Dyslexia is a specific learning disability in reading. Kids with dyslexia have trouble reading accurately and fluently. They may also have trouble with reading comprehension, spelling, and writing.
According to the International Dyslexia Association, 15-20% of the population has a language-based learning disability. Dyslexia is the most common cause of reading, writing, and spelling difficulties. Dyslexia affects males and females nearly equally as well as people from different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds nearly equally.
Dyslexia is hereditary, it runs in the family. Dyslexia is not something that is caused by bad parenting, lack of access to reading materials, or because a child is lazy or not trying. Dyslexia is not due to either lack of intelligence or desire to learn. The exact cause of dyslexia is not completely clear, but anatomical and brain imagery studies show differences in the way the brain of a person with dyslexia develops and functions. With proper identification, appropriate instruction, hard work, and support, individuals who have dyslexia can learn to read accurately and fluently and lead a successful life.
Each year across Canada and all over the world, monuments and buildings are lit up red, schools and workplaces wear red, and cities/towns sign declarations to officially name the month of October as Dyslexia Awareness Month.
Reference: Dyslexia Canada. (2021). https://www.dyslexiacanada.org/