ORLANDO, Fla. – Whoopi Goldberg … Tom Cruise … Jennifer Aniston … what do these celebrities have in common? Yes, they all make millions on the big screen, but all three also have dyslexia.
It’s estimated that one in 10 people have dyslexia. It’s a learning impairment that causes problems with reading, writing, and spelling.
The intelligence of dyslexic people is unaffected. The misunderstanding of the condition leads often leads to stigma. The month of October is Dyslexia Awareness Month and it aims to bring more understanding and awareness about it.
“It’s actually the way that the neural pathways of the brain are wired for reading,” Cherrie Langston, an administrator/principal at Park School in Orlando, Florida said.
Scientists now know more than ever about dyslexia. But there are still a lot of misconceptions about this common learning difference.
“I think some people, have a belief that dyslexia has to do with vision, that they see things upside down or reversed. That is true, but it’s not a vision issue. It’s the way the brain is wired,” she said.
So how much do you know about it? Is reading and writing letters backwards the main sign of dyslexia? Some kids with dyslexia do write letters backwards, while some don’t.
And dyslexia doesn’t go away, even when kids learn to read.
“Even after you have intervention, you will always be dyslexic,” Langston said.
Most children with dyslexia are also diagnosed with ADHD. But did you know there are dyslexia advantages?
“They are wonderful storytellers, oral storytellers, they are creative, artistic, and dyslexics make amazing entrepreneurs,” she said.
Experts say it takes 3-4 years of intervention to see a difference in most people.