The understanding of dyslexia has undergone many transformations throughout history. The term “dyslexia” was first mentioned in 1887 by German ophthalmologist Rudolf Berlin, who used the word to describe patients with specific reading and writing difficulties despite normal intelligence and cognitive abilities. In the years that followed, experts debated whether dyslexia was a visual problem or another.
Initial Challenges in Understanding Dyslexia
It was only in the 20th century, with the advancement of neuroscience and psychology, that the neurological bases of dyslexia were identified. Studies have shown that dyslexia has genetic causes and that the brain of a person with dyslexia processes language differently. Today, dyslexia is understood as a difference in phonological and orthographic processing that affects reading, writing and spelling.
