Health
Fact-checked

At TheHealthBoard, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What Is the Connection between Autism and Dyslexia?

S. Ejim
S. Ejim

The main connection between autism and dyslexia is that they are both developmental disabilities. Both of them are neurological impairments that interfere with the ability of a person to perform certain activities. Dyslexia is a direct type of learning disability that impairs the ability of people who are suffering from it to read, and autism cripples the ability of people who have it to learn how to interact socially with other people. Another connection between autism and dyslexia is that both of them usually are childhood disorders that cannot be cured; they can only be managed.

Autism and dyslexia are disorders that affect the people who suffer from them in various ways. Autistic individuals might suffer from the disorder to varying degrees, which usually is determined by referring to the autism spectrum, characterized by an assessment and grouping of various disorders that affect the ability of individuals to communicate effectively with others and to interact with them in a social setting. People who are suffering from autism have a deficiency in their neural development that impairs the ability of the victims to communicate or relate to others normally.

Occupational therapy is often used to help children with both autism or dyslexia to improve their ability to move their bodies so they can use scissors, ride tricycles and catch balls.
Occupational therapy is often used to help children with both autism or dyslexia to improve their ability to move their bodies so they can use scissors, ride tricycles and catch balls.

A link between autism and dyslexia also can be seen in the fact that just like autism, dyslexia also has various forms and degrees of intensity. Dyslexia can affect the ability of a person to associate sounds or spoken words to symbols and letters. It might affect the ability of the person to draw a correlation between new information and old information to arrive at a conclusion or understanding about new data. In this sense, dyslexia affects either the long-term or short-term memory of dyslexics in connection with their ability to store information regarding written material.

Dyslexia sometimes may not be diagnosed until the patient is an adult.
Dyslexia sometimes may not be diagnosed until the patient is an adult.

A consequence of the inability of certain dyslexics to separate spoken words is that this inability is also translated to their writing skills to the effect that they are not able to distinguish separate letters and symbols. For instance, they might hear the pronunciation of certain words in a different manner from what the speaker said. The main problem for dyslexics is their inability to channel new information in a manner that will allow them relate such new information to the old information that they might have learned in the past. The ability to channel information in this manner is what constitutes comprehension — an ability that is necessary for learning the mechanics of reading.

AS FEATURED ON:
AS FEATURED ON:
Logo Logo Logo Logo Logo Logo Logo Logo

Related Articles

Discuss this Article

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • Occupational therapy is often used to help children with both autism or dyslexia to improve their ability to move their bodies so they can use scissors, ride tricycles and catch balls.
      By: g215
      Occupational therapy is often used to help children with both autism or dyslexia to improve their ability to move their bodies so they can use scissors, ride tricycles and catch balls.
    • Dyslexia sometimes may not be diagnosed until the patient is an adult.
      By: Riccardo Piccinini
      Dyslexia sometimes may not be diagnosed until the patient is an adult.
    • As writing in cursive clumps the muscle memory of making letters into fewer movements, an individual with dyslexia may benefit from learning to write in cursive.
      By: mamastock
      As writing in cursive clumps the muscle memory of making letters into fewer movements, an individual with dyslexia may benefit from learning to write in cursive.
    • Children with mild dyslexia may have difficulty reading.
      By: georgemuresan
      Children with mild dyslexia may have difficulty reading.
    • Jumping on a trampoline may help individuals with autism control their anxiety and relieve stress.
      By: robhainer
      Jumping on a trampoline may help individuals with autism control their anxiety and relieve stress.
    • Some people -- including those with autism -- have auditory processing disorders that can affect how they perceive sounds.
      By: elisabetta figus
      Some people -- including those with autism -- have auditory processing disorders that can affect how they perceive sounds.
    • About one in 190 girls is diagnosed with autism, which is a far lower rate than for boys.
      By: Halfpoint
      About one in 190 girls is diagnosed with autism, which is a far lower rate than for boys.