Describe Dyslexia

Dyslexia is widely recognised as being a specific learning disability that may affect individuals in areas such as reading, writing, spelling, speech, mathematics and organization skills, as well as many others. However, dyslexia does not imply low intelligence or poor educational potential, and it is also independent of race and social background. It is believed that around 10% of the population are affected by dyslexia with 4% to a significant extent. It is a lifelong condition which will vary amongst individuals, yet most people affected by dyslexia become sophisticated readers and very successful. The fact that Lucy has been detected of dyslexia now means she will be able to get the support she requires. However, as well as the advantages

The dyslexia label brings the disability into focus, and even at times when it is not necessary to be highlighted. This can allow Self-stigma to occur. This is when an individual internalizes negative stereotypes, fixating on the diagnosis and therefore neglecting any positive or exceptional qualities or skills they also have. This focus on the disability may make Lucy feel that there is something wrong with her or that she is different, hindering her performance rather than allowing aid for improvements.

Also by giving one-dimensional labels to individuals may result in disregarding personal differences and strengths. Although dyslexia is a very different experience for each individual and varies in severity, when given a diagnostic label (such as dyslexia) all of those who share the title are often considered to be the same or of the same ability. This can be very degrading as it is far from the

Heward, (2003) found that students who have been in special education for a long period of time tend to suffer from issues with self esteem and thus perform below their ability. This creates a situation where the student approaches tasks with a negative attitude that they cannot do it, when they are in fact more than capable. Which again then prevents any further progress.

There is no question that there is a need to identify and label those who have dyslexia in order to give them the educational and emotional tools they need to succeed. Yet it is also evident that it is highly important to acquire the diagnosis as early as early as possible. Marder (1992) discovered that children with learning disabilities are less likely than their peers to enroll in programs of higher education or complete high school. Early identification of predictors of reading disability in pre-reading children offers a chance to eliminate these significant personal and social costs. Parents and teachers can escape the negative consequences that a label may sometimes bring by taking a few proactive steps to minimize the chance of these problems