Dyslexia
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a language based learning disorder that used to be thought of as a visual system disorder. We know now that dyslexia is a problem in the language system of the brain, not the visual system. A child with dyslexia may say that a "D" is a "B" or may pronounce "was" as "saw". This is because the language associated with naming what they are seeing is the problem, not the way they are seeing. So when we think about dyslexia as a language based disorder that changes the way in how we address and treat the condition.
It is not uncommon to see a child that is very intelligent who also has a problem with reading. Dyslexia is not about thinking or cognitive skills but language skills. Many students with dyslexia are able to compensate for their reading weaknesses by using higher level thinking and reasoning. For many students dyslexia isn't identified until they are a little bit older. By that point, many of the teachers working with students in perhaps third or fourth grade are no longer equipped to teach reading. This is when students find themselves in a difficult situation. One of the best ways that we can help students is by having early identification programs. There are many ways that we can tell if a student has dyslexia or not as early as kindergarten.
Here is an article Dr. Chase wrote about Dyslexia and Resilience in Adults: A Psychologist’s Perspective
Here is an article Dr. Chase co authored about Transitioning from High School to College - International Dyslexia Association (dyslexiaida.org)