{"id":8819,"date":"2019-07-29T03:39:02","date_gmt":"2019-07-29T03:39:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=8819"},"modified":"2021-04-21T19:05:09","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T19:05:09","slug":"14-main-characteristics-of-alexia-or-word-blindness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-main-characteristics-of-alexia-or-word-blindness\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Main Characteristics of Alexia or Word Blindness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Word blindness is a profoundly complex neurological disorder that is typically characterized by a partial or total loss of the ability to read or understand the written word in all its forms. Word blindness is a very complex visually manifesting disturbance that results from a disease in the visual areas at the back parts of the brain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A person who has suffered a stroke may well be left with pure or partial word blindness, otherwise known as Alexia. Partial word blindness allows the individual to at least recognize letters but only allows them to read certain types of words such as nouns like “inn” but not the more abstract sorts of words like prepositions, as with “in”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many characteristics of this condition that make it easily identifiable from others like it. This article focusses on 8 of those characteristics and expands upon them a little, to provide a deeper context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Very Common<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First of all, it is important to note that whilst many people may not have heard of the condition, or indeed of any of its known and widely used names, it is one of the most common learning disabilities amongst adults and older people, stemming from external factors, illnesses or injuries. Unlike dyslexia<\/a>, which is also known as Developmental Reading Disorder, Alexia or word blindness doesn’t have too much of high prevalence in children, and if it does, it is most commonly diagnosed as dyslexia instead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dyslexia, which is thought to be the world’s most prevalent language-based learning disability does bear some similarities to word blindness and alexia though, given that they both fall under the category of people finding it hard to read and recognize letters and words effectively, thus inhibiting their ability to read and to learn. As soon as you scratch beneath the surface, you may just start to see how common this condition is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Neurological Language Processing Disorder<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Word blindness<\/a>, otherwise known as Alexia, is a profound and complex neurological language processing disorder that severely or partially hinders an individual\u2019s ability to read, write, and indeed to spell. This condition can vary in its levels of severity, but is not a sign of poor intelligence at all, as has historically been the way it has been interpreted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of how this neurological language processing disorder affects one person from the next, it is a good idea to consider a couple of different anecdotal stories about people living with the condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One person with total Alexia may find that they are completely unable to recognize or read even a single letter, whether it is part of a word or in complete isolation, whereas another person with partial word blindness may find that they can just about read a couple of sentences, as long as the words are spaced out adequately and they are given the extra time necessary for them to complete a task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Difficulty Spelling Words<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A person with total or partial word blindness or Alexia <\/a>may find that they have great difficulty spelling words, as well as huge problems and trouble when it comes to following rapidly delivered instructions. They can also expect to have at least some kind of reading difficulties, as well as the likelihood of them being able to see letters or words in reverse, almost as if they were reading the words from a mirror image perspective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Word blindness and alexia could have the potential to cause such complications such as poor \u2018reading aloud\u2019 skills, as well as new and profound difficulty when it comes to comprehending words and sentences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The condition may also be characterized by slowed vocabulary growth, together with a profound difficulty in expressing oneself in writing, or out loud as in during a conversation. It is only when you consider all of the above that you start to see the back story playing out behind the obvious lack of ability when it comes to spelling words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. No Cure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It has to be noted that there is currently no cure for Alexia, just as there isn\u2019t for dyslexia, and although the two are quite different conditions, they do bear many similarities with the lack of a known cure being one of them. This said it is certainly true that there are many and varied methods that are becoming more widely available to help people with the condition manage their symptoms <\/a>and improve the quality of their life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These methods all focus on making the world a much more accessible place for people struggling with these conditions. We live in a world where reading is almost impossible to avoid, with everything from the signs we follow to get to our destination, to the lunch we order at mealtimes, to the channels we choose on our televisions being governed by the words that we read. No cure is known, but lots can be done to improve lives if you look for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Mild to Severe<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The condition known as word blindness or alexia can range dramatically from person to person, case to case and from mild to severe. The prognosis also varies from one individual to another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has to be said that early identification and diagnosis <\/a>are pretty crucial though, as, with early identification and the subsequent suitable training, the right management methods and coping strategies are able to be deployed and relied upon the earliest possible opportunity, making it a lot easier for people with the condition to access the world around them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst one person’s condition might differ from the next person’s condition, the similarities are there to be seen and comparisons can be useful for sufferers so that new avenues might be explored and experiences shared with a view to improving the quality of life of all parties and all stakeholders, not forgetting the friends, family members, and health care professionals who look after the people that are actually affected with the condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Not Total Blindness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It is important to note that word blindness and alexia are not the same as total blindness, which is a common misconception that people make, whether through ignorance or innocence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An innocent misconception of the condition might arise from someone seeing the word \u2018blindness\u2019 listed there, and automatically jumping to the ill-informed conclusion that the presence of that particular word is only ever likely to refer to the idea of someone being \u2018blind’, as in completely and utterly unable to see. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The spectrum of blindness is huge though and stems all the way from someone with minor sight difficulties to someone who is indeed completely and utterly unable to see at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An ignorant misconception of the word \u2018blindness’, when it is written in this context as word blindness<\/a>, would perhaps be to deny someone the opportunity for applying for a job, or taking part in a particular scheme, purely because of the word \u2018blind’ leading an individual to believe that a person cannot see at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Congenital or Not<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Word blindness and alexia can actually be something that occurs a congenital illness, that no person would be able to do anything about. As we have discussed, damage and disease to a part of the eye or a part of the brain <\/a>can lead someone to becoming word blind or to being diagnosed with alexia, but it is important to understand the journey they go on to reach this crescendo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A congenital occurrence of word blindness or alexia would result from a disease to the specific part of the brain and eye that governs things like sight and recognition. This would be predetermined based on things like genetics and family history, meaning that there would be nothing a person could do to prevent this problem from occurring at some point in their lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A noncongenital instance of word blindness or alexia may come from a person receiving an injury to the head, or from something like a seizure, a stroke or even as a result and symptom of something like dementia or Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Outlook<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The outlook for people with alexia <\/a>or word blindness very much depends on a number of things. Firstly, the outlook of that person in general, whether it is positive or negative as a rule, can go some way to governing how well they manage to cope with the condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a person has a generally positive and optimistic outlook on life, they are certainly in a more beneficial and proactive position from where to try and make the appropriate changes to their life in order to live with the condition fairly well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If however, a person has a much more negative outlook on life and considers themselves to be much more of a pessimist, finding things to be happy about when it comes to receiving a diagnosis like this can be challenging to say the least. Another factor which is important in terms of people with this condition, is the cause of their word blindness or alexia, as this counts for a lot in terms of the road ahead.
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