What is Dyslexia and How Common is It?

​Dyslexia is a neurologically based learning difference that presents a range of word recognition weaknesses that causes reading, spelling, and, in some cases, comprehension challenges. Around 85% of Learning Disabled students have dyslexia, but many have never received proper evaluations or diagnoses. Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence; people with dyslexia are often highly intelligent. Some of the most innovated and talented people in history had dyslexia. 

​Dyslexia is the most common reading disability affecting up to 1 in 5 people or 20% of the community (Yale et al, 2013).
Dyslexia crosses racial, ethnic and socioeconomic lines, with expert instruction and accommodations every dyslexic student can become a skilled reader, fully participate in their education and successfully achieve their potential.

However, as New York state is one of only twenty states to lack literacy laws, the science has not made it into teacher training colleges. Therefore, we can expect to see more of this:
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• 3 out of 4 people on welfare cannot read (National Assessment of Adult Literacy) 
 
• 70-85% of people in prison cannot read (National Assessment of Adult Literacy) 

• 45% of people in prison have dyslexia (Moody, 2000)
• 89% of suicide notes left by youths when studied were found to have a disproportionate amount of dyslexia-type spelling mistakes (Learning disabilities and Adolescent Suicide, 1997) 

• 85% of children classified with Learning Disorders (LD) actually have dyslexia (Yale, 2000) 

• 80% of dyslexia is genetically inherited
• Students with learning disabilities including dyslexia have a three times higher risk of attempting suicide (Journal of Learning Disabilities, 2006) 


By Kelli sandman-Hurley

By Margie B. Gillis, EdD

The Emotional Impact of Untreated Dyslexia

One of the most painful facts about untreated dyslexia is how it affects children's self-esteem and confidence. However, as so few teachers are trained (or worse trained in whole-language "guess" the word programs), most children with dyslexia are left frustrated, lost, and traumatized.

One high-schooler receiving remediation for the first time in his life said, "why didn't they just teach me these sounds and how to decode?"

​Children with untreated dyslexia may be erroneously diagnosed with ADHD, ADD or behavioral issues. Please note, medication will not help a dyslexic child learn the skills needed to read and successfully participate in their education.
All children benefit from phonological training, and structured literacy.

Famous People with Dyslexia

People with dyslexia often see things more holistically. They miss the trees but see the forest.  
“It’s as if people with dyslexia tend to use a wide-angle lens to take in the world, while others tend to use a telephoto, each is best at revealing different kinds of detail.”
Matthew H. Schneps, Harvard University

Dyslexic people excel at global visual processing and the detection of impossible figures. Dyslexic scientist Christopher Tonkin described his unusual sensitivity to “things out of place.” Scientists in his line of work must make sense of enormous quantities of visual data and accurately find black hole anomalies. There are so many dyslexic people in the field of astrophysics that it prompted research at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Findings confirmed that those with dyslexia are better at identifying and memorizing complex images.
Nessy.com

Steven Spielberg Talks About Dyslexia 

Sir Richard Branson on Dyslexia

Ameer Baraka

A vivid, instructive and true to life account of a young man’s descent into the criminal life in New Orleans. 
(New 2018 Revised Edition Now Available)

(Life with untreated dyslexia)

Ameer Baraka’s “The Life I Chose…The Streets Lied to Me”, is a vivid, instructive and true to life account of a young man’s descent into the criminal life in New Orleans and his ascent to become a successful actor, producer and mentor to youth in the city. The Life I Chose…The Streets Lied to Me,” includes interesting and compelling material regarding the temptations and “traps” of growing up poor, Black and illiterate in the streets of New Orleans, including a murder of another youth and a long prison sentence.
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