8 Dyslexia Awareness Week Facts

The World Dyslexia Week is being celebrated from 3rd – 9th October in 2022 with the objective to spread awareness and help others to develop their understanding of dyslexia with the theme of the year being Breaking through Barriers

 
While a lot of uncertainty continues to surround dyslexia, here are some facts that you can share with your students to help them gain a better understanding.

1.  Dyslexia is a learning difficulty which primarily affects reading and writing skills. However, dyslexia can have an affect on areas such as coordination, organisation and memory.[1]
   
   Watch this helpful animation created by British Dyslexia Association seeks to preempt misconceptions among young audiences by shedding light on the real challenges dyslexic children face whilst also acknowledging their strengths and potential.
2. Dyslexia is estimated to affect up to 9-12% of the population, therefore understanding it can be very helpful to students.[2]
3. Dyslexia is not a disease so there is no cure. It’s a learning disability that includes difficulty in the use/processing of linguistic and symbolic codes, alphabetic letters representing speech sounds or number and quantities. However, with early screening, early diagnosis, early evidence-based reading intervention and appropriate accommodations, dyslexic individuals can become highly successful students and adults.[3]
4. It’s a common myth that Dyslexic people read words or letters backwards. This is in fact not the case, and writing letters backwards is quite common amongst all young children when learning to read and write.[4]
5. People with dyslexia are usually more creative and have a higher level of intelligence.[5]
6. Many famous faces are dyslexic such as Richard Branson, Jennifer Aniston, Orlando Bloom, Tom Cruise, John Lennon, and Walt Disney. Despite being dyslexic, they learned to overcome their struggles and harness their strength. [6]
7. Historical figures and famous artists were also known to be dyslexic such as Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, and Leonardo da Vinci.[6]
8. Over 50% of NASA employees are dyslexics. Dyslexics are deliberately sought after because they have superb problem-solving skills and excellent 3D/spatial awareness.[7]

 
CES Holdings offers various resources designed to help understand and support the difficulties associated with dyslexia. Get in touch with our team to discover the available resources in this range.

References:

 
1. British Dyslexia Association "What is Dyslexia". https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/dyslexia 

2. European Dyslexia Association - "No matter which country – No matter which language – Dyslexia is everywhere." https://eda-info.eu/what-is-dyslexia/ 

3. Dyslexia Center of Utah. "Facts About Dyslexia." Dyslexia Center of Utah. Accessed April 28, 2014

4. Yale Center of Dyslexia and Creativity. "Do children with dyslexia see and write letters and words backwards?."

5.Dyslexia Center of Utah. "Facts About Dyslexia." Dyslexia Center of Utah. Accessed April 28, 2014.

6. Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity. "Famous Dyslexic".7. Mary-Margaret Scholtens, director of the Alternative Programs Providing Learning Experiences (APPLE) Group