Dyslexia

The condition was described by Oswald Berkhan as early as 1881, but it was Rudolf Berlin who coined the term 'dyslexia' in 1887. The term was used to describe the case of a boy who had severe difficulty learning to read and write when he appeared to have normal intelligence outside these areas.

Cause

Research has shown that dyslexia has a neurological cause. Although there are many variants and causes for dyslexia, in many cases the brain is unable to properly interpret visual or auditory information. The brain can partly compensate for this, or in the case of a mild form, completely by using other brain functions.

This depends on the extent of the condition. At a young age, stimulation and training of the brain can lead to better compensation. Dyslexia mainly affects reading skills, spelling and vocabulary.