Dyslexia Types
Experts have different ideas about how the different natures of Dyslexia should be categorised, and there is no official list of Dyslexia types. Here are some of the different terms you may have heard:
Phonological Dyslexia
This is the 'type' of dyslexia that people generally mean when they are talking about dyslexia. It is when a student has difficulty with phonological awareness skills that involve breaking words into sounds and then matching them with written symbols, making it difficult for them to sound out or "decode" words. Children with reading issues commonly have some degree of phonological dyslexia. This type of dyslexia is sometimes referred to as dysphonetic dyslexia.
Surface Dyslexia
This is the 'type' of dyslexia where a student has difficulty remembering whole words by sight. There are words we all have to learn to read by sight because they cannot be pronounced using the normal rules of pronunciation. Fluent readers also remember common words by sight because they have seen them so often. Children with surface dyslexia may have particular trouble with words that have tricky spellings and do not sound like they are spelled, and they may take longer to be able to recognise words as a whole by sight. Surface dyslexia is also called visual dyslexia or dyseidetic dyslexia. It is not uncommon for children to have both surface and phonological dyslexia.
Rapid Naming Deficit
This is where children are unable to name letters and numbers quickly when they see them. They may know the names of letters and numbers, but it takes them longer to name letters and numbers when there are many of them in a row. Experts think rapid naming difficulty is connected with processing speed and that it may also be linked to reading speed.
Double Deficit Dyslexia
This 'type' of dyslexia occurs when a child has difficulties with both naming speed and phonemic awareness.
Children with problems in both these areas struggle with isolating sounds and are unable to name letters quickly when they see them. This double deficit form of dyslexia is thought to be more severe and particularly challenging to treat.
Visual Dyslexia
The term visual dyslexia means the same as surface dyslexia. But some people use this term to mean something entirely different: They think that reading issues have to do with the eyes and vision and may claim that reading can be improved through eye exercises or tinted lenses. These methods are not endorsed because there is not enough evidence proving their effectiveness.
Other Dyslexias
You may hear about other kinds of dyslexia. For example, directional dyslexia refers to difficulty with sense of direction and telling left from right. Most experts recognise this as a common problem for people with dyslexia but do not see it as a type of dyslexia on its own. Some people also refer to something called math dyslexia. This is an inaccurate name for a brain-based math learning issue called dyscalculia, which is not a form of dyslexia.
Phonological Dyslexia
This is the 'type' of dyslexia that people generally mean when they are talking about dyslexia. It is when a student has difficulty with phonological awareness skills that involve breaking words into sounds and then matching them with written symbols, making it difficult for them to sound out or "decode" words. Children with reading issues commonly have some degree of phonological dyslexia. This type of dyslexia is sometimes referred to as dysphonetic dyslexia.
Surface Dyslexia
This is the 'type' of dyslexia where a student has difficulty remembering whole words by sight. There are words we all have to learn to read by sight because they cannot be pronounced using the normal rules of pronunciation. Fluent readers also remember common words by sight because they have seen them so often. Children with surface dyslexia may have particular trouble with words that have tricky spellings and do not sound like they are spelled, and they may take longer to be able to recognise words as a whole by sight. Surface dyslexia is also called visual dyslexia or dyseidetic dyslexia. It is not uncommon for children to have both surface and phonological dyslexia.
Rapid Naming Deficit
This is where children are unable to name letters and numbers quickly when they see them. They may know the names of letters and numbers, but it takes them longer to name letters and numbers when there are many of them in a row. Experts think rapid naming difficulty is connected with processing speed and that it may also be linked to reading speed.
Double Deficit Dyslexia
This 'type' of dyslexia occurs when a child has difficulties with both naming speed and phonemic awareness.
Children with problems in both these areas struggle with isolating sounds and are unable to name letters quickly when they see them. This double deficit form of dyslexia is thought to be more severe and particularly challenging to treat.
Visual Dyslexia
The term visual dyslexia means the same as surface dyslexia. But some people use this term to mean something entirely different: They think that reading issues have to do with the eyes and vision and may claim that reading can be improved through eye exercises or tinted lenses. These methods are not endorsed because there is not enough evidence proving their effectiveness.
Other Dyslexias
You may hear about other kinds of dyslexia. For example, directional dyslexia refers to difficulty with sense of direction and telling left from right. Most experts recognise this as a common problem for people with dyslexia but do not see it as a type of dyslexia on its own. Some people also refer to something called math dyslexia. This is an inaccurate name for a brain-based math learning issue called dyscalculia, which is not a form of dyslexia.
Sources:
Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dyslexia/different-types-of-dyslexia on 18/01/2018
Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dyslexia/different-types-of-dyslexia on 18/01/2018
