According to the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), “Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”

In the words of the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, “Dyslexia is an unexpected difficulty in learning to read. Dyslexia takes away an individual’s ability to read quickly and automatically, and to retrieve spoken words easily, but it does not dampen one’s creativity and ingenuity.”

In simpler terms, dyslexia is a matter of difference in brain structure. The different structure of a dyslexic brain makes it difficult for that brain to match sounds to their appropriate symbols (phonemic awareness) and decode words. Therefore, reading is done with huge difficulty, as the words are barely recognizable. However, one of the large identifiers of dyslexia is that although reading comes slowly and with great difficulty, the individual is of otherwise average or even above average intelligence. People with dyslexia are often great creative thinkers as their everyday life requires them to continuously problem-solve in a way others do not have to. Dyslexia affects 1 in 5 people in the world- about 20% of our population. Among this 20% are famous intellectuals such as Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison, successful entrepreneurs like Richard Branson and Walt Disney, and famous actors and actresses such as  Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston. Other difficulties such as trouble with spelling, comprehension, dysgraphia (writing), dyscalculia (math), and ADHD often go hand in hand with dyslexia. Dyslexia cannot be “cured”- it is lifelong; however, with early identification and the correct tools and supports, people with dyslexia can become very successful students and adults.