October is Dyslexia awareness month. There are many misconceptions about this disorder. According to the National Institute of Dyslexia Awareness “[Dyslexia] is characterized by difficulties with accurate and / or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”
Dyslexia may stem from a problem in the brain that filters sounds. The perception of speech comes from two linguistic systems. The phonetic system, which computes distinct units of sounds from speech and the phonological system which combines these units to form specific words.
Research is saying that low phonemic awareness may be to blame for Dyslexia. Phonemic awareness is a subset of phonological awareness in which listeners are able to hear, identify and manipulate phonemes, the smallest units of sound that can differentiate meaning. Separating the spoken word “cat” into three distinct phonemes, /k/, /æ/, and /t/, requires phonemic awareness.
Individuals who have Dyslexia are often characterized by having great strengths in other areas such as math, fine arts, journalism, and many other fields. Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci and Winston Churchill are some great thinkers who were all known to have had Dyslexia.
If you find that your child is struggling with phonemic awareness, set up an appointment with us. http://www.learninglabchicago.
References:
http://www.foxnews.com/health/
http://nild.org/october-is-
