The Role of Text
Most people on the planet, as adults, are able to absorb textual information and read and process it correctly. This skill is paramount when the individual is in society. We read information boards, books, and textbooks, correspond on social networks, and write texts ourselves. Text, in general, plays a huge role for the modern person, and it is impossible to ignore this fact.
Perception Problems
Meanwhile, it is fair to admit that not all people are equally capable of mastering text. A psychological condition in which an individual is unable to read quickly and effectively, comprehend what they are reading, and take dictation is called dyslexia (MC, 2022). Dyslexic patients have a decreased ability to work with texts and can often become targets of bullying, particularly bullying in schools, because of their inability to keep up with their peers.
Topic of This Presentation
This presentation project aims to explore dyslexia as a clinical and social phenomenon. The following slides will detail what factors underlie the development of dyslexia in humans, whether the condition is a disease, and whether it can be hereditary. In addition, the project will present some evidence-based recommendations and strategies for improving the quality of life of individuals with dyslexia.
Project Audience
The active audience for this presentation project is the audience members who are unfamiliar or unfamiliar with psychological concepts and have the desire to learn more about dyslexia. It is possible that there will be people with text disabilities in the audience, so this project will be helpful for them to learn more about their condition and how to deal with it.
Is Dyslexia a Disease?
First of all, it is worth noting that dyslexia is not a disease but instead is considered a cognitive disorder; for this reason, dyslexia is often referred to as a reading disorder (MC, 2022). Particular emphasis is placed on the fact that dyslexia cannot be triggered by brain injury or other physical damage, as is characteristic of classical disorders (Marshall, 2020). Consequently, dyslexia cannot be treated with traditional medications because it is generally not a disease.
Overall Statistics
Dyslexia is a comparably common cognitive disorder, so there are many statistics regarding it (DCU, n.d.). First, up to 80% of people who experience reading problems as adults are likely to have dyslexia. Second, approximately one in five people on the planet is a carrier of this language reading disorder. Third, there is no gender differentiation with respect to dyslexia. Fourth, children from poor regions are more likely to be vulnerable to dyslexia.
Root Causes of the Disorder
There has been a considerable amount of research on the predictors of this clinical condition. Most notably, dyslexia is not associated with intellectual disability or underdevelopment; it has been reported that such individuals can often excel in learning (MC, 2022). To understand the dysfunctionality of brain structures in dyslexia, it is initially necessary to understand precisely how the brain processes what is read. When reading, the brain scans (using the eyes) and decodes text symbols to determine the encoded meaning. The left frontal lobe is activated to understand letters and words, and the anterior temporal lobe of the brain analyzes their flow over time (Lastiri, 2021). Finally, the limbic system initiates emotion in order for the reading to make semantic sense and be critically analyzed by the brain. In dyslexia, left hemisphere functionality is slightly altered, resulting in impaired metabolic processes and, as a consequence, the inability to perceive information effectively (Hudson et al., n.d.; Kearns et al., 2019).
Academic View
Academic discourse also often turns to examine the causes of dyslexia. Studies show that people with dyslexia have problems with transcriptional decoding of text occurring instantaneously, suggesting a disruption in the standard functionality of the part of the brain responsible for this process (Hebert et al., 2018). Researchers have particularly emphasized that dyslexic patients do not simply show reduced brain activity when reading but instead show perfectly different patterns of text processing compared to their peers (Kearns et al., 2019). It has also been reported that dyslexia is often a co-occurring disorder with ADHD, meaning there are common patterns between neurobiological mechanisms, but this requires further study (Sanchez-Moran et al., 2018).
Dyslexia Heredity
Although dyslexia is not a disease, its prevalence demonstrates a hereditary pattern. Specifically, it has been shown that having a parent with dyslexia is 50% likely to transmit the disorder to a child (Adlof & Hogan, 2018). This nature of dyslexia leads scientists to think that genes and gene mutations are responsible for the alternative development of the brain structures that process the reading procedure.
Theories of Cognitive Processes
Several theories stand out in the study of dyslexia within psychological discourse to describe this clinical condition and understand what exactly is happening to the patient in terms of social and behavioral characteristics (McBride & Cutting, 2018). Such theories include phonological deficit theory and constructivist theory.
Phonological Deficit Theory
Phonological deficit theory is based on the assumption that reading disorder is primarily caused by deficits in the left hemisphere of the brain, which is responsible for processing sounds in speech. This theory is supported by the fact that people with dyslexia tend to have difficulty with tests that ask them to decode meaningless words into meaningful constructions (Share, 2021). Thus, this theory suggests that patients have a problem with phonemic awareness, which means that individuals find themselves unable to connect sounds to letters effectively. Although this theory has been the dominant theory for several decades, it has limitations because it does not explain co-occurring symptoms in people with dyslexia, including impaired short-term memory.
Constructivist Theory
The basis of the constructivist theory of dyslexia development is the understanding that cognition and learning are mechanisms for constructing certain cognitive constructs. From this perspective, constructivists believe that reading and writing are isomorphic to thinking processes, and for this reason, all phases of cognitive information processing should be viewed as one for dyslexic patients. Constructivist theory is somewhat of a contradiction to phonological deficit theory because it can also explain the phenomenon of an individual’s short-term memory impairment: it has links to various aspects of thinking, including the patient’s emotionality and mood at the time of reading (Hanrahan, 2018). Therefore, constructivists are not inclined to divide reading skills into “normal” and “dyslexic” but are willing to view both approaches as being on some continuum.
How Does a Person With Dyslexia See?
This slide shows two portions of text, the left portion of which is a representation of how people with normal brain function read. The right side of the slide is a demonstration of how the exact text can be read by a dyslexic person. It can clearly be seen that, in this case, the letters jump and change places in such a way that it sometimes creates new meanings for previously printed words. It is worth noting here that this example is only illustrative and does not represent the universality of reading for all people with dyslexia. In fact, it depends on the degree of development of the reading disorder and the ability to control the process.
Strategies and Recommendations
Now that the mechanisms responsible for the development of dyslexia have become more apparent, the question of what strategies can be applied to correct reading processes needs to be answered. It is obvious that people with a reading disorder can be uncomfortable with group or individual reading in class or at work and can be targets of bullying. To avoid these situations, psychologists and speech therapists are developing strategies to work with dyslexia
Speech Therapy
One of the main areas of treatment for dyslexia is speech therapy practice to address the barriers between matching sounds, letters, and meanings in people with dyslexia. A speech therapist may turn to the Orton-Gillingham method, which is practiced individually or in small groups (Rosen, 2018). The focus of this program is based on designing curricula that match the pace and level of the patient. Accordingly, it is a more extended program than classic school-based writing instruction. During instruction, the speech therapist uses a combination of textual, tactile, and audiovisual tactics to create a community of elements that reinforce each other. The idea is to break down the overall reading skill into more minor skills, develop them, and then combine the knowledge into a single, competent reading.
Multicomponent Approach
Similar to Orton-Gillingham, the multi-component approach implies that reading for people with dyslexia must be viewed through a wide range of related aspects. In particular, the school environment, immediate environment, family well-being, and place of residence are important factors that influence reading ability. Moreover, to teach effectively, teachers must use multiple formats and technologies to engage as many of the senses as possible.
General Recommendations
The following recommendations are applicable to people who have dyslexia and wish to get rid of it:
- Encouraging thinking skills
- Reading engaging books
- Fragmenting text into details
- Knowing how to protect yourself from bullying and creating a positive image of yourself
- Setting up a comfortable workplace
- Listening to audiobooks
Conclusion
In conclusion, it must be recognized that dyslexia is not a disease but is a speech disorder in which the individual experiences problems with matching sounds and letters as well as short-term memory. As a result, the patient has little or no ability to read and write correctly. There is no consensus on what exactly causes this clinical condition, but it is known that dyslexia is hereditary. It is hypothesized that the predictor is a genetic disorder resulting in alternative phoneme reading patterns. In this project, some of the current strategies and recommendations to improve writing and reading quality for people with dyslexia have been proposed.
References
Adlof, S. M., & Hogan, T. P. (2018). Understanding dyslexia in the context of developmental language disorders. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 49(4), 762-773. Web.
DCU. (n.d.). Statistics. Dyslexia Center of Utah. Web.
Hanrahan, A. (2018). Constructivist theories of dyslexia. LinkedIn. Web.
Hebert, M., Kearns, D. M., Hayes, J. B., Bazis, P., & Cooper, S. (2018). Why children with dyslexia struggle with writing and how to help them. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 49(4), 843-863. Web.
Hudson, R.F., High, L. Al Otaiba, S. (n.d.). Dyslexia and the brain: What does current research tell us? The Reading Teacher, 60(6), 506-515.
Kearns, D. M., Hancock, R., Hoeft, F., Pugh, K. R., & Frost, S. J. (2019). The neurobiology of dyslexia. Teaching Exceptional Children, 51(3), 175-188. Web.
Lastiri, L. (2021). What happens in the brain while reading? IRIS. Web.
Marshall, A. (2020). Dyslexia is not a disease. DYSLEXIA. Web.
MC. (2022). Dyslexia. Mayo Clinic. Web.
McBride, D. M., & Cutting, J. C. (2018). Cognitive psychology: Theory, process, and methodology 2nd edition. SAGE Publications.
Rosen, P. (2018). Orton–Gillingham: What you need to know. Reading Rockets. Web.
Sanchez-Moran, M., Hernández, J. A., Duñabeitia, J. A., Estevez, A., Barcena, L., Gonzalez-Lahera, A., & Carreiras, M. (2018). Genetic association study of dyslexia and ADHD candidate genes in a Spanish cohort: Implications of comorbid samples. PloS One, 13(10), 1-10. Web.
Share, D. L. (2021). Common misconceptions about the phonological deficit theory of dyslexia. Brain Sciences, 11(11), 1510-1523. Web.