What Is Dyslexia, Really? A Clear Guide For Families
- Mytch Gales
- Nov 30, 2025
- 3 min read
Part 1 of 3 in my “Understanding Dyslexia” series
Intro
If you’re here, there’s a good chance that reading and spelling have been hard for a long time – for you, or for someone you care about.
You may have heard a mix of messages:
“They’re just not trying hard enough.”
“They see letters backwards.”
“Let’s wait and see – they’ll catch up.”
None of these are a full picture of dyslexia.
As a dyslexic, ADHD learning specialist who works with children, teens, and adults, I see something different every day: smart, capable people
whose brains simply don’t connect sounds, letters, and written words in the way school expects.
That’s dyslexia.
This post focuses on what dyslexia is and what it isn’t. In Parts 2 and 3, I’ll look at how dyslexia feels day to day, where strengths show up, and what actually helps.
Dyslexia defined
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that affects how a person reads and spells words.
More simply, dyslexia means:
Reading and spelling words are harder than we would expect, given the person’s strengths in other areas
The difficulty is in accuracy, speed, or both – reading can be slow, full of errors, or both at once
These challenges are persistent – they continue even when teaching that works for classmates is in place
The International Dyslexia Association’s updated 2025 definition describes dyslexia as a condition with complex causes: a mix of genetic, brain-based, and environmental influences that interact over time. There isn’t one single cause, and dyslexia is not something you can see on a brain scan or “spot” from one quick test.
The key point:
Dyslexia is a real, research-backed learning difference that affects how the brain processes written language. It is not about laziness, intelligence, or effort.
What dyslexia is not (common myths)
Because dyslexia is often misunderstood, it helps to clear out a few persistent myths.
Myth 1: “Dyslexia means seeing letters backwards.”
Some people with dyslexia do mix up letters like b/d or flip words when they’re learning to read, but dyslexia is not a vision problem and not just about reversals. The deeper issue is how the brain connects speech sounds to letters and patterns in print.
Myth 2: “If they tried harder, this wouldn’t be a problem.”
Most dyslexic learners I work with are already trying harder than their classmates. They’re often working twice as hard for half the result. What they need is teaching that fits how their brain learns, not more pressure to “just read more.”
Myth 3: “They’ll grow out of it with time.”
Dyslexia is lifelong. People do not “outgrow” it, but they can absolutely learn to read and write more effectively with the right support. What changes over time is skill, confidence, and access, not the underlying wiring.
Myth 4: “Dyslexia means low intelligence.”
Dyslexia exists across the full range of intelligence. Many dyslexic people are highly capable in problem-solving, verbal reasoning, and other areas. Difficulties with reading and spelling tell us what kind of teaching is needed, not how smart someone is.
When it might be dyslexia
It may be time to look more closely if:
Reading and spelling have been hard for more than a year, even with extra help
Homework takes much longer than it should for the person’s age
There’s a growing gap between spoken ideas and written work
You don’t need every sign on a checklist to “count.” Ongoing word-level struggles are enough reason to explore what’s going on.
What’s next: Part 2
This post has focused on the basics: what dyslexia is and what it isn’t.
In Part 2 of this series, I’ll talk about how dyslexia can feel day to day – and the strengths that often get overlooked when the focus is only on reading and spelling.
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