Exam season is upon us. Around the country school pupils and university
students are swotting and sweating as they prepare to sit papers that could
decide their future. Pressures and expectations are high, but none more so,
perhaps, than for the growing number of young people who struggle even to
read the exam questions. One in ten Britons – around 375,000 of whom are
schoolchildren – suffer from dyslexia, the learning disability that makes it
difficult to decode the written word. So prevalent is the condition that
record numbers are now given extra time in exams to compensate for their
reading short-fall. But is such assistance necessary or, indeed, fair? Not
according to the academics who question whether dyslexia even exists.
Despite countless studies, some experts claim, there remains no scientific
proof that dyslexics have symptoms or problems that differ from those
encountered by others with reading difficulties. In more than 30 years of
working in this field, Professor Julian Elliott, an educational psychologist
at Durham University, says that he has found no concrete evidence that the
condition is clearly identifiable and therefore would not have the
confidence to diagnose it. “As yet, nobody has been able to demonstrate
scientifically that there is this subgroup of poor readers that should be
termed dyslexic,” he says. “There are all sorts of reasons why people don’t
read well but we can’t determine why that is. Dyslexia, as a term, is
becoming meaningless.”
In Elliott’s view, the condition is a reading difficulty – no
more, no less – and should be renamed as such. Currently, confusion even
surrounds the criteria – or lack of it – for its diagnosis. No one seems to
agree on what defines the condition; one recent analysis of research
identified 28 definitions of dyslexia, each slightly different from the
next.
Several recent studies have shown that dyslexia could be a consequence of
struggling to read, not a cause. Yet to be labelled with the condition has
somehow come to redefine an individual’s academic and social standing so
that their inability to read well becomes acceptable.
For parents, in particular, a diagnosis that their child is dyslexic can be a
relief, says Elliot. He believes the diagnosis serves an emotional, not a
scientific, function. “There is huge stigma attached to low intelligence.
After years of working with parents I have seen how they don’t want their
child to be considered lazy, thick or stupid. If they get called this
medically recognised term, dyslexic, then it is a signal to all that it’s
not to do with intelligence. That is crucially powerful.”
So many parents now seek a diagnosis for their child that it has led to claims
that they are seeking to gain an unfair educational advantage. Professor
Tony Monaco, head of neurogenetics at Oxford University and a dyslexia
expert, argues that parents who put their child forward for reading
abilityassessment are simply trying to understand what is wrong with them.
“If their child is doing well in other aspects of their education and there
appears to be this anomaly, then they just want to know why,” he says. “They
want to know if intervention can help.”
“There is a sense of justification when children are diagnosed,” adds Dr
Michael Rice, a dyslexia and literacy expert at Cambridge University. “It
gets them off the hook of great embarrassment and personal inadequacy.”
There are plenty who oppose such views vehemently. Dr John Rack, a researcher
at the University of York and head of assessment and evaluation for Dyslexia
Action, says that the charity has its own definitive means of assessment.
“Our methods are pretty well established,” he says. “We conduct a 2½hour
assessment that looks at reading, writing, spelling and maths skills but
also at positive signs, such as their cognitive ability.”
Tests of intelligence are considered crucial by those who believe that
dyslexia exists.
Their theory is that whereas slow learning skills can make someone a poor
reader, dyslexics are intelligent people who have difficulty in processing
information. As Dr Rack puts it, “Dyslexia is not the same as being a poor
reader and a reading problem on its own does not mean someone has dyslexia.”
Elliott disagrees. He does not believe that there are people with different
IQs who require assistance above and beyond that provided to other poor
readers.
“The irony here is that the decoding of information – ie, reading – does not
require a high degree of intelligence,” he says. “Comprehension of
information is linked to IQ, but reading is not.” Furthermore, he says,
so-called symptoms of dyslexia – letter reversal, clumsiness, poor
short-term memory and inconsistent hand preference when writing – are
commonly found in all who struggle to read, not just those considered to be
dyslexic.
Other critics say that addressing dyslexia is not like treating a broken arm
and that the intervention provided is more often ineffective, expensive and
time-consuming, diverting attention and funding away from helping all
children with reading disorders.
There have been some positive moves. In the past few years, the Government has
removed the need for a diagnosis of dyslexia for children at primary and
secondary schools to receive help with their reading. Now, a child whose
“accurate and/or fluent word reading develops incompletely or with great
difficulty” is entitled to extra assistance.
In theory – although not yet in practice – this should mean that
reading help should be provided across the board, not just to those with a
diagnosis of dyslexia. “The schools have sort of got their act together in
this regard,” Elliott says. “Provisions for help with reading are no longer
sidelined only for dyslexics. And there is plenty of evidence that shows the
earlier intervention is provided the better.”
Nurture is as important as nature when it comes to reading progression, he
says. A child who is never encouraged, coaxed or taught how to read is never
likely to read well. While schemes to provide help are still few and far
between, a reading intervention programme, providing one-on-one support for
children with reading difficulties, which focuses heavily on helping them to
make links with letters and sounds, is running in primary schools in North
Yorkshire and Cumbria, and appears to prove the theory that early help can
be successful for all slow readers.
The Government has recently invested £4.5 million in another scheme, Reading
Recovery, in which specially trained teachers are sent to schools to help
those with reading problems.
Still, Elliott says, there is no greater abuse of the current diagnostic
system than in the establishments of further and higher education, where the
guidelines are much more open. “The disability lobby is so strong and the
advantages, financial and otherwise, so great that they are diagnosing
dyslexics all over the place,” he says. “At universities students can get
laptops, extra books and other equipment, sometimes to the value of almost
£10,000 each. It’s a very problematic area.”
Some students, he says, are milking the situation for what it’s worth. “They
ask for different coloured exam papers, extra photocopying, anything they
can get. And the numbers of people who do this are just growing. If you are
giving special needs provision without any particular criteria, it is
obviously going to proliferate.”
While no precise figure is available for the amount ploughed into helping
dyslexics at colleges and universities, it is estimated to be around £50
million. It is leaving the teaching profession disgruntled. One lecturer at
a university in the South East of England, who wishes to remain anonymous,
despairs at the increasing number of students who claim to be dyslexic.
“On one degree course I teach, about one quarter of the year get extra time in
exams, extra help with their course work and other assistance because they
have this label,” she says. “You become quite cynical. Dyslexia was
virtually unheard of when I was a student. Now every other person has it.”
Another university lecturer, based in Sheffield, describes the situation as
“laughable”. He says: “There are obviously a few who genuinely have a
problem, but the majority seem to be jumping on the bandwagon for any extra
time and help they can get and there is nothing we can do to stop it.”
Naturally, the doubters do not support dyslexia charities and sufferers of the
condition – estimated to be at least 10 per cent of the population. Two
years ago, when a Dispatches programme on Channel 4 first publicised
the concerns of dyslexic-sceptics to a wide audience, the backlash was
severe. Complaints were made in their dozens to Ofcom, and the British
Dyslexia Association and Adult Dyslexia Association claimed that the
programme had set back their research and damaged efforts to raise awareness
of the condition.
There is, they claim, ever-increasing evidence that dyslexia is a very real
disability. Monaco’s studies, published in the past two years, have
confirmed a genetic link to dyslexia, with others showing that 50 per cent
of reading problems are inherited. “It is highly hereditary,” he says. “We
identified a gene on chromosome six that we suspect is linked to the
disorder. Studies on twins have also confirmed genetic influences.”
There are other signs of progress. Dr Rack says that the Government recently
established a committee, of which he is a member, to establish clearer
guidelines about how to categorise and standardise dyslexia. “They want to
improve the consistency of assessments,” he says. “At the moment there are
too many who could be on the borderline.”
For Elliott, the question remains: on the borderline of what? “Dyslexic
organisations have these checklists, but the symptoms cross over with so
many other disorders, such as dyspraxia, that they could signify many
disorders,” he says. “The fact remains that a dyslexia label meets a lot of
our emotional, financial and personal needs. Even if it means absolutely
nothing.”
dyslexiaaction.org.uk
ioe.ac.uk/schools/ecpe/readingrecovery/index.html
bdadyslexia.org.uk/
Some of the lecturers seem to believe here that they can spot a dyslexic! as if it's just handwriting and spelling! Im dyslexic and i read slower than most, although my pronounciation, handwriting and spelling is to a good standard due to lots of extra reading and effort. Fueling the ignoance!
Jessica, Hessle, England
I have to say i have found this article, completly unfair. I am a student, and i was diagnosed with dyslexia 5 years ago, and recieved no help for it, and struggled through my exams. Now im finally going to uni and im getting the help that i need. Obvioulsy the writer of this has not got dyslexia
Sarah, Walsall, UK
This condition is used as an excuse now, which both undermines the genuine suffer and all those who do not insist on being labelled. Since we have become obsessed with everyone being the same we cannot actually admit that not everyone is as quick or smart at reading etc and that for some it is simply a struggle.
All we do by using this as a one fits all solution is never tackle the underlying causes of this problem and we divert valuable resources away from students.
Since the rise in computer games, tv and both parents working, children are unable to get the amount of reading practice they need-could there be a correlation perhaps? I feel the longer we use acceptable excuses that fit into quotos and league tables and we never actually tackle the proper issues the worse it becomes - soon if you dont have something you will be quite odd. Students will always milk the system-personally I think we should make courses 2 years instead of three....
kit, London, UK
I found most of this article so irritating that I am feeling glad that I do not live in the UK anymore. I do not understand why Professor Elliott continually gets so much publicity there. There is no doubt amongst most psychologists that dyslexia is a real condition with a scientific basis to it. For a serious recent book on the subject, see Mind, Brain and Education in Reading Disorders (Cambridge Studies in Cognitive and Perceptual Development). Most psychologists also accept that dyslexia can occur regardless of IQ, but I don't understand why Elliott cannot see that the emphasis on the high IQ scores that many dyslexics receive occurs to counter the prejudice, which is still not unusual, that difficulty with the technical aspects of literacy means general low ability. I would certainly agree that many children still do not get the help they need, but I don't see how Elliot's comment s will improve this. Incidentally, I am dyslexic - and recommend the Sharp electronic dictionary.
Elizabeth , Portland, USA
I find this quite upsetting. My son was diagnosed with severe Dyslexia and audio Dyslexia, in primary school, and this I was greatfull as it meant that the school as well as myself could help him, he is very intellegent, But does need extra help, why should he be left by the way side and not recieve the help he needs. In my case i cannot get any FREE help aids for my son, I don't know where people get them from but i have not been offered any thing. He has the right to a proper education as well as anyone else, and if this means he should receive extra time and help from a helper in class WHY NOT. We educate all manor of people in this country. Why not our own.Dyslexic children should not be made to feel that they are thick or stupid or no hopers. and parents should be told about things they can receive to help there children. being a mother of a Dyslexic child is very frustrating, not to mention for the child also. Stop conplaining and HELPdon't critise.
dee, cornwall
D.C Gamble, portreath Redruth, England
As an A-level student my largest concern about dyslexia is about the extra time in examinations. By giving pupils extra time I would argue that this ruins the whole purpose of exams, to test students academic ability in one standard way, based purely upon each candiates individual merit. Whether dyslexia exists or not is immaterial, but by giving extra time to one pupil means that the examination is no longer standard and therefore their final grade is incomparable with students who have not had extra time.
Another issue is dyslexic's getting free laptops etc, has the thought occurred that just because someone has dyslexia doesn't mean that they're poor, and in some cases dyslexic's will be able to afford their own equipment. Talk of leveling the playing field is misguided when for example a rich dyslexic gets a laptop whereas a nondyslexic student from a low income background doesn't. Who deserves it more?
Give dyslexics all the help they need, just not in exams and means test
Andrew, Harrogate,
Does it seem to anybody else that Dr. Elliot objects more to the amount of money spent on helping Dyslexics, than the existence of the condition itself? It makes me wonder who is funding his research. Every aid program for every disability or special circumstance has faced groups of people who are ungenerous and mean enough not to want to help the down trodden. Either both the Times articles did not present Dr. Elliot's arguments clearly enough, or his backers would rather spend money to have an academic deny a problem rather than allocate funds to help alleviate it. Neither of these articles has phased my opinion on the very real existence of Dyslexia.
A couple of side notes: To those who feel that "every other person is dyslexic" they probably don't realize that %10 is practically every other person. Also, it sounds like it's the professors, and not the dyslexic students, who are lazy if they are complaining about a little extra time for exams.
Mehdi Rifai, Scarborough, ON, Canada
After spending many years out of education and returning to unviersity I was astounded at the hugh amount of people who are now described as dyslexic. Undoubtedly there are people who genuinely are, however there needs to be increased guidelines as to the extent of this disorder, as without a doubt many are jumping on the bandwagon of extra time, help, free computers, free print credit ext. This not only is frustrating for all other students but for the real students who struggle and genuinely require extra help. We appear to be nearing a situation whereby Universities are so frightened of students failing that they go to the extremes of helping those not necessarily worthy at the expense and frustration of lecturers and fellow students who see all this extra help for so many as unfair. Many students are diagnosed while at Uni and questions needs to be asked, how did they get so far in their education without diagnosis, are tests being taken now due to poor grades or is it genuine.
jo, poole, dorset
dyslexia rules, KO
michael, harrogate, uk
People continue to beleive that "many people use it as an excuse for being stupid". So tell me what is the mental difference between dyslexic and stupid? I'll tell you: Stupid people are not intelligent, dyslexics, dyscalculics, dyspraxics etc are but they struggle in certain areas. If (in most cases) it was just a label for stupid, then dyslexics wouldn't be struggling at one subject and being good in about five other subjects!
If these so called stupid people are doing much better in school and further education because it is acknowledged that they're clever but have difficulties in certain areas (which is all these labels are suggesting) then I cannot see the problem with extra time!
I have extra time in my exams which allows me to plan out my ideas and if this is helping me move up from a grade (and in one case 2) I cannot see how people are being put at an "unfair advantage"!
Heather, Stockton, UK
Dyslexics of the world...UNTIE!
Mr Funny, Bristol,
The british press is not ferral. It resembles a large fat pussy cat that is fearful of the mouse.This crass outburst from Blair, is symtomatic of his deep level of paranoia. The poltical media has been emasculated for 10 years which was carried out by Alistar Cambell. Therefore henceforth all editors and politcal jurnos should adopt and use the initials A C. This will act as a tribute to the sad pornographer who they allowed to defile the truth.
Two political cartoonists Steve Bell and Peter Brookes should be excluded . On a daily basis they have demonstrated that they have the courage to ignore the biddings of A C &T B.The sight of seeing a large number of The Cabinet; attending the wedding of an alleged Editor, speaks volumes of the level of timidity and fawning at large within Grub Street. Ladies and gentlemen it is time to find the Truth,you are all "way off message".
john eadie macgregor, doncaster, s yorks
Reference casual mums.
We have returned to England two years ago having lived in the South West of France for four years.
I am amazed! the British now dress like tramps. Some ladies are over weight with tatoos showing in all parts of their body and somehow think this is casual fashion.
Do the British now think that if they dress up for an occasion it will be deemed to be suspicious?
It is very disapointing.
Alex, Nottinhamshire, United Kingdom
I have a friend who is very academic yet very inappropriate
and boorish in social situations. Fortunately he was diagnosed with one of the first cases of 'annoying person
syndrome', which was obviously quite a relief as we all
thought he was simply just an annoying person.
sean, melbourne, australia
It is a case of being K.O. rather than O.K.
Is their no respect for such people.
In my day such people would be labelled "FAT Heads"and would be caned or ear boxed.
Thank goodness we have moved on from those intolerant days
Bernard Parke, GUILDFORD,
Dyslexia does exist but is so rare as to be irrelevant. No amount of extra time will actually help if the dyslexia is genuine as the eyes cannot process the letters on the page even in mild cases.
Most of the so called cases of dyslexia are actually the result of poor teaching, poor discipline or lack of motivation.
D Cage, Highworth, UK
Exams should allow everyone as much time as the most disadvantaged dyslexic would get but should limit strictly the length of each written answer. Arranging an exam timetable is a nightmare at the moment and any one exam may have several different ending times with all the problems of keeping children separated from each other to avoid collaboration. In my experience only a moderatel proportion of those offered extra time actually use it.
In the present situation there is an enormous disadvantage to someone not quite dyslexic enough to get the extra time - or with insufficiently pushy parents to find an expert to give the desired diagnosis.
H.Aldridge, Canterbury, Kent
After spending many years out of education and returning to unviersity I was astounded at the hugh amount of people who are now described as dyslexic. Undoubtedly there are people who genuinely are, however there needs to be increased guidelines as to the extent of this disorder, as without a doubt many are jumping on the bandwagon of extra time, help, free computers, free print credit ext. This not only is frustrating for all other students but for the real students who struggle and genuinely require extra help. We appear to be nearing a situation whereby Universities are so frightened of students failing that they go to the extremes of helping those not necessarily worthy at the expense and frustration of lecturers and fellow students who see all this extra help for so many as unfair. Many students are diagnosed while at Uni and questions needs to be asked, how did they get so far in their education without diagnosis, are tests being taken now due to poor grades or is it genuine.
sam, southampton,
I am currently sitting my A-levels.
One or two of my classmates are very mildly dyslexic and hardly have a problem with reading, only spelling, yet receive gross amounts of extra time in exams such as history which are designed to have tight time restraints (wether or not they should have tight restraints is another issue). This seems to me as though it highlights a flaw in the current system.
John Ward, Pontefract, UK
I am a sixteen year old girl sitting my Junior Cert and was diagnoised with dyslexia at the age of eight After reading news review on June 3rd 2007 there was a piece in the issue called Blog Spot where India Knight and "Liz" discussed Dyslexia and asked if its real or just quote ' really rubbish early years education'. My reply to this is -if the education that every diagnoised dyslexic received was so bad then why are there not at least four or more students from that same class taught by the same teacher diagnoised with dyslexia. Also in relation to Indias comment on dyslexia being just "crap at reading" I will have you know dyslexia can mean the person has trouble with spelling,writing,maths and many other things . In the article i personally found it insulting to refer to dyslexia as an inability to read correctly ,my daily struggle with written words is on many occasions a humbling experience, and Ms Knight should be grateful for her ability to read write and spell.
Alison Talbot, Dublin, Ireland
I am good at English and reading but really bad at Art and rubbish at running and sports.
Label me please
Rachel, Southampton,
I have extra time in my exams because I have dyspraxia - (many say this too is an excuse). I'm not thick, I'm not stupid, but it takes time for me to organise my thoughts.
I did a law exam without the extra time and got an E. I sat the same exam again the following summer and got an A with extra time because I wasn't so under pressure! Thick you say? I don't think so!
Many people say that it's an excuse, and really they're old -fashioned stupid! But what is stupid and thick? There must be something wrong if hard working students are struggling! I know it's harsh but isn't dyslexia another name for people who are "stupid"?!
Heather, Yarm, UK
I suffer from acute dyslexia and was horrified when the article was published in the newspaper last week. I am currently sitting my A Levels and will be one of the many 100s of pupils benefiting from the extra time. I made a difficult decision to get tested six months ago after receiving displeasing AS results. I am highly ambition and would like to achieve straight A’s at A level. I had always chosen to not get tested for dyslexia as I believed I could cope with it and did not want the label, whilst fearing discrimination when applying for university. I was surprised by how severe my dyslexia was and was recommended I had extra time in my exams. My friends bullied me, claiming I was abusing the system and why should I benefit from the extra time. People don’t understand how hard it can be for me, I find writing extremely difficult and the decision to get tested was hard. This article stimulated a debate among my friends and I am now faced with a backlash of criticism, is this fair?
Sophie Dodson, Harrogate , England
I chatted to a young colleague about this, and apparently almost his entire year were diagnosed with 'dyslexia' shortly before their A-Levels...
...Which then gave everyone extra time in exams all the way through to university finals.
Wish I had known - would have saved me from hand cramp dozens of times.
Mark, Woking, UK
Unlike most correspondents I do not profess to be either dyslexic, or an educationalist.
I merely ask WHY dyslexia has apparantly turned into an epidemic since additonal time and support in examinations has becme the rule?
Mike Bibby, St Albans, England -not EU
There are a few of the usual dopey comments: 'Oh, I don't agree, but if I can be offended, that proves your argument is nonsense; and the angrier I can get, the poorer your opinion is. In fact, I'm incensed, so there!
Or, 'I don't really agree with what was said, so I'll just insult the bloke who said it. So, Elliot: you know where to take your arrogant views and stuff'em. There, that proves I'm right and he's wrong'.
Pathetic.
Brian, Heysham, Lancs,
i went to a public school and was moved to a private school. I moved as no one on the education would tell my family what was wrong. I could not read, had lack on concentration, inability to retain information etc. Whilst i was extremely good at maths i was far from good at english. I was told at the age of 11 i had the reading age of a 5 year old.
When i moved school i was there for approximately 2 months when i had an exam for next level and failed. My mother booked an appointment to visit a doctor in london. I have full written test and examination that show where my dyslexia lies.
Through school i had extra tution from a specialist teacher (paid for by my family) and managed to come out with satisfactory grades for GCSE. There were other people who had dyslexia in my class however they moved to the school for help as state schools and goverment could not support them. What is our country coming to when we cant support people who need help.
What is our country coming to
Kara, Manchester, United Kingdom
"So, Elliot: you know where to take your arrogant views and stuff'em".
I don't know enough about dyslexia to say whether it exists or not. But if it is true there there is no known way to distinguish between dyslexics and poor readers, other than asking them straight out whether they are dyslexic, then there clearly is a case to be answered. What is noticeable about the majority of posts so far is the venom directed against anyone who questions the dyslexia industry, rather than actually trying to refute their assertions.
Keith Anderson, Durham, England
When i was diagnosed, not only did i have extra tuition i had to be put back a year as i was not ready for senior school.
I got bullied for that out side of school from original school friends, but after some help and support that i got at no expense to the school, but to me, gradually my confidence went from rock bottom to the best it has ever been.
When i started college and it being a private college i had no support. Again i lost all my confidence and ended up leaving college education after 3 months. I've been working full time ever since then.
My cousin however was diagnosed shortly after me with dyslexia except she had it in a different way. She had pushed and pushed herself with no support from a state school or from college or from university just family support and now she is a GP.
Dyslexia can affect people in different ways and it can go undetected.
People should be monitored from a young age. that way we can help before it gets bad and support them along the way
Kara, Manchester, United Kingdom
For years, I was told that my now 17-yr-old son
was either dyslexic or ADD by his teachers. (My mother tries to convince me of the same to this day.) However, I do not believe that he is either, and I know that he is highly intelligent, although not highly motivated. He reads well, and can pursue any number of activities with focus and concentration, as long as it is something he enjoys. However, if he is not personally interested in the material, he "blows it off " or just refuses to do it.This has caused us numerous school conferences during which the teachers say he is ADD; I believe, in an effort to get him labeled so that they can turn him over to the special ed. dept. and not have to expend the extra effort to engage him. He is now in an alternative HS program and is doing exceptionally well, because he enjoys the experience, and it is now important to HIM that he succeed.
Kathie Hamilton, Tulsa, OK
I think one of the big problems with the "labelling" of difficulties such as dyslexia is the self-fulfilling prophecy effect - where if you are told you cannot do something, and nobody expects you to do it, you are more likely to not succeed than if you had positive encouragement.
I now work in a school supporting a child diagnosed with autism, and it's quite noticeable just how differently he is treated, albeit with good intentions on the part of the staff - many aspects of his behaviour which would be unacceptable for any other student, such as violent tantrums are ignored by staff as "it's what autistic children do" - thus his behaviour gets steadily worse - staff and students expect it, tolerate it, and so he becomes more "autistic" - a self-fulfilling prophecy.
A more appropriate system would be to do away with the "umbrella" labels, and replace them with a more specific description of the cog./behavrl/educatnl/social difficulties and target with a specific intervention.
Anna , Birmingham, UK
Oddly enough, if I could choose between having extra time, and actaully being able to spell the words in my vocabulary, I would choose spelling. Unfortunately I don't have that choice, so I am stuck in the position where I have an IQ in the top 3%, know half a dictionary, but many days struggle to make a coherent sentence. Why should someone, who is obviously exceeding thier peers in class debates etc, be made to sit a test in conditions where it is apparent from the outset they will do badly? There is nothing wrong with trying to even the playing field, which is what we are doing, rather than being lazy, oppurtunistic or actaully thick. Of course there are people like that, who abuse the system, but those who do suffer would rather avoid the stygmatism, or the derision that comes from people such as Elliot.
Amy, Leicester,
Having been educated at primary level in the forties, I absolutely fail to recall any children in my school who were unable to read and write. I certainly remember however having some initial difficulty mastering reading myself which I probably ascribed to a combination of stupidity on my part and possibly a degree of everyday incompetence on the part of our teachers. Class sizes of more than forty pupils which were normal at the time probably didn't greatly help either. In the end I resolved to teach myself, as far as I can remember, by practising reading comics at home. What seems undeniable to me is the correlation between phasing out traditional teaching methods and the appearance of the Dyslexia phenomenon, a correlation which never seems to be noticed or commented on. I sometimes wonder if I would ever have mastered reading if I had been taught in a modern-day classroom.
Martin Reed, Welwyn Garden City,
This is sheer nonsense. Dyslexia exists and there is a wealth of academic research to support this. I wonder whether these academics have really even considered the severe disablities which effect Dyslexics. I am talking about difficulties with numbers, memory, lack of visual memory, difficulties with colours and difficuties in organisation, time management etc etc These people seem to be on some sort of crusade, what the motive is I don't know but it certainly prompts the question - WHO FUNDED THIS RESEARCH??
Newton, Liverpool,
Can I also just add a point related to this that has been troubling me recently is that as difficulties such as ADHD etc are now classed as disabilities, if your family are on benefits you can get an extra £50 a week disability-support type payment if your child is diagnosed with such a difficulty. However, these are often only assessed by a checklist run through with the main carer/ parent.
I unfortunately know of parents that have deliberately had their children diagnosed with ADHD/ADD to increase their benefits, and actively recommend it to their friends.
Very worrying - especially for the child that has suddenly been told they are disabled, and may, in relation to my last comment, "become" the label.
Anna , Birmingham, UK
Maybe we need courses for Headmasters and Professors to take so they can be more understanding and flexible when it comes to dyslexic students and students who are poor readers. How flexible is a Professor who complains about putting an exam on different coloured paper? These Professors should understand that their job is to bring out the best in their students and guild them to a degree.
Wayne McFarlane, Cobourg, Canada
One dyslexic boy in my year was a genius at Maths but poor at English - Is this stupidity? I think not!
Dyslexia varies by a great amount - I was accused of being thick myself, which hurt, but I have come to accept that I will always struggle with some parts of the English language and with my ability to memorise text. I don't treat it as an excuse, I work with it and overcome my own issues. Unfortunately there are ignorant people out there who believe it is classed as one problem and they are the ones who pretty much make me keep my dyslexia a secret. Nobody at work and only a few friends know about it as you always get the same reaction. Everyone thinks they know dyslexia but they don't.
Nic, Cardiff, Wales, UK
What a terrible world we live in, dammed if you do,dammed if you don't. Personally as an adult I'd rather be called student than ill with what is a confusion or seeping of life's pressure into your body. But with children is to say an affliction is an ill good for their long term mental health??
We live in an age where the days of leaving secondary modern (etc) education, and for many that passing meant no access to further their educational requirements.
Now that isn't the modern Britain we live within. Many mental disorders are that, mentalis confusio, and as we grow older, our education should be allowed to broaden, not be assessed and force fed. The pressure of the body of thought that brought that child (even adult) can be thrown out again, maybe as local as the parents old ways. Believe dyselxia to be an illness, an affliction, yes. One ever injected academia into another, or forced down a pill to achieve old knowledge from a book, let alone hold knowledge by way of fresh air.
Leesome, Glasgow, UK
I am 37 years old and an IT teacher. I have dyslexia and it is vERY real but I have ever used it as an excuse. I have taught children with very severe dyslexia who although exceedingly bright had a problem with making sense of text. These children where by no means middle class and I feel insulted there behalf.
It is those who do 'jump on the bandwagon' I suppose who are partley to blame for making this learning diificultly seem laughable. Although I found ways to come to terms with my problem in school, it was not that the problem didn't exist it was it tended to be ignored, when I went to university one lecturer wanted me to be thrown out because he didn' like the way I wrote my M's.
I feel that yes parents can be too willing for a child to be labeled instead of accepting that they are genuinely not a high flyer. However, those of us who have a learning difficulty should not have to feel like we are taking advantage of the education system, as trust me we are not
Nicola Willett, Leicester, Leicestershire
I was diagnosed as dyselxic at the age of 16 and the tester described sufferers of the condition as 'master craftsmen with the wrong set of tools' - whilst I do not take advantage of the extra time on offer to me I do find that other aids such as the coloured overlays or exam papers make a huge difference to my ability to comprehend the material.
Even the the dyselxic sceptics must surely be able to see that there is little harm in the government offering help such as these aids in order to help further peoples education. I would have thought that in todays society we would all be able to unite in order to try and further our education and therefore the development of the children of tommorow in whatever way possible instead of accusing people for being 'out for all they can get'.
Anon, Bucks,
I was absolutely incensed when I read Elliot's article in your paper on Sunday . I am a Support For Learning Teacher
( Scotland) in a Primary School and I work with children with varying difficulties. The children with Dyslexia have my great sympathy and for this man to be procrastinating about their not being such a 'learning difficulty 'made me absolutely furious.' I can pick out such children fairly early on in their first year. You might have the added difficulty that they are also slow learners but by no means does this apply to all. I suggest the erstwhile Mr Elliot gets himself into a Primary School, works there for a term and then makes his comments. My experience has been that if the support is put in then, if you have a good relationship with the parents, class teacher,auxilary and work as a unit it makes a tremendous difference .to the child If the help is not consistantly given at home, progress is much slower.
Education is a minefield for these 'hard working'.
A M Grant, Elgin,
funny how when it comes to reading people get lots of special help but maths seems to be a different story. If you have problems with maths (i.e you understand the theory and yet are unable to do quite simple maths) then you are obviously stupid not "disabled".
personally, i think if things continue in this vein people without some kind of minor "disability" will be the minority...
Jenny, London,
I have dyslexia and when sitting my exams I was given extra time. I always complained that I didnt need extra exam time but my brain to be rewired. I struggle with any test done on a computer and no amount of extra time helps. I often get names and numbers mixed up and its very frustrating. Now I am in the US everything is muliple choice and I have a huge problem with the way the questions are phrased. The writing style is very different here and often I have my dictonary out or I have to ask people numerous times. I just dont understand it. I had extra lessons at school and it helped but I find I struggle in new environments. I do agree that many people use it as a crutch. One girl at school complained that I got extra time and proclaimed that she could easily act up during an assessment and get an unfair advantage. The following year she was delclared dyslexic and got extra time.
Anon, New York, USA
The teaching of reading seems to happen in a rather piecemeal way. When my daughter was at primary school (admittedly a few years ago now) when we queried her level of reading the headmisstress told us that if the children wanted to read they'd pick up a book and teach themselves. This woman had just received her Doctorate of Education, so obviously new what she was talking about! We bought a book reading scheme and taught her to read ourselves, passing the system around our friends afterwards. My daughter is now of an age when she would be at university, struggling to read because the education system in England didn't deem it a necessary skill. This probably affects many people of a similar age.
David Leslie, Perth, Scotland
15 years ago my headmistress said i had 'middle class stupidity' not dyslexia, when i had difficulty spelling my own name aged 10. I am glad to see the world has moved on.
anne, oxford, uk
At the age of 30 i was diagnosied with Dyslexia, my life has been one of seeing my mates at school get in the top sets becouse i was to slow in reading. Being called stupid and physically beaten by other kids at the time all because i did not know i had dyslexia.
When i went to university i found the tutors where hopeless.Simple things like putting work on coloured paper was not done even when i asked half a dozen times.Its not just about extra time in exams,because if you think about it even if you had all the Degrees in the world being dyslexic is a disabillitie you have to life with every day of your life not just at exam times.
Being a kid with this condition is hell on earth at time and having people like this proffesor chap saying things like dyslexia does not exist is like saying steven hawkings is getting his work done by someone else.
Dyslexia does exist and if proffesor Elliot ever wants to debate the case let him debate it with a dyslexic if he dare...
Eddie Waters, Hartlepool, England
I am an optometrist with over 40 years experience. There have always been a small number of people who have great problems with reading and these are truly dyslexic. Unfotunately there are now a large number of people who are really just poor readers and I would propose that the contributory factors that have lead to the increase in their numbers could be a greater use of television,(TV in the bedroom now being commonplace), computer games, busy parents who have no time to read with small children, and the dropping of phonics as the traditional method of teaching reading in schools. I would not presume to put these in any order of priority, but I feel that each has played a part in bringing us to the present sorry state of affairs.
JohnTurner, Alton,
I don't see why a group with a condition that hasn't been properly defined should expect special consideration. There must be many reasons why a student will do less well at school and in exams. Perhaps we should try to single out those born with less will power, or of poor health, or those who don't find academic study appealing and give those individuals more time in exams.
Life isn't fair despite this government's attempts to make it so. If dyslexia is to be considered a medical condition or handicap I trust that the exam results of those who have benefitted from extra tuition and equipment show that concessions have been made. In this way, a prospective employer will know which candidates with the same qualification will need more help than others to do the same job.
David, Canvey Island, Essex
There are some dyslexics of course. But certainly many people use it as an excuse for being stupid.
Ben, York,
I have no issue with whether dyslexia exists as a condition; that seems to have already been decided by those who matter. What worries me is the way that it is delbt with in the education system. At A-Level I had classmates who were definitely above average intelligence when it came to class debates and ideas, yet because they could not even write their own names they were given a scribe and extra time. I do not reject the fact that people need this help and should have the opporunity to show their intelligence, but if they sit an exam under different conditions to every other candidate then the qualification achieved should not be directly comparable. Such care is taken to ensure exam conditions are as fair as possible and a true demonstration of ability, but this cannot be the case if some candidates are not subject to the normal regulations. Allow these candidates to sit exams under different conditions but give the qualification a different name.
Sarah Phillips, Stafford/Nottingham,
“They ask for different coloured exam papers, extra photocopying, anything they can get. "
people are faking a learning difficulties just to get pretty coloured exam papers? very likely.
mab, midlands, Uk
Professor Julian Elliott says: "“As yet, nobody has been able to demonstrate scientifically that there is this subgroup of poor readers that should be termed dyslexic."
Why then, can I prove (and tens of thousands like us), that my son cannot be taught to read, write or spell to grade level by a "regular education teacher", (whether private or state educated) and can ONLY be taught to read, write and spell to grade level by highly qualified individuals who are trained in a SCIENTIFICALLY proven method of teaching?
My son is not stupid, lazy or crazy, as Elliott kindly suggests we emotionally worry about that term, for if Jamie were, he would not have learned to read 6.9 grade levels ahead in 18 months with a scientifically proven method of teaching.
Elliott should have spent his 30 years trying to figure out how to teach our teachers to TEACH children to read, write and spell, so that 10% (UK) or 15-20% (USA) children can actually learn to read like their peer group.
Anne Spence, Durango (ex-pat), Colorado, USA
I read the first sentence, and cannot read more before writing! Can these experts please stand up and tell me why my son spent 5 years at London's finest, and couldn't read a word, not even "the"? Oh yes. The Headmistress told me my son was "lazy". Of course. How silly of me. At the age of 7, I sent my son to Millfield, and David Hopkins taught Jamie to read in six weeks. Can the experts explain why my "lazy" son suddenly decided to read for David Hopkins? In two years, David had Jamie reading to grade level. Then we moved to America, and for 4 years, the state school kept my son at 4th grade reading age. Did my son become "lazy" again? Then we hired a private certified academic language therapist, and my son could read to 11th grade, whilst still in 8th grade. Can the "experts" explain why my son can read when given a "scientifically proven method of teaching" by the best in the field? The only unfair disadvantage here, is to the dyslexic in 12th grade with 4th grade reading.
Anne Spence, Durango, (ex-pat), Colorado, USA
I am horrified to think that I could be considered to be "asking for anything I can get" - in other words, to soften the rigours of my degree course. This kind of ignorant scathing approach by people such as Elliot is so insulting, it takes my breath away. Dyslexia does not have anything to do with intelligence. The sad fact is that those with higher IQ's are far likelier to have their condition go undetected because they devise their own coping strategies. These can take them quite far, even to University, say. But eventually they will hit their own personal brick wall.
I should know: my daughter was only picked up in her 1st yr at uni - but her IQ is in the top 2%. My son - 2 yrs younger - the same. And me? Yes, aged 50, and starting a degree - the same. None of us have had an easy ride, but all of us have benefited from practical help which has levelled the playing field a bit, and allowed us to show what we can do.
So, Elliot: you know where to take your arrogant views and stuff'em
Jenni, Edinburgh,