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Dyslexia: a summary of information from the
British Dyslexia Association
Dyslexia: a summary of information from
The Week
The British Dyslexia Association's (BDA) working definition
of dyslexia refers to "difficulties that affect the learning
process in one or more of reading, spelling and writing".
The definition goes on to give "accompanying weaknesses",
including short-term memory, spoken language and motor skills.
The BDA states that dyslexia is independent of social or
economic factors or intelligence. It also points out a family
linkage and that dyslexia tends to affect boys more than girls. In
1998, scientists at Yale University published an explanation
of how in dyslexics the neural pathway used for reading ended
in a different lobe of the brain to non-dyslexics. The findings
showed that there was a physical basis for dyslexia. In 1999,
Sheffield University psychologists announced that dyslexia
is likely to be caused by abnormalities in the parts of the
brain that control muscular movements and balance.
The BDA estimates that around 4% of the population (over
2 million people in the UK) is severely affected by dyslexia.
Of these, 300,000 are children in schools, meaning there is
an average of at least one dyslexic child in every classroom.
A further 10% of the population "show some signs"
of the condition. However, the BDA also points out that "precise
statistics cannot be given since varying criteria and severity
of the learning problem have to be taken into account".
For more information visit www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/
Has dyslexia
always been around?
The condition was first identified in 1886 when a Dr W. Pringle
Morgan noticed that "a well-grown bright and intelligent lad"
called Percy was having a terrible time learning to read and
write. Percy's teacher said he'd be the smartest lad in the
school if we judged him by what he said, not what he wrote.
Dr Morgan concluded in the British Medical Journal that Percy's
inability to read and write was "so remarkable, I have no
doubt it is due to some congenital defect". Morgan described
is as 'word-blindness'.
When did it become
'recognised'?
About 25 years ago. Before that, there was a general feeling
that dyslexia was just a polite term applied to middle-class
children who were actually just 'thick'. In the 1980s, however,
it became accepted as a medical condition needing special
treatment, and almost immediately there was a steep rise in
the number diagnosed. Between 1986 and 1996, the number of
British children diagnosed as having serious learning difficulties-
mainly because of dyslexia- more than doubled. Dyslexia, the
most common learning difficulty, affects 10% of the population.
A 1984 study suggested that in the Western world, dyslexia
is four times more common in males than in females, though
more recent studies suggest the gender ratio is more equal.
How do the symptoms
present themselves?
People with dyslexia have trouble reading, writing and spelling
and often find it hard to concentrate. The Dyslexia Institute
says there are 'pointers' at an early age, e.g. difficulty
in remembering nursery rhymes or in clapping and keeping rhythm-
that can tell parents something is amiss. But it's generally
when the child goes to primary school that the problem becomes
apparent. A dyslexic child might have trouble telling left
from right; letters and figures will frequently come out the
wrong way round. Anything involving sequencing (learning the
alphabet, days of the week) is likely to present difficulties.
What are the
causes of dyslexia?
There are all sorts of theories about what causes dyslexia.
Many think it is biological in origin as it tends to run in
families: if one parent has it, there's a 50% chance their
children will too. Some experts think the condition is exacerbated
by the non-phonological nature of the English language and
that that is why the incidence of dyslexia in Italy is extremely
low compared with Britain (Italian has a much more uniform
correspondence between letters and sounds). Yet another theory
suggests that dyslexics- who often complain that letters seem
to dance and wiggle on the page- fail to develop stable eye
control at a critical period of development. Research has
found that simply patching the left eye of some dyslexic children
enabled them to develop stable binocular control, thus improving
their reading progress.
Since the causes are unclear, there are still those, like
Julian Elliot, professor of education at Durham University,
who argue that dyslexia is a 'construct' serving 'an emotional,
not scientific, function'. Others, like Peter Shaw, professor
of biochemistry at Nottingham University, maintain that the
condition is real in severe cases but that the label is all
too frequently abused by students, aided by 'wishy-washy'
educational psychologists, to buy advantages like extra exam
time and one-to-one tuition.
Are dyslexics
intelligent?
Many are, and often excel in such areas as maths, art, design
and music. Famous dyslexics include Einstein, Richard Branson
and Leonardo da Vinci. Such examples have lent dyslexia 'middle-class'
associations but it can occur at any socio-economic level.
Up to half of the inmates of Britain's prisons are said to
be dyslexic.
How can dyslexia
best be treated?
Since no one knows what causes it there's no consensus on
how best to cope with it. All sorts of methods are proposed-
play with specially patterned bricks called Mozi blocks; reading
through coloured Perspex; evening primrose oil. Some experts
advocate a return to the teaching of reading by synthetic
phonics. Proponents say that in schools were it is rigorously
practised the results are remarkable, for example, in Basildon
the introduction of synthetic phonics reduced the incidence
of learning difficulties from 25% of all children to just
5%.
What help is available
through the education system?
The 1981 Education Act imposed a legal requirement on local
authorities to assess children to discover the scale of their
learning difficulties and whether they have a special educational
needs (SEN). In the case of relatively mild disability, it
is left to the school to assess need and provide help but
for children with more severe problems it's up to the local
authority, aided by educational psychologists and medical
experts, to make a 'statement of SEN' describing the child's
needs and the specialist treatment he or she requires. About
60% of SEN children are educated in mainstream school- albeit
with the help of outside specialists in some cases- but those
with severe disability are given places in specialist (often
privately run) schools, places which the local authority is
obliged to fund. Statements are usually only given to those
within the lowest 2% of dyslexia.
How well is the
SEN system working?
In 2006 the Commons education committee reported that the
system was 'not fit for purpose': many cash-strapped local
councils wouldn't statement pupils because of extra cost entailed;
pupils with SEN were being sidelined; the number of special
schools, state and private, had fallen by 7% over nine years
even though the proportion of pupils assessed as SEN had risen.
Cash earmarked for SEN children was being delegated to schools
but often spent on other things by head-teachers under pressure
to raise overall standards.
Are all SEN children
dyslexic?
No: SEN covers a range of learning difficulties, from mild
dyslexia to severe difficulties such as autism, Down's syndrome,
and deafness. Yet in many ways dyslexia has become the 'cuckoo
on the nest' of SEN: it accounts for more than 40% of cases
coming before the SEN and Disability Tribunal; advertising
columns in specialist journals are overwhelmed by posts for
'specific learning difficulties' (ie dyslexia). Some educationalists
worry that funds are being diverted from children with genuine
disabilities to pupils who simply have a problem learning
to read.
(The Week, 20 January 2007)
For more information on indicators of dyslexia and FAQs visit the British Dyslexia Association website www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/faq.html
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