ABSTRACT
Reading skills are derived from intentional instruction and involve the comprehension of written codes and mapping them with speech sounds and morphology. Although many believe that humans have been using oral language, from grunts to clear articulations, for hundreds of thousands of years, humans have only been writing for about 3,200 years. Dyslexia is a common disorder that hinders the development of reading skills, and it is characterized by deficits in phonological awareness, accurate and fluent word and pseudoword reading, rapid naming, spelling abilities, verbal working memory, and reading comprehension. Some researchers refer to dyslexia as a visual processing disorder that is neurological in nature; varied definitions are used throughout medical, educational, and governmental institutions, although few mention phonological processing as the primary cognitive deficit. Federal attention began to be directed toward students who are both gifted and have a disability in 2004 with the reauthorization of the individuals with disabilities education act. The concept is known as twice-exceptionality.
