Myths and misconceptions about dyslexia

Intelligence

Dyslexia is not related to intelligence. Many highly intelligent and successful people, including those identified with giftedness, have struggled to read due to dyslexia.

Laziness

Dyslexia is not a result of laziness or a lack of motivation to learn, though children with dyslexia can become very frustrated and disengaged with learning. Once they receive effective instruction and begin to experience success with reading, children are more likely to be motivated to spend time reading and be engaged in school.

Parenting

Dyslexia is not caused by poor parenting or not reading enough to children at home, though having support from a parent is vital when navigating dyslexia and school. Parents are not the cause of dyslexia, but they play a key role in the solution.

Medication

There are no medications to treat or cure dyslexia.

Vision issues

Dyslexia is not a problem with vision; it is not caused by letters or words appearing backward or moving around the page. People who struggle with reading may have difficulty following a line of text smoothly, but it is very important to recognize that poor eye-tracking is usually a symptom of reading difficulties, not the cause. When students get evidence-based reading intervention and their reading skills improve, their eye tracking also tends to improve. Visual therapies and supports, such as coloured overlays or special glasses, are not evidence-based treatments for dyslexia and may delay access to the most effective treatment: structured literacy intervention.

Diagnosis timing

Dyslexia does not have to be diagnosed at a certain age or grade. Children can be screened for reading difficulty as early as age 4, and dyslexia can be diagnosed as early as grade 1.

Dyslexia fonts

Dyslexia-friendly fonts or special typefaces do not help individuals with dyslexia read better.

Miracle cures

Dyslexia cannot be cured with special balancing exercises, fish oils, inner-ear-improving medications, strobe lights, or by training primitive reflexes. While many products and services on the market claim to cure dyslexia quickly and easily, the only treatment for dyslexia supported by strong research at this time is structured literacy intervention. For more information, see the section Effective Reading Intervention.

Multiple languages

Dyslexia is not caused by learning more than one language. It often takes longer to pick up on reading issues in kids who are multilingual because teachers and parents may think their struggles are due to learning another language. It is not necessary to wait for children to reach proficiency in English before providing them with an assessment. When assessing a multilingual child, the psychologist should ask questions to understand how the child learned to read in their first language and if they are having trouble with literacy in both languages. If possible, conducting all or parts of the assessment in a child’s first language is helpful.

Learning another language

While parents are often counselled to remove their child with dyslexia from French Immersion, individuals with dyslexia can learn a second language. With appropriate support, your child can be successful in learning French. They have the right to receive effective instruction and support within the French Immersion program.