Dyslexia is a chronic problem with reading. It is a very common learning difficulty, affecting a large percentage of those labeled “learning disabled.” People with a learning difference like dyslexia may have trouble with reading, writing, spelling, math, and sometimes, music.

Most people think dyslexia is a condition that involves reading from right to left and reversing words and letters. While some people with dyslexia do have these problems, they are not the most common or most important characteristics of dyslexia. Experts say dyslexia has little to do with recognizing the visual form of words; rather, the brains of people with dyslexia are wired differently, making it difficult for them to break the letters of written words into the distinct sounds (or phonemes) of their language, a capability called phonological awareness.

Dyslexia can occur at any level of intellectual ability. Sometimes children with dyslexia appear to their teachers and parents to lack motivation or not to be trying hard enough. Dyslexia may be accompanied by — but is not a result of — lack of motivation, emotional or behavioral problems, and sensory impairment.

A more positive view of dyslexia describes people with dyslexia as visual, multidimensional thinkers who are intuitive, highly creative, and excel at hands-on learning. Many people with dyslexia shine in the arts, creativity, design, computing, and lateral thinking.