Students with difficulty in phonological processing and trouble learning sound-symbol correspondences, sounding out words and spelling, likely have dyslexia. Dysgraphia and dyscalculia are related conditions that affect writing and understanding arithmetic, respectively.
Students who have primary difficulty with phonological processing also have obvious trouble learning sound-symbol correspondences, sounding out words, and spelling. The term dyslexia applies to this group. Dyslexia is a learning disability that involves difficulty in processing language.
Children with dyslexia often struggle with understanding sound-letter correspondence, showing tendencies to mix up letters or skip words while reading, and have challenges spelling words correctly. This is due to the way their brains process letters and sounds, which makes reading a frustrating experience.
Some techniques used by dyslexic students include memorizing the shapes of words, a strategy that may allow them to recognize words without truly being able to read them efficiently.
Children with the related condition dysgraphia have significant difficulty with writing. This struggle isn't related to their IQ or other abilities but is specific to the act of writing itself. Accommodations are sometimes needed to help these students succeed, such as allowing oral exams instead of written ones. Similarly, students may have dyscalculia, which affects their ability to understand numbers and arithmetic, often showing from an early age.