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Praise for What is Dyslexia?: '...informative, based on the latest research and compassionate - three qualities that make this a must read for parents and children struggling with dyslexia.' - Paul M. Quinlan, Ph.D. from The Curtis Blake Center Praise for An Introduction to Dyslexia for Parents and Professionals by the same author: 'Hultquist writes in such measured, clear and uncluttered prose that no one can take the journey from diagnosis to remediation without feeling that one is in the hands of someone who really understands the issues surrounding a dyslexia diagnosis, not only for the one diagnosed but also for the whole family and the professionals working with them.' - Dyslexia Contact, Vol. 26, Feb 2007 What is Dyslexia? is designed to help adults explain dyslexia to children. The author provides information about all the most common types of dyslexia: trouble with sounds, trouble remembering how letters and words look, trouble finding words, and mixed dyslexia. He deals with the basic facts and adopts a style which is accessible to children without talking down to them. The book includes clear examples which children will be able to understand, as well as activities for parents to do with their children. The author emphasises that everyone has strengths and weaknesses and that having dyslexia is okay. This book will be valuable for parents of children with dyslexia, as well as other adults working with children with dyslexia.
The chapters in this volume are based on presentations made at a recent conference on cognitive and linguistic foundations of reading acquisition. The researchers who participated have all made contributions to the theoretical and empirical understanding of how children learn to read. They were asked to address not only what they have learned from their research, but also to discuss unsolved problems. This dialogue prompted numerous questions of both a theoretical and applied nature, generated heated debate, and fueled optimism about the important gains that have been made in the scientific understanding of the reading process, especially of the critical role played by phonological abilities.
Dyslexia is often presented as a clearly delineated condition that can be diagnosed on the basis of appropriate cognitive tests with corresponding forms on intervention. However, this approachable text explores the issues behind this assertion in bringing together leading figures in the field to debate dyslexia. Julian Elliott shows that understandings and usage of the dyslexia label vary substantially with little consensus or agreement and in putting forward his critique draws upon research in several disciplinary fields to demonstrate the irrationality of these arguments. Roderick I. Nicolson demonstrates that current approaches to understanding, identification and support of dyslexia are catastrophically flawed in terms of their failure to consider the developmental nature of dyslexia. He develops two themes: first that the underlying cause of dyslexia is 'delayed neural commitment' for skills and neural circuits, and second that the cause of the reading disability is the introduction of formal instruction before the dyslexic child's neural circuits for executive function are sufficiently developed. He argues that a more effective and cost-effective approach to identification and support involves 'assessment for dyslexia' rather than 'of dyslexia'. Elliott and Nicolson respond to the points each other raise before Andrew Davis investigates how far the key claims of Elliott and Nicolson can withstand close conceptual investigation, and explores the inherent limitations of scientific research on this topic, given the value and conceptual issues concerned.
The first truly systematic, multi-disciplinary, and cross-linguistic study of the language and writing system factors affecting the emergence of dyslexia.
Since dyslexia was first described in the British Medical Journal in 1896, there has been debate about the definitions and diagnostic procedures used, with some casting doubt on its very existence. However, there is now a considerable body of research regarding the nature and characteristics of this relatively common learning disorder. The contemporary view of dyslexia has emerged from a century of research in medicine, psychology and more recently neuroscience, and we now understand enough about this learning disorder to guide policy and practice. This Very Short Introduction provides an accessible overview of this exciting field of research, beginning with its history, and drawing on testimony from people living with dyslexia. Considering the potential causes of dyslexia, and looking at both genetic and environment factors, Margaret Snowling shows how cross-linguistic studies have documented the prevalence of dyslexia in different languages. Discussing the various brain scanning techniques that have been used to find out if the brains of people with dyslexia differ in structure or function from those of typical readers, Snowling moves on to weigh up various strategies and interventions which can help people living with dyslexia today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
From California Governor Gavin Newsom comes an empowering picture book about a young boy with dyslexia who discovers a new way to look at reading. Ben loves baseball. He loves the lines of diamond-shaped field and the dome of the pitcher's mound. What Ben doesn't like is reading. Ben has dyslexia, which means letters and sounds get jumbled up in his brain, and then the words don't make sense. But when Ben starts looking at reading like he looks at baseball, he realizes that if he keeps trying, he can overcome any obstacle that comes his way. In this empowering story by California Governor Gavin Newsom, inspired by his own childhood diagnosis of dyslexia, readers will learn that kids with the determination to try (and try again) can do big things. *This book is set in a font specifically designed to be easier for people with dyslexia to read.
Experience day-to-day life for a dyslexic kid, including school life, bullying and coping with tests and homework, in this frank and funny diary. Co-authored with a teenage boy with dyslexia and illustrated with cartoons, this is a positive yet honest look at the difficulties of being dyslexic. Using a simple and relatable approach, the authors display the ups and downs of school - and home - life with a reading difficulty, focussing on the sometimes overwhelming experience of being at a bigger school and studying loads of new subjects. Providing tips for what really helps and works based on real-life experience, this fun, accessible book shows teens and tweens with dyslexia that they are far from alone in their experiences.
Dyslexia: Theories, Assessment and Support offers a broad perspective on dyslexia, providing a range of views from theory to practice which help explain the continued controversy surrounding the condition. Offering a framework on which to understand the concept of dyslexia, the book considers procedures that can both identify the condition and help support those with it. With a focus on self-concept, the authors highlight ways to positively influence both literacy acquisition and individual well-being. This book is ideal reading for those taking courses on dyslexia or literacy learning difficulties within education, psychology and related disciplines. It will be of great interest to specialist teachers, special education staff, educational psychologists and those in related occupations.
Jenni Beard is dyslexic She discovered this after her son Peter was diagnosed with the condition and she made the connection. She thus writes from a unique standpoint about a much overlooked topic’s history and controversies. Sometimes called ‘word-blindness’ (and known by other names), there is even today debate whether dyslexia exists at all, only in specific or individual forms, or as part of physical or mental conditions. From Percy to Peter traces these arguments, historically and, centrally, during the years of the Word Blind Centre. Skilfully weaving the views of experts and opinion formers with her extensive experiences and research, Jenni Beard supports her wide-ranging survey of dyslexia with a wealth of facts, anecdotes and valuable extracts from the literature. Percy was probably the first recorded child to be diagnosed as dyslexic and his name has become a byword for teachers and other professionals. By linking the subject to her own (and her son Peter’s) experiences this book helps to convey the range and complexities of dyslexia for everyday readers. Among topics included are: the pioneers and their work; the fact that dyslexia affects individuals differently; and the debates, papers, books and magazines around what was once dubbed a ‘middle-class disease’. Deals with the myths and realities of the syndrome. Gives tips for coping with dyslexia. Based on a lifetime of research. Extract ‘No one method of teaching children suits all, be it “look and say” the initial teaching alphabet, real books, or speed phonics. Some … just learn to read, others have to be taught, and those unusual ones have to be helped to find their pathway through the jungle.’
