Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Battle over Dyslexia

theguardian.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 86 posts

Re: The Battle over Dyslexia

#41

Post by bsder »

bjo590 wrote: post #14

> The method for diagnosing dyslexia, known as the discrepancy model, was relatively straightforward: test a child’s IQ and their reading age, and if there was a discrepancy between the two – average-to-high IQ, low literacy – that child was dyslexic. Elliott felt unsure about these assessments. The children he tested for dyslexia all struggled to read and write – that much was clear – but their literacy difficulties…

> I'm a dyslexic, and I was given extra attention is school that significantly helped me.

And I suspect that is probably true for most "dyslexics".

I have a pet suspicion that there is an actual dyslexia but that most diagnoses are simply a manifestation of 2 standard deviations of "everybody's brain is wired slightly differently and some things require more effort."

One of my relatives is really good at mathematical theoretical physics (probably better than I am, and I am no slouch), but doesn't read or write very well. I find it very difficult that someone who manipulates symbols that well has "dyslexia". More probably, he needed to devote more energy to reading but never did because he found it difficult.

Unfortunately, our current education system is not set up to handle any student who is outside one standard deviation of "normal" on any dimension.

Re: The Battle over Dyslexia

#42

Post by httpsterio »

blakesterz wrote: post #5

"He also believes that the current system entrenches inequality, because children from poorer backgrounds tend to be less likely to be diagnosed with dyslexia." So if I'm taking away what I should from this article, the biggest problem they have with "dyslexia" is that there's inequality and there's not a good way to diagnose it? In the end they say anyone struggling with reading should get extra help, dyslexia or no…

Some cases of dyslexia are caused by the ear crystals being loose which will cause balance issues and it can be fixed with some balancing exercises. One of the pioneering researches is a Finnish docent called Tapani Rahko who studied the issues back in 2003.

Re: The Battle over Dyslexia

#44

Post by Tyr42 »

auto wrote: post #7
MivLives wrote: post #2

As someone who was diagnosed with dyslexia, and went to a special school because of it, a lot of things in this article brought back memories. I'm unsure how others are taught to read or spell, but the school I went to used an almost extended alphabet. Where combinations of english letters like CH were taught as if they were the roots of spelling. It did seem to work I went from three grades under my reading level to…

I was always a strong reader as a kid and have never had issues with spelling, or anything that would hint at dyslexia, but the spoken letter things is one of (in my opinion) my greatest weaknesses. I'm super visual and consider myself to have a really strong "minds eye", but for some reason the moment people start spelling something out loud, it's just mush. I've thought about it so much in recent years that I've co…

Yeah I have a similar inability to put together a word from letters being spoken to me.

I'm also really bad at anagrams (and by extension, scrabble). I always wondered if those were related.

Re: The Battle over Dyslexia

#45

Post by ben509 »

bluGill wrote: post #16
bjo590 wrote: post #14

> The method for diagnosing dyslexia, known as the discrepancy model, was relatively straightforward: test a child’s IQ and their reading age, and if there was a discrepancy between the two – average-to-high IQ, low literacy – that child was dyslexic. Elliott felt unsure about these assessments. The children he tested for dyslexia all struggled to read and write – that much was clear – but their literacy difficulties…

We do have a term: slow to learn to read. We don't need dyslexia or some more specific term unless those terms can be used for better treatment. In this case dyslexia is too specific: kids who don't fit the definition are being actively harmed because the treatment would help them just as much as it fit those who it helps. It may well be dyslexia (or a more specific term) may mean some other treatment can be helpful…

> Though I will note that the definition of Autism has gotten broader over time...

If dyslexia became broader in the manner Autism has, it would simply be going back to its Greek origin, which is already roughly "bad at reading."

Re: The Battle over Dyslexia

#46

Post by wombatmobile »

MivLives wrote: post #2

As someone who was diagnosed with dyslexia, and went to a special school because of it, a lot of things in this article brought back memories. I'm unsure how others are taught to read or spell, but the school I went to used an almost extended alphabet. Where combinations of english letters like CH were taught as if they were the roots of spelling. It did seem to work I went from three grades under my reading level to…

> I was lucky to be born when I was, as computers entered the picture while in middle school.

It makes sense that you felt relieved when computers could compensate for your reading difficulties by reading and spelling for you.

On a different track, do you know of any computer based learning applications for teaching dyslexic diagnosed people to improve their reading and/or spelling abilities?

The article seemed to say that there isn't a magic method, which probably explains why the contentious debates reported in the article exist. But it also says that those who get into the program do improve their abilities, through more intense teacher led instruction.

I'm wondering if this form of instruction been automated at all?

Could it be?

What is the state of the art of literacy education software?

Re: The Battle over Dyslexia

#47

Post by tssva »

slg wrote: post #33
tssva wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Testing for vision issues such as astigmatism is usually performed before some one is proclaimed to be dyslexic.

Dyslexic here. I don't know how universal it is, but I definitely was receiving eye tests in school before reading tests which lead to a misdiagnosis. I was only 6 or 7 so I don't remember if it was specifically astigmatism or some other eye condition, but I was misdiagnosed as having eye problems a year before I was finally diagnosed with dyslexia.

My daughter has dyslexia and an IEP in place to get her the assistance she needs. Before the school system would designate her as having a specific learning disability, a requirement to have an IEP, they required vision, hearing, reading comprehension and a battery of other reading related testing to help identify her specific reading deficiency

After she was identified as dyslexic she began a specialized reading program targeted at those with dyslexia. Unlike as mentioned in the article it is not the same reading program they assign to others who are "slow readers". This has helped her move from 2 years behind in reading to now being ahead of grade in reading. Unfortunately her spelling although improved is still a mess and likely will be for life as it is for many with dyslexia.

Re: The Battle over Dyslexia

#48

Post by Clownfused »

powersnail wrote: post #13

The debate seems to be around whether the word dyslexia should be used, but the condition --- however named --- exists anyway. The proposed phrase "struggling with reading comprehension" is no less broad, or actually more broad, than _dyslexia_, and in my opinion brings no additional value to the situation. I've known a person diagnosed with Dyslexia, and he was simultaneously one of the most well-read, eloquent pers…

Dyslexia is in part difficulty in decoding (reading) words.

Dysgraphia is difficulty in encoding (spelling) words.

They aren't mutually exclusive.

Re: The Battle over Dyslexia

#49

Post by nullsense »

bsder wrote: post #41
bjo590 wrote: post #14

> The method for diagnosing dyslexia, known as the discrepancy model, was relatively straightforward: test a child’s IQ and their reading age, and if there was a discrepancy between the two – average-to-high IQ, low literacy – that child was dyslexic. Elliott felt unsure about these assessments. The children he tested for dyslexia all struggled to read and write – that much was clear – but their literacy difficulties…

> I'm a dyslexic, and I was given extra attention is school that significantly helped me. And I suspect that is probably true for most "dyslexics". I have a pet suspicion that there is an actual dyslexia but that most diagnoses are simply a manifestation of 2 standard deviations of "everybody's brain is wired slightly differently and some things require more effort." One of my relatives is really good at mathematical…

And only 3 standard deviations is actually a disability?

Re: The Battle over Dyslexia

#50

Post by agd »

bjo590 wrote: post #27
bluGill wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dyslexia also has an IQ component which means those with low IQ are not dyslexic even if they otherwise have the same symptoms. Perhaps the definition needs to change? Note the above is from the article which is focused on the UK. It could be different in other countries.

> Dyslexia also has an IQ component which means those with low IQ are not dyslexic even if they otherwise have the same symptoms. A person with IQ 100 (or whatever the mean IQ is) learning to read slower than average is different than a person with IQ 60 learning to read slower than average. You cannot completely remove the IQ component.

It no longer has an IQ component. (This is described in the article).
Post reply on HN