Is dyslexia considered a mental disability?

Dyslexia is not a mental illness according to most definitions although 30 years ago dyslexic people were often cared for by psychiatrists. Today we call dyslexia a learning disability.

What type of disability is dyslexia considered?

Dyslexia is a “reading disability,” and is characterized by an unexpected difficulty in reading by people who possess the intelligence, motivation, and schooling necessary to read. It is a persistent, chronic condition rather than a transient developmental lag.

What other disabilities come with dyslexia?

We have explored in more detail the SpLD that most often co-occur with dyslexia.

• What is neurodiversity?
• Anxiety and mental health.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
• Dyscalculia and maths difficulties.
• Dyspraxia (DCD)
• ​Visual difficulties.

Is dyslexia a special needs?

The answer is yes. Dyslexia is a condition that could qualify a child as having a specific learning disability under the IDEA. There is nothing in the IDEA that would prohibit the use of the term dyslexia in IDEA evaluation, eligibility determinations, or IEP documents. It’s clear that dyslexia is very common.

Is dyslexia recognized by ADA?

Learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, likely qualify as protected disabilities under the ADA, because they substantially limit major life activities such as reading and learning. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects people with disabilities from discrimination.

When was dyslexia recognized as a disability?

Consensus Definition 1968 In April of 1968, the first meeting of the World Federation of Neurology’s Research Group on Developmental Dyslexia and World Illiteracy was at a hospital in Dallas, TX. It was at Scottish Rite Hospital for Children that the first consensus definition of dyslexia occurred.

Is dyslexia a disability in the workplace?

Because dyslexia affects learning, it is often considered a disability and thus protected by the ADA. Employers are not allowed to discriminate based on this person’s dyslexia or learning disability.

Is dyslexia a work disability?

Because dyslexia affects learning, it is often considered a disability and thus protected by the ADA. The employer cannot assume how your disability may affect your ability to perform the job, with or without reasonable accommodation. Employers must also provide reasonable accommodation for employees which request it.

When was dyslexia first Recognised as a disability?

In 1877, the reading and spelling difficulties characteristic of dyslexia today were first identified by Adolph Kussmaul, a German Professor of Medicine. Termed ‘word blindness’, such difficulties were believed (incorrectly) to stem from some form of ocular deficit (Kussmaul, 1877).