Dyslexia affects around 15% of Americans, impacting the lives and work performance of millions of adults.
Dyslexia is a learning disability that affects the way the brain processes and interprets information.
Dyslexia can affect adults and is known for impacting reading, writing, and spelling. But, what you may not know is that dyslexia may also affect the organizational, concentration, and planning skills required for success in school and in the workplace,
Dyslexia International suggests that between 5-10% of all adults experience dyslexia. That equates to around 700 million people worldwide.
Is dyslexia a vision problem?
The symptoms of dyslexia can be due to an undiagnosed vision problem.
Because many of the symptoms of dyslexia overlap with vision problems, it’s imperative that an eye doctor performs a comprehensive eye exam to determine the exact cause of your symptoms.
If the problem is your vision, an eye doctor experienced in treating patients with dyslexia may recommend specific reading or computer glasses or vision therapy.
Vision therapy
Vision therapy is an effective and customized treatment that can improve the life of children and adults with dylexia, resulting in optimal career performance and a lifetime of success.
Vision therapy may involve the use of lenses or prisms to help train visual skills. In some cases, doctors may also recommend wearing eyeglasses full time, or as needed for activities such as working.
How does dyslexia affect functioning?
Children and adults with dyslexia typically experience many challenges.
It is important to understand that children who suffer from dyslexia will continue to experience the condition in adulthood. If a child with the condition was never diagnosed with dyslexia or wasn’t given the proper tools or treatments to reduce the effects of dyslexia, then they might still be struggling with it and not even know it.
It is important to know that improvement of spelling, reading, and writing skills are still possible even as an adult.
Symptoms of dyslexia can range from mild to severe, and may include problems with:
- Comprehension
- Learning a new language
- Reading aloud
- Reading fluency
- Retelling main ideas of a story
- Time management
- Understanding idioms or jokes
Schedule an appointment with a vision therapy eye doctor to help improve your visual skills.
SEE RELATED: New Research for Adults with Lazy Eye
Dyslexia can also cause
- Blurry or double vision
- Comprehension difficulties
- Eyestrain or headaches
- Fatigue or tiredness when reading
- Reduced attention and concentration
- Seeing a glare on white paper
- Slow reading
- Words or letters to appear to move
When should a vision exam be scheduled?
The only way to know whether the above symptoms are being caused by a vision problem is to have a comprehensive eye exam, which includes examination of your visual skills and visual processing.
If vision is the problem or part of the problem, the good news is that it can almost always be treated with effective optometric care, including vision therapy.
LEARN MORE: Guide to Vision Therapy for Adults
If you are struggling at work, schedule an eye exam with an eye doctor to rule out vision problems that could be mistaken for – or adding to – the challenges of dyslexia.
