It doesn't matter - it's a real problem!In 1896 Dr W. Pringle Morgan wrote about Percy "the smartest lad in the school if the instructions were entirely oral". Coming just twenty years after the 1870 Education Act had introduced universal elementary education it may be that Percy's tale raises more questions about class sizes, teaching methods and payment by results then it does about dyslexia. As we near the end of the twentieth century we still find difficulty raising any sort of agreement on how to define specific learning difficulties, on how to assess them and on how to help those who have them. However, the consequences are all too clear and the cost of not dealing with specific learning difficulties are too destructive to be ignored.What is Dyslexia? The word Dyslexia is commonly used to refer to a literacy difficulty that has sometimes been called "Word blindness". Strictly speaking it is wrong to use the name Dyslexia to describe the full range of literacy linked specific learning difficulties but the two terms are frequently interchanged without causing enormous difficulty to most people. We will try to be consistent by referring to Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) except when Dyslexia seems to be a more appropriate description or when the word has been used in a quoted passage. There are almost as many definitions of SpLD as there are people expounding their views. The most common feature is that a difficulty is experienced which is not typical of the individual's general profile of abilities. The BDA defines dyslexia as "A specific difficulty in learning, constitutional in origin, in area more of reading, spelling and written language, which may be accompanied by difficulty in number work. it is particularly related to mastering and using a written language (alphabetic, numerical and musical rotation) although often affecting oral language to some degree." BDA estimates suggest that as many as 10% of children have some degree of dyslexia and 4% are severely affected. The BDA's (British Dyslexia Association) Dyslexia Handbook for 1996 provides a useful check list of the characteristics of dyslexia in the firm of a collection of observable consequences of specific learning difficulties. It is not a complete list but describes some of the characteristic difficulties experienced. The lack of agreement amongst professionals is, unfortunately, often focussed on this kind of "symptomatic" description. There may be some emotional and time saving benefits from giving the label" dyslexic" to the family of someone having literacy difficulties. However, the pseudo medicalisation of these very real difficulties does not help since there is no magic pill to instantly cure the "illness". With endlessly differing profiles of abilities and difficulties, there are no unfailing "treatment" methods but there are ways of helping overcome and manage these difficulties. Research into SpLD has been undertaken all round the world with frequent exchanges of ideas through conferences and publications. The BDA organises an International Conference every two years with Conferences on IT and Dyslexia organised by the BDA's Computer Committee. There seems to be a growing consensus in research that Specific Learning Difficulties are related to observable differences in the brain of the dyslexic. Some differences in the physical structure of the brain have been reported while research into the chemicals which pass messages within the brain suggests that unusual levels may be found in dyslexics. One fascinating consequence of current research is that research into other conditions such as dyspraxia and attention deficit disorder which have similarities with dyslexia and which are often experienced by people with SpLD seems to point to similar types of differences within the brains of people with these conditions. Assessment of Specific Learning Difficulties Under the procedures of the 1996 Act's Code of Practice all assessment begins at a relatively low level with the class teacher expressing some concern , discussing it with the child's parents, recording the actions they take and the outcomes. If the difficulties persist further discussion with the parents is followed by action according to an Individual Education Plan by staff in school under the guidance of the school's Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). Continuing difficulties will lead to external specialist being involved including specialist teachers and, if necessary, an Educational Psychologist. (Independent Educational Psychologist's are available directly and through the Dyslexia Institute so ask your local Dyslexia Association what is available locally.) Two well known tests are available to teachers who want to gather evidence about children's Specific Learning Difficulties. The Bangor Dyslexia Test takes about10 minutes to administer and gives a score which can help decide if further assessment is needed. Observations of how the child approaches the tasks are very useful, as is the Bangor Dyslexia Test's check of sequencing abilities and lateralility. The Aston Index is more thorough, takes between half an hour and an hour to administer, and covers vocabulary, copying and drawing, reading, spelling, laterality, handwriting, visual and verbal memory,sound discrimination and blending, and motor skills. Recent research has looked at phonological processing, the ability to hear and use the sounds which make up language, with an experimental assessment tool, the Phonological Assessment Battery (PhAB), being trialled widely and being prepared for publication. Some Educational Psychologists have maintained that a wholly criterion referenced assessment based on the National Curriculum is sufficient to identify specific learning difficulties. Few would now follow this approach in the wake of a legal challenge which, although robustly and successfully defended, caused great debate about avoiding similar unproductive confrontations. Conventional assessment by Educational Psychologists has mainly focussed on comparing intellectual assessment using tests such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) and the British Ability Scales (BAS) to attainment testing and teacher assessments of progress through the National Curriculum. A variety of tests in reading, spelling, comprehension, and numeracy are available. The Wechsler Objective Reading Dimensions (WORD) is linked to the intelligence scales in the WISC III. The British Ability Scales has Word Reading, Spelling Scales and Basic Number Skills scales which link to the BAS-R IQ estimates. The newly released BAS II is being trialled widely on children with various kinds of special needs, including a large cohort of children with SpLD, in order to describe their "typical" profile of abilities. Previous research for the WISC identified the "ACID" profile of children with SpLD who scored poorly on the Arithmetic, Coding, Information and Digit Span sub tests which rely heavily upon sequencing and memory skills. Pragmatic Help? Children who have specific learning difficulties can suffer in two ways. They do not gain literacy skills at the level of their ability. They cannot extract information from text and cannot record their work, at the level of their ability. There should, therefore, be two parts to any programme which aims to meet their needs. Firstly there should be teaching and learning tasks which build up those skills which are weak and provide strategies for working round the effects of weaknesses which cannot be changed. Secondly there should be alternate modes of presentation and recording of information which use the strengths available, perhaps with aides including computers, tape recorders, and pen and paper. The relative balance of teaching and support will depend on the age and needs of the child. In primary school most of the effort will probably but put into teaching while in secondary schools the emphasis will shift, especially as examinations approach, towards support. |