If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with dyslexia, we understand you may have questions. Because individuals with dyslexia may have a harder time reading and processing visual information, patients sometimes wonder how dyslexia and the eyes relate. It often manifests itself at an early age, which may present a need for a different learning style when it comes to reading, writing and pronunciation. Approximately 5-10 percent of people are diagnosed with dyslexia. Fortunately, individuals with dyslexia can work with health care providers and behavioral specialists to manage any challenges that may arise.
The Nature of Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a neural
condition that inhibits the brain’s ability to distinguish or match
words, letters and sounds from or with one another. Dyslexia is not linked to
eye health. Dyslexia is often labeled as a learning disability, as it may lead
to additional challenges with learning and development. Children with dyslexia
may feel more easily overwhelmed in educational environments. But you can help
them by learning how to spot early signs and providing them with the support
they need. Some of the symptoms include:
Learning Disabilities
One of the most common things to keep an eye on is your child’s pace with reading and writing. If your child seems to be having a harder time with language arts, it’s possible they may have dyslexia. Because of how dyslexia affects the brain, they may need extra support as they learn to distinguish or process different letters and word sounds. For instance, they may be able to learn one part of a word and not another. Individuals with dyslexia may also experience the feeling of letters floating on a page or may see or write words and letters backwards. This is a language decoding sensation that will likely be temporary. However, a child who receives extra learning support from a professional should be able to manage or overcome many of these challenges.
Early Childhood Development
Individuals with dyslexia may also experience a different timeline with common developmental markers, like walking, talking or even riding a bike.
Memory and Concentration
People with dyslexia may also have a difficult time remembering what they’ve learned. Sometimes, this may look like learning to spell or pronounce a word correctly and having a harder time repeating that task. Individuals with dyslexia are also more likely to have difficulty concentrating and may also be evaluated for conditions like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Coordination
People with dyslexia may have difficulty with understanding directions (i.e. telling left from right) and may have struggles with hand-eye coordination activities.
Eye Conditions and Dyslexia
While a special prescription will not help the person with dyslexia, they may need one anyway. Dyslexia and vision problems can often coexist, so if you find that your child needs extra support with learning, glasses could help. However, if your child begins to exhibit any of the above-mentioned signs, you should also consider getting them tested for dyslexia and other learning disabilities.
While we at Vision Corner don’t diagnose dyslexia or do dyslexia tests, we’d be happy to help you or your child find the right vision correction prescription for you!
Source: https://www.piedmonteye.com/
What Is Dyslexia, and How Does It Relate to the Eyes?