What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, spelling, and decoding abilities. Individuals with dyslexia typically have trouble with reading despite having normal intelligence and adequate educational opportunities. Dyslexia is a neurobiological condition that affects the way the brain processes written and sometimes spoken language. It can manifest differently in different individuals, but common symptoms include difficulty with phonological awareness (recognizing and manipulating the sounds in language), decoding words, reading fluently, spelling, and sometimes, writing.

While dyslexia is a lifelong condition, early identification and intervention can greatly improve outcomes for individuals with dyslexia, allowing them to develop strategies to compensate for their difficulties and succeed academically and professionally.

Imposter Syndrome & Dyslexia

Imposter syndrome is a psychological pattern where individuals doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent fear of being exposed as a "fraud," despite evidence of their competence. People experiencing imposter syndrome often attribute their success to luck or external factors rather than their own abilities. This can lead to feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, and a reluctance to take on new challenges.

Some individuals with dyslexia may develop imposter syndrome as a result of struggling with academic or professional tasks related to reading and writing.

Examples:

  • Feeling inadequate compared to peers

  • Attribute your accomplishments to luck rather than your own abilities

Building self-awareness, practicing self-compassion, and developing coping strategies can help individuals navigate these challenges more effectively.

WHAT IS A LEARNING DISABILITY/DIFFERENCE? 

A learning disability (LD) is defined as a lifelong neurological disorder that makes learning difficult in the areas of reading, writing, mathematics, fine motor skills, social cues and/or gestures. Most people with a LD tend to have an average or above average intelligence quotient (IQ) (Albrecht, 2006).

WHAT IS SPECIFIC LEARNING DISORDER (SLD)?

“Difficulties learning and using academic skills, as indicated by the presence of at least one of the following symptoms that have persisted for at least 6 months, despite the provision of interventions that target those difficulties” (DSM-5) (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013).

  1. Inaccurate or slow and effortful word reading

  2. Difficulty understanding the meaning of what is read

  3. Difficulties with spelling

  4. Difficulties with written expression

  5. Difficulties mastering number sense, number facts, or calculation

  6. Difficulties with mathematical reasoning 

HOW COMMON ARE LEARNING DISABILITIES? 

Common! In the United States 1 in 5 individuals have a learning disability (Twenty-Ninth Annual Report to Congress, U.S. Department of Education, 2010).

SPECIFIC LEARNING DISORDER CAN BE SHOWN IN...

  1. Reading (Dyslexia)

  2. Writing (Dysgraphia)

  3. Spelling

  4. Math (Dyscalculia)

  5. Auditory Processing

  6. Visual Processing

  7. Sensory-Motor

  8. Social

 

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