Reading Difficulties / Dyslexia
Children with reading disorders have difficulties with accuracy, speed, and/or comprehension to the extent that the impairment interferes with academic achievement or activities of daily life. People with reading disorders perform reading tasks well below the level one would expect on the basis of their general intelligence, educational opportunities, and physical health. Reading disorders are most commonly called dyslexia. Dyslexia, however, usually includes deficits in spelling and writing as well as reading.
Reading disorders can cause significant problems in reading, and consequently in academic work, educational opportunities, and motivation to learn to read. There is a significant gap between the expected level of performance and actual achievement. Difficulties in reading can occur on many levels, and reading disorders may have several causes that manifest in different ways. Common problems in people with reading disorder include:
- slow reading speed
- poor comprehension when reading material either aloud or silently
- omission of words while reading
- reversal of words or letters while reading
- difficulty decoding syllables or single words and associating them with specific sounds (phonics)
- limited sight word vocabulary