What Is Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty with a neurological basis — not a lack of effort, not low intelligence. It affects the ability to decode written words due to differences in phonological processing. It’s present in an estimated 5–17% of the population, depending on the criteria used.
Myths about dyslexia
Signs by age group
In children (school age)
- •Difficulty learning the names and sounds of letters
- •Trouble rhyming words or identifying starting/ending sounds
- •Slow reading with frequent errors and no fluency
- •Mixing up similar letters (b/d, p/q, m/n)
- •Difficulty copying from the board or spelling
- •Avoids reading out loud
- •Good oral vocabulary but much weaker written performance
- •Oral learning far outpaces written learning
In adults
- •Slow reading that requires a lot of effort
- •Spelling difficulty (relies on spellcheck)
- •Confusing similar-looking words while reading
- •Difficulty remembering sequences (calendar, months)
- •Preference for oral communication over writing
- •A school history of "learning difficulty" without a diagnosis
Support strategies
Speech-language intervention
A phonological awareness program (structured phonics) — explicit training in grapheme-phoneme correspondence. Strong evidence when started early. Also effective in adults with adequate intensity.
School accommodations
Extra time on tests, oral assessments, digitized text, reading aloud by a third party. Education laws and regulations in many countries guarantee accommodations for students with a documented diagnosis.
Assistive technology
Text-to-speech (having the device read aloud), dictating instead of writing, audiobooks. Tools that work around the difficulty and provide access to content.
Emotional support
Years of undiagnosed dyslexia often build an internal narrative of being "dumb" or incapable. A diagnosis reframes that story. Therapy (CBT or an integrative approach) for low self-esteem is frequently part of treatment.
Balanced Mind · App
Support for neurodiversity
Mood tracking, an emotional journal and AI support for hard days. Built for people with ADHD and anxiety — which frequently coexist with dyslexia.
Open Balanced MindFrequently asked questions
How is dyslexia diagnosed?
A multidisciplinary evaluation: a speech-language pathologist (phonological awareness, auditory processing, reading and writing), a neuropsychologist (attention, memory, executive function, IQ) and sometimes a developmental pediatrician or neurologist. There’s no blood test or brain scan for diagnosis — it’s a functional diagnosis, based on standardized reading and writing assessments compared to what’s expected for the person’s age.
Are dyslexia and ADHD the same thing?
No — but they coexist in up to 40–50% of cases. Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty in phonological processing and reading. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects attention, impulsivity and executive function. The combination creates a bigger challenge: a learning difficulty on top of difficulty sustaining focus and effort. Diagnosis should evaluate both.
Can an adult have dyslexia without knowing it?
Yes — it’s very common. People who grew up being called lazy, slow or not very smart may have undiagnosed dyslexia. Clues: disproportionate effort for reading, reliance on audio, consistently difficult spelling, a history of school struggles. An adult diagnosis allows for workplace accommodations and a reframing of one’s life story.
Is dyslexia related to bilingualism?
No — bilingualism doesn’t cause dyslexia. Bilingual children may show slightly different early reading development (more time to consolidate two phonological systems), but that isn’t dyslexia. Dyslexia shows up in both languages — if present, the phonological difficulty appears in each one.