1. | pag. 1 Dyslexia in Late Adolescence : How to Diagnose Diagnosis at the Level of Classification, Causes and Treatment Pieter Depessemier Caroline Andries

2. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 2 Goals Dyslexia in General Late-Adolescence Diagnostics Introduction Goals Dyslexia in General Dyslexia in Late-Adolescence Diagnostics Situating 2 problems Possible way of dealing with it

3. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 3 Goals To get an insight in the complexity of the manifestation of dyslexia in late- adolescents To offer a way to objectively evaluate the possible reasons why a person struggles with reading or writing. To provide the link between this evaluation and possible ways to support struggling adolescent readers Goals Dyslexia in General Late-Adolescence Diagnostics

4. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 4 Dyslexia in General What is dyslexia ? What is dyslexia ? Consensus ? Goals Dyslexia in General Late-Adolescence Diagnostics Since the origin of the term ‘dyslexia’ (±1886), there has been a lot of discussion about the content of this concept. Now two characteristics are broadly accepted by most researchers –It has something to do with reading or writing –It is a heterogenic population

5. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 5 What about the rest of the research that has been done the last decennia ? –The cause of dyslexia is still discussed –But a lot more knowledge is gathered The link between IQ/comprehension and dyslexia has been studied; The role of the phonologic awareness, automatisation, the working memory, naming speed,… are evaluated All this information is very useful in practice, –but discussions among researchers confuses practitioners. –A lot of information is not ‘translated’ to the ‘field’ What is dyslexia Consensus ? Goals Dyslexia in General Late-Adolescence Diagnostics Dyslexia in General Consensus ?

6. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 6 Late-Adolescence Different from Children Different from Children Difficulty Dyslexia in General Late-Adolescence Diagnostics Expression of dyslexia changes during lifetime.  Concerning school tasks : beside reading and writing, dyslexia can also affect taking notes, learning a second language, organizing the homework, studying content texts,…  In many cases reading and writing problems are no longer the main struggling factor in school achievement. Expression of dyslexia differs between ≠ dyslectics.  Dyslexia = heterogenic disorder  Necessity of a broad orientation Goals

7. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 7 Late-Adolescence Difficulty  Availability of diagnostic tests Most research subjects between 6-12 y.o. Compensation –During lifetime, a dyslectic person has learned to cope with his problems. On one side he/she figured out how to smartly escape difficult situations, while on the other site compensatory skills were developed.  some dyslectics becomes ‘non-dyslectics’ Different from Children Difficulty Dyslexia in General Late-Adolescence Diagnostics Goals

8. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 8 Diagnostics Summary A lot of information is available  Also a lot is not known yet  Confusion  Consensus Difficulty to diagnose late- adolescents  Increasing number of dyslectic students in higher education Dyslexia in GeneralLate-Adolescence Summary ≠ Levels Dyslexia in General Late-Adolescence Diagnostics Goals

9. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 9 Diagnostics Classification Causes Treatment Summary ≠ Levels Dyslexia in General Late-Adolescence Diagnostics Goals

10. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 10 Classification Classificaton Causes Treatment Through observation, checklists, anamnesis, tests… Evaluation of –Reading and writing ability (prim) –Attention, social skills, … (sec) To objectively overview different characteristics of dyslexia at the behavioral level Comorbidity

11. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 11 Causes The strategy of reading and writing Classification Causes Treatment Recognition – Comprehension – Speed : Three necessary subskills in Literacy The strategy of reading and writing Subskills Multi-deficit theory Cognition Recognition ComprehensionSpeed

12. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 12 Subskills Classification Causes Treatment The strategy of reading and writing Multi-deficit theory Cognition Causes The strategy of reading and writing Recognition ComprehensionSpeed Phonol. recogn. & manipul Orthogr. Recogn & manipul. Letter-sound match Verbal Compr Interpretation Morfol. & Syntact. Vocabulary General Knowledge Metacognition Automatisation Retrieval out of LTM.

13. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 13 Causes The strategy of reading and writing Memory : the connection between the subskills Cognition Recognition ComprehensionSpeed Classification Causes Treatment The strategy of reading and writing Subskills Multi-deficit theory Cognition

14. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 14 Causes Multi-deficit theory Recognition –Fonological deficit theory –Temporal processing deficit theory Comprehension Speed –Automatisation deficit theory –Rapid naming deficit theory Cognition –Working Memory deficit theory Classification Causes Treatment The strategy of reading and writing Multi-deficit theory

15. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 15 Classification + Causes Diagnostic tools –Subtest A : Spellingtest –Subtest B : Readingtest –Subtest C : Comprehension test –Subtest 1 (phonological recognition and processing) –Subtest 2 (visual recognition and analysis) –Subtest 3 ((non)word reading) –Subtest 4 (vocabulary) –Subtest 5 (morphology en syntaxes) –Subtest 6 (checklist) –Subtest 7 (Short term / Working memory) –Subtest 8 (rapid naming) Classification Causes Treatment The strategy of reading and writing Multi-deficit theory Diagnostic tools Subtests Statistical data

16. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 16 Classification + Causes Diagnostic tools Classification Causes Treatment The strategy of reading and writing Multi-deficit theory Diagnostic tools Subtests Statistical data Data : –All tests approximate the normal distribution –Between group comparison shows that adolescent dyslectics Significantly differ on reading and writing Significantly differ on phonology, visual discrimination, naming speed, reading automatisation and working memory Do not differ on visual and semantic short term memory, writing speed and vocabulary Inversely differ on reading/listening comprehension.

17. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 17 Classification + Causes Diagnostic tools Classification Causes Treatment The strategy of reading and writing Multi-deficit theory Diagnostic tools Subtests Statistical data

18. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 18 Classification + Causes Diagnostic tools Classification Causes Treatment The strategy of reading and writing Multi-deficit theory Diagnostic tools Subtests Statistical data

19. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 19 Classification + Causes Diagnostic tools Regarding diagnostics we are also interested in individual differences. –Results concerning the heterogeneity between adolescent dyslectics are illustrated in the following table : 73% of all dyslectics scores below p5 on at least 1 causal test The other dyslectics (27%) don’t –15% remains unclear because lack of info –7% can possibly explained using p10 / high comprehension score / analysis of classification criteria. –5% rest Classification Causes Treatment The strategy of reading and writing Multi-deficit theory Diagnostic tools Subtests Statistical data

20. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 20 Classification + Causes Diagnostic tools Classification Causes Treatment The strategy of reading and writing Multi-deficit theory Diagnostic tools Subtests Statistical data

21. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 21 Classification + Causes Diagnostic tools Classification Causes Treatment The strategy of reading and writing Multi-deficit theory Diagnostic tools Subtests Statistical data

22. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 22 Treatment Depending on the outcomes of level 1 (classification) and level 2 (causes)  Individual-oriented treatment/support Classification Causes Treatment

23. Faculteit PE, Vakgroep ONLE, Pieter Depessemier | pag. 23 Finally… Remarks ? Questions ? Further information : Pieter Depessemier Vrije Universiteit Brussel Faculteit Psychologie & Educatiewetenschappen Vakgroep Ontwikkelings-en Levenslooppsychologie Pleinlaan 2 - lokaal 3C249a B-1050 Brussel Tel. +32 (0)2 629 36 22 Tel. Secr. +32 (0)2 629 25 33 Fax +32 (0)2 629 25 32 email : Pieter.Depessemier@vub.ac.be http://www.vub.ac.be/ONLE/Pieter.html