Definition of dyslexia.
Dyslexia occurs when there is
a significant disparity between a student's overall underlying
verbal/cognitive ability and his/her (but usually his) literacy skills,
despite considerable appropriate teaching of a suitably motivated student.
I have met many bright
students who have not been able to develop appropriate literacy skills
despite a tremendous struggle on the part of students, parents and
teachers. ( I have equally met many less able students whose
skills were equally poor but in reality they were "maximizing their
potential" and were to be congratulated on such achievement.)
Literacy Assessment
While "dyslexia" is a useful
shorthand term, I find the phrase "specific literacy
difficulties" more helpful as it instantly flags up a more precise
description by acknowledging the possibility of more than one area of
weakness.
Most bright students with dyslexia can manage a survival level of
reading (Basic Reading), but their understanding of what they
have read (Reading Comprehension), their ability to spell and their
skills of written presentation are often woefully below their
intellectual capacity. Consequently, any assessment of a
literacy difficulty should consider all three areas mentioned above.
This is done in the Wechsler Objective Reading Dimension (WORD)
using a single word reading test as required by examination boards.
Psychometric Assessment
In the same way that I consider "dyslexia" to be a non specific
umbrella term, I find the use of unqualified intelligence quotient
figures (IQs) to be equally unhelpful. IQ figures are gained by
averaging out scores relating to levels of underlying abilities.
In the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children IV (WISC IV) 10
core
subtests are administered. (There are 5 further optional subtests
that can be administered if required.) The subtests are divided
into Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Reasoning, and Working Memory and
Processing Speed. Sometimes, the test scores can then
be averaged out to give IQ figures in the four respective areas.
In
turn, these four figures can be combined to provide a full scale,
overall IQ. When the variance between scores is small, I believe
this procedure may be useful. However when there are considerable
highs and extreme lows: "a spiky profile", (as there often are with
a bright student with dyslexia) then any averaging out discards
information whose absence can then give a false picture. (If a
student's left leg was
one inch shorter than the norm, while his right one was an inch too
long, then on average both his legs would be fine. Nevertheless
he
would have a bad limp!)
"Intelligent" assessment
What is far more useful when variance in scores is high, is to consider
the pattern of strengths and weaknesses. At the most crude level,
verbal abilities can be compared with non verbal abilities. Good
verbal abilities with poor performance skills may suggest dyspraxia and
further assessment from an Occupational Therapist may be appropriate.
Poor verbal abilities with good performance skills may point
towards hearing and/or speech problems.
More specifically, I have seen patterns that suggest deficiencies in
the abilities that I believe, underpin the development of
literacy skills. It is the indentification of relative strengths and
weakness (and the disparity between the two) that define a
dyslexia assessment.
Patterns of strengths and weaknesses begin to suggest approaches to
improving literacy skills that can then be geared
to developing truly individual education programmes. Strategies
that harness the identified strengths can be encouraged whilst avoiding
directions which would rely on a deficient skill. Not all
students with dyslexia have the same specific deficits. Some students
have
short term auditory working memory problems: others have visual motor
processing difficulties, and some students have both! Programmes
of improving underlying specific weaknesses through games and daily
activities may be formulated, but it must be remembered that the
student will
find this difficult, especially as he becomes older.
Usefulness of Dyslexia Assessment (1)
My number one aim in dyslexia assessment for a student, is to
improve his self esteem by showing him that he is not "thick and
stupid" as he has often been told. With the bright student, I
involve him in the scoring up of the subtests. We convert his
actual "raw score" to "test age" equivalence. This means showing
a 12 year boy who has a spelling age of 8 years (which he already knew)
that his powers of cognitive reasoning are above the range of my
materials: more than 16 years 10 months. The "in student " effect
is often dramatic in relation to the extent that his self esteem and
self confidence instantly increase.
I have also seen a
father view his son in a new light. The father was convinced that the
boy was an idle good-for-nothing teenager (which might really still
be true!) in relation to not doing his written, work sheet bound
homework. He was amazed to see the boy's level of
comprehension when the questions were read to him, move
from 2 years below his chronological age to 1 year above!
The dyslexic student and I
then agree that he has a problem with literacy that needs to be dealt
with but we put it in the perspective that he is verbally, likely
to be one of the brightest boys in the school. We talk about the
specificity of his problem and compare this with others who are tone
deaf, or colour blind and conclude that once
he has his master's degree, a secretary will deal with the literacy
required to implement his board level decisions!
Usefulness of Dyslexia Assessment (2)
However at a more prosaic level, dyslexia assessment may provide the
student's school with information about his pattern of abilities and
may remind the staff of their duty of care to meet his needs.
While I expect a more able student to be reading far ahead of
his chronological age, this is seldom the view of a Local Education
Authority who usually measures any deficit against the norm. If
the need is very significant, a Statement of Special Needs may be
forthcoming. More realistically, examination boards accept that a
student who has a "positive" official dyslexia assessment by a
chartered educational psychologist should not be unfairly
disadvantaged and in some circumstances they may allow extra time
(access arrangements), use
of a laptop computer and in the most extreme situations, an amanuensis
(an adult reader of questions and writer of answers). Dyslexia is a
demonstrable condition which if undiagnosed, can blight children's
lives in terms of
self esteem and examination results.
Intelligent assessment and early indentification of dyslexia can inform
and guide programmes of help to improve literacy skills.
An "officially recognised" assessment and diagnosis of dyslexia can
facilitate "equal opportunity" conditions for formal examinations: a
level playing
field on which the student can display their knowledge of the
curriculum
without hindrance from a communication system (literacy) with which
they
are at odds.
These
are my
personal opinions which
reflect my experience of 35 years in education
including the last 22 years of practising as an educational
psychologist.
Ged Balmer
Chartered Educational Psychologist
Cert. Ed., BSc.(Hons), MSc.,
C. Psychol., AFBPsS.
British Psychological Society No: 34097