Group 7

UNIT III. TYPOLOGY OF LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Topic B. Learner’s with Learning Disability

1. DYSLEXIA

 The word dyslexia is derived from the Latin word 'dys', which translates to 'difficult', and the
Greek word 'lexia', which translates to words; it literally means, “difficulty with words”.
 Dyslexia is a common learning disorder that affects a person's ability to read, write and
speak.
 According to American Dyslexia Association, it is estimated that 1 in 10 people have dyslexia.
 According to the International Dyslexia Association, dyslexia is marked by difficulties with
accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. This may
be due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and
words.
 Dyslexia affects the part of the brain that is responsible for language processing.
 It is a lifelong condition and is the most common learning disability.

A. COMPLICATIONS

Dyslexia can lead to several problems, including:

 Trouble learning. Because reading is a skill basic to most other school subjects, a child with
dyslexia is at a disadvantage in most classes and may have trouble keeping up with peers.
 Social problems. Left untreated, dyslexia may lead to low self-esteem, behavior problems,
anxiety, aggression, and withdrawal from friends, parents and teachers.
 Problems as adults. The inability to read and comprehend can prevent children from
reaching their potential as they grow up. This can have negative long-term educational, social
and economic impacts.

B. TYPES OF DYSLEXIA

1. Phonological Dyslexia – It deals with difficulties in matching sounds to symbols and breaking
down the sounds of language. Individuals with phonological dyslexia struggle to decode or sound
out words. It’s believed that phonological dyslexia is the most common type of dyslexia.

2. Rapid Naming Dyslexia – People who struggle with the ability to rapidly name colors,
numbers and letters when presented with them may have rapid naming dyslexia. This type of
dyslexia may be linked to both reading speed and processing speed for reading. Individuals with
rapid naming dyslexia can say the names of the colors, numbers, and letters, but it often takes
them much longer to come up with the correct word.
3. Double Deficit Dyslexia – A person with double deficit dyslexia struggles with two aspects of
reading. These two aspects often include naming speed and identifying the sounds in words. This
type of dyslexia is a combination of rapid naming and phonological and is not uncommon; however,
it is largely regarded as the most severe type of dyslexia.

4. Surface Dyslexia – An individual who can sound out new words with ease but fails to
recognize familiar words by sights may have surface dyslexia. In this case, the experts believe that
the brain fails to recognize what a word looks like in order to process the word quickly. This type of
dyslexia affects words that need to be memorized because they don’t sound how they are spelled,
making it more difficult to sound them out.

5. Visual Dyslexia – When a child struggles to remember what saw on a page, they may have
visual dyslexia. This type affects the visual processing, making it so that the brain doesn’t get the
complete picture of what the eyes see.

C. CATEGORIES OF DYSLEXIA

1. Developmental Dyslexia

Developmental dyslexia refers to dyslexia which is genetic and/ or present at birth.

Developmental dyslexia includes both primary and secondary dyslexia.

a. Primary Dyslexia – If the dyslexia results from a genetically inherited condition, it is

considered primary dyslexia. A child whose parents have dyslexia increases the chance that they
will also have dyslexia.

b. Secondary Dyslexia – is the result of problems with brain development during the early
stages of pregnancy.

2. Acquired Dyslexia

When a traumatic brain injury or disease affects the brain’s centers responsible for language
processing, they can sometimes develop dyslexia. This type of dyslexia is also referred to as trauma
dyslexia because it’s caused by trauma to the brain and is the only type of dyslexia with a known
cause.

D. SYMPTOMS

Before School

Signs that a young child may be at risk of dyslexia include:

  Late talking
 Learning new words slowly
 Problems forming words correctly, such as reversing sounds in words or confusing words
that sound alike
 Problems remembering or naming letters, numbers and colors
 Difficulty learning nursery rhymes or playing rhyming games

School age

Once your child is in school, dyslexia symptoms may become more apparent, including:

 Reading well below the expected level for age

 Problems processing and understanding what is heard
 Difficulty finding the right word or forming answers to questions
 Problems remembering the sequence of things
 Difficulty seeing (and occasionally hearing) similarities and differences in letters and words
 Inability to sound out the pronunciation of an unfamiliar word
 Difficulty spelling
 Spending an unusually long time completing tasks that involve reading or writing
 Avoiding activities that involve reading

Teens and adults

Dyslexia signs in teens and adults are a lot like those in children. Some common dyslexia symptoms
in teens and adults include:

 Difficulty reading, including reading aloud

 Slow and labor-intensive reading and writing
 Problems spelling
 Avoiding activities that involve reading
 Mispronouncing names or words, or problems retrieving words
 Spending an unusually long time completing tasks that involve reading or writing
 Difficulty summarizing a story
 Trouble learning a foreign language
 Difficulty doing math word problems

E. DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT

Diagnosis
There's no single test that can diagnose dyslexia. A number of factors are considered, such as:

 Your child's development, educational issues and medical history. The health care
provider will likely ask you questions about these areas. Also, the provider will want to
know about any conditions that run in the family, including dyslexia or any other type of
learning disability.

 Questionnaires. The provider may have your child, caregivers or teachers complete
questionnaires. Your child may be asked to take tests to identify reading and language
abilities.

 Vision, hearing and brain (neurological) tests. These can help determine whether another
disorder may be causing or adding to your child's difficulty reading.

 Psychological evaluation. The provider may ask you and your child questions to better
understand your child's mental health. This can help determine whether social problems,
anxiety or depression may be limiting your child's abilities.

 Tests for reading and other academic skills. Your child may take a set of educational tests
and have the process and quality of reading skills analyzed by a reading expert.

Treatment

There's no known way to correct the underlying brain differences that cause dyslexia. However,
early detection and evaluation to determine specific needs and appropriate treatment can improve
success. In many cases, treatment can help children become competent readers.

Educational Technique

Dyslexia is treated using specific educational approaches and techniques, and the sooner the
intervention begins, the better. Evaluations of your child's reading skills, other academic skills and
mental health will help your child's teachers develop an individual teaching program.

Teachers may use techniques involving hearing, vision and touch to improve reading skills.
Helping a child use several senses to learn — for example, listening to a taped lesson and tracing
with a finger the shape of the letters used and the words spoken — can help in processing the
information.
Treatment focuses on helping your child:

 Learn to recognize and use the smallest sounds that make up words (phonemes)

 Understand that letters and strings of letters represent these sounds and words (phonics)

 Understand what is read (comprehension)

 Read aloud to build reading accuracy, speed and expression (fluency)

 Build a vocabulary of recognized and understood words

Early Tretment

Children with dyslexia who get extra help in kindergarten or first grade often improve
their reading skills enough to succeed in grade school and high school.

Children who don't get help until later grades may have more difficulty learning the skills
needed to read well. They're likely to lag behind academically and may never be able to
catch up. A child with severe dyslexia may never have an easy time reading. But a child
can learn skills that improve reading and develop strategies to improve school
performance and quality of life.

What parents can do

You play a key role in helping your child succeed. You can take these steps:

 Address the problem early. If you suspect that your child has dyslexia, talk to your child's
health care provider. Early intervention can improve success.

 Read aloud with your child. It's best if you start when your child is young, but it's never
too late to start. Introducing books as a toy to babies encourages fun, learning and social
interaction with caregivers. Read stories to your child. Also, try listening to recorded books
with your child. When your child is old enough, read the stories together after your child
hears them.

 Work with your child's school. Talk to the teacher about how the school will help your
child succeed. You are your child's best advocate.
 Encourage reading time. Set aside time each day to read with your child. To improve
reading skills, a child must practice reading. Encourage your child to read as skills develop.
Also have your child read aloud to you.

 Set an example for reading. Designate a time each day to read something of your own
while your child reads — this sets an example and supports your child. Show your child
that reading can be enjoyable.