When your child struggles with reading and spelling, terms like “visual dyslexia” may come up in discussions. This term, although not officially recognized by dyslexia authorities, describes challenges in visual processing that can make reading difficult. Understanding what visual dyslexia means, its implications, and how to support your child can provide clarity and direction in addressing their reading difficulties.
What is Dyslexia?
According to the International Dyslexia Association, dyslexia is:
“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”
Dyslexia manifests differently in each person and can range from mild to severe. While some children might struggle significantly with reading and spelling despite extensive teaching, others might be misidentified as “careless” spellers or “reluctant” readers. The term “visual dyslexia” has been used to describe those who struggle more with the visual aspects of reading, although this is not a formally recognized subtype.
While vision issues can certainly affect a child’s reading development, dyslexia is not a vision problem. So the term “visual dyslexia” is not really an accurate one.
Are There Different Types of Dyslexia?
The International Dyslexia Association and other experts emphasize that dyslexia is not a vision problem. Dyslexia is primarily related to difficulties in phonological processing—how the brain processes sounds in language. However, terms like “visual dyslexia” and “phonological dyslexia” have gained traction among some professionals as descriptive tools to discuss the different ways dyslexia can present.
- Phonological Dyslexia: Refers to difficulties with the sound structure of words. Children with this profile might struggle with tasks like rhyming or breaking down words into their constituent sounds. They might say “pasketti” for “spaghetti” or have trouble matching letters to their corresponding sounds.
- Visual Dyslexia (Surface Dyslexia or Dyseidetic Dyslexia): Describes difficulties with the visual recognition and memory of words. Children may read and spell words inaccurately despite having relatively intact phonological processing skills.
What is Visual Dyslexia?
Visual dyslexia, also referred to as surface dyslexia or dyseidetic dyslexia, involves difficulties in recognizing whole words by sight. This term suggests that a child can struggle with reading due to problems with visual processing rather than phonological processing. However, these distinctions are not officially endorsed as subtypes by major dyslexia organizations.
Visual Dyslexia Characteristics:
- Difficulty remembering how words look, leading to errors in reading and spelling. Sometimes students try to rely on visual memory alone and scramble the order of the letters in a word. (wsa for was, tghrou for through)
- Challenges in recognizing familiar words by sight. Students might mix up similar-looking words.
- Reliance on sounding out words rather than recognizing them instantly. Students might sound out the same word over and over again on a single page.
What is Irlen Syndrome?
Another visual issue that is often confused with dyslexia is Irlen Syndrome. The creators of Irlen Syndrome claim that sufferers have a “visual or perceptual processing” disorder that causes letters to appear to jump around on the page or appear blurry. While some people do report an improvement in symptoms when using Irlen’s colored plastic overlays, research does not support this as an approach that improves reading.
Along similar lines, some students who struggle in school are referred for vision therapy. In vision therapy sessions, students complete exercises designed to strengthen their eyes and improve the coordination of their movements. Vision issues of this type can co-occur with dyslexia, but they are not the same. Vision-based approaches alone will not fix dyslexia.
Are there other types of dyslexia?
While there are not clear cut “types” of dyslexia, students can have varying degrees of need in different skills. They are similar, the same way a pink striped sock and a pink polka dot sock are similar. They might both match your sweater and be made of wool. That doesn’t mean they’re a perfect match! While every child learns to read well in the same way, the experiences children have had before that point mean that every child’s dyslexia can look different.
Some people with dyslexia mainly have weaknesses in their phonological skills. They might need a lot of practice to learn to read long science words or a lot of practice counting the sounds in words and making sure to include all the letters.
Others might have no problem with phonological skills, but have a great deal of difficulty rapidly and fluently applying rules and patterns they know to words on the page. This often shows up in testing as a weakness in Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN), the ability to quickly and accurately recall knowledge, like letter and number names.
Still other students have difficulty in both of these areas. This profile is known as “double-deficit dyslexia” in which students have difficulty in both phonological skills and RAN. These students often make slow progress and need more repetition and review than those with only one deficit.
Misconceptions and Realities
- Visual Stress vs. Dyslexia: Visual stress can cause discomfort while reading but does not cause dyslexia. Dyslexia itself involves difficulties in processing phonological information.
- Colored Overlays: While some children may find colored overlays or lenses helpful for visual comfort, there is limited evidence to support their effectiveness as a treatment for dyslexia.
- Vision Therapy: Vision therapy might be marketed as a solution for reading difficulties, but research does not support its efficacy for treating the core issues associated with dyslexia.
Practical Strategies for Supporting Your Child
Try these strategies to support your struggling readers:
1. Seek Accurate Assessments
- Comprehensive Evaluation: Ensure your child receives a thorough evaluation focusing on phonological processing and language skills rather than visual perception alone. This can guide effective intervention strategies.
2. Implement Evidence-Based Interventions
- Structured Literacy Programs: Look for structured literacy approaches such as Orton-Gillingham that provide explicit, systematic instruction in letter-sound relationships, spelling rules, and reading comprehension.
3. Adapt Reading and Learning Environments
- Optimize Reading Conditions: Create a comfortable reading environment with good lighting and minimal distractions. Ensure text is presented clearly, with appropriate font size and spacing.
- Use Visual Supports: While not a cure for dyslexia, tools like reading guides or rulers can help some children keep their place on the page. This can reduce the fatigue and frustration of rereading over and over when they lose their place.
4. Foster a Positive Learning Experience
- Encourage Confidence: Build your child’s confidence by celebrating small successes and providing positive feedback. Avoid focusing solely on mistakes and emphasize effort and improvement.
- Include Enjoyable Reading: Choose engaging books and materials that match your child’s interests to make reading a more enjoyable and less stressful activity.
5. Collaborate with Educators
- Communicate Needs: Work closely with your child’s teachers to implement classroom accommodations, such as extra time for reading tasks or the use of assistive technology.
- Regular Updates: Stay informed about your child’s progress and any additional support they might need.
Conclusion
The concept of “visual dyslexia” highlights the diverse ways in which dyslexia can affect children, but it’s crucial to base treatment on a comprehensive understanding of dyslexia as a whole. Effective support involves accurate diagnosis, evidence-based interventions, and a supportive learning environment. Whether your child’s challenges are primarily phonological or visual in nature, structured literacy approaches can address their needs and help them become confident, capable readers.
Connect with teachers or tutors who are experts in the process of learning to read to get help for your child. Finding a tutor certified in Orton-Gillingham or another structured literacy program is one way to make sure the tutor is qualified to help your child learn to read efficiently.
And that’s what we do at Deep Roots Learning Solutions, Inc. We offer Orton-Gillingham instruction in a convenient, effective, online format. If your child needs explicit, systematic reading instruction, contact us for a free consultation and demo lesson. Let’s talk about how we can help!
Related Reading:
- Beware of Education Promises Too Good to Be True! This infographic from the International Dyslexia Association helps parents and students evaluate claims made by
- There is some evidence from published research that vision problems (tracking, convergence issues) are more common in children with dyslexia. However, these 2 conditions are different and have different treatments.
