Dyslexic individuals have inefficient neural circuitry for processing written language (grapheme-phoneme relationships), causing reading, spelling, writing, and the mechanics of math to be tedious and time-consuming.

These challenges are caused by underdeveloped phonological processing (processing of individual sounds of spoken language), orthographic processing (processing of symbols that comprise written language), and/or rapid automatized naming processing abilities due to faulty or inadequate neural pathways and connections in the left parietal-temporal and occipital-temporal sections of the brain. Additionally, those with dyslexia may have poor auditory memory span (ability to remember what one just heard for a brief period), underdeveloped auditory working memory (ability to remember and manipulate/work with information just heard), and the ability to remember and recall arbitrary information such as math facts or the names of states and capitals. Some may also have poor processing speed and co-occurring disorders, such as dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dysnomia, developmental language disorder (mixed receptive-expressive language disorder), dyspraxia, autism, and/or ADHD. Furthermore, some individuals with dyslexia are twice exceptional, meaning they have high cognitive (intellectual) capacity in one or more areas and/or notable giftedness in areas such as music, art, or math.

Although no two individuals with dyslexia share identical neural circuitry, dyslexics tend to have similar weaknesses related to weak low-level language processing skills (e.g., rhyming, segmenting sounds, decoding, and spelling). Likewise, individuals with dyslexia often have notable strengths in visual-spatial abilities, fluid reasoning (non-verbal intelligence), oral language abilities, and/or quantitative reasoning. When individuals with dyslexia receive effective intervention through an intensive, frequent delivery model, coupled with appropriate classroom (or workplace) accommodations, they are able to capitalize on their incredible strengths to be successful in school, college, career, and life.

Effective intervention (also referred to as therapy depending on the training and credentials of those delivering the intervention) for dyslexia requires an intensive Orton-Gillingham-based curricula/methodology (also referred to as Structured Literacy) such as the Wilson Reading System. A multi-sensory, structured literacy program is highly effective for students with dyslexia; its systematic, multi-sensory, explicit, diagnostic-prescriptive lessons facilitate the interaction between the right and left hemispheres of the brain. Neuro-cognitive researchers have demonstrated that intensive structured literacy intervention improves both the structure and function of the brain in underperforming regions to support better reading and spelling. Engaging the brain in simultaneous, multisensory exercises activates the left hemisphere during the reading process, facilitates the embedding of neural models (allowing each word to become automatically decodable), and catalyzes overall reading development.