Dyslexia is caused by a mix of biological and genetic factors. It has a very strong hereditary basis; if a parent has dyslexia, there is a 50/50 chance that at least one of their children will also have it. While genetics play the primary role in dyslexia risk, certain environmental factors can also contribute. These factors include prenatal exposures to pollutants or toxins and limited access to prenatal care, often associated with lower socioeconomic conditions.

Dyslexia is a brain-based (neurological) condition in which the person has difficulty decoding (associating letters with their sounds) written words. Medical imaging scans have shown that the parts of the brain that deal with reading processing (how the brain collects information so that it can read and understand what has been written) at the back of the brain do not light up in people with dyslexia, who are more likely to use the left side of their brain (Broca’s area) instead. The back of the brain recognizes words at lightning speed, thus accounting for language fluency and reading speed. Readers who use the back of their brains have practiced recognizing words so often that they do not have to spend time breaking the word down and sounding it out, they simply recognize it by sight. Individuals with dyslexia show a failure of the left hemisphere posterior brain systems to function properly during reading.

The brain, however, is a very plastic organ, which means that it can change. Its “wiring” can quite literally be remoulded with enough guided practice and therapy. This does not mean that dyslexia will fully go away, however it does mean that with effective (and ideally early) interventions, significant improvements can be made.

The best way to treat dyslexia is to start reading therapies from a young age, put in place simple accommodations, and to provide plenty of practice and encouragement to increase confidence and self-esteem.