Which statement best describes the core symptom of dyslexia?

Which statement best describes the core symptom of dyslexia?

• A. Difficulties with arithmetic facts
• B. Difficulties with handwriting speed
• C. Difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition
• D. Difficulties with listening comprehension

Answer: (C)

Dyslexia centers on word-level reading difficulties: recognizing words accurately and, for many, with fluency. This reflects trouble applying letter-sound relationships to decode text, so reading is slow and error-prone even when intelligence is normal and instruction is adequate. That focus on how words are processed and read sets it apart from other skills like arithmetic facts, handwriting speed, or listening comprehension, which involve different abilities. So the best description is the difficulty with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, because that is the defining challenge that dyslexia creates in reading.

Dyslexia centers on word-level reading difficulties: recognizing words accurately and, for many, with fluency. This reflects trouble applying letter-sound relationships to decode text, so reading is slow and error-prone even when intelligence is normal and instruction is adequate. That focus on how words are processed and read sets it apart from other skills like arithmetic facts, handwriting speed, or listening comprehension, which involve different abilities. So the best description is the difficulty with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, because that is the defining challenge that dyslexia creates in reading.