Often individuals with dyslexia are very capable so whilst the challenges need to be addressed, there is a very high need to identify and cultivate their strengths whilst minimising their weaknesses ADA
In my 25 years experience in teaching students with disabilities, I have come across only a handful that typically present with dyslexia but I have heard the term used so frequently one would think I would have taught far more. I believe the misconception comes from the belief that if a child is having difficulty reading, or shows signs of letter reversals, then they must have dyslexia. Dyslexia is commonly confused with intellectual disabilities and other disabilities such as ADHD, OCD and Tourette’s syndrome, where students may present with dyslexia among other challenges. So what is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia- a word originating from Greek simply means ‘difficulty with words’. Contrary to common belief, people with dyslexia don’t just write letters backwards. They have significant difficulty with reading and spelling despite having the ability to learn. More often than not, people with dyslexia are talented, have productive minds and are gifted. For this reason, dyslexia is not considered an intellectual disability but rather a learning difficulty. It is perceived as a continuum ranging from mild to severe, and while there is no cure, appropriate instruction aimed at individual needs can help overcome literacy difficulties, allowing for normal productive lives.
Dyslexia is highly hereditary. Students with dyslexia have a particular difficulty with single word reading that is said to be neurological in nature, which could interfere with comprehension. Often times however, they use meaning and structure to support their reading which can often mask their difficulty with decoding. The central difficulty with such students is in letter to sound and sound to letter relationships. Poor understanding of orthography- the understanding of the conventions of written language can also be part of the difficulty. Research has found that there is a difference in the way the brain works for people with dyslexia, with problems lying in the development of phonological awareness. Early signs of dyslexia include problems with retaining letter-sound relationships, difficulty reading single words, poor spelling and poor visual gestalt, that is, norms of spelling, chunking, word breaks etc.
Students with dyslexia however, display an inquiring mind, insightful and creative thinking, and may be good at 3D construction, finding different strategies when problem solving and seeing the big picture. In fact research implies their strengths outweigh their weakness and it is important to nurture their capabilities so that they can reach their potential. Michael Faraday, the discoverer of electro-magnetic induction, electro-magnetic rotation and diamagnetism is one example of a person with dyslexia who claims was able to see the big pictures in his mind and then arrived at the parts through analysis. Albert Einstein believed knowledge is limited as his creative insightful mind leaned towards imagination as the key to his success. Other gifted and talented individuals with dyslexia include Richard Branson, Leonardo da Vinci, Steven Spielberg and Walt Disney amongst many others. Steven Spielberg said in an interview that he hated school, dreaded being called up to read in front of the class and detested hearing his teachers tell his parents he was not trying hard enough or that he was just plain lazy. Many adults with dyslexia tend to go into the arts like architecture, or the sciences, but Steven Spielberg amazes me, as does Agatha Christie, because their professions have a large element of reading and writing. Steven Spielberg claims he is still slow at reading and Agatha Christie claims to still be a poor speller!!
Having such inspirations can undoubtedly give reason to bring dyslexia to the limelight in the political arena. Whilst Australia recognises dyslexia as a learning disability under the Disability Discrimination Act, NSW is the only state where it is legally recognised as a learning disability. Nonetheless, there is no funding assistance under the Program for Students with Disabilities. Clearly their understanding of dyslexia is limited!
According to the Australian Dyslexia Association-ADA, 10% of students are diagnosed with it but this figure could be higher as many students are not tested due to the high cost of assessments for parents to bear without financial assistance. In the US, UK and Canada, statistics show about 20% of students are diagnosed and Canadian statistics go further in showing that about 80% of all students in learning support have dyslexia. For this reason teachers in these countries are provided with appropriate professional development to understand, identify and address the needs of these students, which includes identifying and addressing their strengths. Early intervention is considered paramount to success. The Australian Dyslexia Association also believes Australian schools require professional development that would provide direct, explicit and systematic multi-sensory instruction, which will benefit students with dyslexia as well as the rest of the class.
So while our politicians continue to debate the need to identify and cultivate the strengths of the many undiagnosed children with dyslexia in our schools and provide appropriate funding, teachers will continue to face these challenges unassisted and these students will either come out shining despite their education or succumb to a false realisation that they are just “dumb”.