Causes and Characteristics of Dyslexia (Essay Sample)

Introduction
Literacy is a major competency necessary for the proper participation in the modern life. It is a prerequisite for the achievement of various qualifications that includes both the generic and specific (Snowling et al., 72). Conceivably, it underpins the accessibility of learners to all areas of learning across the entire curriculum. There exist groups of students who experience long persistent difficulties in literacy. This condition is referred to as "dyslexia." No universal definition of the condition exists across the English speaking countries. However, according to the working definition of 2003, it refers to neurobiological specific learning disability that is characterized by difficulty with the accurate and fluent recognition of words and underdeveloped spelling and decoding abilities. The term dyslexia has brought about numerous confusion and misunderstanding. It commonly used by a number of health specialist, researchers, and the public (Snowling et al., 72).
Identification of dyslexic conditions of individual can help them understand their ability and experiences toward learning. However, this particular identification does not provide the required direction on the best way to help, support, and teach the individuals in this group how to read and write. Notably for this reason, educationists have avoided the use of the term in educational contexts with other terms such as "learning difficulty" and "specific learning disability" adopted.
Literature review
The term ‘dyslexia’ was first used in the year 1887 to refer to a condition of a young boy who experienced multiple difficulties in learning how to read and write, despite of depicting the physical and intellectual abilities (Fletcher-Campbell 40). The studies on dyslexia throughout the 20th century were built on the notion that dyslexia was supported by visual deficits that involved backward and upside down reading of words. However, during the 1970s, researchers suggested that this condition originated from the manner in which phonological form of speech is processed. Recent studies that uses modern imaging techniques reveals the differences in the manner in which the brain of the "dyslexic" person operates (Snowling et al., 78). Despite a century of the research, this condition has formed one of the controversial debates in the fields of psychology, education, and developmental neurology (Fletcher-Campbell 40). The contention and the controversy hereby emerges from the insufficient and varying definition of dyslexia and theories that surround its causes, characteristics and various its subtypes (Snowling et al., 78).
The condition is widely accepted, as the specific learning disability that has its own biological features, differentiating it from all other sorts of learning disabilities. It is the most common learning disability problem and studies estimates it affecting about 2 to 20 percent of the population of the world (Fletcher-Campbell 40).
Causes and characteristics of Dyslexia
The definitions of dyslexia vary considerably internationally between nations and organizations with contention on its causes and characteristics. However, there exists consensus between the definitions in the belief that it unexpected difficulty experienced in learning how to read and right. According Snowling et al.,(p72), individuals with dyslexia will display characteristic not limited to difficulty in:
* formation of letters
* naming of letters
* associating sounds with symbols
* spelling and writing
* following instruction
* expression ideas in writing
Characteristics of dyslexia vary great between individuals. Notably and not all the individuals will have these difficulties.
Summary
Reading is the main gateway to learning. Understanding ability and the proper use of written language forms a...