(Black PR Wire) Dyslexia is defined as a learning disorder that affects your ability to read, spell, write, and speak. Kids who are diagnosed with dyslexia are often smart and hardworking, but they have trouble connecting the letters they see to the sounds those letters make.

According to WebMD, approximately 5% to 10% of Americans have some symptoms of dyslexia, such as slow reading, trouble spelling, or mixing up words. Adults can have this learning disorder, as well. Some people are diagnosed early in life, while others don't realize they have dyslexia until they get older.

What causes dyslexia? WebMD explains that it is linked to genes, which is why the condition often runs in families. You're more likely to have dyslexia if your parents, siblings, or other family members have it. The condition stems from differences in parts of the brain that process language. Imaging scans in people with dyslexia show that areas of the brain that should be active when a person reads don't tend to work properly.

Several characteristics of dyslexics, based on data from www.wikipedia.org, include the following:

• Dyslexics appear bright, but are unable to read, spell or write.  Those with the disorder may appear bright, intelligent, and articulate but are unable to read, write, or spell at an age-appropriate level.
• Dyslexics may have good oral, but poor written skills. 
• Dyslexics may feel inferior. They might have poor self-esteem and become easily frustrated and emotional about school reading or testing.
• Dyslexics may learn best through hands-on experience, demonstrations, experimentation, observation, and visual aids.
• Dyslexics may reveal talents in other areas such as art, drama, music, sports, mechanics, story-telling, sales, business, designing, building, or engineering.
• Dyslexics may have related problems with attention in a school setting; for instance they might seem to "zone out" or daydream often; get lost easily or lose track of time; and have difficulty maintaining attention.

It goes without saying that dyslexia is different for everyone.  While some people have a mild form that they eventually learn how to manage, others have a little more trouble overcoming it. Rest assured that those who have the disorder can still succeed in life, survive and thrive. The first step to overcoming obstacles involves learning about dyslexia.