Dyslexia Bilingual Children

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

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.

There are two main types of dyslexia; Phonological Dyslexia and Orthographic (Surface) Dyslexia. Children with dyslexia find it difficult to map the orthography (words) of language with the phonology (sound) of the language. This is why problems arise with phonology and orthography for a person with dyslexia.

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).

Since dyslexia is a neurological condition along with difficulties with different aspects of reading dyslexia can have cognitive aspects as well, such as speech perception, recognizing and manipulating the basic sounds in a language, language memory, and learning the sounds of the letters (citation). All in all, up to 10% of the population is predicted to have some form of dyslexia therefore it is imperative that educators are able to identify these students and know strategies that can help them early on in their formal

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).

The National Centre for Learning Disabilities says that dyslexia is a neurological and often genetic condition, and not the result of poor teaching, instruction or upbringing. Dyslexia is a specific reading disability due to a defect in the brain's processing of graphic symbols according to the MNT Knowledge Centre. It is a learning disability that alters the way the brain processes written material. It is typically characterized by difficulties in word recognition, spelling and decoding. People with dyslexia have problems with reading comprehension.

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

The most common learning disability among students is dyslexia. This learning disability may be recognized by the individual’s lack of reading and spelling skills. Researchers suggest that dyslexia can be caused by numerous risk factors. Some factors may be genetic, therefore dyslexia is considered a heritable disorder. In a recent study, Thompsonet al. (2015), searched for families with children who had specify characteristics such as a family history of dyslexia or children having problems with their speech and language development. Children from families possessing these characteristics were evaluated for cognitive function, language skills, and literacy. Researchers found that a family history of dyslexia and low performance on language development measures were strong predictors of childhood dyslexia. However, no relationship was found between speech problems and dyslexia. There are many factors that can contribute to children developing dyslexia, however, it is important to be aware of any potential

Even many years ago, there was a common notion that people, who suffered from dyslexia, were not normal. The cause of this abnormality led to the person’s dislocation from the mainstream society, as many kind of taboos were attached to them. However, with the gradual progress of science, technology, and people’s awareness about this matter, many adults are now opting for dyslexia test and treatment. It is not just about forgetting letter and number series, or jumbling up letters and alphabets. But is also about the inability to read, write and decipher sign language properly. If the symptoms of dyslexia are detected early, then the tests, diagnosis,

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

This article outlines useful information on the causes of dyslexia and presents practical teaching methods to use with dyslexic students in the classroom. The article is interesting because it highlights the causes of dyslexia and the symptoms of students with dyslexia, furthermore it makes some valid suggestions to improve the teacher’s role in the classroom.

Dyslexia; a learning disorder marked by the inability to recognise and comprehend written and/or spoken word. This crippling disability affects approximately 10% of the Australian population (Dyslexia in Australia. 2014). Low performance on cognitive and literacy tests at an early age has been shown to be a significant predictor of the possibility of future problems and disabilities such as Dyslexia (Gallagher, A., Frith, U., & Snowling, M. J., 2003). Reading age deficiency is the difference between Reading age and Chronological age. Comparing a child’s reading ability to their chronological age in relation to other children and the ‘normal’ reading ability at the same age can alert health practitioners to potential problems that can be addressed before they become a