Special Needs Affecting Language and Communication Dyslexia Module: Special Needs Assisting Ms. Lisa McKee
Feb 24, 2016
Special Needs AffectingLanguage and Communication
DyslexiaModule: Special Needs AssistingMs. Lisa McKee
Learning Outcomes• To highlight the meaning, causes, diagnosis,
symptoms and treatments of dyslexia.
• To confirm the prevalence and prognosis of dyslexia.
• To discuss the role of a SNA when supporting a child with dyslexia.
• To read about famous people with dyslexia.
Meaning of Dyslexia
•Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that makes it more difficult for people to learn to read, write and spell correctly.
Flood, E. (2010:150)
Prevalence
•Estimates for the prevalence of dyslexia (both mild and more severe) vary widely at between 4 and 10 per cent.
•This varies depending on poverty and social disadvantage of the child.
Causes•Morton and Frith (19950 highlighted that
dyslexia can be described at 3 different levels:
1. A biological level (in terms of brain structure, what causes dyslexia?)
2. A cognitive level (in terms of brain functioning, what causes dyslexia?)
3. A behavioural level (symptoms of dyslexia)
Causes :Biological
•Developmental dyslexia is the term used to describe when there is a genetic link with dyslexia.
•This is when one member or more of a family show symptoms of dyslexia.
Biological :Cerebellum• Research with children with
dyslexia indicates deficits in the functioning of the cerebellum.
• The cerebellum is the area of the brain that is associated with the automatisation of skills.
• Research found that children with dyslexia require significantly more time both to acquire a new skill and for it to become automatic.
Biological :Visual• Some people with dyslexia report what is called
visual discomfort. They may experience headaches and eyestrain and report that the words around on the page in front of them.
• This is thought to be due to a deficit in an area of the brain called the visual magnocellular system.
• Wearing glasses or coloured worksheets can ease this.
Biological: Cognitive• This is broken into 2 parts:
1. Phonological processing is the ability to translate letters and words into sounds. Children with dyslexia are not to naturally do this and must learn to do so in a very deliberate way.
2. Short term memory skills where children are required to remember numbers and letters strings (i.e. a,b,c) show children with dyslexia tend to have poorer short-term memory.
Symptoms• Early speech and language
problems.• Mix up sounds of words
and order of numbers.• Confuse directions (left
and right)• Difficulty remembering
common sequences (days of the weeks, tables)
• Poor pencil control and awkward handwriting.
• Unable to pair speech sounds with letters and vice versa.
• Confuse words and letters that look alike cat/act.
• Have difficulty copying words and numbers from a book or blackboard.
• Have difficulties recalling the names of people, words or objects.
• Persistent spelling problems.• Reading aloud may be difficult
or embarrassing.• May be clumsiness and untidy.• There is often a marked
difference between verbal and written ability.
Diagnosis
•A qualified educational psychologist can carry out a number of assessments in order to diagnosis a child with dyslexia.
Assessments to Diagnosis
• The most common of the assessments used in Irish primary schools are:
1. Drumchondra test (reading and maths)2. Micra-t test (reading)
• Results from these tests are usually presented as percentile scores. These scores indicate how well a child is doing in comparison to other children his/her age.
Treatment•If diagnosis of dyslexia has been made,
the child is likely to need extra tuition.
•The options available fall into two categories:
1. School-based supports2. Outside school supports.
School-based Supports
•Support from class teacher.
•Learning support teacher.
•Resources teacher.
•Enrolment in a special reading school.
Outside school supports• Dyslexia Association of
Ireland (DAI)
• One-to-one support from a DAI tutor.
• D.A.I. workshops, exams classes and summer schools.
Prognosis• In general, how well a child with dyslexia
progresses depends on:
• The severity of their dyslexia.• How soon they receive proper supports and
interventions.• The quality of the supports.• General levels of motivation/encouragement
home/school.• How well their other talents and abilities are
recognised and encouraged.
Role of the SNA•Be informed about dyslexia.•Helping the class teacher prepare class work
for the child. (coloured paper, speaking notes onto tape)
•Helping the child take down work off the board.•Helping the child organise themselves and
copies.•Offering praise and support.•Listening to the child reading aloud in a less
public place than the classroom.
Famous people with Dyslexia• Walt Disney• Mohammad Ali• Steven Spielberg• John F. Kennedy• Whoopi Goldberg• Sir Winston Churchill• John Lennon• Sir. Richard Branson
• Leonardo De Vinci• Pablo Picasso• Cher• Steve Jobs• Orlando Bloom• Tom Cruise