 |
|
|
4. Scientific findings.Our brains are pre-programmed to learn to speak. Children also have a natural urge to communicate. Small babies hear the sounds that make up the word 'mama' and copy them instinctively. Unfortunately, there is no such instinctive way of learning to read, nor is reading necessarily a pleasurable activity. To read the word 'mama', a child has to understand that it is made up of two sounds, 'm' and 'a', represented by letters, repeated twice. The sounds which go to make up a language (there are 44 in English) are called phonemes. There is some debate about the best way for children to start reading. But there is little dispute that to become fluent readers children need to be able to connect the sounds they hear to the written letters which make up the words on the page. Children who are dyslexic have persistent difficulty in making that connection. There is no absolute scientific consensus about the causes of these difficulties. However, convincing international evidence has demonstrated that there are important links between phonological skills (the expertise needed to process sounds), literacy progress and dyslexia. Inadequate phonological processing abilities affect the acquisition of phonic skills which are needed for reading and spelling. It also means that unfamiliar words are often misread which may also affect comprehension. Some researchers have suggested that there is a link between the poor language processing skills of dyslexic children and their sense of balance, which might explain why some children with dyslexia are also clumsy and poor at sport.
Brain scans.Exciting modern scanning techniques have revealed unusual patterns in the brain function of dyslexic people. This vital evidence shows dyslexia is an identifiable, neurological condition. It can now be established which parts of the brain are operating differently. It is hoped that further research will not only provide an accurate diagnosis of dyslexia but also suggest ways to help dyslexic people cope with their problems and improve their skills. Some researchers, particularly in America, suggest that brain scans show that dyslexic children can't process the phonological sounds they hear fast enough.
Psychological testing.Working in another area, psychologists are also providing interesting findings. Research has shown a marked inefficiency in the working of short-term memory in many dyslexic people. Many experts agree that this is a fundamental underlying problem for people with the condition. It may result in difficulties in retaining the meaning of text, disjointed written work or a tendency to miss out words and phrases because the person has simply 'lost track' of what he or she was trying to express.
Visual difficulties.For many years it was thought that dyslexia was essentially a visual problem and various methods of 'eye-training' were used to try to help children read. It is now accepted that the disability is not as simple as that, although visual difficulties can be a factor. Some researchers suggest that brain scans show that a proportion of dyslexic people have difficulties in the fast processing of detailed visual information. Certainly, many dyslexic readers experience visual discomfort and are hypersensitive to the effects of strong visual contrast, such as black text on a white page or rapid flicker from parallel lines of text. These problems may, in some cases, be alleviated by coloured overlays or spectacles.
|
Contents of this site.5. Dyslexia and the education system. 6. How to recognise dyslexia in children. 9. External tests and examinations.
|
|
|
