Abstract
Dyslexia is a neuro-developmental disorder characterized by difficulties in learning to read despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence and a balanced sociocultural background. Dyslexia is the most common type of learning disorder. Reading difficulties affect a child’s academic achievement. As primary eye care practitioners, optometrists have a role in attending to patients who may present with symptoms indicative of dyslexia, therefore an understanding of dyslexia will be beneficial to the optometrist. This paper presents an overview of dyslexia and discusses its prevalence, aetiology, classifications, neural pathways involved in reading, theories, neuro-imaging techniques and management options. The role of optometry in the multidisciplinary management of dyslexia is discussed. (S Afr Optom 2011 70(2) 89-98)
Highlights
Brief Historical PerspectiveSome children find it difficult to learn to read despite having normal intelligence, appropriate educational opportunities and absence of emotional disorders
This paper provides an overview of the basic concepts of dyslexia and discusses the prevalence, etiology, classifications, neural pathways involved in reading, components of reading, imaging techniques in dyslexia, social and emotional consequences of dyslexia as well the management options
Dyslexia is heterogeneous in nature[9, 37] and there is no single pattern of difficulty that affects all people, and not every symptom of dysfunction is found in every dyslexic child
Summary
Some children find it difficult to learn to read despite having normal intelligence, appropriate educational opportunities and absence of emotional disorders These children have a reading age that is two or more years behind their chronological age and have dyslexia. The term dyslexia is used synonymously as developmental dyslexia and as specific reading disability (specific indicating that development is normal except for reading)[1,2,3]. It is derived from the Greek words: ‘dys’ meaning hard or difficult and ‘lexia’ from the word ‘lexicos’ which means pertaining to words; so dyslexia means a difficulty with words[4]. As cited by Cardinal et al[8], Samuel Orton, (a neuro-psychiatrist) in 1927, theorized that the lack of development of cerebral dominance lead to a ‘directional confusion’ example, “d” instead of “b” and introduced the a BSc(Hons)Optom OD(Benin) MOptom(UKZN) PGCertMod L/Vision(City Univ London) b BSc BOptom(UDW) MPH(Temple) OD(PCO) PhD(UNSW)
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