What Causes Dyslexia

The exact cause of dyslexia is uncertain. However, research findings suggest that it might be due to neurological differences in the brain which may tend to run in the family. These neurological differences in the brain are likely to cause differences in the way dyslexics think, learn and process information, often impeding on their cognitive processes, such as

• phonological processing, where they have difficulty learning the relationships between letters and sounds (phonics);
• holding information in their short-term memory and then manipulating that information, such as working on mental arithmetic or remembering a long list of instructions as well as learning phonics and developing vocabulary;
• learning additional languages.

Although biological factors are implicated as a cause of dyslexia, the extent of the difficulties it causes are very much influenced by environmental factors. Effective teaching that matches the child’s learning style is likely to remediate the child's difficulties. The Dyslexia Association of Singapore uses a structured and multi-sensory teaching approach, which has been proven to be effective, to remediate children with dyslexia.

The extent of the child’s difficulty also depends on the nature of the reading and writing systems that the dyslexic child has to learn. For instance, the irregularity of the English alphabetic system is more difficult for dyslexics to master compared to mastering a language system such as Malay, where the alphabetic system is more regular.

Manifestation of the child’s literacy difficulties is dependent on the child’s exposure to the language as well. A dyslexic child who has difficulty speaking or is less exposed to the language is likely to struggle with developing competency in reading and writing in that language.

Most importantly, the child’s self-confidence and motivation plays an important role in determining the extent of the child’s difficulties. Negative responses from others would tend to erode that self-confidence and motivation, thus impeding the dyslexic child’s ability to improve.