Development of The Dest Test for The Early Screening for Dyslexia

Abstract

This chapter discusses development of the dyslexia early screening test for the early screening for dyslexia. It has been for many years a dream of dyslexia researchers to devise a screening test that could help to pick out those children likely to have problems before they start learning (and failing) to read. Such early information should allow the prophylactic support of reading acquisition in the at risk children, thus, allowing them to learn to read at the same rate as their peers and avoiding the vicious circle of failure, negative expectations, possible disruptive behavior, reading avoidance, and continuing failure, which besets people suffering early set-backs. The chapter highlights that there is now a better opportunity than ever to construct a predictive test for dyslexia, owing to the recent development not only of new theoretical tests for dyslexia, which are less dependent on the reading process, but also because of the availability of much more powerful yet affordable multimedia testing batteries. It is believed that it is only through international cooperation and sharing of ideas that a solution to the problems of diagnosing, predicting, remedying, and understanding dyslexia will be found.