Dyslexia Is Not A Mystery Anymore!
By Patty Barrons, M.A.
Certified Dyslexia Testing Specialist
Dyslexia is a term that has been in use for years. It has even become the subject of stand-up comics. Though most people have heard of it, they still hold onto old misconceptions. In 2006, after years of longitudinal studies and modern brain imaging, dyslexia has a whole new look. Dyslexia is not mysterious any longer, and it is important that parents and educators alike pay attention to the latest research findings.
I’d like to put to rest the following myths about dyslexia:
- Dyslexia is a catch all term... it is not: it is a specific learning disability about which much is known.
- It is rare... not true: 1 in 5 people world wide are affected.
- People with dyslexia see things backwards... this is the biggest falsehood of all. Dyslexia is not a vision problem.
- It is possible to outgrow dyslexia... false. It is possible to overcome dyslexia, but one never outgrows it.
- Those with dyslexia will never read well... false. Proper diagnosis, followed by specific tutoring techniques, vastly improves reading ability.
- Reading ability is directly related to intelligence... absolutely false. There is no link between intelligence and dyslexia.
After more than 20 years of research following the growth and development of children with reading problems, and with the development of brain scanning technology, we now know that dyslexia is a specific disorder. The disorder is a breakdown in phonemic processing and which happens in specific, identified parts of the brain. (Phonemes are the smallest units of sound represented by letters.) As Dr. Sally Shaywitz M.D., professor and director of the Yale Center for the Study of Learning and Attention states, “The diagnosis of dyslexia is as precise and scientifically informed as almost any diagnosis in medicine.”
The National Institutes of Health began research on dyslexia in the 1980s when Congress mandated they research all learning disabilities. After conducting longitudinal studies (that follow children over time) and studies on genetics, instructional interventions, and brain functioning, we have irrefutable, research based information on the disorder. From that research we know that dyslexia is a disability in a part of the brain that makes a critical 3-way connection as we learn to read and write. That connection is between a visual code (letters and words), the sounds of letters and words, and the meaning of letters and words. Brain scan imagery shows that for most of us, the 3-way connection becomes automatic. For 1 in 5 human brains, however, making that all important 3-way connection is always a tremendous struggle and it never becomes automatic.
Today we know dyslexia is the most common reason a bright child will struggle with reading, writing and spelling. According to NIH research, 80% of children with a Learning Disability (often labeled LD in schools) actually have dyslexia: results which show dyslexia is the most common of all learning disabilities. Children do not outgrow dyslexia, it affects at least 1 of every five children, and it affects boys and girls equally.
Dyslexia is a chronic condition, not a developmental lag. Of children who display reading problems in first grade, 74% will be poor readers in the ninth grade and into adulthood unless they receive explicit instruction on phonemic awareness. Dyslexia is much more than reversing letters and numerals. It is a processing disorder affecting parts of the brain where written language is linked to sound. Dyslexic students have a lack of phonemic awareness. In other words, they have trouble breaking down a word into its component sounds and don’t grasp that each sound is represented by letter symbols. They have trouble blending sounds into words.
So, it is actually phonemic awareness and not intelligence that best predicts one’s ability to learn to read. Phonemic awareness must be taught to children who lack it. It should be taught, early on, as a child starts reading, providing a proper diagnosis is made. A child with severe dyslexia will struggle with reading from the beginning, but intelligent children with mild to moderate dyslexia can fool you during the first few years of school. Their unusual reading strategies which help them survive the early grades, will force them into a brick wall by about fourth grade when students begin to encounter 5,000-10,000 new words every year.
Reading is taken for granted by most of us. It is commonly believed that if a person is motivated and comes from a family where reading is valued he will naturally learn to read. But this simply is not true. We know dyslexia is a condition that makes it extremely difficult, despite normal intelligence, to learn reading writing, and spelling. People with undiagnosed dyslexia feel, incorrectly, that they aren’t smart. Behavioral issues often develop when students are viewed as unmotivated, unintelligent, or uncooperative.
Some signs of dyslexia in elementary school include:
- Terrible spelling
- Difficulty telling time on a clock with hands
- Letter or number reversals past first grade
- Slow handwriting that is difficult to read
- Extreme difficulty learning cursive
- Slow, choppy, inaccurate reading
- Often can’t remember sight words (they, does)
- Difficulty finding the correct word when speaking (lots of “thingies” and “whatyamacallits”)
- Trouble memorizing a sequence of steps and math tables
- Difficulty with left and right
- Trouble memorizing their phone number or address
If your child has 3 or more of these signs, you may want to consider dyslexia as a fundamental cause. A pre-testing consultation with a dyslexic testing specialist should help you decide if a complete diagnosis is needed. Dr. Sally Shaywitz says, if you have any suspicions about dyslexia, don’t hesitate to seek help. “I have witnessed far too many instances where the most loving and well intentioned parents or teachers have taken an uncharacteristically passive stance and assumed that somehow things will work out.”
Sources
Overcoming Dyslexia by Dr. Sally Shaywitz, MD., Codirector of the Yale Center for the Study of Learning and Attention
Susan Barton, Bright Solutions for Dyslexia (www.BrightSolutions.us)