Difficulties Living with Dyslexia - Research Paper Example

? Dyslexia Curtis Jacobs “Dyslexia” Albert Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci have dyslexia, and so did Danny Glover and Magic Johnson. What made this interesting is that dyslexia is touted to be a learning disability that involves reading, writing and spelling difficulty and the irony of it is that some of the smartest people in our history had dyslexia. This brings the idea that if dyslexia is properly understood, people who has it can and will still function as normal human being and can even be equally successful as everybody. In plain language, dyslexia is a learning difficulty that affects reading, writing and spelling (Daily Mail, 2012). Experts however are having difficulty to agree on a common scientific definition of dyslexia. The British Dyslexia Association defined it as ‘a specific learning difficulty which mainly affects the development of literacy and language related skills.’ The International Dyslexia has it as a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin.’ (International Dyslexia Association). Rose defined dyslexia as a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling’ (Smythe 40). However experts may defined dyslexia, the disability is present when the “the automatization1 of word identification (reading) and/or spelling does not develop or does so very incompletely or with great difficulty” (Smythe 39) and the theories on the etiology of dyslexia is an ever evolving process due to the continuous research made about it. Research also showed that the origin of dyslexia is generally hereditary with some genes that were identified to be generally predisposed to having dyslexia. The specific genes that research has identified to be more predisposed to acquiring dyslexia were brain based. Recent research showed that there are nine chromosomes that are directly linked to the learning difficulty. “To date, nine chromosome loci have been linked to dyslexia. Of these, the importance of 1p34-p36 (DYX8), 2p (DYX3), 6p21.3 (DYX2) and 15q21 (DYX1) has been frequently replicated. There is less evidence for the relevance of 3p12-q12 (DYX5), 6q13-q16 (DYX4), 11p15 (DYX7), 18p11 (DYX6) and Xq27 (DYX9)2. (Petryshen and Pauls, 2009 cited in Smythe 41). Four of the genes –DYX1C1 (DYX1), KIAA0319 (DYX2), DCDC2 (DYX2) and ROBO1 (DYX5) – have been implicated in neuronal migration and guidance, suggesting the importance of early neurodevelopmental processes in reading development”(41). Four more additional possible areas (PCNT, DIP2A, S100B and PRMT2) in the chromosome region 21q22.3 have been identified to be linked with dyslexia. This genetic heritability of dyslexia was also confirmed by the Colorado Longitudinal Twin Study of Reading Disability whose study suggests that the shared genetic influence accounted for “86% and 49% of the phenotypic correlations between the two assessments for twin pairs with and without reading difficulties respectively (Wadsworth et al 150) With regard to who gets this disability among the population, Lowenstein reported that the difficulty learning as caused by dyslexia is a condition that affects one in five people3. Some of the obvious symptoms that is correlated with dyslexia include letter reversals in hand writing4, delays in speech and being easily distracted by noise (webmd). Symptoms can also include very poor spelling of words and blending of rhyming of sounds to make words. The classic example to illustrate this spelling difficulty is the paper written by Lowenstein where it was titled “Pediatrician: Dyslexia affects one if five people”. Due to difficulty in reading, students who has dyslexia were also were also found to have difficulty summarizing stories. Learning a foreign language was also found to be a challenge among dyslexics and so is memorizing words and concepts. In extreme cases, a very small population of dyslexics was known to rotate letters when reading reverse words when they write. In the study of Morton and Frith, they mapped the causal theories of dyslexia to have come from “biological, cognitive, behavioral and environmental influences, using the Morton-Frith structured approach” (375). The environmental causality of dyslexia is the teaching and learning environment of the dyslexic and the behavioral may be the literacy outcome of such environment (383). The process of teaching and learning is the cognitive process. There are conflicting theory of what causes dyslexia such as the claim of Nicolson et al that dyslexia is cerebellar while Stein had the magnocellular hypothesis. Research however is still undergoing either by genetic research and brain scans to identify the underlying structural differences of the origin of dyslexia (Smythe 40). And to properly treat it, dyslexia has to be understood in order to administer proper intervention. Without intervention, dyslexia can become a learning disability where people who have it will have hard time reading, learning, spelling, even talking which could severely affect their growth as an individual. Other effects of dyslexia in an individual is not only limited to learning, reading, writing and hearing disability but also includes difficulty within time limits which can prove to be stressful during graded exams. People with dyslexia have also issues in planning because they have difficulty thinking in sequence which is a requisite of planning. Some prints and letters were also reported to be missing or blurred among dyslexics and confusion with hearing having difficulty in distinguishing one sound from the other (The Open University). For children, dyslexia may affect their self-esteem because they may be construed as slow learners or even outright stupid because of dyslexia. Even those whose dyslexia’s were already attended, children still tends to be anxious especially when they are separated from their regular class and be put away from their friends and peers. It is important to note however that if dyslexia is properly understood and attended, children and people who have it can still function as normal human being. Some of the smartest individuals who has ever lived in this planet had this learning difficulty yet they were able to surmount it that included Leonardo Da Vinci and yes, the genius physicist Albert Einstein. Treating dyslexia does not include prescribing medicines because it is not a disease that has to be cured. Instead, helping people with dyslexia consists more of tools and learning techniques to be able to overcome the reading, writing, hearing and spelling difficulty brought by dyslexia. The importance of intervention is recognized by the government because students three years old and above but no later than 16 years old who are diagnosed with dyslexia have to be taught in school as mandated by federal law through an Individualized Education Program (IEP). The intervention should be provided by public school personnel according to the student’s specific need. The intervention includes the child, teacher, school personnel, school counselors and special education teachers. In cases where the school is not prepared or does not have the facility, expertise or personnel to address the child’s learning difficulty, the student can be transferred to another school, within the area if possible, that has appropriate dyslexia programs to address the child’s learning disability (webmd). The teaching methodologies should also be tailored fit for the specific disability5 which is evaluated yearly and subject to change according to the child’s progress. If the parents do not agree with the curriculum and/or teaching methodologies, they can appeal the child’s IEP (webmd). Students with dyslexia have to be a taught according to their disabilities for them to overcome their disability. Since dyslexia is not a disease which can be cured by a medicine, a special education is the only remedy that a child could have to overcome the learning difficulty associated by dyslexia. One of the most common programs in treating dyslexia includes a systematic study of phonics. Multisensory approach are also used in reading approaches that would require the student to hear, see say and do something such as the Slingerland Method, the Orton-Gillingham Method. Interactive mediums such as computers are known to be powerful aids in helping students cope with dyslexia (medicinenet b). But applying these intervention programs does not mean that the student or child has already coped with the disability. Having learning difficulty due to dyslexia can bring other issues and emotional problems. The other disabilities associated with dyslexia may be a complication on how the brain was form6 or it may be an emotional issue. Having learning difficulty leads to frustration that could make a child or student sink into. The following are the known disabilities associate with dyslexia (medicinenet a). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) -  Some children with dyslexia also have ADHD. But dyslexia and ADHD are two very different conditions: one does not cause the other. Impairments in executive functions - Dyslexia can also impair a person’s decision making skills to attain specific objectives. “ This includes the ability to inhibit or defer a response; make a sequential, strategic plan of action; and commit relevant information to memory for future use. These abilities are necessary for organizational skills, planning, impulse control, selective attention, inhibition, and creative thinking” (emedicine). Memory impairments – dyslexics are also known to have difficulties remembering especially sounds which they have difficulty recognizing. Mathematical problems – since mathematical concepts are taught in written words, it is unavoidable that students with dyslexia also struggle with mathematical problems. This is particularly aggravated if the mathematical problem contains symbol that the student has a visual issue7 or if the mathematical problem is expressed in words that the student with dyslexia have difficulty reading in to begin with. Emotional and behavior disorders – the frustrations associated by the learning difficulty of dyslexia increases the risk of children and/or students to have anxiety disorders, withdrawal, poor self-esteem and depression (emedicine a). This shows that treating dyslexia is challenging and needs multifaceted approach because it also inadvertently produces other issues. But to effectively treat and intervene, dyslexia has to be recognized first as such for an intervention to take effect. Thus, for an intervention to be effective, a test has to be administered by competent professionals who have specific knowledge about dyslexia assessment. “The testing protocol will include many cognitive tests including phonological manipulation tasks and working memory. It is widely accepted that one of the key tests is for non-word spelling, where unfamiliar words are presented. Generally these can only be spelt if the child has acquired the necessary underlying skills” (Smythe 42). Typical interventions include a Special Education or in a regular classroom depending on the patient’s learning disability. The approach usually includes a systematic study of phonics and a technique that is designed to enable all the senses work together. This technique could either be the Slingerland Method, the Orton-Gillingham Method, or Project READ can be used where the patient is made to hear, see, say, and do something (multisensory). Multimedia and interactive tools are also used as a powerful intervention in addressing dyslexia (medicinenet b). I. Conclusion: I choose to do this assignment because for one I was not informed about any learning disability, only heard a lot about it. Dyslexia seems to be a very widespread learning disability, and wanted to learn more about it. It is also to me one that is highly debatable. But despite the uncertainty in regards to the components of dyslexia, programs are available that have the ability to produce positive results in children. If parents and educators decide not to give up on the child and instead show genuine hope and understanding, that child will be given the chance to surpass the negative feelings of confusion and frustration and ultimately fulfilled great accomplishment. I w ill apply what I’ve learned by being sensitive to children and adults who may have been diagnosed with dyslexia, and will not treat all people that have been identified as having dyslexia the same. Works Cited British Dyslexia Association. What is dyslexia? In: Smythe I, ed. The British Dyslexia Association Employment and Dyslexia Handbook. British Dyslexia Association, Bracknell, 2009 British Psychological Society. Dyslexia, Literacy and Psychological Assessment. Working Party of the Division of Educational and Child Psychology of the British Psychological Society, 1999 Frith, Morton J. Causal modeling: structural approaches to developmental psychopathology. In: Cicchetti D, Cohen DJ, eds. Handbook of Developmental Psychopathology. Wiley, New York: 357–390, 1995. "How my tutor broke the spell of dyslexia :EDUCATION & RESOURCES [Scot Region]. " Daily Mail  28  Jun 2012, ProQuest Newsstand, ProQuest. Web.  25 Jul. 2012. Loewenstein, James.  "Pediatrician: Dyslexia affects one if five people. " McClatchy - Tribune Business News  22 June 2012  ProQuest Newsstand, ProQuest. Web.  25 Jul. 2012. Medicinenet a. Dyslexia. 2012. Online. http://www.medicinenet.com/dyslexia/article.htm Medicinenet b. What type of treatment is available for dyslexia? 2012. Online. http://www.medicinenet.com/dyslexia/page5.htm "Schools need to learn lessons on helping dyslexic pupils. " The Yorkshire Post  28  Jun 2012, ProQuest Newsstand, ProQuest. Web.  25 Jul. 2012. The Open University. Dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties [http://www.open.ac.uk/disability/dyslexia-or-other-specific-learning-difficulties.php] Smythe I. Dyslexia., British Journal Of Hospital Medicine (London, England: 2005) [Br J Hosp Med (Lond)], ISSN: 1750-8460, 2011 Jan; 72 (1):39-43; PMID: 21240117 Wadsworth SJ, DeFries JC, Olson RK, Willcutt EG. Colorado longitudinal twin study of reading disability. Annals of Dyslexia 57(2): 139–60, 2007 Webmd . Dyslexia - Treatment Overview. 2011. Online. http://children.webmd.com/tc/dyslexia-treatment-overview Read More