What is dyslexia?

The word 'dyslexia' comes from Greek and means 'difficulty with words'. It isn't a single medical condition. The causes of the communication difficulties experienced by people with dyslexia are varied and often hard to identify or poorly understood. The condition includes a range of learning difficulties, where a person of normal intelligence has persistent and significant problems with one or more of reading, writing, spelling and sometimes mathematics and musical notation These difficulties arise because of issues with the way the brain processes the information it receives, rather than issues with vision or hearing.

What are the symptoms?

There's a huge range of symptoms and every person with dyslexia has slightly different ones, which can make the condition difficult to define. It's usually diagnosed when a child's reading and writing development isn't keeping pace with their level of intelligence.

What difficulties does it cause?

Possible difficulties caused by dyslexia include:

• Hesitant or slow reading and writing
• Misreading, which makes understanding difficult
• Putting letters and figures the wrong way round
• Difficulty with sequences
• Poor organisation or time management
• Erratic spelling
• Poor memory and concentration
• Difficulty organising thoughts clearly
• Poor self-image

Who's affected?

Up to ten per cent of the UK population have dyslexia. It tends to run in families and it's estimated three to four times as many boys as girls have the condition.

What's the treatment?

It's not possible to prevent dyslexia but early recognition can help. With proper diagnosis and tailored educational methods, people with dyslexia can achieve their full academic potential and go on to enjoy successful careers. Diet and practical strategies (such as using spectacles with coloured lenses) can also help.

Here is an example of the many ways a dyslexic person could read the word 'CAT'.