They were all intelligent and creative people who had dyslexia.  The word dyslexia derives from the Greek, meaning difficulty with words.  Some have referred to it as “word blindness” but in fact the difficulty is not blindness but rather inability, or pronounced difficulty, in learning to read or spell despite normal intellectual function.   Some experts believe that this condition may result from neurological, maturational and genetic causes.  Some consider this a chronic neurological disorder that inhibits a person’s ability to recognize and process graphic symbols, especially letters.  It is an impairment in the brain’s ability to translate the visual images into understandable language.  It does not result from vision or hearing problems and is clearly not due to a lack of intelligence. 

  There are several different types of dyslexia that can affect a child’s ability to spell as well as read.  “Traumatic dyslexia” may result from brain trauma.  “Primary dyslexia” seems to be hereditary and is estimated to be about three times more common in boys than in girls during the early school years.  A third type of dyslexia is referred to as “secondary or developmental dyslexia” and some experts believe that this may be the result of some hormonal/developmental influence.  It tends to diminish as the child matures and this type is also more common in boys. 

  Dyslexia is not only the result of dysfunction of the visual system as it may also affect the auditory system involving difficulty with sounds, letters or groups of letters.  The sounds may be perceived as jumbled or not heard correctly.

  Early diagnosis is important so that specialized help can enable your child to adapt solutions to this problem.  Classroom teachers may not be able to definitively determine whether a child has dyslexia as it can often go undetected in early grades of school but sometimes teachers are the first to notice some of the warning signs.  Number or letter reversal is not an absolute sign of dyslexia as it may normally occur up to about the age of seven.  A child may become especially frustrated when trying to read or spell and may also show signs of depression or low self-esteem.  Behavior problems at home, as well as at school, are not uncommon.  Further, the child may become unmotivated and develop a dislike for reading.  In some schools music and dance are often used to enhance learning and it has been noted that some children with dyslexia have difficulty moving to the rhythm of music.  These children often demonstrate a special ability with something of a technical nature and may well excel in creative activities such as drawing, painting and music.  Only a minority of people with dyslexia remain non-readers into adulthood.  They often continue to have difficulty with reading and spelling throughout their lifetime but they frequently perform above average on nonverbal tests of intelligence.  This condition is best treated by a sustained course of proper instruction in reading.  Consult your pediatrician or family practitioner if your child demonstrates signs that suggest dyslexia.