Adult Dyslexia

By the time adult dyslexia is diagnosed, many people have already likely suffered under-achievement in school, low self-esteem and alienation. Some people may even have a history of behavioral problems, aggression or delinquency. One of the keys for coping with any adult learning disability is to understand the nature of the problem and work with trained counselors to cope with the emotions of having difficulties with reading. Once dyslexic adults learn more about their particular learning style, they can live more productive, fulfilling lives.

Symptoms of dyslexia in adults include the inability to recognize written words and letters, a low reading ability, problems understanding auditory words, difficulty understanding rapid commands and difficulty remembering a sequence. Often times, adults will encounter reversals of letters (like seeing a "b" as a "d") or reversals of words ("saw" instead of "was"). Sometimes adults with dyslexia have a hard time recognizing the spaces between words and they have a hard time sounding out unfamiliar words. Rhyming words, syllable counting, remembering words, recalling places, distinguishing different sounds, associating words with the wrong meanings, keeping time and organizing are some of the problems that dyslexic male and female adults may encounter on a regular basis.

It's believed that these symptoms occur as a result of brain malfunctioning in specific regions, although recent research also suggests there may be a genetic defect at the root. Doctors can study the brain using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging or Positron Emission Tomography to identify structural differences associated with adult dyslexia. In the MRI images, doctors will notice a deficit in parts of the brain's left hemisphere, such as the inferior frontal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, middle cortex and ventral cortex. In PET images, doctors will see changes in the basal temporal language zone. A University of Maastricht (Netherlands) study found that people with dyslexic reading difficulties under-activate the superior temporal cortex.

Some people deal with adult dyslexia (and the stigmas associated with it) better than others. Today we largely understand mental illness as a biological problem, yet at one time, before scientific research verified the genetic links, reading problems were seen as a weakness. Sometimes people will make hurtful remarks, act frustrated or discriminate against dyslexic adults because they don't understand the condition. The dyslexic individual may pretend that nothing is wrong, refuse to seek treatment or find difficulty in the workplace as a result. The best thing a person can do is get treatment, understand that their disorder is not who they are as a person, seek support groups and attend adult learning training to acquire new skills.