Why someone might read slowly, have trouble reading, or not be able to remember vocabulary. 

Some people have problems learning foreign languages. Why can’t they remember vocabulary? Why do they forget it so often? Why do they learn languages slowly? Why can’t they read very well? Why do they misspell words? This problem is called Dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a condition that affects the reading. It is found in about 4-10% of the population. This means that in a classroom of 50 students, there could be as many as 5 students with dyslexia. That’s a significant number. Dyslexia can be passed down through families. It is often grouped together with other learning disorders (LD). However, I personally do not like to use the term LD because it is too broad.

Main symptoms:

• Slow reading: Read slowly and need to reread passages multiple times to understand them.
• Spelling: May make frequent spelling errors and have difficulty with writing tasks.
• Poor reading comprehension: Difficulty understanding what they read, remembering words and may have trouble learning new vocabulary.
• Problems with foreign language learning:  Difficulty learning foreign languages.
• Persistent problems: Have had problems since they were children. Some people’s symptoms improve over time, while others’ symptoms remain the same.

Associated symptoms, such as:

• Dysgraphia
• Speech problems
• Dyscalculia

Which parts of the brain can have problems?

Let’s look at a simple analogy: Each part of the brain (grey matter, lobe) is like a city. Each city has its own function. The brain fibers (white matter, fiber track) are like roads. The roads connect the cities together.

1 Brain parts that work less than normal people

• The brain areas involved in word memory (occipital lobe), pronunciation (temporal lobe), and the conversion of letters to sounds and the differentiation of different images and sounds (parietal lobe), specifically on the left side.
• Left temporal-parietal cortex
• Left occipitotemporal
• The Auditory Cortex (Wernicke) and Speech Cortex (Broca)
• The cerebellum is not just about balance, as we learned in basic studies. Today, we know that the cerebellum also plays a role in several aspects of intelligence.
• The image shows a small difference in the size of the brain. But can such a small difference really have a big impact? Let’s think about it this way: A 1x1x1 millimeter piece of the cerebral cortex contains about 50,000 brain cells. Each of these brain cells can connect to up to 50 million other brain cells.

So, even though the area in the image may look small, it is actually a very important part of the brain.

A small difference in the size of this area can have a big impact on a person’s cognitive abilities.

2 The white matter may not work as well as it does in people without learning disabilities. This can mean that information travels more slowly between different parts of the brain. The image shows the connections between 205 different areas of the brain

Treatment

• Reduce brain cell damage: get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, manage stress, avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
• Practice must be targeted to the specific problem, not just random practice. It is important to practice regularly and consistently, for at least 2-4 hours a day. For some people with mild disabilities, simply practicing the correct way can be enough to overcome the problem.
• Getting good air and good oxygen is not just about having PM2.5 in your lungs. Your brain can also get worse.
• Getting enough sleep is important for your brain to rest and recover. Try to go to bed before 10pm and sleep for at least 6-7 hours.Staying up late and then sleeping in during the day cannot make up for lost sleep.
• Eating certain medications or vitamin supplements can increase blood flow to the brain and increase brain chemicals. However, this must always be done in conjunction with regular training. Many people do not respond to these supplements because their condition is too severe, or they rely solely on supplements and medication and do not exercise at all. (Personally, I would not recommend this approach. It is better to address the root cause of the problem or train properly first, to avoid wasting money. There are also many people who make false claims and exaggerated advertising. I do not want anyone to be a victim of this.)
• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

TMS

• It is a direct solution to the problem of areas of the brain that are underactive and slow-communicating fibers.
• Everyone has different problems. It is important to assess in detail which part of the brain a person has a problem with, and whether the problem is mild or severe. The more a person practices, the faster they will improve.
• Stimulate 1-5 times a week for 3-24 months, depending on the severity.
• Some people improve a lot after 10 sessions, while others take 6 months.
• No one can guarantee the results, because it depends on many factors, such as:

How many parts of the brain are affected?

How severe is the problem?

Has the patient reduced the factors that can damage the brain?

Are they practicing the exercises correctly and consistently?

From the doctor’s experience, everyone who does the exercises improves, because they are addressing the root cause of the problem. However, the amount of improvement will vary depending on the factors listed above.

Here are some examples of famous people who have dyslexia:

• Pablo Picasso: World-renowned painter
• John F. Kennedy: President of the United States
• Michael Phelps: Olympic swimmer

As you can see, it is possible to be successful and happy even if you have dyslexia. ^^