Dyslexia is not just a literacy deficit but also affects learner’s personality, motivation and cognitive strength. Here are some everyday skills and activities a child (and even adults) may be struggle with:

Social skills: Because of the drawbacks of a reading-based education system, children with dyslexia often feel inferior to their classmates. They may suffer from anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, frustration, demotivation, and would be less willing to mix up with their peers. Boys also tend to be more hyperactive and less ‘in control’.

Listening comprehension: Children with dyslexia have trouble discerning background noise and find it harder to concentrate in class. They also get distracted easily.

Memory: The struggle with reading occupies so much of their effort that they often struggle with retaining the information they have read. Short attention-spans means this also translates into their daily life like remembering instructions from adults etc.

Navigation: Children with dyslexia may struggle with spatial concepts such as “left” and “right.” This can lead to fears about getting lost in school hallways and other familiar places. Using a buddy system can help with transitioning from class to class.

Time management: Dyslexia can make it hard to tell time or stick to a schedule. A cell phone alarm, picture schedule and other prompts can help keep kids (and adults) on track.

Other Struggles: Adults with dyslexia have issues with finance management. In stressful situations, their coping mechanisms may not work and they could struggle to keep up with their peers. People with dyslexia are also often unorganized with messy hand-writing, messy workplaces, messy bag-packs etc. They may also suffer from discrimination and bullying.

They can, they just learn to read at a slower pace than an average person.

It is a life-long condition.

There are tests that can now successfully diagnose a child as early as 3 years.

There can be several causes for a child’s difficulties such as another LD, or lack of social opportunity, or hostile environment, or on auditory/visual impairment, or learning in a second language, or a mix of these.

Dyslexics can actually learn to be highly proficient readers and writers. There are several successful dyslexic authors. 90% of children with dyslexia can be treated to gain full literacy.

Only if untreated. Dyslexics have a lot to offer if they are given an opportunity.