What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is the inability to read despite normal (or above normal) intelligence. It is thought that as many as one in ten people have this condition which is why it is the subject of much biological and cognitive research. The specific cause of dyslexia still remains unclear, although many different theories exist. > read more
Is My Child Dyslexic?
If your child or student does not have any sensory problems (such as poor eyesight), has adequate instruction in reading and writing, has an average (or above average) IQ, and is not reading (or writing) at a level equal to his or her peers, then it is very probable that he/she is dyslexic.
Can Dyslexia Be Treated?
Dyslexia can be treated. Your child or student can learn to read if instructed properly. In fact, MRI studies have also been done to determine if treatment can help people with dyslexia. In one study, MRIs were done on 20 dyslexic children (8-12 years old) before and after a remediation program that focused on oral language training and auditory processing. After the treatment, the dyslexic children showed an increase in activity in the left temporal-parietal cortex and left inferior frontal gyrus, bringing brain activation in these regions closer to that seen in normal-reading children. Training improved their reading and oral language performance.
The Orton-Gillingham Method
Orton-Gillingham comes from Samuel Orton (a
neuropsychiatrist and pathologist) and Anna Gillingham (an
educator and psychologist). The two worked together in the early
1900's to create an effective way to teach dyslexic children how to
read. The Orton-Gillingham method is intensive, sequential
and phonics based, heavily emphasizing the smallest units of speech
(phonemes) and their combinations to form words (morphemes). By
the 1930's their approach was used in many small special education
classes and one on one tutoring. Their method is widely used today
in various forms, and is still just as effective.
> read more
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About Dyslexia
In the past ten years, functional MRI studies have been done on dyslexic people to see which part(s) of their brains light up compared to people who are not dyslexic.
In a German study (reference: PubMed-
PMID: 11786212),
the fMRI revealed that during a silent reading task, there was a
significant distinction in brain activity between the dyslexic group and non-dyslexic
group. The result was an increase in activity in the left inferior
frontal gyrus in the dyslexic group during phonological processing*,
when compared to the non-dyslexic group. It is the inferior cortex of the left frontal lobe that
is critically involved in language function.
* Phonological processing is the process in which words are identified by identifying individual sounds (called phonemes) that make up the words.
In another study (reference: pnas.240461697), the fMRI was used to determine the brain activity when people with and without dyslexia were exposed to rapid acoustic information. The non-dyslexic group showed a difference in their left prefrontal activity in their brains in response to the rapidly changing acoustic stimuli relative to non-rapid acoustic stimuli. The dyslexic group showed no difference. This research showed that those with dyslexia were not able to process sensory input that entered the nervous system rapidly in the same way as a non-dyslexic person. Interestingly, two of the dyslexic people did show increased activity in their left prefrontal cortexes after they received a remediation program.
In the cases just cited, it is the left frontal part of the brain
that seems to be the culprit. Basically, the left side of the
brain is thought to be used for language and speech, logical
reasoning, number skills and writing. The right side is the
spatial side, able to see the big picture (while the left handles
the details). The right is said to also be the creative,
musical side, the side that can understand a metaphor or a joke.
For example, people who have suffered right-brained strokes can
understand the literal meaning of words, but miss the abstract
meaning. When asked to explain a common proverb such as “a
stitch in time saves nine”, they can only say that it must have
something to do with sewing. Here we can see how the two
sides of the brain must work together to grasp the main idea. The
better they work together, the easier it is for a person to grasp
the complicated task of reading and writing.
The corpus callosum is another subject of study for the cause of
dyslexia. The corpus callosum is a bundle of nerves that
connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain; its purpose is
to provide a means for communicating between the two sides.
Studies on the corpus callosum are being done on people who are
dyslexic to try to find a commonality in determining the cause of
dyslexia. Some studies show that the corpus callosum in
dyslexic people is faulty, resulting in miscommunication that
impairs understanding and execution. Consequently, the two
sides of the brain do not work well together.
All in all, studies are still being done to pinpoint the exact cause dyslexia. What is clear is that the brain does function differently which impairs the person in reading, writing and any language based activity. That being said, individuals with dyslexia excel in other areas that make them unique, they are just as or more intelligent than non-dyslexics.
MRI studies have also been done to determine if treatment can help people with dyslexia. In one study (reference: pnas.0030098100) a MRI study was done on 20 dyslexic children (8-12 years old) before and after a remediation program that focused on oral language training and auditory processing. After the treatment, the dyslexic children showed an increase in activity in the left temporal-parietal cortex and left inferior frontal gyrus, bringing brain activation in these regions closer to that seen in normal-reading children. Training improved their reading and oral language performance. In fact, the more these regions of the brain were activated, the more the children showed an improvement in their reading and language ability.
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Signs of Dyslexia
Dyslexic children are more visual and less language oriented. They may excel at jigsaw puzzles and crafts, usually having had language difficulties in the early years of their lives (needing speech therapy). If the child was tested through their school district (or privately), you need to know their IQ and reading level. Unfortunately, some school districts don’t recognize that dyslexia exists, so the necessary help may not be offered.
Early Years (ages 4 -5)
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Trouble remembering the names of the days of the week and months of the year.
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Trouble following directions (especially multiple instructions).
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Has speech problems (usually, but not always, had many ear infections in their first few years of life).
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Trouble making up rhymes.
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Trouble memorizing words to songs.
Middle Years (6-9)
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Reverses letters and numbers (normally 'b' and 'd', '6' and '9).
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When reading, may skip words (strangely, it is usually the smaller, easier words that get skipped).
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When reading, may substitute a word that has the same or similar meaning. For example, they may see the word "gigantic", but may say "big" or "large".
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When reading, may see the first letter of a word and take a wild guess, out of context, based on that first letter; for example, they may see a word like "prairie" and say "palace".
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When reading, will change letters within words, such as "calm" to "clam".
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Forgets to add prefixes or suffixes when writing. For example, they may forget to add the 'ed' to make a word past tense.
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In the classroom, may have trouble copying from the board.
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Doesn't always write sounds from left to right; for example, may spell "to' as "ot.
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Poor reading comprehension.
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Trouble memorizing math facts.
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Delayed in telling time (on an analog clock).
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Switches their dominant hand for some tasks; for example, they may write with their right hand, but do cartwheels left-handed.
Later Years (10 to adult)
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Takes poor notes in the classroom.
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Has trouble articulating; jumbles up words or has trouble searching for the right word.
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Avoids reading, or reads very slowly in a monotone voice.
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Has difficulty with foreign languages.
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Writing is very simplistic, handwriting is usually messy.
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Trouble organizing.
