Table of contents
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a disorder that is primarily characterized by difficulties in developing reading, spelling, and writing skills. These difficulties relate to their accuracy, speed, or both, and vary depending on the orthography of the language.
Dyslexia definition
Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty characterized by problems reading and/or spelling words. These difficulties relate to their accuracy, agility, or both and vary depending on the spelling of the language.
These problems occur in a multivaried and continuous range of severity of their expression and persist despite the training that is effective for their peers.
The causes of dyslexia are complex and include combinations of genetic, neurobiological, and environmental factors that interact throughout development.
Difficulties in phonological and morphological processing are often encountered, but it is not universal. Secondary outcomes include reading comprehension problems and poor reading and writing experience, which hinder growth in language, writing skills, proficiency, and academic performance.
This may affect his psychological well-being and employment opportunities. While identification and targeted instruction are important at any age, supporting language and literacy in the early years of education is particularly effective.
How common is dyslexia?
According to the European Dyslexia Association (EDA), approximately 9–12% of the population has dyslexia, and approximately 2–4% of them have it to a severe degree.
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) estimates that 15–20% of the population experiences symptoms of dyslexia, such as difficulties with reading, spelling, and writing.
In the United States, 35% of students with learning disabilities have a learning disability. Of these students, 75-80% have difficulty reading.
Dyslexia indicators and support strategies by age
Look for patterns over time, not individual indicators. Indicators vary by age and person.
Early identification of dyslexia and appropriate intervention are crucial to a student's academic and emotional success.
3–6 years (preschool age)
This is the period of identifying early risk factors for dyslexia.
Main signs:
Language difficulties: difficulty perceiving and pronouncing sounds, rhythms (low level of phonological awareness).
Letter-sound association: Associating letter names with corresponding sounds develops slowly or presents a persistent difficulty.
Word processing: changing or distorting words during speech; develops with disruption of grammatical structure.
Teacher/specialist support:
Strengthening phonemic awareness: teaching through play (e.g. finding the sound in a word, rhyming games, counting syllables).
Multisensory stimulation: The integrated use of visual and auditory stimuli in the language learning process.
Early response: Identifying any persistent difficulties and collaborating with a speech therapist/speech and language therapist in a timely manner.
6–10 years (primary level)
At this stage, indicators are already directly reflected in reading and writing skills.
Main signs:
Reading: The reading process is slow and laborious; words are often changed, omitted, or added.
Spelling (orthography): a large number of spelling errors; phonetic difficulties (the writing does not correspond to the corresponding sounds of the word).
Motivation: Avoidance of reading/writing assignments, which is often caused by frustration.
Slow speed: Time management problems related to completing tasks.
Teacher support:
Structured approach: The repetitive use of small-scale tasks that focus on specific reading and writing skills.
Multisensory learning: Using methods based on the Orton-Gillingham principles.
Supporting self-esteem and motivation: focusing on the student's efforts, not just the outcome; helping them achieve goals and develop positive self-esteem.
11–16 years (middle and senior high school)
Difficulties at this stage mainly arise in academic requirements and organizational skills.
Main signs:
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Text comprehension: A slow and laborious reading process that makes it difficult to understand the content of complex and long educational texts.
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Written expression: Difficulty organizing written thoughts; problems writing structured essays and abstracts.
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Organizational skills: procrastinating tasks, time management problems, planning difficulties.
Teacher support:
Accommodations: Offering alternative assessment methods (presentation, oral response, project) to alleviate writing limitations.
Adaptation of resources: audio material, text outlines, visual aids.
Technological support: Encouraging the use of assistive technologies (AT), such as: text-to-speech, auto-correction tools.
Teamwork: Active collaboration with the parent, school psychologist, and other involved specialists to fully meet the student's needs.
General principles for specialists and parents
Observation and early response: Any persistent phonological or literacy difficulties should not be ignored. Early referral to a specialist is crucial.
Emotional support: It is important to recognize and encourage a child's efforts, not just the results. Emotional encouragement helps to increase self-esteem.
Team Collaboration: Successful intervention requires the collaboration of a multidisciplinary team that includes: parent, psychologist, speech therapist/language pathologist, and structured literacy specialist.
Causes of Dyslexia (How the Brain Learns to Read)
Modern neuroscientific research shows that in people with dyslexia, the brain networks responsible for processing speech sounds (phonemes), analyzing them, and associating sounds with letters function differently.
Of particular note are the regions of the left hemisphere that are involved in phonological processing, visual word recognition, and reading automation.
As a result, word decoding, reading accuracy, and speed are impaired. These difficulties often persist unless instruction is purposeful, structured, and systematic.
How the brain learns to read:
The ability to read is not innate. The brain learns to read gradually, through the development of specific cognitive and linguistic skills. Based on modern research, students need explicit, systematic, and consistent instruction to develop reading.
This implies:
Targeted development of phonological and phonemic skills;
Clear, step-by-step teaching of letter-sound connections; c
Or, again, guided practice;
Sensorily multifaceted approaches (use of visual, auditory, kinesthetic elements);
Regular monitoring of progress and adaptation of teaching.
Dyslexia does not disappear with age, however, with the right intervention, reading skills can be significantly improved and academic or emotional difficulties can be reduced.
Early identification and support for dyslexia
Early identification and timely intervention of dyslexia is the most effective way to prevent a student's academic success and the accompanying emotional difficulties. The earlier the intervention begins, the greater the chance of success.
1. The benefits of early intervention and the consequences of delay
Advantage - Harnessing Neuroplasticity The brain's neuroplasticity is high at an early age (ages 3 to 7). The areas of the brain involved in phonological processing and reading skills are most susceptible to correction during this period. Early, structured, and multisensory intervention creates a solid foundation for literacy.
Consequences of delay
Academic difficulty: The later the identification occurs (e.g., in 3rd or 4th grade), the greater the gap with peers. At this stage, overcoming becomes much more difficult and requires more time and resources.
Emotional damage: Repeated experiences of failure lead to high anxiety, low self-esteem, negative attitudes toward school, and behavioral problems (avoidance, disobedience), which block the learning process.
Dependence: At a later age, the child becomes accustomed to avoidance, compensation (e.g., reliance on oral speech), and has difficulty functioning fully.
2. Early signs in everyday life (preschool and 1st grade)
Parental awareness and caregiver/teacher observation play a crucial role in early detection.
Period and indicators (practical, recognizable signs)
Preschool age (3–6 years):
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Language games: Has difficulty distinguishing rhymes in nursery rhymes or saying rhyming words.
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Speech: Often distorts long words.
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Phonology: Cannot separate a word into individual sounds (although can say the word).
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Sequence: Has difficulty remembering songs, days, or names
Memorize in sequence.
Class I / Lower Level
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Beginning to read: Has difficulty learning letter sounds; reads slowly and with effort.
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Spelling: Memorizes a word once and makes a mistake the second time
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Vocabulary: Cannot memorize frequently used words automatically.
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Assignment: Avoiding written assignments, crying or complaining while reading.
3. The need for systemic intervention (screening and policy)
For effective early identification, it is necessary to involve all links in the system.
Education Policy and Screening
Pre-school screening: Education policies should ensure the establishment of a screening system in the preschool system (kindergartens) so that high-risk children can be identified before formal education.
Early assessment in school: Mandatory screening (such as the Maia Shashviashvili Checklist ) should be introduced at the lower levels of school (grades I-II), which provides the teacher with objective data.
Trained personnel
Educator: Preschool educators should be trained to identify early language and phonological risk factors and be able to conduct risk reduction activities.
Teacher: Classroom teachers should be familiar with structured literacy and individual adaptation methods in order to begin correction in a timely manner before involving a specialist.
Screeners: It is essential that schools have trained personnel (educational psychologists, special education teachers) who can accurately use screening tools and interpret the results.
4. Multidisciplinary support
Early support is only successful when the team
Works:
Special education teacher/speech therapist: Provides intensive, multisensory, and phonological intervention.
Educational Psychologist: Works on strengthening executive skills and emotional management.
Clinical Psychologist: Conducts diagnostics and manages accompanying emotional difficulties, if necessary.
Conclusion: Early detection of dyslexia in Georgia requires policy changes, trained staff, and increased parental awareness. With timely identification of risks and targeted intervention starting in the preschool period, it is possible to minimize future academic difficulties for students with dyslexia.
Indicators of dyslexia in adulthood
Reading and written language
Slow, laborious reading; need to reread the text
Difficulty organizing thoughts when writing, spelling errors when completing assignments, visual confusion of words
Support methods: multiple readings, audio support, text splitting
Support methods: multiple readings, audio support, text
Divide into parts
Oral/language skills
Difficulty remembering specific words (“I have them on the tip of my tongue”)
Hesitation, filler words, mixing up similar-sounding words
Difficulty communicating ideas coherently
Ways to support: oral assessment, visual stimuli, exercises for phonemes and word sounds
Memory / Information Processing / Attention
Difficulties with short-term and working memory, remembering instructions
Difficulty performing multi-step tasks, concentration problems
Ways to support: breaking tasks into stages, visual aids, checklists
Organization / Planning
Improper organization of tasks and files
Time management and deadline violations
Ways to support: work schedules, structured organizers, step-by-step tasks
Emotional/behavioral aspects
Stress, anxiety, low self-esteem
Overload, signs of fatigue
Strong compensatory strategies in other areas
Ways to support: positive reinforcement, stress reduction
Strategies, technological assistance (speech-to-text, audio)
Additional hints
Family history, school/university support
Learning foreign languages with difficulty
Sometimes difficulties only arise later.
Practical advice: Find out about your family history. If necessary, consult a neuropsychologist or dyslexia specialist.
Dyslexia screening and diagnosis
Screening
Dyslexia screening refers to short, reliable tests that are administered to all students, usually several times a year. The goal of screening is to identify the risk of dyslexia at an early stage so that the student can receive additional, targeted instruction in a timely manner.
Screening is not a diagnosis; it only shows who may be at risk and who needs more active support. If problems persist after screening, specialists (special education teacher, educational psychologist/psychologist, or dyslexia specialist) begin a full evaluation.
The ultimate goal of the dyslexia assessment process is to create an individual profile of the student that reflects their abilities, strengths, and support needs. Diagnosing dyslexia is a complex process and usually involves several specialists.
These are: psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, and specially qualified psychologists who are authorized to make diagnoses.
Dyslexia Screening and Assessment in Georgia
Screening and assessment of students with dyslexia in Georgia is currently not conducted in a school setting. This means that the process of identification and diagnosis requires the involvement of specialists outside the school.
The official conclusion on dyslexia is written by a neuropsychologist who assesses the cognitive, neuropsychological, and academic profile, while the diagnosis is written by a psychiatrist.
The role of the interdisciplinary team
Other leading specialists also actively participate in the full assessment and management of the condition, ensuring comprehensive and individually tailored support:
Psychologist: Provides emotional and behavioral skills management, works on self-esteem and motivation.
Special Education Teacher: Responsible for structured intervention in academic skills (reading and writing).
Speech therapist (logopedist): Works on the development of phonological awareness, language skills, and oral speech.
Teacher (classroom teacher): Ensures adaptation of the learning environment and implementation of recommendations in the classroom.
Occupational Therapist: Works on fine motor and sensory integration difficulties, if needed.
Such a multidisciplinary approach is essential for the success of a student with dyslexia.
What helps alleviate dyslexia?
Structured literacy
Structured literacy refers to the explicit, systematic, and cumulative teaching of the linguistic foundations of reading. This approach is beneficial for all students, and essential for students with dyslexia.
Orton-Gillingham approach
Orton-Gillingham (OG) is the gold standard for teaching reading and writing to people with dyslexia, based on a structured literacy methodology. It is not just a program, it is a flexible and scientifically sound system that is tailored to the individual needs of each student.
The Orton-Gillingham methodology ensures that reading and writing
To become not a stressful, but a thoughtful and automated process.
Helping a child with dyslexia
Daily reading aloud: Talk to your child about words and their meanings.
Short (5–10 minute) practice: Work on sound-letter connections, sound blending, and spelling patterns.
Audiobooks or text-to-speech apps: Use these to increase reading volume while your child develops skills. This helps deepen knowledge and enrich vocabulary.
Myths about dyslexia
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Myth: Individuals with dyslexia see and write letters and words backward.
Fact: Letter reversal is common among novice readers and is not, by itself, an absolute indicator of dyslexia. However, the persistence of these reversals beyond an age-appropriate stage may warrant further evaluation for dyslexia. -
Myth: Dyslexia is a visual impairment. It can be corrected through colored overlays, specialized lenses, or vision therapy.
Fact: Dyslexia is not a visual problem; it is a neurobiological, language-based learning disability. Consequently, it cannot be "treated" or remediated through vision-improvement therapies, colored lenses, or overlays. -
Myth: A diagnosis of dyslexia automatically qualifies a student for special education support via an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Fact: While some students with dyslexia meet the criteria for special education under the Specific Learning Disability (SLD) category, others may not. Regardless of eligibility, every student is entitled to high-quality universal, differentiated, and responsive instruction tailored to their needs. -
Myth: High academic achievement in school precludes the possibility of having dyslexia or associated symptoms.
Fact: Academic performance varies among students with dyslexia; some excel while others struggle. Successful students with dyslexia often achieve high results due to appropriate evidence-based instruction, accommodations, support, or the development of effective compensatory strategies. -
Myth: Individuals with dyslexia are incapable of learning to read.
Fact: Students with dyslexia can learn to read through comprehensive, evidence-based, and targeted instruction. However, achieving proficiency typically requires significantly more effort and time than for their neurotypical peers. -
Myth: All students with dyslexia have poor reading comprehension skills.
Fact: Many individuals with dyslexia possess strong reading comprehension abilities. However, their comprehension may be hindered by the cognitive load required for decoding, which depletes the mental resources available for meaning-making. -
Myth: Students with dyslexia would learn to read if they simply tried harder.
Fact: When students with dyslexia are successful in other academic areas, observers may mistakenly attribute their reading difficulties to a lack of effort. This is incorrect; the challenge lies in the brain's processing of language, not in the student's motivation. -
Myth: A student with dyslexia can never become a competent or functional reader.
Fact: Early identification followed by age-appropriate, evidence-based instruction can prevent or mitigate many reading difficulties associated with dyslexia. Research indicates that with the right intervention, the majority of reading challenges can be successfully remediated.
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