Which aspect of language is commonly affected in individuals with dyslexia?

The phonological component of language is commonly affected in individuals with dyslexia because this specific area involves the ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds in spoken language. Individuals with dyslexia often struggle with phonemic awareness, which is the understanding that words are made up of individual sounds (phonemes) and that these sounds can be blended, segmented, and manipulated to form words. This difficulty can significantly impact their reading and spelling abilities, as these skills rely heavily on recognizing letter-sound correspondences.

In contrast, writing skills, visual processing, and mathematical reasoning may also present challenges for individuals with dyslexia, but they are not as core to the condition as phonological processing. While writing may be affected due to the overall literacy challenges related to dyslexia, it is not specifically tied to the fundamental difficulties in sound awareness that characterize the disorder. Visual processing and mathematical reasoning issues can occur alongside dyslexia but are not inherent aspects of the diagnosis. Thus, the emphasis on phonological processing directly correlates with the broader, recognized symptoms of dyslexia.