Dyslexia and learning

What dyslexia is

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty with a neurobiological basis that mainly affects reading and writing: recognising words quickly and accurately, linking sounds and letters, reading fluently or writing automatically. It has nothing to do with a lack of intelligence, interest or effort (NHS). It is simply that a task that is almost automatic for someone else can take far more resources.

Alongside it there are other specific learning difficulties, such as dyscalculia, which affects understanding numbers and calculation (British Dyslexia Association), or dysgraphia, which affects writing. They all share something: they are spotted late. Because many people learn to compensate, they are not always identified in childhood, and some reach adolescence or adulthood believing they are "bad at studying", "slow" or simply need to try harder.

Dyslexia does not go away with age; what changes are the strategies used to compensate. And its deepest effect is often not on reading but on the image a person builds of themselves. Someone who has heard for years "you're clever, but you don't try" may end up thinking "I'm less capable than others". That is why it matters to tell difficulty apart from ability: many people with dyslexia have strong reasoning, creativity, visual thinking or problem-solving skills.

How it can show up

• You read slowly or with a lot of effort, and sometimes need to read the same thing several times to understand it.
• You mix up letters, words or sounds, or make spelling mistakes that keep recurring even though you know the rules.
• Reading aloud makes you freeze, or you avoid tasks where you would have to.
• You struggle to take notes while listening, organise a written text or follow complex written instructions.
• Numbers, calculations or word problems are much harder for you than for others.
• You spend many more hours than others studying, or preparing a report or an email at work, to reach the same result.
• You have hidden it for years: asking others to check your writing or avoiding certain tasks.
• You get very frustrated with homework, exams or written work, and have come to think "I'm not cut out for studying".

What can help

Breaking the cycle of frustration. When a task causes difficulty again and again, a cycle sets in: difficulty, excessive effort, frustration, avoidance, less practice, more insecurity and more difficulty. That is why "try harder" is not enough: the way of approaching the task has to change too, and the emotions around it need work.

Adapting the effort, not lowering expectations. Adapting does not mean demanding less, but finding another way to reach the same learning: more time when needed, breaking long texts into parts, audiobooks or text readers, combining written information with visual or audio resources, and not making reading aloud an unnecessary ordeal. The aim is for the difficulty not to be a barrier to showing what the person knows.

Study and work strategies. Organising material, planning, breaking tasks down, finding the main ideas, using concept maps and preparing for exams without relying only on rereading. In adulthood, these strategies carry over to work and daily life.

The relationship with mistakes. Telling "I made a mistake" apart from "I am a failure". The goal is not never to make mistakes, but to be able to make them without each one sinking your self-esteem.

Regaining a sense of competence. Confidence is not built on positive messages but on real experiences: identifying what you already do well, which strategies work for you and what resources you have developed.

What therapy does. At We Are Psycho we approach learning difficulties as a whole: psycho-educational re-education works on the specific reading, writing and learning skills, and psychological support works on frustration, self-esteem, anxiety and motivation. When both are addressed together, the goal is not only to read or write better, but for the difficulty to stop defining who you are.

What it does not do. It does not change how your brain works or promise that the difficulty will disappear. It changes what you do with it.

When to ask for help

A bad patch or a subject that will not click is not a specific learning difficulty. It may be worth seeking help when difficulties with reading, writing or maths interfere significantly with studies or work, cause frequent anxiety or frustration, lead you to avoid situations, affect your self-esteem, demand disproportionate effort for the same results or cause conflict at home.

A psycho-educational assessment helps put a name to it and ask for adjustments. In school it is carried out by the school's guidance services; it can also be done privately.

If frustration has reached thoughts of self-harm, do not wait: call 800 911 2000 (Línea de la Vida). In immediate danger, call 911. We Are Psycho does not provide emergency care.

• 

  Melanie Olvera Ventura

  Child and adolescent clinical psychologist

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• 

  Ivonne Nieves Valencia

  Clinical Psychologist | Specialist in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

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Frequently asked questions

Is dyslexia related to intelligence?

No. Dyslexia is a specific difficulty with reading and writing, and it does not affect intelligence. Many people with dyslexia excel at reasoning, creativity or problem-solving.

Can dyslexia be discovered in adulthood?

Yes. Many people compensate for their difficulties for years and are not identified until adolescence or adulthood. Putting a name to it can be a great relief, because it explains why certain tasks have always been harder.

What is psycho-educational re-education?

It is specific work with a professional to train the reading, writing, maths or study skills that are hard, and to learn strategies to work around them. It is not extra tutoring: it is not about repeating the same thing more times, but about working differently.

How does therapy work at We Are Psycho?

It is online and confidential. You tell us what is going on, for you or your son or daughter, we suggest the psychologist who fits best and you choose. If you have questions about how it works first, we explain it in a free 20-minute call, with no commitment.