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What Is Dyslexia?
See also:
Contributing Factors to Dyslexia |
Diagnosing Dyslexia
| To Teach a Dyslexic
Official Definitions
Translated:
If it looks like a duck, walks like a
duck, it's probably a duck.
Or is testing for dyslexia really necessary?
(from To Teach a Dyslexic,
chapter 24)
Official Definition #1. According
to the World Federation of Neurology, dyslexia is "a
disorder manifested by difficulty in learning to
read despite conventional instruction, adequate
intelligence and sociocultural opportunity." (sic)
Translated into plain
English, this means that if a
student isn't dumb and he isn't surrounded by people
who hate schools and
if he goes to school and
if he
gets the "conventional instruction" (Look-see or
whole language) and if
he still has problems reading, it must be that he is
a dyslexic. The underlying assumption is that
the school's reading program is adequate for all
students. The fault cannot be theirs. It
must belong to the student, therefore the student is
"dyslexic."
Official Definition #2. According to the
International Dyslexia Association's Committee of
Members in November, 1994, "Dyslexia is a
neurologically-based, often familial, disorder which
interferes with the acquisition and processing of
language. Varying in degrees of severity, it
is manifested by difficulties in receptive and
expressive language, including phonological
processing, in reading, writing, spelling,
handwriting, and sometimes in arithmetic.
Dyslexia is not a result of lack of motivation,
sensory impairment, inadequate instructional or
environmental opportunities, or other limiting
conditions, but may occur together with these
conditions. Although dyslexia is life-long,
individuals with dyslexia frequently respond
successfully to timely and appropriate
intervention."
Translated into plain
English, this means that dyslexia
has to do with how the brain organizes what the eyes
see and the ears hear. The condition is such
that traditional methods of teaching reading will
not work with a person with dyslexia.
However, dyslexics may be taught to read and write
with proper instruction. This usually
involves multi-sensory approaches as used by AVKO,
Orton-Gillingham, Slingerland, Spalding
tutors, etc.
Official Definition #3. According to the
International Dyslexia Association's Research
Committee in November 1994, "Dyslexia is one of
several distinct learning disabilities. It is
a specific language-based disorder of constitutional
origin characterized by difficulties in single word
decoding, usually reflecting insufficient
phonological processing abilities. These
difficulties in single word decoding are often
unexpected in relation to age and other cognitive
and academic abilities; they are not the result of
generalized developmental disability or sensory
impairment. Dyslexia is manifested by variable
difficulty with different forms of language, often
including, in addition to problems reading, a
conspicuous problem with acquiring proficiency in
writing and spelling."
Translated into plain
English, this means that if someone
has normal intelligence but has severe problems
learning to read and write despite "conventional"
instruction, that person is dyslexic.
Official Definition #4. According to the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
"Developmental dyslexia is a specific learning
disability characterized by difficulty in learning
to read. Some dyslexics also may have
difficulty learning to write, to spell, and,
sometimes, to speak or to work with numbers.
We do not know for sure what causes dyslexia, but we
do know that it affects children who are physically
and emotionally healthy, academically capable, and
who come from good home environments. In fact,
many dyslexics have the advantages of excellent
schools, high mental ability, and parents who are
well-educated and value learning.
Translated into plain
English, this means that when you
can't find a reason for a child not being able to
read, it must be he is dyslexic.
Official Definition #5. Dyslexia is a
term that has been loosely applied to reading
disabilities. Specific definitions for dyslexia vary
with disciplines. Those in medicine define dyslexia
as a condition resulting from neurological,
maturational, and genetic causes, while those in
psychology relate dyslexia on the basis of the
specific reading problems evidenced and give no
reference to causation. All disciplines would
probably agree that dyslexia is evidenced by persons
of otherwise normal intellectual capacity
who have not learned to read
despite exposure to adequate instruction.
Translated into plain English, this
means that when you can't find a reason for a child
not being able to read, it must be he is dyslexic.
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