Alexia and dyslexia are two different types of reading disabilities. Struggling to read can leave people frustrated with their inability to keep up with their peers. This can ultimately lead to low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety.
The key difference between alexia and dyslexia is their features. Alexia is a reading disorder that makes a person unable to understand written material, while dyslexia is a reading disorder where a person struggles to match letters on a page with the sounds they represent.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Alexia
3. What is Dyslexia
4. Similarities – Alexia and Dyslexia
5. Alexia vs Dyslexia in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Alexia vs Dyslexia
7. FAQ – Alexia and Dyslexia
What is Alexia?
Alexia is also known as acquired dyslexia. It is caused by a cerebral lesion resulting from injury, damage, or trauma to the brain. Alexia is characterized by an inability to comprehend written or printed words. People will also be unable to read well and have problems with speech and writing in this condition.
Alexia can be diagnosed through speech-language tests. Furthermore, treatment options for alexia may include Lindamood phoneme sequencing programs (LIPS), read right therapy, tactile kinesthetic, and multiple oral reading (MOR).
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a reading disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds. It also causes problems in learning how speech sounds relate to letters and words. Dyslexia is linked to changes in certain genes that affect how the brain processes reading and language. Moreover, the symptoms of this condition may include delayed speech development compared to other children, difficulty remembering or naming numbers, reversing sounds in words, confusing similar-sounding words, low phonological awareness, difficulty with spelling, trouble matching words to their meanings, and problems remembering sequences.
Dyslexia can be diagnosed through medical history, questionnaires, neurological tests, psychological evaluation, and tests for reading and other academic skills. Furthermore, dyslexia is treated using specific educational approaches and techniques and an individualized education plan (IEP).
Similarities Between Alexia and Dyslexia
- Alexia and dyslexia are two different types of reading disabilities.
- Alexia is also known as acquired dyslexia.
- The brain is affected in both conditions.
- Both conditions are diagnosed by speech-language therapists.
- They are usually treated by specific therapies.
Difference Between Alexia and Dyslexia
Definition
- Alexia is a reading disorder that involves an inability to understand written material.
- Dyslexia is a reading disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds.
Causes
- Alexia is caused by cerebral lesions due to injuries, damage or trauma.
- Dyslexia is caused by changes in the genes responsible for how the brain processes reading and language.
Symptoms
- The symptoms of alexia include inability to comprehend written or printed words, unable to read well, and having problems in speech and writing.
- The symptoms of the dyslexia include start learning to talk later than other kids, difficulty remembering or naming numbers, reversing sounds in the words, confusing words that sounds similar, low phonological awareness, difficulty spelling, difficulty matching words with their meanings and problems remembering sequences.
Diagnosis
- Alexia can be diagnosed through speech-language tests.
- Dyslexia can be diagnosed through medical history, questionnaires’, neurological tests (visual and hearing tests), psychological evaluation and tests for reading and other academic skills.
Treatment
- Treatment options for alexia may include Lindamood phoneme sequencing programs (LIPS), read right therapy, tactile kinesthetic and multiple oral reading (MOR).
- Treatment options for dyslexia include providing specific educational approaches and techniques and an individualized education plan (IEP).
The following table summarizes the difference between alexia and dyslexia.
Summary – Alexia vs Dyslexia
Leaning to read with impairments can be difficult. Alexia and dyslexia are two different types of reading disabilities. Alexia is a disorder characterized by a complete and permanent loss of reading ability, while dyslexia is a disorder that causes difficulties and disruptions in the reading process. This is the basic difference between alexia and dyslexia.
FAQ: Alexia and Dyslexia
1. What is an example of alexia?
- Examples of left neglect alexia include reading “bog” instead of “fog” or “river” instead of “liver,” while examples of right neglect alexia include reading “beam” instead of “bear” or “far” instead of “fan.”
2. What caused alexia?
- This specific language disorder is generally the result of brain injury, tumor or stroke. These injuries lead to brain lesions. Slowly progressive alexia is observed in neurodegenerative disorders.
3. What is the main cause of dyslexia?
- Dyslexia is caused by individual differences in the regions of the brain that enable reading. It tends to run in families. Dyslexia appears to be linked to changes in certain genes that control reading and language.
4. What are the symptoms of dyslexia?
- The symptoms of this condition include learning new words slowly, problems forming words correctly, problems remembering or naming letters, numbers, and colors, and difficulty learning rhymes in nursery or playing rhyming games.
5. Can dyslexia be treated?
- There is no proper cure for dyslexia, but the person can benefit from specialized support, which could include providing specific educational approaches and techniques and an individualized education plan (IEP).
Reference:
1. “Dyslexia.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
2. “Alexia – An Overview.” ScienceDirect.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Dyslexia” By Scientific Animations – (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Girl Sitting on Her Desk Looking Lonely” (CC0) via Pexels.com.
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