Definition

Developmental dyslexia is a specific difficulty in reading and writing in children with normal mental development. They are caused by disorders of certain cognitive and motor functions and their integration, conditioned by abnormal functioning of the nervous system.

Terminology

The term “developmental dyslexia” is most commonly used to describe a syndrome of specific learning difficulties in reading and writing.

  • DYSLEXIA – specific difficulties in reading;
  • DYSORTOGRAPHY – specific difficulties in mastering correct spelling (including spelling errors);
  • DYSGRAPHIA – a low graphic level of writing;

Causes of developmental dyslexia

Dysfunction of perceptual-motor functions (visual perception, auditory perception, motor skills) and their interaction (perceptual-motor integration), language functions, memory (visual, auditory, motor), lateralisation, orientation in body scheme and space.

Symptoms of developmental dyslexia

Specific difficulties in reading and writing do not become apparent until school, while symptoms that characterise so-called children at risk of dyslexia can already be observed in the pre-school period.

  • delayed speech development,
  • poor dexterity and coordination of movements during motor play, self-care, drawing and writing (ugly handwriting),
  • defective pronunciation, difficulties in pronouncing complex words, grammatical errors,
  • difficulties in differentiating similar sounds and in separating syllables, sounds from words and their synthesis,
  • difficulties with jigsaw puzzles and reproduction of graphic patterns,
  • ambidextrousness,
  • confusion of the right and left hand,
  • reading difficulties despite good intelligence and lack of environmental and educational neglect,
  • difficulties in learning to spell correctly: mirror image writing, confusion of letters similar in shape (p-b-d-g), letters corresponding to phonetically similar sounds, omission of letters,
  • spelling mistakes despite knowing the rules of spelling.

Sources:

  1. Bogdanowicz M., O dysleksji, czyli specyficznych trudnościach w czytaniu i pisaniu. Odpowiedzi na pytania rodziców i nauczycieli. Lubin 1994
  2. Borkowska A., Domańska Ł., Neuropsychologia kliniczna dziecka, Wyd. Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2006
  3. Brejnak W., Dysleksja, Wyd. Lekarskie PZWL, Warszawa 2003
  4. Klim-Klimaszewska A., Praca z dzieckiem ryzyka dysleksji i dysgrafii, Wyd. Erica, 2015
  5. Krasowicz-Kupis G, Psychologia dysleksji, Wyd. Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 2013
  6. http://www.ptd.edu.pl/
Take a dyslexia test