The author Keefe Deighan has just published a novel after being diagnosed with adult dyslexia just seven years ago. He is now 29 year old and his first novel “The Land of O.” is specially written for children with learning disabilities. The core message of the book is that kids with learning disabilities are nothing less than anybody else.

Source: Journal Pioneer

Approximately 3,000 special-education teachers, educators, speech-language pathologists, healthcare professionals and researchers from the US and around the world are expected to attend.

The International Dyslexia Association Conference is one of the premier professional development conference in the U.S. discussing learning disabilities and dyslexia.

More information: International Dyslexia Association

The challenge of coping with learning disabilities in adulthood is enormous. Today, so much emphasis is placed on completing college and special needs adults are expected to fit into this mold, even when other options like vocational skills training may be more in-sync with their adult learning styles. According to the National Longitudinal Transition Study, the results are bleak, as 35% of children with learning disabilities drop out of high school (which is twice the rate for students without learning disabilities). Only 2% of high school graduates with learning disabilities transition to a four-year college.

Not sure if you have adult dyslexia? CLICK HERE to take a test online. You will get your results within 30 minutes.

Despite the inherent challenges of maturing into adulthood with adult dyslexia or another adult learning disability, there are always exceptions. In the nineties, Jason Lopez was diagnosed with ADHD anxiety, as well as auditory and visual learning disabilities. Even so, he has graduated from a four-year college with a 3.82 GPA and is now pursuing his master’s degree in Boca Raton. Lopez credits his success with some advice from “The Fonz” — Happy Days actor Henry Winkler who struggled with dyslexia before achieving epic TV success. “If you can will it, then it’s not a dream,” Winkler had said. “It all begins with you.” Lopez says he was motivated by people’s underestimation of his abilities. Once he achieved a two-year degree from Landmark College in Vermont, a school specializing in adult learning disability studies, he had the confidence to keep going.

Like anyone else who has reached adulthood, it is important for adults with dyslexia or other disabilities to set and achieve goals. Advancement opportunities should always be considered. Whether the individual is working hard just to “prove others wrong” or to find a sense of fulfillment, motivation is ultimately the key to success, so one must find some sort of cause. Reading books about adult learning styles and disability-specific management techniques can be extremely empowering, as can finding a role model or mentor.

Not sure if you have adult dyslexia? CLICK HERE to take a test online. You will get your results within 30 minutes.

In “Advances in early years screening for dyslexia in the United Kingdom” (2007), researchers discuss the dyslexia early screening test (DEST) and the cognitive profiling system (CoPS 1), which are both approved for use in the United States as well. By administering these dyslexia screening tests early, it’s believed that at-risk students can be identified before they even fail, thereby decreasing the possibility that these kids will develop emotional, behavioral and motivational issues. A number of educators who teach adults and children with learning disabilities say these two tests are the best options we have today, as long as they’re administered.

Recent advances in modern technology may provide more in-depth dyslexia screening and testing in the near future. For instance, PET (positron emission tomography) and fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) can show scientists what’s happening in the brain while special needs adults are reading, speaking and writing. By watching a dyslexic adults group and a fluent adults group, scientists will be able to create a “neurological profile” and better understand how the brains of dyslexic people differ from their peers. As treatments are being proposed, subsequent brain scans can show where real progress is being made.

In a 2008 study titled “Screening for Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Meares-Irlen Syndrome in Higher Education,” researchers at the University of Worcester found that the lucid adult dyslexia screening test — also known as LADS — is best at detecting dyslexia signs. When combined with a two-part screening process that also tests to rule out MI Syndrome, the results are often even more telling. Since there are so many different tests, it’s important that a better process be discovered to easily diagnose and treat individuals with reading difficulties.

To find out if you are dyslexic you can now take an adult dyslexia test online in the privacy of your home

It’s believed that these symptoms occur as a result of brain malfunctioning in specific regions, although recent research also suggests there may be a genetic defect at the root. Doctors can study the brain using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging or Positron Emission Tomography to identify structural differences associated with adult dyslexia. In the MRI images, doctors will notice a deficit in parts of the brain’s left hemisphere, such as the inferior frontal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, middle cortex and ventral cortex. In PET images, doctors will see changes in the basal temporal language zone. A University of Maastricht (Netherlands) study found that people with dyslexic reading difficulties under-activate the superior temporal cortex.

Roughly 40 million Americans suffer from adult dyslexia, which is about 15% of the population. Many people are surprised to learn that some of the most brilliant, creative and successful people were diagnosed with dyslexia. Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Tom Cruise, Cher, Orlando Bloom, Anderson Cooper, Jay Leno, Whoopie Goldberg, Anthony Hopkins, Kiera Knightley, Ozzy Osborne, Guy Ritchie and Suzanne Somers all have some form of diagnosed dyslexia. Yet, they have all managed to overcome their struggles to live successful, productive and rich lives.

Dyslexia is a very common learning disability and one that is not solely reserved just for children. Adults all across the world suffer from this condition and many do not get the help that they need. This article will cover many of the questions that dyslexia in adults brings up. If you know of someone that is suffering from this disability, maybe you can help them get the help they need.

What is adult dyslexia?
Dyslexia, whether it is adult or child, is considered a learning disability. It is usually specific in that it mainly effects how things are perceived by the individual affected by the disability. Most dyslexics find that words are often appear to be scrambled and not in the correct order. This also pertains to numbers as well. Dyslexia actually is a Greek word that means “difficulty with words” but as research has shown, it can affect numbers just as well. Many dyslexics find that they have trouble following orders or instructions and have great difficulty putting letters and numbers in the correct order. Often they will be thinking in their mind that they are putting it down correctly but in actuality some are reversed. With adult dyslexia it can be even more difficult because chances are they have been dyslexic their entire lives. So they did not develop the necessary coping skills early on because the disability was not diagnosed early in their childhood. At this point they may be suffering from poor work habits and even very low self-esteem.

What are the symptoms of adult dyslexia?
Diagnosing adult dyslexia is often far harder than it is to diagnose dyslexia in children. With children, especially while they are learning, there are often key signs that will be noticed and then testing can be done. But with adults it is a bit harder because they have often learned compensating techniques to overcome some of the difficulties. But some general symptoms may be a difficulty in comprehending what is being read, or even taking an extraordinary long time to read a simple paragraph. If the person is continuously switching numbers or letters when writing or typing is another sign. The adult dyslexic may also have hand-eye coordination problems making it difficult to do repetitive tasks.

Who are some early pioneers in discovering and researching adult dyslexia and dyslexia in general?
There have been many great early researchers, doctors and scientists that have studied dyslexia. Oswald Berkhan identified the condition back in 1881 but the disorder was not officially labeled as dyslexia until Rudolf Berlin did so in 1887. For many years dyslexia was labeled as congenital word blindness because there was such a fixation on individuals who were unable to comprehend written material. It was thought that the brain simply processed the information wrong and so when writing or reciting the information back, many words were omitted or simply switched around. In some instances of adult dyslexia that is the case. Since those early pioneers many other researchers have studied this disorder and discovered that it is more than just phonetics or alphabets that can have dyslexics stumped. Some, such as Galaburda and Kemper in 1979, discovered that the brains of dyslexics actually have anatomical differences. This helped show the world that it was not simply poor learning skills. It showed that there are actual physical differences that lead a person to being dyslexic.

Is there a cure for adult dyslexia?
Unfortunately there is no cure for adult dyslexia or dyslexia period. However, there is treatment that will make the life of dyslexic people much easier. All a person can do is to understand how to manage their dyslexia and learn coping mechanisms to help them learn and function in society. There are numerous support groups that can help. Once the condition has been diagnosed and any underlying conditions addressed then treatment can begin. In order to diagnose you can take an adult dyslexia test online.