Dyslexia impact 10% of the UK and USA population. What you might not know is that dyslexia often comes with another co-occuring difficulty. Obviously it is much more challenging to identify alongside the many individual challenges that dyslexia brings, however, it is important that we know they are there, and that they can be making life even more challenging.

Dyspraxia

Also known as Developmental Coordination Disorder, or DCD, Dyspraxia causes people to struggle with planning motor skills and carrying them out. 

In the Classroom: A student who…

1. Struggles to grip their pencil
2. Bumps into things, trips, or is generally clumsy
3. Struggles to conceptualize and follow sequences of instructions 

Dyslexia and Dyspraxia 

Neither of these learning disabilities affect intelligence. People with Dyslexia and Dyspraxia struggle to conceptualize and organize information, which can affect how they perceive and process language. 

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder 

ADHD is a chronic disorder resulting in trouble paying attention, hyperactivity, and impulse control issues. 

In the Classroom: A student who…

1. Can’t focus during the lesson
2. Acts out: gets out of their seat or interrupts when others are talking
3. Takes longer to get through lessons and activities  

Dyslexia and ADHD

People with Dyslexia struggle to interpret words, letters, and symbols. With ADHD, people will usually be able to read accurately but will often skip words and punctuation or lose their place.  

Dysgraphia

Dysgraphia refers to disabled handwriting, meaning someone will struggle with the act of writing by hand. 

In the Classroom: A student who…

1. Has trouble forming letters
2. Struggles to write grammatically correct sentences
3. Writes sentences that don’t follow a straight line or are missing letters 
4. Might struggle holding their pencil 

Dyslexia and Dysgraphia

The crossover here might be a little more obvious. Writing is a significant component of learning and comprehending language. Together, Dyslexia and Dysgraphia will present as trouble reading and writing words, decoding words, and trouble spelling.

Dyscalculia

People with this learning disability struggle to understand and do math. 

In the Classroom: A student who…

1. Difficulty recognizing numbers
2. Struggling to count
3. Struggling with addition, subtraction, and other math functions

Outside the Classroom:

1. Money troubles
2. Unable to remember phone numbers and zip codes
3. Difficulty judging distance and time 

Dyslexia and Dyscalculia

Working memory refers to how we immediately perceive and process information from our short-term memory and is how we hold onto information long enough to use it. Weak working memory contributes to difficulty learning to read and do math, and this shared root is why Dyslexia and Dyscalculia often overlap. 

How to Help Kids with Dyslexia and Co-occurring Difficulties 

Arguably, half the battle is identifying Dyslexia and co-occurring difficulties without getting hung up on one. These learning difficulties are defined separately for a reason. Identify what co-occurring difficulties your student is struggling with and take the time to understand both; how they impact learning individually and together. Then create an adjusted learning plan that meets your student’s specific needs and the demands of the difficulties they face. 

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