Dyslexia...It's a ummmmm...lemme think...
By Anonymous (not verified) | Sun, 10/16/2005 - 02:00
Channel 4's deliberately controversial program The Dyslexia Myth claimed that dyslexia, as most people understand it, doesn't exist. As someone who has been diagnosed as dyslexic I am sure that dyslexia exists but its almost impossible to define. Its the educational equivalent of colds & flu. There is a huge range of symptoms from the runny nose to the truly life threatening. (Dyslexics are more likely to commit suicide, at least according to some research).
In order to prove that dyslexia exists we need a better definition. 'The Dyslexia Myth' used a very narrow meaning of dyslexia, focusing on the inability to read. Google has more than twenty different definitions, most of which mention a difficulty with reading. The British Dyslexia Association offers the best definition:
"Dyslexia is best described as a combination of abilities and difficulties that affect the learning process in one or more of reading, spelling and writing. Accompanying weaknesses may be identified in areas of speed of processing, short term memory, sequencing and organisation, auditory and/or visual perception, spoken language and motor skills. It is particularly related to mastering and using written language, which may include alphabetic, numeric and musical notation".
The problem with these definitions is that they have the wrong paradigm or assumptions. The emphasis of these definitions is on language, manifested by the ability to read, write and spell, and that this language skill is a little black box in the brain. The little black box that does not work in dyslexics and therefore all the education system needs to do is fix it. This paradigm is the one that every academic featured in The Dyslexic Myth was using.
From my experience this is wrong. I've been able to read well all my adult life and with computers, passable spelling and writing was achievable. Yet since taking various training programmes and overcoming my dyslexia, I've discovered a whole world that I was previously excluded from. Simple things like being able to remember directions, birthdays and names of famous people as well as improved personal relationships, because I can now notice other people's reactions and emotions. My dyslexia did not prevent me discovering these skills but the problems that caused my dyslexia also caused this shortfall in life skills.
Dyslexia is just a symptom of a deeper problem and this is where many tradition, educational treatment programmes have failed most dyslexics. If a man came into hospital covered in cuts and bruises from repeatedly falling over, the hospital can treat the man's wounds. But unless they tackle why he is falling over, his quality of life is going to be poor. Teaching a dyslexic child to read is just like treating those cuts and bruises.
Part of the problem of why so many educators and parents fail to see to the root cause of the problem is because of the way they imagine the brain to be and functioning. Firstly many people believe that the brain cannot change and this was accepted scientific dogma for many years. Secondly the brain was seen as a single, distinct entity just like the heart or liver. Thirdly the brain was seen as being different from the body. We talk of physical health and mental health as being completely separate.
All of these assumptions are wrong. Far from being some unchangeable lump of tissue the brain is amazingly plastic. Stroke victims can reprogram their brains to work around damaged areas. Brains can do this because they are a network of networks. Nuerons combine in the brain to form a network dealing with a specific memory or skill. These networks combine to form sub-systems such as short-term memory, audio processing and coordination. The networks are not confined to the brain. The nervous system connects the brain to the body and vice versa. Much of processing that we consider to part of the brain may in fact be done before the signals even reach the brain. For example the retina in the eye chooses what to pay attention to without consulting then brain.
All of these network together form our conscious selves just as a transport network is made up of networks of train tracks, networks of international air routes or a networks of roads. If any part of the network fails, a longer, slower route between two points can always be found. In dyslexia, the auditory system is weak so the frontal lobes take over the work in decoding what has been said. This is slower and takes more effort but it works up to a point.
Neuroscience is showing us that each of the different networks and sub-systems in our brain can develop at different rates. So a ten year olds' memory skill may be at the level of an eight year old but his coordination may be that of a twelve year old. In dyslexics and ADD / ADHD sufferers many different sub-systems are underdeveloped. Once the dyslexic has fallen behind it is very difficult to keep up. Imaging a six year old being taught with eleven year olds. It doesn't matter how bright the six year old is, the environment and teaching methods are aimed at the abilities of an eleven year old and the six year old will struggle and fall further behind. After a year, the eleven year olds have further developed their abilities so that they can progress to the next school year. The six year old has been overwhelmed by the environment, the teachers expectations and the self-doubt that arises from repeated failure. In this environment their abilities haven't had a chance to grow so now they are even further disadvantaged compared to their classmates.
This spiral of failure starts from birth but first really manifest itself at about the age of two when a child becomes aware and mobile enough to play with other children of the same age. Social interaction, especially in children, is learning. So an underdeveloped child playing in a group of normally developed children will be disadvantaged. He/she will learn less than the other children just as the six year did in the classroom of eleven year olds. The differences between the children might be very small but once they start to fall behind the gap will inevitably widen unless the child receives suitable help.
The concept of the brain being made up of a number of sub-systems and that these are underdeveloped in dyslexics explains both the variety of symptoms dyslexics exhibit and the overlap with ADD / ADHD and some parts of the autistic spectrum. Which sub-systems are underdeveloped and to what degree will dictate if someone is classified as dyslexic, hyperactive or just be one those kids who just doesn't perform well in school.
Defining which subsystems impact on learning difficulties is hard because everything in the brain is connected directly or indirectly to every other part. Defining what sub-systems exist and how they influence each other is still a subjective decision though neuroscience is slowly giving us more empirical data. However we can split them up into some very broad areas: Visual skills that are need to track your eyes over a line of text; Audio skills such as the ability to differentiate between sounds like 'th' and 'f'; Gross and fine motor skills that are need to sit still and write neatly; and memory, being able to recall how you spelt the word previously.
Putting all this together in a simple, understandable and useful manner is difficult but this is my take on it:
Dyslexia is a failure of core physiological and neurological abilities to fully develop which often manifests itself as difficulties with reading, writing and spelling.
In order to prove that dyslexia exists we need a better definition. 'The Dyslexia Myth' used a very narrow meaning of dyslexia, focusing on the inability to read. Google has more than twenty different definitions, most of which mention a difficulty with reading. The British Dyslexia Association offers the best definition:
"Dyslexia is best described as a combination of abilities and difficulties that affect the learning process in one or more of reading, spelling and writing. Accompanying weaknesses may be identified in areas of speed of processing, short term memory, sequencing and organisation, auditory and/or visual perception, spoken language and motor skills. It is particularly related to mastering and using written language, which may include alphabetic, numeric and musical notation".
The problem with these definitions is that they have the wrong paradigm or assumptions. The emphasis of these definitions is on language, manifested by the ability to read, write and spell, and that this language skill is a little black box in the brain. The little black box that does not work in dyslexics and therefore all the education system needs to do is fix it. This paradigm is the one that every academic featured in The Dyslexic Myth was using.
From my experience this is wrong. I've been able to read well all my adult life and with computers, passable spelling and writing was achievable. Yet since taking various training programmes and overcoming my dyslexia, I've discovered a whole world that I was previously excluded from. Simple things like being able to remember directions, birthdays and names of famous people as well as improved personal relationships, because I can now notice other people's reactions and emotions. My dyslexia did not prevent me discovering these skills but the problems that caused my dyslexia also caused this shortfall in life skills.
Dyslexia is just a symptom of a deeper problem and this is where many tradition, educational treatment programmes have failed most dyslexics. If a man came into hospital covered in cuts and bruises from repeatedly falling over, the hospital can treat the man's wounds. But unless they tackle why he is falling over, his quality of life is going to be poor. Teaching a dyslexic child to read is just like treating those cuts and bruises.
Part of the problem of why so many educators and parents fail to see to the root cause of the problem is because of the way they imagine the brain to be and functioning. Firstly many people believe that the brain cannot change and this was accepted scientific dogma for many years. Secondly the brain was seen as a single, distinct entity just like the heart or liver. Thirdly the brain was seen as being different from the body. We talk of physical health and mental health as being completely separate.
All of these assumptions are wrong. Far from being some unchangeable lump of tissue the brain is amazingly plastic. Stroke victims can reprogram their brains to work around damaged areas. Brains can do this because they are a network of networks. Nuerons combine in the brain to form a network dealing with a specific memory or skill. These networks combine to form sub-systems such as short-term memory, audio processing and coordination. The networks are not confined to the brain. The nervous system connects the brain to the body and vice versa. Much of processing that we consider to part of the brain may in fact be done before the signals even reach the brain. For example the retina in the eye chooses what to pay attention to without consulting then brain.
All of these network together form our conscious selves just as a transport network is made up of networks of train tracks, networks of international air routes or a networks of roads. If any part of the network fails, a longer, slower route between two points can always be found. In dyslexia, the auditory system is weak so the frontal lobes take over the work in decoding what has been said. This is slower and takes more effort but it works up to a point.
Neuroscience is showing us that each of the different networks and sub-systems in our brain can develop at different rates. So a ten year olds' memory skill may be at the level of an eight year old but his coordination may be that of a twelve year old. In dyslexics and ADD / ADHD sufferers many different sub-systems are underdeveloped. Once the dyslexic has fallen behind it is very difficult to keep up. Imaging a six year old being taught with eleven year olds. It doesn't matter how bright the six year old is, the environment and teaching methods are aimed at the abilities of an eleven year old and the six year old will struggle and fall further behind. After a year, the eleven year olds have further developed their abilities so that they can progress to the next school year. The six year old has been overwhelmed by the environment, the teachers expectations and the self-doubt that arises from repeated failure. In this environment their abilities haven't had a chance to grow so now they are even further disadvantaged compared to their classmates.
This spiral of failure starts from birth but first really manifest itself at about the age of two when a child becomes aware and mobile enough to play with other children of the same age. Social interaction, especially in children, is learning. So an underdeveloped child playing in a group of normally developed children will be disadvantaged. He/she will learn less than the other children just as the six year did in the classroom of eleven year olds. The differences between the children might be very small but once they start to fall behind the gap will inevitably widen unless the child receives suitable help.
The concept of the brain being made up of a number of sub-systems and that these are underdeveloped in dyslexics explains both the variety of symptoms dyslexics exhibit and the overlap with ADD / ADHD and some parts of the autistic spectrum. Which sub-systems are underdeveloped and to what degree will dictate if someone is classified as dyslexic, hyperactive or just be one those kids who just doesn't perform well in school.
Defining which subsystems impact on learning difficulties is hard because everything in the brain is connected directly or indirectly to every other part. Defining what sub-systems exist and how they influence each other is still a subjective decision though neuroscience is slowly giving us more empirical data. However we can split them up into some very broad areas: Visual skills that are need to track your eyes over a line of text; Audio skills such as the ability to differentiate between sounds like 'th' and 'f'; Gross and fine motor skills that are need to sit still and write neatly; and memory, being able to recall how you spelt the word previously.
Putting all this together in a simple, understandable and useful manner is difficult but this is my take on it:
Dyslexia is a failure of core physiological and neurological abilities to fully develop which often manifests itself as difficulties with reading, writing and spelling.
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