Does Dyslexia Exist?

Are you saying that my child is faking it…..?

Are you saying that my child doesn’t have a reading problem but, in actuality, is stupid?

I’ve struggled for years to get teachers to recognise that my child has a problem. Now you’ve said this, they’ll never take me seriously…..

A headteacher once told my eldest son that dyslexia existed only in the minds of the middle classes. Maybe you’re related to him !!!

You are a dangerous man..…..

Does dyslexia exist? Is NOT a meaningful question

“A 22 year old woman was condemned to ‘temporary menial tasks’, the High Court heard. P.P. claims that she is of average intelligence but because her learning difficulty was not discovered until two months before she left school, she never learned to read and write properly….. Tests were carried out at infant, junior and comprehensive schools. At the age of 10 she was found to be four years behind in reading and writing skills but the reason was never identified” (The Guardian, )

Key questions : Is dyslexia a meaningful term for differentiating between children with reading difficulties? To what extent does the dyslexic diagnosis guide the educator in devising appropriate forms of intervention? To what extent should the dyslexic diagnosis result in the differential allocation of resources or other forms of special arrangement?

Is dyslexia a meaningful term for differentiating between children with reading difficulties?

SYMPTOMS… are not specific to ‘dyslexics’ Reversal errors with letters of the alphabet Reversal errors with letters of the alphabet Directional sequencing errors Directional sequencing errors Pseudoword reading difficulties Pseudoword reading difficulties Spelling of sight vocabulary Spelling of sight vocabulary Clumsiness Clumsiness Poor short-term verbal memory Poor short-term verbal memory Lack of consistent hand preference Lack of consistent hand preference Speech and language difficulties Speech and language difficulties Performance anxiety Performance anxiety

Definitions… Many definitions but no consensus Many definitions but no consensus Some are descriptive; others embody causal theories Some are descriptive; others embody causal theories

B.P.S. Working Party (1999) Dyslexia is evident when accurate and fluent word reading and/or spelling develops very incompletely or with great difficulty. This focuses on literacy learning at the ‘word’ level and implies that the problem is severe and persistent despite appropriate learning opportunities”

House of Commons, Science and Technology Select Committee (2009): House of Commons, Science and Technology Select Committee (2009): "The Rose Report's definition of dyslexia is..... so broad and blurred at the edges that it is difficult to see how it could be useful in any diagnostic sense" (paragraph 71, p. 26).

Biological foundations: n Brain function Brain structure Brain structure n Genetics

Even if we accept one or more biological theories that seek to explain dyslexia, this is little help when we are confronted by an individual with reading difficulties Even if we accept one or more biological theories that seek to explain dyslexia, this is little help when we are confronted by an individual with reading difficulties

Definitions… Many definitions but no consensus Many definitions but no consensus Some are descriptive; others embody causal theories Some are descriptive; others embody causal theories It is not clear that dyslexia can be distinguished in practice from other forms of literacy difficulty involving decoding It is not clear that dyslexia can be distinguished in practice from other forms of literacy difficulty involving decoding

The role of intelligence…..

I.Q. tests: n Do not distinguish between those who will be easily remediated and those who will not. be easily remediated and those who will not. Provide little or no direction for intervention Provide little or no direction for intervention n May have value for difficulties concerning higher level comprehension, inference and higher level comprehension, inference and logical deduction logical deduction May help children like Stephen May help children like Stephen

To what extent does the dyslexic diagnosis guide the educator in devising appropriate forms of intervention?

It doesn’t! It doesn’t!

Forget about psychomotor programming, biofeedback, fish oil, coloured lenses.. Forget about psychomotor programming, biofeedback, fish oil, coloured lenses.. The only interventions for which there is strong evidence is high quality intensive and structured teaching….. And notions of dyslexia are irrelevant here. The only interventions for which there is strong evidence is high quality intensive and structured teaching….. And notions of dyslexia are irrelevant here.

Research does not indicate that ‘dyslexics’ and ‘ordinary poor readers’ should be taught by different methods. Research does not indicate that ‘dyslexics’ and ‘ordinary poor readers’ should be taught by different methods.

SENCO FORUM 2005

To what extent should the dyslexic diagnosis result in the differential allocation of resources or other forms of special arrangement?

But what about self-esteem?

But does this have implications for ‘non-dyslexic’ poor readers or should we use the term universally to boost everyone’s sense of self? But does this have implications for ‘non-dyslexic’ poor readers or should we use the term universally to boost everyone’s sense of self?

Why so angry?

The power of the label is rooted in The power of the label is rooted in a) our natural desire to have a diagnostic term for our difficulties; b) its ability to foster a more positive conception of self; c) its leverage with teachers and the gatekeepers to resources.

Lipstick, kisses and dyslexia…