Adult Dyslexia

For people living with learning disabilities even the smallest task can often seem insurmountable. Just imagine trying to go into a grocery store and picking up the things you need to create a recipe. If you have adult dyslexia then even making that list can seem impossible.

Far too often children with dyslexia are simply passed through school until they graduate, or at least that was what happened in the past. Teachers would often find the children difficult and would simply put them in a remedial class. Those children grew up and still had the same learning disability.

Dyslexia is a very common learning disability and one that is not solely reserved just for children. Adults all across the world suffer from this condition and many do not get the help that they need. This article will cover many of the questions that adult dyslexia diagnosis brings up. If you know of someone that is suffering from this disability, maybe you can help them get the help they need.

Are there any underlying causes to adult dyslexia?

There are sometimes underlying causes to adult dyslexia but it is hard to determine, sometimes, whether the cause is truly underlying or if it is simply overlapping or contributory. Auditory processing disorder is one such case where people hear things in reverse which in turn can lead to them writing it down or processing it wrong. Another condition might be Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, where it is hard for the person to concentrate on one thing long enough for the information to be processed. There are even conditions, such as scotopic sensitivity syndrome, or Irlen syndrome, where a person is sensitive to certain light wavelengths. This sensitivity makes visually processing difficult for the person.

What are some theories of dyslexia?

There are many theories regarding adult dyslexia or dyslexia in general. Some of these are: evolutionary hypothesis, phonological deficit theory, visual theory, cerebellar theory and rapid auditory processing theory. Evolutionary hypothesis is actually quite interesting. The theory suggests that the reason some people are dyslexic is because reading is an "unnatural act" because it is only in the last 100 years that reading has become so important. The idea is that it does not come naturally to people and individuals are forced to learn to read even though the body truly does not have a physical use for it. The Phonological deficit theory is one that relies upon the fact that there may be impairment when it comes to listening. The storage area of the brain does not process sounds quite the same way that others perceive and retrieve it. In contrast is the visual theory which means that a visual distortion or impairment makes it hard for the individual to process letters or words when it is written. The cerebellar theory is an actual biological theory that the cerebellum is dysfunctional. The rapid auditory processing theory is similar to the phonological deficit theory except that this theory deals with short sounds that may occur rapidly.

Who are some early pioneers in discovering and researching adult dyslexia and dyslexia in general?

There have been many great early researchers, doctors and scientists that have studied dyslexia. Oswald Berkhan identified the condition back in 1881 but the disorder was not officially labeled as dyslexia until Rudolf Berlin did so in 1887. For many years dyslexia was labeled as congenital word blindness because there was such a fixation on individuals who were unable to comprehend written material. It was thought that the brain simply processed the information wrong and so when writing or reciting the information back, many words were omitted or simply switched around. In some instances of adult dyslexia that is the case. Since those early pioneers many other researchers have studied this disorder and discovered that it is more than just phonetics or alphabets that can have dyslexics stumped. Some, such as Galaburda and Kemper in 1979, discovered that the brains of dyslexics actually have anatomical differences. This helped show the world that it was not simply poor learning skills. It showed that there are actual physical differences that lead a person to being dyslexic.

Is adult dyslexia a genetic condition?

Adult dyslexia does have some genetic markers that can be identified. But in 2007 a review was published that stated that there were no processes that were influenced by these genes. Unfortunately there is simply not enough data to accurately say whether or not dyslexia, in adults or children, is actually a genetic condition that can be inherited. It may turn out to be that there is just something that goes wrong during conception when the genetic material is formed that makes dyslexia possible.

Dyslexia screening is sometimes administered in school settings for children who seem to be struggling with reading, writing and spelling. However, there are few standardized tests that are used across the United States that definitively identify children with this learning disability. In some circles, the existence of dyslexia in adults may even be debated, just as ADHD in adults is often down-played. Unfortunately, this in-fighting between departments has left many children and adults confused, downtrodden and unable to reach their full potential without a helping hand. Hopefully, new dyslexia tests that rely on brain scans can open the doorway to understanding.

In "Advances in early years screening for dyslexia in the United Kingdom" (2007), researchers discuss the dyslexia early screening test (DEST) and the cognitive profiling system (CoPS 1), which are both approved for use in the United States as well. By administering these dyslexia screening tests early, it's believed that at-risk students can be identified before they even fail, thereby decreasing the possibility that these kids will develop emotional, behavioral and motivational issues. A number of educators who teach adults and children with learning disabilities say these two tests are the best options we have today, as long as they're administered.

"Dyslexia is not a matter of low intelligence. It is mainly caused genetically, as twin-studies have shown," says Arndt Wilcke, scientist at Leipzig, Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology. He says that 1 in 4 German school children suffer with dyslexia signs and that they're "trying to find out which genes cause the disease." They propose that embryonic nerve cells may not migrate to the right places during development, thereby causing the confusion. Currently, researchers in Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the US are racing to see who will first identify those specific genes that are associated with reading difficulties.

Critics argue that dyslexia screening is largely subjective and that it's futile to distinguish "adults with dyslexia" from "adults who have difficulty reading." They add that saddling someone with "an adult learning disability" can actually further hinder their development or expose them to discrimination. However, researchers have also found that a number of individuals flourish once they learn about other adult learning styles that they may benefit from. Perhaps some of the biological arguments for dyslexia will settle the score once and for all.

Nowadays, a dyslexia test can be taken online which is a big time and money saver. Within 30 Minutes you'll have the test results.