The purpose of this report was to assess LD for access arrangements for his Access to Higher Education exams and GCSE maths. It was also an opportunity to provide him with an assessment of his learning needs and to establish a starting point for support. By examining the evidence from all parts of the assessment, the test results and my consultation with LD, there is strong evidence to confirm the existence of a specific learning difficulty (SpLD), probably a dyslexic-type difficulty. Please see the Conclusion for a definition of dyslexia (page 18). However, without a quantitative assessment of LD’s general underlying ability it is not possible to give a definitive diagnosis. The following patterns of strengths, weaknesses and indicators have been observed. Areas of Strength:
Phonological awareness
Graphic speed
Verbal short term memory: digits forwards and backwards
Ability to maintain concentration
Developing compensatory strategies
Determination and dedication to his studies Areas of Relative Difficulty:
Single word reading
Sentence comprehension and oral comprehension
Verbal short-term memory: letters forward
Areas of Significant Difficulty:
Spelling
Manual imitation
Visual processing
Reading aloud accuracy
Speed of reading
Speed and legibility of handwriting
Rapid naming
This pattern of difficulties is frequently associated with dyslexia. LD’s long-term difficulties have had a substantial affect on his ability to perform within education in terms of
Discussions of dyslexia require a definition of the term, and this is where we can come into some confusion if we are not careful. In fact, the “problem” itself exists in the defining of the word, and thus the labeling of those to whom the definition applies. However, with some knowledge of the etiology of “dyslexia” we can begin to ply our beliefs off the population of “dyslexics” and start to gain some understanding of their experiences with language learning. This is, after all, the intention of this research. Guardiola (2001) also assisted in redirecting the academic focus in this direction, towards the etiology of the term and how its history has shaped current social work, education, neurobiology, and psychology perspectives.
The challenges and barriers identified for teachers are directed at meeting the individual needs of their students. The lack of time and the need for more expertise in the area are a matter of concern for students with dyslexia. Lack of teacher training and expertise creates difficulties when considering the importance of teachers to be able to create Individualised Learning Programs which will effectively accommodate these learning difficulties.
I am unsure if he has a learning disability, I would like to see more work done before giving him that diagnosis. His comprehension level is very low but his reading skills are below average. From the case study I see he was progressing as normal and then started to fall below average. Maybe a key skill was not learned which may be causing the disconnect. He seems to be struggling with the comprehension of the material he reads. This may call for more group that strengthens comprehension instead of words per minute.
Dyslexia is a widespread and well-known disease that affects many. First of all, some symptoms are difficulty comprehending spoken, written, and language (DCU). Secondly, some children can take special classes if the disease is severe. Dyslexia can be mild to severe (DCU) depending on which the child was born with. Children may have to see a phonics teacher for help. These classes teach children sounds of letters and how the letters look (Silverstein 30). Third, this disease affects all nationalities and all races (Silverstein 9). Surprisingly, in the United States, twenty percent of the current population has dyslexia (DCU). In addition, one in ten adults has dyslexia (Austin Learning). Dyslexia is sometimes connected to attention deficit disorder and short term memory (Silverstein 25). Most children with dyslexia learn best by sight and touch.
According to Dr. Denise Gibbs Dyslexia is what is likely occurring when you have a “typical” student who has not responded to good reading instruction and supplemental efforts to remediate phonics weaknesses. Dyslexia has both advantages and disadvantages. Many of the disadvantages can be overcome with early identification and needed dyslexia-specific instruction and intervention. This needs to take place when dyslexia is characterized by learning challenges- before challenges morph into disabilities. Dyslexia impacts between 10-20% of the population. Ninety percent of the children with dyslexia in this country have never been identified. Dyslexia is genetic and you cannot cure it but you can treat it.
Through this group investigation, group members Antonia, Kayla and I chose to research and analyse into Dyslexia, and the innermost thoughts and experiences that arise from this learning difficulty. Dyslexia is defined as a neurobiological disability that affects one's learning, more specifically their ability to speak, read, write, spell, and solve mathematical equations. Unfortunately, Dyslexia is deemed as considerably
Linguistic models of reading and dyslexia now provide an explanation of why some very intelligent people having trouble learning to read and performing other language-related tasks. Medical students with dyslexia, puzzling their teachers on their comprehension inconsistencies of material. Displaying an elaborate understand to complex mechanisms of a disease, but then not knowing the labels used in anatomic descriptions, supports that they have poor rote
Dyslexic participants were picked because they had struggled learning to read and write during their childhood, but overcame these obstacles in different ways. They all had advanced to college study and experienced varying degrees of success during
As it causes confusion with vowels, hearing syllables and sound, and seeing letter direction. This results in delays in speech and difficulties with word order rhyme and rhythm. These symptoms prevent students from reaching standard goals and requirements within their classes. According to researchers, students suffering from dyslexia have a more difficult time learning through liter-acy compared to the average student (). A better understanding of dyslexia permits the develop-ment of improved teaching strategies that will increase literacy skills for dyslexic students. Stu-dents with Dyslexia require more diagnostic methods highly-qualified teachers and additional resources to help them improve literacy skills.
Everatt, J., Weeks, S. and Brooks, P., 2008. Profiles of strengths and weaknesses in dyslexia and other learning difficulties. Dyslexia, 14(1), pp.16-41.
Dyslexia cannot be contained to ‘issues with reading and writing’. It can be defined as a neuro-developmental disorder stemming from a biological origin, manifesting in with behavioural signs that extend beyond difficulties with written language (Frith, 1999). While this is a common disorder, with 1 in 5 students having a language-based learning disorder, and dyslexia being the most common, the specific definition and explanation of dyslexia has been debated (Dyslexia Centre of Utah, 2010). The World Health Organization (2008), deficits in reading and writing found in children presenting dyslexia cannot be attributed to low intelligence, poor education or presented neurological damage. With this complex and debated disorder, come many questions.
Before writing systems were developed, it is believed that dyslexia has been prevalent throughout the evolution of mankind. The general term for dyslexia is identified by a wide range of learning difficulties that involve the interpretation of words, letters and other symbols; however, dyslexia does not define one’s comprehensive intelligence. According to the University of Michigan, 70% - 80% of people with reading difficulties, are likely to have some form of dyslexia. It has been reported that between 5% - 10% of the population has dyslexia, but estimated that there are to be as high as 17% of non-reported cases.
In the early 1960-s Samuel Kirk founded the term learning disabilities. This came about after he had visited with a group of parents to discuss why their children seem to have small amounts of success even when they can understand and comprehend things just like other children. As a result of this meeting the “Learning Disabilities Association of America” was formed (Pullen, 27). Learning Disabilities (LD) are created when there is a space between a person’s ability to think and reason and not understanding based on the results from tests. There are a few reasons why LD can occur. Boys are more prone than girls, African Americans and Latinos are more prone than Whites and Asians. Most adolescents with LD struggle with reading. They also have difficulties interacting with others, expressing their feelings and understanding the feelings of other. Last, the amount of teacher’s involvement with adolescents can reduce the dropout rate (Arnett; Pullen).
Learning to read is one of the most foundational skills needed for educational success. As children learn to read they develop the ability to decode, interpret, and store information from what they are reading. Reading comprehension allows a child to gain meaning from text and decoding allows a child to process sounds into words. Reading is vital to educational success because it allows a student to learn new information and build upon their prior knowledge. Students who attain reading skills are more likely to achieve academic success while students who have reading difficulties are likely to struggle academically and fall behind their peers. Reading difficulties have been prominent within the US for years. For example, the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress statistics shows that only about 33% of fourth graders are at or above proficient at reading (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2011). Studies show that the cause of reading difficulties is based primarily on genes, environment, and instructional experience (Vellutino, Fletcher, Snowling, Scanlon, 2004). Students with a language learning disorder have difficulty comprehending spoken and written language thus making it difficult to learn new information. Children with reading disabilities are more likely to struggle during elementary school years as students are asked to think about what they read more critically. Speech language pathologists and teachers can help
However if we look at the teaching and quality of teaching to the students with these learning difficulties as (Ofsted, 1999) show with this illustrated table: