KEY POINTS COVERED IN THIS POST

• Definitions of dyslexia
• The causes of dyslexia
• What are the characteristics of dyslexia?
• Consequences of dyslexia
• What are the interventions available for dyslexia?

INTRODUCTION

Developmental dyslexia is generally characterised as a reading difficulty that is unexpected in relation to a person’s intelligence and level of reading instruction. Children with dyslexia do not have more general or widespread learning difficulties. Children and adults with dyslexia not only have difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word reading but they also have poor spelling ability. There is a substantial body of research showing the link between speech and language difficulties to literacy skills. Early intervention is important if there is a need to identify a child that is at risk.

DEFINITION OF DYSLEXIA

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterised by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction (Lyon, Shaywitz, and Shaywitz, 2000). This definition reflects on the following:

1. Current knowledge about reading development, reading difficulties and reading instructions.
2. Identify dyslexia as a specific rather than a general learning disability.
3. It affects literacy at the word level.
4. Difficulties in real word reading, spelling and decoding non words (e.g. wug, wint, tegwop)

The definition makes it clear that dyslexia is considered a word reading difficulty.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

At preschool age:

• Has persistent jumbled phrases e.g. cobbler’s blud for toddler’s club
• Use of substitute words (e.g. lampshade for lamppost)
• Inability to remember the label for known objects (e.g table and chair)
• Difficulty learning nursery rhymes
• Delayed speech development

At primary school age:

• Has particular difficulty with reading and spelling
• Puts letters and figures the wrong way around
• Has difficulty remembering tables, alphabets, formulas, etc.
• Leaves letters out of words or puts them in the wrong order
• Still occasionally confuses ‘b’ and ‘d’ and words such as ‘no’ and ‘on’
• Has problems understanding what he/she has read
• Takes longer than average to do written work
• Problems processing language at speed

For older primary school age:

• Still reads inaccurately
• Still has difficulties in spelling
• Needs to have instructions and telephone numbers repeated
• Gets ‘tied up’ using long words (e.g. preliminary, philosophical)
• Has difficulty with planning and writing essays
• Has difficulty processing complex language or long series of instructions at speed

 

CAUSES OF DYSLEXIA

Several different theories have been proposed to explain the underlying cause of dyslexia including:

1. The phonological deficit theory
2. The rapid auditory processing theory
3. Cerebellar theory
4. The magnocellular theory

The phonological deficit theory is the most developed and most strongly supported by research.

The theory proposes that dyslexics have a deficit in how phonological information is represented in the brain as well as accounting for deficits in skills that may directly influence word reading accuracy and speed and with verbal memory and word repetition.

 

CONSEQUENCES OF DYSLEXIA

THE MATTHEW EFFECT (Cain,2010). This refers to the phenomenon that poor readers tend not to catch up with same age good readers. The gap in performance between the 2 groups may actually widen over time (Stanovich, 1986 in Cain, 2010). Children who struggle with reading may lack the motivation to read in their leisure time thus less practice in word reading and reading comprehension than their peers.

Differences in reading habits will lead to differential opportunity to learn new vocabulary and general knowledge.

There is a possibility that dyslexic readers will become poorer readers, which will affect vocabulary and general knowledge (Cain, 2010).

 

INTERVENTION FOR DYSLEXIA

There are many published resources for intervention. One of which is the following from Wren, S., Litke, B., Jinkins, D., Paynter, S., Watts, J., & Alanis I. (2000).

• Cognitive foundations of learning to read: A framework. Available (with several other resources) from http://www.sedl.org/pubs/catalog/items/read12.html (click ‘view online’ button).
• A good indication of the severity and persistence of dyslexic difficulties can be gained by examining how the individual responds or has responded to the well founded intervention.
• You will need to talk to your child’s school about providing suitable help and support. You can consult your child’s teacher or talk to a speech and language therapist.  You may need to take a more active approach to get the help you need. You should always discuss with the school what you intend to do because in the end it is the school which will have to implement any action plan.

 

References

• Cain, K. (2010). Reading development and difficulties (Vol. 8). John Wiley & Sons.
• British Dyslexia Association 2016
• Snowling, M. J., and J. Stackhouse, 2013, Dyslexia, speech and language: a practitioner’s handbook, John Wiley & Sons
• Wren, S., Litke, B., Jinkins, D., Paynter, S., Watts, J., & Alanis I. (2000). Cognitive foundations of learning to read: a framework. Available (with several other resources) from http://www.sedl.org/pubs/catalog/items/read12.html (click ‘view online’ button)