Can dyslexia be outgrown


Will my child outgrow dyslexia?


“Dyslexia” is a word used to describe a pattern of thinking and learning that is characteristic of the dyslexic person. It will not be “outgrown.”

However, there is no uniform standard on how to test for dyslexia, and testing often involves looking for specific academic weaknesses, such as difficulty performing phonetic tasks or reading.

Many educators still view dyslexia only as a weakness or disability. As a result they have not developed diagnostic tests that look for the talents and strengths that are typically also part of dyslexia. For that reason most educational testing for dyslexia is not really complete and may not be accurate.

While dyslexic children do not merely ‘outgrow’ their early learning problems, many do overcome them. Thus, the specific symptoms or problems identified early in life may no longer exist in adulthood, and therefore would not be measurable.

A dyslexia adult who has learned to read well is still dyslexic – but has acquired the skills that were once difficult. If the person performs well on a reading test, some testers might conclude that she is not dyslexic, but this merely reflects the limitations of such testing. The person’s overall style of thinking and learning has probably not changed.

(Answer by Abigail Marshall)

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