Essay about Etiology of Developmental Dyslexia

Today, there is a momentum towards researching the possible hereditary influences of developmental dyslexia. As recently as 2013, The Oxford Dictionary of Social Work and Social Care considers that there is an “inherited component” to dyslexia. (Harris & White, 2013, p. 179) Today’s social work perspective is more flexible with the term itself, as it is considered by to incorporate a range of difficulties with lexical information-processing. However, The Oxford Dictionary does not provide a context for these “difficulties” as they are experienced by the language-learner, and therefore seems to support (perhaps unwittingly) the notion that there is a so-called “normal” way for a person to learn language. Blachman (2013) advances a more orthographical conceptualization of dyslexia, whereby the dyslexic language learner defies common literacy principles in favor of their own. These tend to be more visually-oriented, so that a picture or a feeling is associated with an entire word, as opposed to the sound-to-syllable associations learners are “supposed” to

The cause of dyslexia is not completely known. One of the most widely recognized theories is that dyslexia is a genetically based neurological problem. It has also been argued that dyslexia could be caused during early fetal development. Some researchers have suggested that problems with dyslexia may be caused by defects in the inner ear that cause problems with word and sound decoding. Researchers continue to look for the cause of dyslexia, a possible cure, and ways to cope with the disorder (Wood Grigorenko 503-11).

According to Hull Learning Services (2013), dyslexia continues to be a subject of great debate. The word dyslexia is originated from the Greek dys- meaning ‘difficult’ and -lexia meaning to do with language. There are multiple definitions of dyslexia, because the matter in which in manifest in children and adults vary greatly. Definitions of dyslexia often focus on difficulties with the processes of writing, reading, spelling and general organization of everyday tasks. Dyslexia has been defined as the inability to acquire literacy despite normal intelligence. Other definitions have described dyslexia in terms of a list of symptoms. The symptoms often included are laterality problems; reversals in numbers, letters and/or words; reading

Channel 4 Dispatches programme entitled ‘The Dyslexia Myth’¹ was aired in September 2005. The purpose of the documentary was to inform society of the proposed misconceptions and myths of the condition which affects 1 in 5 people. The programme details how the common understanding of the learning impairment is not only false, but how this particular diagnosis makes it harder for children with reading difficulties to receive help. The director of the documentary clearly wants to get across the message that dyslexia is a myth. The documentary has since faced a lot of backlash from the media and families affected by the developmental disorder.

On that basis the rationale behind this assignment is to further understand the term ‘dyslexia’, to consider the definition and diagnosis, as well as the barriers to learning it can generate. Consideration will also be given to the strategies that can be employed to assist learning, as well as promote the

Phonological Dyslexia is the type of dyslexia that hinders one's ability to identify basic sounds and causes them to lose phonemic awareness, or the ability to identify and manipulate individual phonemes in words (Desroches et. al, 2005). Research has also revealed a range of impairments and problems in other domains. This includes impairments in visual processing, auditory processing, working memory, oral language and motor functioning (Lum et. al, 2013).

Gersons-Wolfensberger, D. & Ruijssenaars, W. (1997). Definition and Treatment of Dyslexia: A Report by the Committee on Dyslexia of the Health Council of the Netherlands. Journal Of Learning Disabilities, 30(2), 209-213. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/002221949703000208

The British Dyslexia Association welcomed these findings with care, stressing that the interesting new research would further endorse the fact that the dyslexic brain is different, and emphasizing a unique focus on language skills at a young age to help dyslexic children when they begin reading and writing (Make the Connection).

The term “dyslexia” was first introduced in 1887 by Dr. Rudolf Berlin when he suggested that difficulty with reading may be caused by “cerebral disease instead of brain injury” (Hennigh 1995).

Dyslexia – literally translated from Greek as ‘inadequate words or language’ – is a learning disability characterised by problems with reading, writing, spelling and speaking. The most common definition of dyslexia is the discrepancy definition, which suggests that dyslexics are those whose reading ability is below average for their age group, or IQ. The first case of dyslexia was reported in 1896 by Dr. Pringle-Morgan, who described an intelligent 14 year old boy who had an inability to read, as suffering from – as Pringle-Morgan believed – “word blindness” resulting from deficiencies in visual processing. Since Pringle-Morgan’s initial report, there have been many other explanations of dyslexia. This essay will attempt to evaluate

According to The International Dyslexia Association, the impact that dyslexia has is different for each person and depends on the severity of the condition and the approaches of the remediation. The

Dyslexia is a lifelong condition that implicates a person's reading ability, caused by a defect in the brain where it has difficulty in processing graphic symbols. Also referred to as a “reading disorder” or a “reading disability”, Dyslexia can also affect a person's writing, spelling and even speaking ability.

Dyslexia is a lifelong struggle with constant challenges with reading and speaking. About five to ten percent of the United States population deals with the learning disorder dyslexia (Van den Honert, n.d.). It is a neurological condition that is mainly caused by genetics but there are some rare cases in which it is acquired. Dyslexia interrupts the normal processes of reading and speaking (Van den Honert, n.d.). All of which are used in daily life and this makes life and school so much harder for dyslexics. They must learn to live with the condition for their entire life and there is not really a treatment for it. With the constant struggle and reminder of their

Growing, developing and learning are the facts of life for all children. Each day children are faced with many new concepts and various challenges. Can you imagine how it feels for a child to face not only new challenges life has, but to face these challenges while living with a learning disability? These challenges are met not just when they begin school either. Students suffer from learning disabilities from the moment they begin learning, not when they start school. Learning disabilities are real and they affect millions of people. “One such disability that affects over approximately 15 percent of the total American population is dyslexia” ( Nosek 5).

Of the three previously mentioned diseases, Dyslexia impairs a person’s ability to read, write, and spell (NINDS 2003). Although they are of normal intelligence, their reading level is below average. They will usually have “trouble with phonological processing (the manipulation of sounds) and/or rapid visual-verbal responding.” (NINDS 2003). Children with dyslexia complain they cannot read their textbooks, do not have enough time to finish tests, cannot take notes, and are unable to read their own handwriting (GVSU 2000). Dyslexia does not affect every person the same way, and signs of the disorder may not be prevalent until later, when grammar and more in-depth writing skills are introduced. Dyslexia can also create a difficulty in processing vocabulary and thoughts correctly when speaking, and understanding what one says when they are spoken to. Dysgraphia is another neurological disorder that focuses on writing. When a child with this disorder is first introduced to writing, they will make unnecessary spaces between their letters, and some letters will be