Alexia is a neurological condition that affects a person's ability to read. It typically occurs after brain damage, often due to a stroke or head injury, impacting areas responsible for language processing. Individuals with alexia may struggle to recognize written words, even if they can speak and understand spoken language. There are different types of alexia, including surface alexia, where individuals have difficulty with irregular words, and phonological alexia, where they struggle with sounding out words. Treatment often involves speech and language therapy, focusing on improving reading skills and compensatory strategies to aid communication.