Dyslexia Experience Research Articles

Are there distinct subtypes of developmental dyslexia?

The aim of this study was to identify if children with dyslexia can be distinguished into discrete categories based on their domain deficits, indicating various neurocognitive subtypes of developmental dyslexia (DD). The sample included 101 students in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades of primary school (mean age 11.15 years) with a diagnosis of dyslexia from a public center and Greek as their native language. The students underwent tests assessing a wide range of abilities, specifically phonological, memory, attention, processing speed abilities, motor, visual, and visual-motor skills. Cluster analysis revealed that children with dyslexia can be divided into three subtypes. The first subtype includes children identified based on their performance in tasks evaluating the phonological abilities, memory, attention, processing speed, along with visual-motor and visual skills. The second subtype comprises children identified based on their performance in memory abilities, motor, and visual-motor skills. The third subtype includes children identified solely based on their performance in the motor skills domain. In conclusion, our findings suggest that school-aged children with DD can be categorized into different subtypes with distinct neurocognitive characteristics. Furthermore, the results indicate that most children with dyslexia experience difficulties in more than one cognitive, sensory or motor domains, supporting contemporary models regarding the existence of multiple neurocognitive deficits in DD.

Interpretive Methods in Disability Studies: Dyslexia Inflected Inquiry

This article explores how disability studies can take shape as an interpretive method and how disability-perception can influence this. My exploration is organized in relation to the following question: In what ways might attention to dyslexia as an interpretive act inflect social inquiry? I treat interpretive methods as a form of inquiry that attends to the social activity of interpretation itself and I regard dyslexia as part of such activity. A key issue for such inquiry is how to methodically engage appearances as an interpretive encounter: That is, how can we make the taken-for-granted activity of perception as interpretation available for reflection and keep the subject ∞ object chiasma* relation a primary focus? Disability studies is a starting point for such inquiry in at least two ways: (a) it brings to attention the ways in which people interpret disability and (b) it considers how impairment experience itself is an interpretive modality that can momentarily disrupt the normative flow of common-sense, revealing aspects of the act of interpretation, and making it available for reflection. This article will show how the perception of disability as well as disability-perception can be regarded as enacting a “pause” in the everyday flow of common-sense and, thereby, encounter interpretive acts as an occasion for further inquiry. I turn to descriptions of perceptions and experiences of dyslexia as interpretive scenes where the normative order of ordinary interpretation can be revealed. I address various ways that dyslexia is described as a disruption to the normative order of language, especially the written word, print-language, even as the term dyslexia is used as a sense-making-device to reassert the primacy of normative expectations and values in literate-culture. As a sense-making-device imposed from without or as experience that seems to come from within, or as both, the appearance of “dyslexia” serves as a primal scene for uncovering the ways in which the social order of interpretation works. *Chiasma is not a dyslexic rendering of “chasm.” Instead, chiasma refers to the crosswise relation between concepts and structures that rely on each other for their meaning, for example, reading and readers; subject and object.

Applying to medical school with undiagnosed dyslexia: a collaborative autoethnography.

Recent statistics found the prevalence of dyslexia in UK medical schools to be 7%, sitting below the national prevalence of 10%. The factors contributing to this discrepancy are currently unknown, but may result from an interplay of individual and systemic barriers to entering medicine. This collaborative, analytic autoethnography aimed to use the experiences of 'Meg', a fourth-year medical student who was diagnosed as dyslexic whilst at medical school, to explore how the lack of a diagnosis during the admissions process may have impacted her journey into medicine. The data were collected using reflective writing and an interview before conducting a thematic analysis. Our analysis resulted in the construction of two meta-themes, relating to the negative emotional impact of not having a diagnosis and feelings of inferiority. Seven themes were also constructed. Some explored how Meg's personal experience of undiagnosed dyslexia acted as a barrier to entering medicine. Others explored the impact of external factors, such as socio-economic background and the provision of support, on an individual's chance of successfully applying to medical school. Finally, we explored the inadvertent impact undiagnosed (and unrecognised) dyslexia had on Meg's life course, including how medicine-specific aptitude tests, such as the BMAT and UKCAT, may have contributed to this. These results provide a unique window into the culture of applying to medical school as an undiagnosed dyslexic person, whilst discussing the need for medical schools to consider how their admissions processes may inadvertently disadvantage undiagnosed dyslexic applicants.

INTERNALIZING AND EXTERNALIZING PROBLEMS IN PRESCHOOLERS AT RISK FOR SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENTAL DYSLEXIA

BACKGROUND. Children at risk of Specific Developmental Dyslexia (SDD) experience early difficulties in the school environment, including language, cognitive and motor functions as well as reduced socio-emotional skills. These multilevel difficulties early affect both the life of the child himself and the functioning of the family system (parents, siblings). OBJECTIVE. The present study is a systematic literature review aimed to investigate the role of internalizing and externalizing problems regarding the early occurrence of SDD at preschool age. METHODS. 131 studies retrieved as relevant to this topic. 5 researches met the predetermined inclusion criteria, while 112 out of the 117 article of the original search were rejected. RESULTS Based on the studies overview, the following results have emerged: (i) a variance regarding the view that internalizing and externalizing problems are prognostic factors for SDD, (ii) a lacking number of reviews referring to the relation of conduct and emotional problems with SDD in preschoolers, and (iii) an absence of data concerning the role of early treatment of internalizing and externalizing problems as an inhibitory factor in the emergence of SDD. CONCLUSIONS. As a general conclusion, the relation between externalizing, internalizing problems and early identification of SDD is recognized, whereas the exact interaction mechanism is not clearly determined. Moreover, further research is recommended on the combined early treatment of psycho-emotional and behavioral problems along with comprehensive intervention in early reading and writing difficulties.

A Meta-analysis of Morphological Awareness Deficits in Developmental Dyslexia

ABSTRACT Purpose We performed a meta-analysis to examine if children with dyslexia experience deficits in morphological awareness (MA) and if the effect sizes are influenced by different moderators (age, aspect of MA measured, type of MA task, language, modality input, semantic knowledge, and selection criteria). Method We reviewed 40 studies published in English between January 1990 and August 2021, representing a total of 5,018 participants (age range = 5.1–13.9 years). Studies with adults or English language learners were excluded. There were 49 independent samples in the chronological-age (CA) – dyslexia (DYS) comparison and 18 independent samples in the comparison between DYS and reading–level (RL) controls. Results A random-effects model analysis revealed a large effect size for the CA–DYS comparison (g = 1.11) and a non-significant effect size for the RL–DYS comparison (g = −0.08). Age was the only significant moderator of the effect sizes. Conclusion These findings suggest, first, that individuals with dyslexia experience significant difficulties in MA and second, that the effect sizes are as large as those reported for phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, and orthographic knowledge. The lack of a significant RL-DYS difference indicates that MA is not a core causal feature of dyslexia.

Speech perception deficits and the effect of envelope-enhanced story listening combined with phonics intervention in pre-readers at risk for dyslexia.

Developmental dyslexia is considered to be most effectively addressed with preventive phonics-based interventions, including grapheme-phoneme coupling and blending exercises. These intervention types require intact speech perception abilities, given their large focus on exercises with auditorily presented phonemes. Yet some children with (a risk for) dyslexia experience problems in this domain due to a poorer sensitivity to rise times, i.e., rhythmic acoustic cues present in the speech envelope. As a result, the often subtle speech perception problems could potentially constrain an optimal response to phonics-based interventions in at-risk children. The current study therefore aimed (1) to extend existing research by examining the presence of potential speech perception deficits in pre-readers at cognitive risk for dyslexia when compared to typically developing peers and (2) to explore the added value of a preventive auditory intervention for at-risk pre-readers, targeting rise time sensitivity, on speech perception and other reading-related skills. To obtain the first research objective, we longitudinally compared speech-in-noise perception between 28 5-year-old pre-readers with and 30 peers without a cognitive risk for dyslexia during the second half of the third year of kindergarten. The second research objective was addressed by exploring growth in speech perception and other reading-related skills in an independent sample of 62 at-risk 5-year-old pre-readers who all combined a 12-week preventive phonics-based intervention (GraphoGame-Flemish) with an auditory story listening intervention. In half of the sample, story recordings contained artificially enhanced rise times (GG-FL_EE group, n = 31), while in the other half, stories remained unprocessed (GG-FL_NE group, n = 31; Clinical Trial Number S60962-https://www.uzleuven.be/nl/clinical-trial-center). Results revealed a slower speech-in-noise perception growth in the at-risk compared to the non-at-risk group, due to an emerged deficit at the end of kindergarten. Concerning the auditory intervention effects, both intervention groups showed equal growth in speech-in-noise perception and other reading-related skills, suggesting no boost of envelope-enhanced story listening on top of the effect of combining GraphoGame-Flemish with listening to unprocessed stories. These findings thus provide evidence for a link between speech perception problems and dyslexia, yet do not support the potential of the auditory intervention in its current form.

Participation problems and effective accommodations in students with dyslexia in higher education

ABSTRACT Students with dyslexia face particular challenges in higher education. Individuals with disabilities have a right to accommodations to guarantee equal opportunities and participation in education. The present study addresses (1) the frequency of functioning and participation problems of students with dyslexia in higher education, (2) the teaching and evaluation methods during which the functioning and participation problems emerge, and (3) the effectiveness of accommodations perceived by students with dyslexia. Results showed that students with dyslexia primarily have problems with reading comprehension, reading speed, spelling and text writing. Furthermore, most students with dyslexia experience more problems during classical teaching (e.g. lecture) or classical evaluation methods (e.g. written exam with open questions) than during dynamic or activating teaching methods (e.g. excursion or internship) or alternative evaluation methods (e.g. peer evaluation). Finally, perception of the effectiveness of accommodations depends strongly on the individual functioning and participation problems students with dyslexia experienced.

A meta-analytic review of comprehension deficits in students with dyslexia.

Beyond the established difficulties of individuals with dyslexia in word recognition and spelling, it remains unclear how severe their difficulties in comprehension are. To examine this, we performed a meta-analytic review. A random-effects model analysis of data from 76 studies revealed a large deficit in reading comprehension in individuals with dyslexia compared to their chronological-age (CA) controls (g = 1.43) and a smaller one compared to their reading-level (RL) matched controls (g = 0.64). Individuals with dyslexia also differed significantly from their CA controls in listening comprehension (g = 0.43). Results further showed significant heterogeneity in the effect sizes that was partly explained by orthographic consistency (the deficits were larger in languages with low orthographic consistency) and vocabulary matching (the deficits were larger in studies in which the groups were not matched on vocabulary). These findings suggest, first, that individuals with dyslexia experience significant difficulties in both reading and listening comprehension, but the effect sizes are smaller than those reported in the literature for word reading and spelling. Second, our findings suggest that the deficits in reading comprehension are likely a combination of deficits in both decoding and oral language skills.

Neuro-Behavioral Correlates of Executive Dysfunctions in Dyslexia Over Development From Childhood to Adulthood.

Dyslexia is a neurobiological learning disability in the reading domain that has symptoms in early childhood and persists throughout life. Individuals with dyslexia experience difficulties in academia and cognitive and emotional challenges that can affect wellbeing. Early intervention is critical to minimize the long-term difficulties of these individuals. However, the behavioral and neural correlates which predict dyslexia are challenging to depict before reading is acquired. One of the precursors for language and reading acquisition is executive functions (EF). The present review aims to highlight the current atypicality found in individuals with dyslexia in the domain of EF using behavioral measures, brain mapping, functional connectivity, and diffusion tensor imaging along development. Individuals with dyslexia show EF abnormalities in both behavioral and neurobiological domains, starting in early childhood that persist into adulthood. EF impairment precedes reading disability, therefore adding an EF assessment to the neuropsychological testing is recommended for early intervention. EF training should also be considered for the most comprehensive outcomes.

The Implementation of Multisensory Technique for Children with Dyslexia

Children with learning disabilities are a children's physiological or biological condition in which the competence or achievement is not according to predetermined standard criteria—learning disabilities in the form of errors in reading called dyslexia. Children with specific learning difficulties dyslexia experience difficulties in academic aspects; therefore, it is necessary to carry out an academic assessment and material for tutors to improve dyslexia reading skills. The multisensory technique is alternatives that used as reference material for tutors to improve dyslexia reading skills. Multisensory Techniques that can be used include 1) Reading and Spelling Training; 2) Visual Technique; 3) Auditory Technique, and 4) Tactile Technique. The reading and spelling focus on maintaining relationships between sounds and symbols starts with a single letter and continues with consonant combinations, vowel continuation, and complex letter groupings. The Visual Technique can start by using a picture card with the word written on the bottom (flashcard). Auditory technique for children who have difficulty with sound problems, teach a pair of short words and ask the child to say which word is correct. In addition, children with dyslexia will have the best learning by touch, so it is essential to incorporate this learning style into the instruction as a tactile technique.

Children with dyslexia utilize both top-down and bottom-up networks equally in contextual and isolated word reading

IntroductionExecutive functions (EF) include cognitive processes that support learning and reading. Children with dyslexia experience challenges with both reading and reading comprehension. The neurobiological support for EF deficits during reading comprehension, however, has yet to be defined. Here we aimed to identify the neural networks related to EF during a reading comprehension task focusing on top-down and bottom-up networks in children with dyslexia and typical readers (TR). MethodTwenty children with dyslexia and 19 TR aged 8–12 were scanned during a sentence comprehension (SC) task that included isolated words and sentences that make sense, in addition to undergoing reading and EF behavioral assessment. Functional connectivity within and between four EF networks related to top-down and bottom-up processing were calculated. ResultsChildren with dyslexia scored significantly lower in reading and EF testing in several subdomains compared to TR. Children with dyslexia displayed decreased accuracy in both task conditions compared to TR during the SC task. Neuroimaging data analysis revealed that TR had greater functional connectivity within and between top-down and bottom-up processes, in the sentence vs. isolated word condition, compared to children with dyslexia. Discussion: TR demonstrate a reliance on top-down and bottom-up networks only during sentence comprehension. In children with dyslexia, however, this reliance was not found in either of the task conditions, suggesting that both conditions were equally challenging for them. These findings emphasize the involvement of EF networks in the reading comprehension process and highlight their impaired functionality among children with reading difficulties.

In search of trustworthy information: a qualitative study of the search behavior of people with dyslexia in Norway

Access to trustworthy information is a premise for participation in a democratic society. However, locating useful and valid information may not be a straightforward task for all users. This study reports the results from a qualitative study of how people with dyslexia experience online information searching. The purpose is to better understand the search behavior of users with dyslexia and develop more accessible user interfaces. A total of eight adults with dyslexia were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and categorized. The participants had high information literacy skills and were very reflected upon various issues related to evaluating results. Moreover, they preferred sources such as well-reputed online encyclopedias, which did not require extensive inspection of results. However, due to a low tolerance for spelling errors in several Norwegian search systems, the participants had to rely on Google, a system that required more effort on evaluating results. Assessing sources was considered to be demanding, due to reduced reading speed, decoding errors and impaired short-term memory capacity caused by the dyslexia. Consequently, the participants often used sources retrieved by Google without proper evaluation, fully aware that the information might not be trustworthy. All search systems should implement a high tolerance for spelling errors to ensure the accessibility for people with reading and writing impairments. Moreover, there is a need to rethink result list design. Further, more work is needed to develop search aids and voice searching for small languages, such as Norwegian.

Efforts to Overcome Mathematics Learning Difficultyfor Dislexicdiscalcular of Elementary School Students

For some people with dyslexia, success in the field of mathematics may be something that must be achieved with great struggle. There are various studies that report this problem that 10% of dyslexic children are geniuses in mathematics and show very good achievements in mathematics, but there are a majority of people with dyslexia experience dyscalculia or learning difficulties in mathematics. To overcome this requirement,an effort or strategy can make children absorb and understand learning mathematics well and can learn normally.

Statistical learning abilities of children with dyslexia across three experimental paradigms.

Statistical learning (SL) difficulties have been suggested to contribute to the linguistic and non-linguistic problems observed in children with dyslexia. Indeed, studies have demonstrated that children with dyslexia experience problems with SL, but the extent of the problems is unclear. We aimed to examine the performance of children with and without dyslexia across three distinct paradigms using both on- and offline measures, thereby tapping into different aspects of SL. 100 children with and without dyslexia (aged 8–11, 50 per group) completed three SL tasks: serial reaction time (SRT), visual statistical learning (VSL), and auditory nonadjacent dependency learning (A-NADL). Learning was measured through online reaction times during exposure in all tasks, and through offline questions in the VSL and A-NADL tasks. We find significant learning effects in all three tasks, from which we conclude that, collapsing over groups, children are sensitive to the statistical structures presented in the SRT, VSL and A-NADL tasks. No significant interactions of learning effect with group were found in any of the tasks, so we cannot conclude whether or not children with dyslexia perform differently on the SL tasks than their TD peers. These results are discussed in light of the proposed SL deficit in dyslexia.

Experiences of dyslexia and the transition to university: a case study of five students at different stages of study

ABSTRACT Dyslexia is a common specific learning difficulty. In higher education two models of disability are prevalent, ‘disorder’ and ‘difference’, which each differentially conceptualise dyslexia and the nature of supports required. A lack of research has been undertaken in Ireland regarding students’ experience of dyslexia, and the move from second to third level education. A greater understanding of the challenges encountered is necessary to inform provision of resources to help students with dyslexia excel in higher education. Semi-structured interviews were completed with four undergraduate students and one postgraduate student with a diagnosis of dyslexia to explore their experiences of transitioning into university. Thematic analysis revealed four common themes: dyslexic identity, self-advocacy, transition experiences, and future advice. Various difficulties were identified regarding lack of appropriate academic resources, inconsistencies between supports provided in secondary and third level education, and low self-confidence which serves as a barrier to success. However, strengths including self-directed learning techniques and communication and self-advocacy skills were also evidenced, supporting a ‘difference’ view of dyslexia. The findings highlight the need to re-evaluate the current academic service provisions, in alignment with a model of dyslexia that allows individualisation and enables students, as opposed to disabling them.

“They Labeled Me Ignorant”: Narratives of Maltese Youth With Dyslexia on National Examinations

Examinations have a significant impact on well-being as they provide qualifications for entry into further education and employment. Research suggests that students with dyslexia experience greater challenges than their counterparts. This article explored the views of eight students with dyslexia, the challenges they face, and what they believe could make national examinations “fairer.” The Maltese educational system has a Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) at the end of compulsory education (16 years) and Matriculation (MATSEC) for postsecondary schooling (18 years). Narrative interviews and a thematic approach using discourse analysis presented participants’ voices in prose and strophes. Narratives evidence difficulties and abilities. Students criticized the unnecessary examination stress and anxiety caused by misunderstanding and lack of knowledge about dyslexia. Youth referred to “fairness” of examinations, which they equated with “sameness.” They believe that examinations could be fairer by being given compensatory measures without compromising the examinations’ objectives.

Literacy and Phonological Skills in Oral Deaf Children and Hearing Children With a History of Dyslexia

AbstractOral deaf children and hearing children with dyslexia both experience literacy challenges, although their reasons differ. The authors explored the problems underlying poor literacy in each group and drew implications for reading interventions. Data were collected using standardized literacy and phonological measures from 69 severe‐to‐profoundly prelingually deaf children ages 10 and 11 years, all communicating with spoken language, and compared with equivalent data from 20 hearing children with a history of dyslexia matched on reading ability. Children were given a large battery of tasks assessing word and nonword reading, spelling, vocabulary, and reading‐related skills, including letter sound knowledge, phonological awareness, rapid automated naming, and verbal short‐term memory. Striking similarities were observed for word reading, nonword reading, and spelling across groups, and associations between the measures and reading‐related skills were similar. However, differences between the two groups emerged in the strength of association between literacy and vocabulary. Regression analyses confirmed vocabulary as a key predictor of literacy in the oral deaf group. These results suggest that not only children with a history of dyslexia but also oral deaf children who struggle with reading should receive specialist literacy support. Reading interventions for oral deaf children should target phonological and language skills within a fully integrated approach.

Twice upon a time: Examining the effect socio-economic status has on the experience of dyslexia in the United Kingdom.

From the mid-1990s, there have been a number of campaigns aimed at raising awareness of dyslexia and social inclusion. In conjunction with these campaigns, educational and employment policies have been implemented that advocate inclusive and workplace adjustments for people with dyslexia. This study aims to explore the intersectional relationship between dyslexia and socio-economic status. The findings analyse adult perceptions of education and employment, which have been shaped by 23years of social policies promoting anti-discriminatory practice. The study applies a quantitative approach, which collected data from a national survey conducted from 2015 to 2017. The sample consists of 442 adult participants who reported having dyslexia. The social model of disability has been applied in this study to interpret the data findings from a disability studies perspective. The article suggests that socio-economic status significantly affects issues of diagnosis, educational, and employment experiences. The findings illustrate an intersectional relationship between socio-economic status and disability inequalities, which have an effect on the experiences of people with dyslexia in adulthood.

Why Children With Dyslexia Struggle With Writing and How to Help Them.

Children with dyslexia often have related writing difficulties. In the simple view of writing model, high-quality writing depends on good transcription skills, working memory, and executive function-all of which can be difficult for children with dyslexia and result in poor spelling and low overall writing quality. In this article, we describe the challenges of children with dyslexia in terms of the simple view of writing and instructional strategies to increase spelling and overall writing quality in children with dyslexia. For spelling strategies, we conducted systematic searches across 2 databases for studies examining the effectiveness of spelling interventions for students with dyslexia as well as including studies from 2 meta-analyses. To locate other instructional practices to increase writing quality (e.g., handwriting and executive function), we examined recent meta-analyses of writing and supplemented that by conducting forward searches. Through the search, we found evidence of effective remedial and compensatory intervention strategies in spelling, transcription, executive function, and working memory. Some strategies included spelling using sound-spellings and morphemes and overall quality using text structure, sentence combining, and self-regulated strategy development. Many students with dyslexia experience writing difficulty in multiple areas. However, their writing (and even reading) skills can improve with the instructional strategies identified in this article. We describe instructional procedures and provide links to resources throughout the article.

Metaphors-of-knowing: Exploring Sense Consciousness Through Art

Exploring people’s everyday lives is central to anthropological participant observation. This article considers a different type of participant observation through art as a process of engaged exploration of the way people know the world. Working collaboratively with a variety of dyslexics in NZ and the UK, we sought to understand the dyslexia experience and what it means to be dyslexic from their perspective. Dyslexia research has a dominant focus on the neurological, abstracting experience into a neuro-self. Through the use of art we were able to refocus back onto everyday embodied experience. Through the act of making, my collaborators’ work evolved into investigations of complex ways-of-knowing, revealing how dyslexia impacted the way they paid attention to and expressed their knowing of the world. I take inspiration from Hogan and Pink (2010) and Rapport and Harris (2007), who have discussed the importance of understanding specific ways of knowing. In this project, art became an exploration of how dyslexics experience and know the world around them. Considering knowing requires being able to express this knowledge in ways which are relevant to what has been reflected. This article engages with embodied knowing and worlding through the artworks created by my collaborators, offering a new way to explore and represent people’s lived experiences.