14 Dyslexia Myths and Facts

Dyslexia Myths

As a dyslexia specialist, I often hear people share common myths about dyslexia, believing them to be true. Misconceptions may be widespread, but knowledge is power! It’s time to clear things up and debunk these myths.

So let’s shed light on the truth about what dyslexia is, and just as importantly, what it is not. 

By spreading awareness and facts, we can help create a more accurate and informed understanding of what dyslexia is, and in turn, better support our kids and students!

❌ Myth: People with dyslexia will never read well. 

✅ Truth: Many people with dyslexia become confident, proficient readers. 

Although dyslexia is a lifelong condition, with the right support and research-backed structured literacy interventions, many people with dyslexia become very proficient readers! 

This myth is listed first because everyone needs to know that dyslexic people are able and capable of achieving incredible things!

Research supports this, and I’ve personally worked with dyslexic students and have seen extraordinary progress first-hand.

❌ Myth: Dyslexia isn’t real.

✅ Truth: Dyslexia was first described over 120 years ago. Over the last few decades, the field of neuroscience has revolutionized our understanding of how the dyslexic brain works.

There is no doubt that dyslexia exists, and leading scientific organizations recognize dyslexia as a real and significant learning disability, including:

• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
• National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
• The World Health Organization (WHO)
• Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA)
• American Psychiatric Association (APA)

❌ Myth: Dyslexics see and write letters backwards. 

✅ Truth: Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability, but it’s often confused with visual processing issues.

There is no evidence to support that people with dyslexia actually see letters and words backwards. The truth is that dyslexics have difficulties attaching the names or labels to letters or words. 

So a dyslexic person may read ‘saw’ as ‘was,’ not because he sees it backwards, but because of the weaknesses he has in phonological processing, sequencing, and decoding.

Because dyslexia is not a visual issue, vision therapy is not a science-supported treatment of dyslexia. Of course, a child’s vision should always be checked if vision issues are a concern.

❌ Myth: Dyslexia can only be confirmed by a healthcare practitioner.

✅ Truth: Dyslexia is a learning disability, not a medical disease. It requires a clinical diagnosis.

Dyslexia can be indicated by using a language processing evaluation administered by a trained and qualified professional who has a deep understanding of dyslexia, usually a psychologist, speech pathologist, or literacy specialist. 

Learn more about who can make a diagnosis of dyslexia.

❌ Myth: Kids with good grades can’t be dyslexic.

✅ Truth: Many students with dyslexia achieve good grades.

This is a myth that I myself once believed. As a public school teacher, I sat in many child study meetings, looked at a child’s good grades, and disregarded the symptoms. 

But I’ve learned that many students with dyslexia get good grades, and there are a lot of reasons why this may be:

• Kids can develop coping strategies to deal with their struggles, like guessing a word based on context. Grades wouldn’t reflect that they were making educated guesses. 
• Grades may not reflect the enormous amount of effort a student might exert in order to achieve them. 
• Many kids may learn how to compensate for their weaknesses and work extra hard at non-reading tasks, so their grades might balance out. 
• Kids may also have innate strengths in certain tasks, earning them high grades that outweigh lower grades in tasks they struggle with. 

❌ Myth: Kids grow out of their reading problems. Give them time.

✅ Truth: Kids who struggle need immediate intervention. 

The Connecticut Longitudinal Study found that three out of four students who read poorly in third grade continue to have reading problems in high school and beyond. 

Reading intervention studies have shown that the longer you wait to intervene, the larger the gap will become. So a wait-and-see approach is actually a wait-to-fail approach.

Dr. Shaywitz says “[t]here is no question that early intervention and treatment bring about more positive change at a faster pace than an intervention provided to an older child.” 

❌ Myth: All kids who struggle with reading have dyslexia.

✅ Truth: Dyslexia is NOT the only cause of reading difficulties. 

There can be many reasons for a child’s struggles, including limited exposure, an inconsistent learning environment, chronic absenteeism, difficulties with attention, and cognitive or developmental delays. 

While these are possible causes to consider, they should not be used as reasons to avoid screening or providing research-backed intervention.

Sources:

• ​Dyslexia Myths that Confuse Parents
• Who Is Qualified to Make a Dyslexia Diagnosis?
• Dyslexia Is Not Tied to IQ​
• ​About K-2 Assessments​
• Preventing Reading Difficulties
• Interview with Stephen Speilberg
• Overcoming Dyslexia by Dr. Sally Shaywitz
• It’s a Myth that Young Children Cannot be Screened for Dyslexia