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Understanding Dyslexia: Myths, Realities, and How We Can Help

By Christina Maurer-Smolder


Dyslexia. For many, it’s a mystery—some strange condition that makes letters move about on a page. Others think it’s a myth. But for those who have it, dyslexia can feel like a curse, not because of the condition itself, but because of how little people understand it (4).



What many don’t realise is that dyslexia affects about 15% of the population (1,5), yet many people go undiagnosed (2). I saw this firsthand with my son. When he was little, I was told he couldn’t have dyslexia because he didn’t reverse letters. Years later, as a university learning adviser, I meet mature-age students who have struggled with reading their whole lives—never realising they might have a learning disability until adulthood, when their effort simply doesn’t seem to pay off the way it does for others.


Download the infographic HERE.
Download the infographic HERE.

Why Does Dyslexia Go Unnoticed?


There are at least two reasons.


  1. Until recently, we couldn’t "see" dyslexia in the brain. For years, struggling readers were labelled as lazy, unmotivated, or just not that bright (7,8). Despite decades of research, there is still very little awareness in schools and the general public.


  2. It doesn’t make sense to those who don’t experience it. I couldn’t understand why two of my bright, imaginative sons struggled to learn a simple word, while my other son picked up reading as easily as breathing. It was baffling. But now we know why.


The Science of Dyslexia


Dyslexia isn’t about seeing letters differently—it’s about how the brain processes language. One of the biggest challenges? Breaking words into sounds (phonemic awareness)(5,6,9). If a child can’t connect letters to their sounds, spelling and reading become a guessing game (3). This happens because certain areas of the brain responsible for sound processing don’t function as efficiently.


The good news? With the right teaching strategies, people with dyslexia can learn to read.


How We Can Help


For young children, early intervention is key:


✔ Teaching phonics explicitly (how sounds match letters)

✔ Helping them break words into sounds and blend them together


For all students, support should also focus on strategies such as:


✔ Breaking down vocabulary

✔ Discussing topics before reading to activate background knowledge

✔ Learning how different text types are organised

✔ Using active reading strategies like questioning and predicting


Resources for Teachers


Want to learn more? These resources can help:


📌 Free micro-credential on teaching phonics:➡️ University of Adelaide – Teaching Phonics

📌 Guidelines for teaching students in Years 4–12:➡️ Scammacca et al. (2007) – Interventions for Adolescent Struggling Readers

📌 Applying active reading strategies to reading a science article:➡️ Sun (2020) – Active vs. Passive Reading


The more we understand dyslexia, the better we can support students at every age. Spread the word!

 

References


  1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association.

  2. Maurer-Smolder, C., Hunt, S., & Parker, S. B. (2021). An exploratory study of students with dyslexia in a mixed online and on-campus environment at an Australian regional university. Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, 26(2), 127–151. https://doi.org/10.1080/19404158.2021.1991406

  3. McCandliss, B. D., & Noble, K. G. (2003). The development of reading impairment: A cognitive neuroscience model. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 9(3), 196–204. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrdd.10080

  4. Peltier, T. K., Heddy, B. C., & Peltier, C. (2020). Using conceptual change theory to help preservice teachers understand dyslexia. Annals of dyslexia, 70(1), 62–78. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11881-020-00192-z

  5. Peterson, R. L., & Pennington, B. F. (2012). Developmental dyslexia. The Lancet, 379(9830), 1997-2007.

  6. Richlan, F., Kronbichler, M., & Wimmer, H. (2009). Functional abnormalities in the dyslexic brain: A quantitative meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies. Human Brain Mapping, 30(10), 3299-3308.  https://doi.org/ 10.1002/hbm.20752  

  7. Shaywitz, S.  (2003). Overcoming dyslexia. Random House.

  8. Tanner, K. (2009). Adult dyslexia and the ‘conundrum of failure’. Disability & Society, 24(6), 785-797. https://doi.org.au/10.1080/09687590903160274

  9. Wagner, R. K. & Torgeson, J. K. (1987). The nature of phonological processing and its causal role in the acquisition of reading skills. Psychological Bulletin, 101(2), 192–212. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.101.2.192 

 

Download the infographic here:



 
 
 

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