The Takeaway. On scores of reading speed and accuracy, dyslexia fonts perform no better than common fonts like Arial and Times New Roman, and sometimes they perform worse, according to recent studies.
“The way we learn to write can often determine the shape of the letters and so it might be why our brains find them easier to distinguish.” Many of the letters in Dyslexie also feature unusual serifs – the small lines added to the end of a stroke in a letter – that make them easier to distinguish.
The shapes of the letters that look alike are adjusted subtly, which decreases the chance of switching and mirroring them. Longer sticks. Some Dyslexie font letters have longer sticks, which helps to decrease switching letters while reading.
Dyslexia fonts use thicker lines in parts of letters, among other differences. Some people prefer these fonts. But they're not proven to help with reading. Dyslexia is a problem with language, not vision.
– Font types have a significant impact on readability of people with dyslexia. – Good fonts for people with dyslexia are Helvetica, Courier, Arial, Verdana and Computer Modern Uni- code, taking into consideration reading performance and subjective preferences.
Readable fonts
Use sans serif fonts, such as Arial and Comic Sans, as letters can appear less crowded. Alternatives include Verdana, Tahoma, Century Gothic, Trebuchet, Calibri, Open Sans. Font size should be 12-14 point or equivalent (e.g. 1-1.2em / 16-19 px). Some dyslexic readers may request a larger font.
Serif fonts have hooks at the ends of the letter strokes. They may look decorative, but they can cause reading problems for dyslexic users. Serifs tend to obscure the shapes of letters, making the letters run together [1]. But a sans-serif font would allow dyslexic users to see the shapes of letters clearer.
Choosing a font for people with ADHD
Helvetica has been shown to increase comprehension among people with ADHD by reducing visual demands on them.
The Takeaway. On scores of reading speed and accuracy, dyslexia fonts perform no better than common fonts like Arial and Times New Roman, and sometimes they perform worse, according to recent studies.
Dyslexie. Dyslexie was designed by the Dutch graphic designer Christian Boer, who was also dyslexic. He was trying to come up with a font that would stop the letters from looking as if they were moving or spinning around. This is a licensed font, which means you have to pay for it if you want to use it.
Contrast between the color of the background and letters is helpful to all readers, but particularly for children with dyslexia. For example, a simple white background and black text offers contrast.
The 4 types of dyslexia include phonological dyslexia, surface dyslexia, rapid naming deficit, and double deficit dyslexia. Dyslexia is a learning disorder where the person often has difficulty reading and interpreting what they read.
Spanish and ASL can be good choices for students with dyslexia. The school may be able to offer accommodations that can make language learning easier for students who struggle.
The letters constantly flicker around, and everything seems jumbled. The words seem to make sense at first and then they don't, and just when you think you've figured out the word, it seems to morph into a totally different one.
Many dyslexics read at an average of 50 to 150 words per minute. The average reading speed (of non-dyslexics) is 250 words per minute. Dyslexics are generally picture thinkers who get distracted even faster by their own images during reading than non-dyslexics.
There are several fonts that have been designed for the dyslexic reader including Dyslexie, Opendyslexic, Gill Dyslexic, Read Regular, Lexia Readable, and Sylexiad.
Like many dyslexia-intervention typefaces, most notably Dyslexie, OpenDyslexic adds to dyslexia research and is a reading aid. It is not a cure for dyslexia.
Benefits of TTS for young children with dyslexia
It can be used to help kids understand and follow directions by eliminating the obstacle of the written word, and can help them better comprehend even complicated, multi-part instructions by presenting it in a way that allows them to naturally retain more information.
Focus-sans.
Another great sans-serif option was designed specifically to enhance readability and accessibility for users with various needs, including those with ADHD. It prevents clutter and minimizes distractions.
Neurodiverse readers generally fare better with sans-serif fonts such as Arial. Most neurodivergent individuals also have an affinity for fonts that resemble handwriting – such as Comic Sans.
Top accessible fonts
The most accessible fonts are Tahoma, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, and Times New Roman. Slab serif fonts including Arvo, Museo Slab, and Rockwell are also considered to be accessible. These font types are mostly used in headings rather than the body text.
Common mistakes when reading and spelling are mixing up b's and d's, or similar looking words such as 'was' and 'saw', 'how' and 'who'. Letters and numbers can be written back-to-front or upside down. The most common numbers for visual dyslexics to reverse are 9, 5 and 7.
Swap fonts in Word
Choose Modify Style then choose Dyslexie font. Print or make PDF the Dyslexie version then switch back to the original font. Alternatively, use Advanced Replace to switch an existing font for Dyslexie.
People with dyslexia can also experience what's called the 'river effect' when they see large gaps in long lines of text. The spacing between words moves the visual focus onto the white space, which looks like a river flowing down the page.