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Whatis your purpose at UWC and what are you contributing towards inclusion ?

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Are you a bystander or an upstander ?

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Some Famous People with Autism -  Inspiring Success Stories -  The Disorders Care

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Celebrities open up about ADHD and how it led to success | Banfield

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The Power Of Dyslexia about Famous Dyslexics

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Autism Spectrum: Atypical Minds in a Stereotypical World

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ADHD from Childhood to Adulthood [Symptoms and Traits]

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Dyslexia: Reading, Writing and Spelling Problems

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Overall summary and different grade examples

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Dyslexia is a learning disability in reading. People with dyslexia have trouble reading at a good pace and without mistakes. They may also have a hard time with reading comprehension, spelling, and writing. But these challenges aren't a problem with intelligence.

Snapshot: What dyslexia is

Dyslexia is a common condition that makes it hard to work with language. Some experts believe that between 5 and 10 percent of people have it. Others say as many as 17 percent of people show signs of reading challenges.

People with dyslexia don't outgrow it. But there are teaching approaches and strategies that can help them improve their reading skills and manage the challenges. People of any age can be tested for dyslexia, although the tests are different for adults than for kids.

People with dyslexia typically have trouble reading fluently. They often read slowly and make mistakes. That can impact how well they comprehend what they read. But when other people read to them, they often have no problem understanding the text.

Dyslexia can create difficulty with other skills, too. These include:

It's important to know that while dyslexia impacts learning, it's not a problem of intelligence. People with dyslexia are just as smart as their peers. There are countless stories about people thriving with dyslexia, including actors, entrepreneurs, and elected officials.

Dyslexia signs and symptoms

Dyslexia impacts people in different ways. So, symptoms might not look the same from one person to another.

A key sign of dyslexia is trouble decoding words. This is the ability to match letters to sounds. Kids can also struggle with a more basic skill called phonemic awareness. This is the ability to recognize the sounds in words. Trouble with phonemic awareness can show up as early as preschool.

In some people, dyslexia isn't picked up until later on, when they have trouble with more complex skills. These can include grammar, reading comprehension, reading fluency, sentence structure, and more in-depth writing.

Some of the signs of dyslexia have to do with emotions and behavior. People with dyslexia might avoid reading, both out loud and to themselves. They may even get anxious or frustrated when reading. This can happen even after they've mastered the basics of reading.

Dyslexia doesn't just affect learning. It can also impact everyday skills and activities. These include social interaction, memory, and dealing with stress.

Possible causes of dyslexia

Researchers haven't yet pinpointed exactly what causes dyslexia. But they do know that genes and brain differences play a role. Here are some of the possible causes of dyslexia:

Genes and heredity: Dyslexia often runs in families. About 40 percent of siblings of people with dyslexia also struggle with reading. As many as 49 percent of parents of kids with dyslexia have it, too. Scientists have also found genes linked to problems with reading and processing language.

Brain anatomy and activity: Brain imaging studies have shown brain differences between people with and without dyslexia. These differences happen in areas of the brain involved with key reading skills. Those skills are knowing how sounds are represented in words, and recognizing what written words look like.

But the brain can change. Studies show that brain activity in people with dyslexia changes after they get proper instruction or tutoring. And scientists are learning more all the time.

How dyslexia is diagnosed

Having a diagnosis (schools call it an identification) can lead to supports and services at school, and accommodations at college and work.

There are a few types of professionals who can assess people for dyslexia. These include school psychologists, clinical psychologists, and neuropsychologists. An evaluator will give a series of tests for dyslexia. They'll test in other areas as well to see exactly where any weaknesses and strengths lie.

School evaluations are free. But private ones can be very expensive. In some cases, there are ways to get them for free or at a low cost. Local universities often have programs in psychology that have clinics where students do their training.

Teaching hospitals may have research projects where people can get evaluations for free. Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) has local chapters in every state. They may be able to help with finding free or low-cost options.

About the author

About the author

The Understood Team is made up of passionate writers and editors. Many of them have kids who learn and think differently.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Guinevere Eden, PhD is a professor at Georgetown University and director of its Center for the Study of Learning.

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Understood.org is the resource that helps the 70 million people with learning and thinking differences anticipate the challenges, barriers, or opportunities in life and confidently reach their potential.

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Deep dive

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ADHD is a common condition that makes it hard to focus, keep still, and think before acting. Some people with ADHD mainly have trouble with focus. (This is also known as ADD.) ADHD can also impact other skills, including managing emotions.

It's not clear exactly how many people in the United States have ADHD. But estimates are between 5 and 11 percent.

ADHD doesn't just go away as people get older. Most of the time, hyperactivity and impulsivity lessen or disappear by the teen years or a little longer. But trouble with focus usually continues. Some people aren't diagnosed with ADHD until after high school or as adults.

No matter when people are diagnosed with ADHD, there are treatments that can make symptoms more manageable. And there are supports that can make things easier at school and at work.

People with ADHD have trouble with executive function, which is the "management system" of the brain. Because of that, people with ADHD often struggle with:

Managing time

Getting and staying organized

Setting priorities

Planning

Managing emotions

Paying attention and remembering things

Shifting focus from one thing to another

Getting started on and finishing tasks

Thinking before saying or doing things

There's one confusing sign of ADHD. People who have trouble focusing most of the time can often "hyperfocus" on tasks or activities they find really interesting.

Signs of ADHD can pop up at any age. Kids can show signs as young as preschool. But many don't show signs until later on, as school gets harder and they have more to juggle. Some people don't realize that what they experience is ADHD until they're in college or working.

The research shows that brain development is very similar. But the areas involved in executive function take longer to develop in people with ADHD. That's why kids with ADHD may act one to three years younger than other kids their age. Research also shows some differences in how the brain functions.

These differences have nothing to do with intelligence. People with ADHD are just as smart as people who don't have it.

Researchers are also looking at the role of genetics. ADHD tends to run in families. A child with ADHD has a one in four chance of having at least one parent who has it. And there's a strong likelihood that another close family member also has ADHD.

There are no tests for ADHD. Instead, evaluators use a variety of tools to determine if a child has ADHD. One is a questionnaire about behavior. Another is a clinical interview.

Here are some types of professionals who may diagnose ADHD:

General health care providers, including pediatricians

Psychiatrists

Developmental pediatricians

Neuropsychologists

Psychiatric nurse practitioners

Clinical psychologists

There are a few types of treatment for ADHD. They include:

Behavior therapy: This type of therapy involves creating a rewards system for changing a child's behavior. It's different from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps people look at their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and make positive changes. CBT may be helpful to some people with ADHD, but it's not a treatment for ADHD.

Alternative treatments: There's no shortage of companies that claim to have an all-natural fix to ADHD. Most have no evidence to back up their claims. Learn more about alternative treatments for ADHD.

ADHD doesn't go away. But with the right treatments and supports in school, at home, and at work, people with ADHD can thrive.

Understood is not affiliated with any pharmaceutical company.

Key takeaways

ADHD is a biological condition that can impact focus, organization, and self-control.

ADHD is not a problem of laziness or willpower.

With the right support, people with ADHD can thrive.

About the author

About the author

The Understood Team is made up of passionate writers and editors. Many of them have kids who learn and think differently.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Thomas E. Brown, PhD has written many books on ADHD, including "Smart but Stuck: Emotions in Teens and Adults with ADHD." He's the director of the Brown Clinic for Attention and Related Disorders.

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What is ADHD? Use this ADHD guide to understand attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and how people with ADHD (or ADD) can thrive.

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Deep dive

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Dyscalculia is a math learning disability that makes it hard to make sense of and work with numbers. Read about what dyscalculia means, symptoms, and how to help.

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At a glance

Dysgraphia refers to a challenge with writing.

It impacts skills like handwriting, typing, and spelling.

There are many ways people with dysgraphia can improve their writing skills.

Dysgraphia is a term that refers to trouble with writing. Many experts view dysgraphia as challenges with a set of skills known as transcription. These skills - handwriting, typing, and spelling - allow us to produce writing.

Trouble expressing your thoughts in writing isn't formally recognized as part of dysgraphia. That's a learning disability known as written expression disorder. But when people struggle with transcription, it can get in the way of thinking about ideas and how to convey them.

For example, people with dysgraphia may write more slowly than others. That can affect how well they express themselves in writing. Plus, they tend to have trouble with spelling because it's hard for them to form letters when they write.

Dysgraphia isn't a matter of intelligence. The challenges are often caused by trouble with motor skills. Those skills can improve with help. And people with dysgraphia may also be eligible to use accommodations at work or at school.

About the author

About the author

The Understood Team is made up of passionate writers and editors. Many of them have kids who learn and think differently.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Charles A. MacArthur, PhD is a professor emeritus of special education. He researches writing instruction, self-regulated strategies, and assistive technology.

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Dysgraphia is a writing challenge that affects skills like handwriting, typing, and spelling. It's not technically a learning disability, but it can affect learning.

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Something to really think about ... Must watch 

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Something to really think about ... Must watch 

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So… what is ableism? Ableism is the discrimination of and social prejudice against people with disabilities based on the belief that typical abilities are superior. At its heart, ableism is rooted in the assumption that disabled people require 'fixing' and defines people by their disability

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Dyspraxia refers to lifelong trouble motor skills, balance, and coordination. Get basic information on dyspraxia signs, treatment, and diagnosis.

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Dyslexia

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ADHD

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OCD

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What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

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Tourette Syndrome: What Makes People Tic?

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ADHD

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ADHD + Dyslexia + Dysgraphia

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ADHD

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ADHD

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ADHD

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Boy with neurological disorder battles bullying

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Destiny Discover | Follett School Solutions | School Picker

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Search your school’s books, eBooks and digital resources in one easy place with Destiny Discover.