slowly or stuttering, there is a huge chance that they have surface dyslexia.  People with surface dyslexia usually read words like "yacht," "colonel," or "knife” wrong due to how they are spelt.  The condition also affects how these individuals spell words when writing. 

Rapid Naming Dyslexia

Naming numbers or letters is a big problem for individuals with Rapid Naming dyslexia. The condition makes individuals struggle with naming individual numbers or letters. Naming a number or a letter may take over two seconds, which is not typical in normal people. As a result, reading fluency is affected.

Visual Dyslexia

Although rare, this is a serious type of dyslexia. Individuals with visual dyslexia struggle to visually process letters and numbers. For these individuals, words and numbers can appear blurred and jumbled up. In some cases, letters can appear as if they are moving. This makes it difficult for these individuals to read, as they end up skipping entire lines in passages. The symptoms of this condition are often confused with visual stress and Meares-Irlen syndrome, which often results in delayed diagnosis of the dyslexia.

Attentional Dyslexia

If you go through a traumatic brain injury or a stroke, there is a chance that you will experience attentional dyslexia. This is a form of dyslexia that occurs as a result of impaired spatial attention. People with attentional dyslexia may "migrate" words from their actual positions as they read. For example, individuals with attentional dyslexia can read the phrase "Post office" as "Office post."

Vowel Dyslexia

For most people, vowels are the simplest element when it comes to language, but the same cannot be said for people with vowel dyslexia. Individuals with this condition tend to struggle with reading verbs and often end up sounding the wrong vowel. An example is pronouncing "sit" instead of "sat." The condition makes it difficult for the brain to discriminate vowels, and in the end, reading can sound normal but is often inaccurate if vowels are involved.

Double Deficit Dyslexia

Double-Deficit Dyslexia is a combination of both Rapid Naming Dyslexia and Phonological Dyslexia. This means individuals with this form of dyslexia struggle to read whole words as well as name and identify individual letters. In the end, these individuals struggle to process and pronounce words. Cumulatively, this results in these individuals reading extremely slowly. Individuals who are regarded as the "worst readers" in academic or professional setups tend to be living with double-deficit dyslexia.

The Importance of Early Diagnosis and Support

Although the causes and symptoms of dyslexia tend to be broad, the condition as a whole, if not diagnosed and treated in time, can result in a lot of problems for individuals living with the condition. Some of the common problems that come with dyslexia include:

Academic Problems

Without adequate support, individuals with dyslexia often struggle academically. This is often but rather a lack of support to make their academic journey seamless. Since the curriculum is 85 percent text-based, it can be really difficult for dyslexic individuals to perform well academically without adequate support. The domino effect of low academic achievement is often dropouts and underemployment.

Social Issues

Beyond academic and professional problems, untreated and undiagnosed dyslexia often leads to complex social problems. From anxiety due to the fear of reading in public or performing other academic tasks to the depression that comes from often poor academic performance, social issues can mount pretty quickly for dyslexic individuals. Young dyslexic individuals also tend to self-isolate. Struggling to bring out words often makes conversations awkward, and in most cases, these individuals will end up rejecting their peers and spending time in solitude.This shows how important it is to take the dyslexia test in time and ensure that if the condition is there, it gets the attention it deserves in time. 

Conclusion

We can all agree that dyslexia is a serious problem. It is also important to get an early diagnosis and support for individuals with the condition. Nowadays, there are several treatments available as well as broad support options. With the availability of dyslexia schools now, the condition can be managed even better. If you have a child, or if you know anyone with dyslexia in Wisconsin, it is a good idea to check out dyslexia schools like Feller School.