• Question: WHAT IS DYSLEXIA IS IT A ILLNESS

    Asked by bmw325 to Daniel, Derek, Ian, Phil, Upul on 17 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Philip Wadler

      Philip Wadler answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      Sorry, not my area of expertise.

    • Photo: Derek Mann

      Derek Mann answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      I am not an expert by any means but dyslexia (from the greek language meaning “difficulty with words”) is not an illness.Traditionally dyslexia is viewed by society to be a learning difficulty specifically associated with literacy and language skills. People with dyslexia have problems with reading, spelling and sometimes with organisation of thoughts and ideas. However, they also have strengths, for example dyslexics tend to be bright, innovative, good at problem solving and can “think outside the box”. So dyslexia is certainly not an illness and instead should be considered part of the broad spectrum of the ways in which the human mind works. Furthermore with improved understanding of dyslexia there are now excellent educational methods to enable the dyslexic to overcome the difficulties with reading and spelling that used to make life more difficult.

    • Photo: Ian Sillett

      Ian Sillett answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      I don’t really know if it’s an illness, it’s just something you can have. I know a few people with dyslexia and it hasn’t stopped them getting on with their lives and acheiving loads.

    • Photo: Daniel Mietchen

      Daniel Mietchen answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      It means difficulties with reading that go beyond the usual range (and last longer).

      To me, conditions like this (I wouldn’t call it an illness) are of interest because understanding them (or a subset thereof) better usually means understanding a bit more about human evolution (and possibly vice versa).

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