Definition of Acquired Dyslexia:
Acquired dyslexia refers to a reading disorder that occurs as a result of brain damage or injury, usually affecting individuals who were previously proficient in reading. It is also known as alexia or pure acquired dyslexia.
Causes:
Acquired dyslexia can be caused by various factors, such as:
- Stroke or cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
- Head injury or trauma
- Brain tumors or lesions
- Neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s
- Infections affecting the brain
Characteristics:
Individuals with acquired dyslexia exhibit specific reading impairments, which may include:
- Difficulty in recognizing or comprehending written words
- Errors in decoding or pronouncing words
- Slowed reading speed
- Substituting, omitting, or adding letters or words while reading
- Challenges in reading aloud or silently
- Reduced reading fluency
- Inability to understand complex sentence structures or long passages
Types:
Acquired dyslexia can manifest in different forms. Some common types include:
- Phonological dyslexia: Difficulty in phonological processing, leading to problems in decoding words based on sound/symbol correspondence.
- Surface dyslexia: Difficulty in recognizing irregular or irregularly spelled words, with a greater reliance on phonetic decoding.
- Deep dyslexia: Difficulty in reading non-words or unfamiliar words, semantic errors, and difficulty in comprehension.
- Visual dyslexia: Impaired visual processing, resulting in difficulties with visual word recognition or visual attention.
Treatment:
The treatment of acquired dyslexia involves various methods, which may include:
- Speech and language therapy targeting reading skills
- Phonological training
- Visual aids and strategies
- Word recognition exercises
- Reading comprehension strategies
- Psychoeducational interventions
It is important for individuals with acquired dyslexia to work closely with a speech-language pathologist or other specialists to develop personalized interventions and strategies tailored to their specific reading difficulties.