Dyslexia

Dyslexia, also known as a reading disorder, is the most common and best studied of the learning disabilities. A reading disorder refers to children who do not begin [Page 568]to read at the appropriate time and have no obvious reason for failure to do so. Dyslexia is diagnosed when achievement on individualized, standardized tests is substantially below what is expected. It must be differentiated from normal variations in learning, mental retardation, and from environmental causes such as lack of opportunity to learn, poor teaching, or the presence of significant cultural factors. Without recognition and treatment, having a learning disability can lead to demoralization, low self-esteem, and difficulties with social adjustment. Learning disabilities can persist into adulthood and it is estimated that dyslexia affects between 4 and 15 percent of the population. Living in an industrialized country where reading is fundamental to lifetime learning and job requirements, dyslexia can be a major disability. Early identification of affected individuals has the potential to make a significant impact on society in general.

Learning disabilities can persist into adulthood and it is estimated that dyslexia affects between 4 and 15 percent of the population.

Establishing whether a child has dyslexia is not a simple task as there are no universally accepted definitions for categorizing an individual as having a developmental disability. The U.S. Office of Education, provided as part of Public Law 94–142, lists guidelines for determining the existence of a specific learning disability. The American Psychiatric Association has published the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV), which specifies criteria that must be met in order to diagnose a reading disorder. The essential diagnostic feature is that one's reading achievement is substantially below that expected given the individual's chronological age, measured intelligence, and age-appropriate education. In addition, the reading disturbance must significantly interfere with academic achievement or with activities of daily living. If the child has a vision or hearing impairment, neurological, or other medical condition, the reading difficulties must be in excess of what would be expected in those situations.

One of the major tasks for school-aged children is learning to read. Early symptoms of reading difficulty may include inability to distinguish among common letters or to associate common sounds with syllables. For the dyslexic, oral reading is characterized by distortions, substitutions, or omissions. Both oral and silent reading is characterized by slowness and errors in comprehension. Federal legislative action, noted in Public Law 99–457, has provisions that guarantee that diagnostic and interventional services will be made available to those who display significant developmental delays or have been diagnosed with physical or mental conditions that have a high probability of causing developmental delays. Although symptoms of reading difficulty may appear as early as kindergarten, a reading disorder is seldom diagnosed before the end of kindergarten or the beginning of first grade because this is when formal reading instruction usually begins in most school settings. Unfortunately, this alone does not guarantee early recognition of the disability. When a child is very bright, he or she may be able to function at or near grade level, so that the problem is not identified until fourth grade or later.

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