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Learning Outcomes
To highlight the meaning, causes, diagnosis, symptoms and treatments of dyslexia.
Meaning of Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that makes it more difficult for people to learn to read, write and spell correctly.
Flood, E. (2010:150)
Prevalence
Estimates for the prevalence of dyslexia (both mild and more severe) vary widely at between 4 and 10 per cent.
Causes
Morton and Frith (19950 highlighted that dyslexia can be described at 3 different levels: 1. A biological level (in terms of brain structure, what causes dyslexia?) 2. A cognitive level (in terms of brain functioning, what causes dyslexia?) 3. A behavioural level (symptoms of dyslexia)
Causes :Biological
Developmental dyslexia is the term used to describe when there is a genetic link with dyslexia. This is when one member or more of a family show symptoms of dyslexia.
Biological :Cerebellum
Research with children with dyslexia indicates deficits in the functioning of the cerebellum. The cerebellum is the area of the brain that is associated with the automatisation of skills. Research found that children with dyslexia require significantly more time both to acquire a new skill and for it to become automatic.
Biological :Visual
Some people with dyslexia report what is called visual discomfort. They may experience headaches and eyestrain and report that the words around on the page in front of them. This is thought to be due to a deficit in an area of the brain called the visual magnocellular system. Wearing glasses or coloured worksheets can ease this.
Biological: Cognitive
This is broken into 2 parts: 1. Phonological processing is the ability to translate letters and words into sounds. Children with dyslexia are not to naturally do this and must learn to do so in a very deliberate way.
2. Short term memory skills where children are required to remember numbers and letters strings (i.e. a,b,c) show children with dyslexia tend to have poorer short-term memory.
Symptoms
Early speech and language problems. Mix up sounds of words and order of numbers. Confuse directions (left and right) Difficulty remembering common sequences (days of the weeks, tables) Poor pencil control and awkward handwriting. Unable to pair speech sounds with letters and vice versa. Confuse words and letters that look alike cat/act. Have difficulty copying words and numbers from a book or blackboard. Have difficulties recalling the names of people, words or objects. Persistent spelling problems. Reading aloud may be difficult or embarrassing. May be clumsiness and untidy. There is often a marked difference between verbal and written ability.
Diagnosis
A qualified educational psychologist can carry out a number of assessments in order to diagnosis a child with dyslexia.
Assessments to Diagnosis
The most common of the assessments used in Irish primary schools are: 1. Drumchondra test (reading and maths) 2. Micra-t test (reading)
Results from these tests are usually presented as percentile scores. These scores indicate how well a child is doing in comparison to other children his/her age.
Treatment
If diagnosis of dyslexia has been made, the child is likely to need extra tuition. The options available fall into two categories: 1. School-based supports 2. Outside school supports.
School-based Supports
Support from class teacher. Resources teacher.
Prognosis
In general, how well a child with dyslexia progresses depends on:
The severity of their dyslexia. How soon they receive proper supports and interventions. The quality of the supports. General levels of motivation/encouragement home/school. How well their other talents and abilities are recognised and encouraged.