Dyslexia is regarded as a neurobiological condition that is genetic in origin. This means that individuals can inherit this condition from a parent and it affects the performance of the neurological system (specifically, the parts of the brain responsible for learning to read).
Different genes may be influencing spelling skills at different ages. Genetic influences at adolescence may be less modified by the environment than genetic influences at younger ages.
The root cause of spelling problems is typically due to one or more areas of processing that aren't working as well as they could, should, and can. There are two primary systems that impact your ability to spell words. These are the visual and auditory systems.
Dyslexia. Dyslexia is a language based learning difference commonly associated with spelling difficulties and reading problems. However, it can also affect memory and processing skills. There are different kinds of dyslexia but the most common type makes it hard for people to split language into its component sounds.
Many kids and adults struggle with spelling. It's a complex activity that involves many skills. Trouble with spelling can be a sign of learning and thinking differences, like dyslexia.
Spelling is one of the biggest, and most widely experienced difficulties for the dyslexic child and adult. Most dyslexic people can learn to read well with the right support, however, spelling appears to be a difficulty that persists throughout life. It's not entirely understood why this is the case.
Many kids with ADHD struggle with spelling problems. They have difficulty learning to spell new words, may take longer to think through how to spell a word and write it down on the page, and make mistakes spelling simple words that they had previously memorized.
By around 7 to 8 years old, a child should have a good grasp of basic spelling skills and be able to spell many words with confidence. As they continue to practice and learn new words, they will gain more confidence in their spelling abilities and become more comfortable with writing and reading.
Dysgraphia. Dysgraphia may refer to either difficulty with language or spelling-based aspects of written expression. Dysgraphia can occur alone or can co-occur with dyslexia and/or other learning disabilities. The cognitive–linguistic aspects of dysgraphia are involved in the writing process and the writing product.
The kind of visual memory necessary for spelling is closely "wired in" to the language processing networks in the brain. Poor spellers have trouble remembering the letters in words because they have trouble noticing, remembering, and recalling the features of language that those letters represent.
We think people who can't spell are ignorant, illiterate, or stupid, despite having research dating back to the 1970s that shows that there is no significant association between spelling ability and intelligence.
Both mothers and fathers can pass dyslexia on to their children if either parent has it. There is roughly a 50% – 60% chance of a child developing dyslexia if one of their parents has it.
Research has shown that children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may present a series of academic difficulties, including spelling errors.
How Vision Therapy Can Help. Treatment of spelling problems begins with treatment of the underlying functional visual problems. Once a child has acquired good eye movement and visualization skills, the concept of recognizing “the look of words” rather than sounding them out can be introduced.
A 7-8 year old is spelling words they read and use frequently. By this age children are spelling many high frequency words (words we see written commonly) correctly. They are also spelling correctly a list of personal word including names of their suburb, family members, friends and pet's names.
A 9-10 year old can apply spelling rules
Children at this age will learn spelling rules for tense and plurals. Children will be able to change 'y' to 'l' and add 'es' example family – families. They will also be able to double the consonants after a vowel when adding 'ing' example run-running.
7-8 year olds will find and correct simple spelling errors
Children at this level, with support, will begin to edit their own writing. This means they can look for patterns in their own writing and see if the letters they have written match the sounds they can hear.
Some autistic people have: problems with reading, writing and spelling (dyslexia) clumsy movements and problems with organisation and following instructions (developmental co-ordination disorder, or dyspraxia)
It's not surprising that people with dyslexia have trouble spelling. They also might have trouble expressing themselves in writing and even speaking. Dyslexia is a language processing disorder, so it can affect all forms of language, spoken or written.