Translated into plain English,
this means that the experts don't really know how to teach dyslexics but they hope
a teacher will use many different approaches until one that works is found.
What Are Some Of The Characteristics Of Dyslexia?
An individual is identified as dyslexic when a significant discrepancy exists
between intellectual ability and reading performance without an apparent physical,
emotional, or cultural cause.
Translated into plain English,
this means a person may be called a dyslexic when we know that he is smart enough
to be able to learn to read but we can't figure out why he can't read.
Common findings in the history include, but
are not limited to:
(1) family history of reading problems;
(2) a predominant occurrence in males (males to females 8:1);
(3) an average or above average IQ and, not uncommonly,a proficiency in math:
(4) no enjoyment of reading as a leisure activity;
(5) problems of letter and word reversal;
(6) developmental history of problems in coordination and left/right dominance;
(7) poor visual memory for language symbols;
(8) auditory language difficulties in word finding, fluency, meaning, or sequence;
(9) difficulty transferring information from what is heard to what is seen and vice versa.
Specific reading problems associated with dyslexia include difficulty in pronouncing new
words, difficulty distinguishing similarities and differences in words (no for on), and
difficulty discriminating differences in letter sound (pin, pen). Other problems may
include reversal of words and letters, disorganization of word order, poor reading
comprehension, and difficulty applying what has been read to social or learning
situations.
What Factors Contribute To Dyslexia?
Ocular Problems
Several reliable studies (Helveston 1969; Blika 1982; Keys 1982; Hiatt 1984) have
found that dyslexic individuals have no greater incidence of eye problems than do
individuals with normal reading ability. Such parameters as visual acuity, stereo acuity,
ocular alignment and motility, fusion status (break point amplitude), and refractive error
have not been shown to be significantly different in poor versus normal readers.
Individuals with reading problems should, however,have a careful eye examination as part
of an overall medical examination. There is no scientific evidence that visual training
(including eye muscle exercises, ocular tracking or pursuit exercises,or glasses with
bifocals or prisms) leads to significant improvement in the performance of dyslexic
individuals.
Translated into plain English,
this means a dyslexic should have his eyes checked, but improved vision doesn't
help that much in learning to read.
Language Problems
According to Mattis (1978), the primary contributing factor to dyslexia is an
auditory language deficit. Approximately 86% of the individuals identified as dyslexic
evidence an auditory language disorder that prevents the individual from linking the
spoken form of a word with its written equivalent. In light of this, any individual with
reading problems should have a careful evaluation of his or her language capabilities and
where indicated, appropriate speech and language intervention should be provided.
Translated into plain English, this
means hearing and speaking are related to reading.
Visuo-Spatial-Motor Problems
In contrast to language problems, visuo-spatial-motor factors of dyslexia appear
less frequently (Robinson and Schwartz 1973). Approximately 5% of the individuals
identified as dyslexic have a visuo-spatial-motor problem that interferes with sequential
organization, scanning, and the perception of temporal and spatial cues. Although
visuo-spatial-motor confusion is common in young children who are just learning to read,
these problems do not tend to account for severe and persistent reading difficulties
unless the child has missed so much basic reading instruction that he cannot get caught
up. Assessment of visual, spatial, and motor capacities should be included in the
diagnosis of any coordination or orientation disorder; however, there is no scientific
evidence that interventions such as neurological and sensory organizational training,
laterality training, dominance training, balance beam, or reflex inhibition will
significantly accelerate reading performance.
Translated into plain English,
this means that some dyslexics have problems visualizing things, problems with
hand-eye coordination, muscle control, sense of time and space. This should be
assessed but treatment of any of these problems won't be of much help.
Other Factors
The importance of general intelligence in learning to read has been examined and
shown to be a critical factor in both reading and language abilities. Investigations of
the role of dominance in handedness, eyedness, and mixed laterality have produced no
consistent conclusions. Studies investigating low birth weight, EEG abnormalities,
temperamental attributes, attention deficit disorders, birth order, food additives, and
chemical allergies have yielded mixed results. What is clear is that a wide range of
factors can be associated with reading difficulties but that these factors work
differently in different children.
Translated into plain English, this
means that the experts don't really know or agree about what causes dyslexia or how to
treat it.
There is no simple formula for diagnosing and treating a
dyslexic child. Each one requires his or her own individual program.
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