Understanding Dyslexia

A topic on Psycholinguistics

23/2/5
2 What’s the Contents

 1. Views on Dyslexia
 2. Dyslexia in the Philippines
 3. What are the myths and facts
about dyslexia?
 4. How to initially diagnose
dyslexic learner?
 5. What are the types of
Dyslexia?
 6. How can we help dyslexic
learners?

23/2/5
 3 Objectives of this Webinar
At the end of this lecture, the attendees are expected to:
1.know the status of dyslexia nationally and locally;
2.gain understanding on the myths and facts of dyslexia;
3.obtain knowledge in diagnosing a possible dyslexic;
4.articulate actions to help learners suffering from
dyslexia.

23/2/5
 4 1. Views on Dyslexia
 Dyslexia is one of the most misunderstood learning
specific reading disability in today's educational
landscape. Although most people associate dyslexia with
letter reversals and reading difficulties, dyslexia
encompasses a much larger umbrella of learning
difficulties (Dyslexia Correction Program, 2007).
 Many people are not aware that dyslexia can jeopardize a
person’s entire future. If a person remains undiagnosed, it
leads to his detachment from the fulcrum of life (San
Jose, 2012).

23/2/5
 5 1. Views on Dyslexia
 Higher Education Statistics Agency of UK conservatively
estimated 3.2% of British students are dyslexics; and 43%
of dyslexic students are identified as being dyslexic only
after they have started at university (Brunswick, 2012).
 Dyslexia as the most prevalent reading disability, a
mystifying problem that affects 2 to 20 percent of the
British population (Spafford & Grosser, 2005).
 In Singapore, dyslexia is relatively a common condition
affecting up to 1 in 10 adults (Dyslexia Association of
Singapore, 2009).

23/2/5
 6 1. Views of Dyslexia
 In New Zealand, the ratio of males to females with
self-reported specific reading learning disability
(dyslexia) was 3:2 and between 40% and 50% of
adults performed below the minimum level of
proficiency required for meeting the complex
demands of everyday life in knowledge-based
societies (Chapman et al., 2003).
 Many dyslexics are undiagnosed until they graduated
from college (Adult Dyslexia Test, 2010).

23/2/5
 7 1. Views of Dyslexia
 Living with them without understanding what is wrong
with them (dyslexics) makes an uphill struggle (Jantzen,
2009).
 Dyslexics do not understand the real cause of the learning
disability and frequently do the best they could to hide it.
As a result, their sufferings continue and make their lives
miserable. People labelled them as dumb or stupid, thus
robbing them of their self-esteem and confidence
(Chavez, 2010)
 Dyslexics’ chance of graduation is lower than those of
their non-dyslexic peers (Brunswick, 2012).

23/2/5
 2. Dyslexia in the Philippines
8
 OCTOBER is Dyslexia Awareness Month.
 It is sad to know that no statistics that would show the
prevalence of this dyslexia in Davao Region (Sauro,
2009).
 Learning disabilities in the country were not yet
appropriately categorized (2000 Philippine
Government Census).
 In the Philippines, there is no direct reference to
learners with dyslexia and other learning difficulties
(Smythe et al., 2004).

23/2/5
 9 2. Dyslexia in the Philippines
 In an interview with Smart
Parenting (“Child struggling
with reading and writing? He
may have dyslexia,” Aug. 4,
2017), Deirdre Jude Taino of
the “The Reading House”, a
center for children with
learning disabilities, lamented
that dyslexia is still a poorly
understood condition in our
country (Manila Times,
October 18, 2018).

23/2/5
 10 2. Dyslexia in the Philippines
 In Davao City, knowledge and understanding of dyslexia is
limited. It is evident in the limited number of researches and
articles that discuss this disability (San Jose, 2012).
 In the research conducted by Sauro (2009) on dyslexia
awareness, he found that 95% of the teachers had not attended
any seminars about learning disabilities such as dyslexia.
 On the same topic, Glodo (2004) discovered that teachers in
the €first congressional district of Davao City were not
familiar with the characteristics, causes, and information or
knowledge about dyslexia.

23/2/5
 11 3. Myths and facts about
dyslexia
 MYTH: Dyslexia is caused by vision problems.
 FACT: Dyslexia is not tied to visual deficiencies. It is actually
a neurological condition that affects how the brain receives,
processes, and responds to language.
 Tips for Teaching:
 Use big-picture strategies
 Use audiobooks
 Set the seating arrangement

23/2/5
 12 3. Myths and facts about
dyslexia
 MYTH: A child has dyslexia if he or she reverses
letters in reading and writing.
 FACT: Reversals or inversions of letters are common
until second grade (8 years old).
 Primary grades - pupils who don’t know the alphabet,
mispronounce words and show deficits in phonics, spelling,
and handwriting (these learners spend much time
processing).

23/2/5
 13 3. Myths and facts about
dyslexia
• Middle School - avoid reading at all costs and have poor
spelling
• Tips for Teaching:
– Investigate the pupils background (genetics may play a role),
not just one symptom in isolation

23/2/5
14 3. Myths and facts about
dyslexia
 MYTH: Students with dyslexia have low intelligence.
 FACT:  Learners with dyslexia typically have average or
above-average intelligence. There’s a gap between their
potential learning (higher IQ score) and their actual
achievement (lower than expected). Learners with
dyslexia are often intuitive and out-of-the-box thinkers
and typically great problem solvers.
 TEACHING TIPS: Capitalize on their strengths, and
allow students to express their learning in ways that don’t
require reading and writing.

23/2/5
 15 3. Myths and facts about
dyslexia
 MYTH: Students with dyslexia are lazy.
 FACT: Learners with dyslexia are actually more
motivated because they have to work harder.
 TEACHING TIPS: Consider these suggestions:
 Reduce copying tasks from the board.
 Allow students to dictate work to you when possible.
 Use matching, fill-in-the-blank, and short-answer formats on
tests.
 Allow students to just listen to a lesson without taking notes, or
to fill in sections on a prepared outline. 23/2/5
 16 3. Myths and facts about
dyslexia
 MYTH: Students can’t overcome dyslexia and won’t learn as
much as their peers.
 FACT: Learners with dyslexia won’t outgrow their condition. It is a
lifelong disability but they can make great strides.
 TEACHING TIPS: 
 Multisensory is a key word. Dyslexia is neurological, so teachers should
activate the different parts of the brain to help integrate information.
 Uses everyday objects for multisensory learning. Putting on the things
inside the classroom.
 “Tap out” words. Use a finger to tap letters on a mat as they say the
corresponding sound, then blend them together.

23/2/5
 17 4. Diagnosing dyslexic learners
 Dyslexia can't be diagnosed with a  Vinegrad Checklist (1994)
simple blood test or brain scan. When
specialists make a diagnosis, along  Dyslexia Observation Sheet
with the symptoms reported by the adapted from Pennington,
individual, their parents, or their
teachers. They consider the outcomes 1999; Snowling, 2008;
of a series of reading tests. Kaplan et. al, 1998;
McArthur et. al. 2000;
Kadesjo and Gillberg 2001

23/2/5
4. Diagnosing dyslexic learners
18

 Pre-school: Symptoms can include:

 delayed speech development compared with other children of the same age
(although this can have many different causes)
 speech problems, such as not being able to pronounce long words properly
and "jumbling" up phrases (for example, saying "hecilopter" instead of
"helicopter", or "beddy tear" instead of "teddy bear")
 problems expressing themselves using spoken language, such as being
unable to remember the right word to use, or putting sentences together
incorrectly
 little understanding or appreciation of rhyming words, such as "the cat sat
on the mat", or nursery rhymes
 difficulty with, or little interest in, learning letters of the alphabet

23/2/5
 19 4. Diagnosing dyslexic learners

 Schoolchildren: Symptoms can include:

 problems learning the names and sounds of letters
 spelling that's unpredictable and inconsistent
 putting letters and figures the wrong way round (such as writing "6"
instead of "9", or "b" instead of "d")
 confusing the order of letters in words
 reading slowly or making errors when reading aloud
 visual disturbances when reading (for example, a child may describe letters
and words as seeming to move around or appear blurred)
 answering questions well orally, but having difficulty writing the answer
down
 difficulty carrying out a sequence of directions
23/2/5
20 4. Diagnosing dyslexic learners

 struggling to learn sequences, such as days of the week or

the alphabet
 slow writing speed
 poor handwriting
 problems copying written language and taking longer than
normal to complete written work
 poor phonological awareness and word attack skills

23/2/5
 21 4. Diagnosing dyslexic learners
 Teenagers and adults: Symptoms
can include:
 poorly organised written work that lacks
expression 
 difficulty planning and writing essays,
letters or reports
 difficulties revising for examinations
 trying to avoid reading and writing
whenever possible
 difficulty taking notes or copying
 poor spelling
 struggling to remember things such as a PIN
or telephone number
 struggling to meet deadlines
23/2/5
22 4. Diagnosing dyslexic learners

 Associated problems: Learners with dyslexia also have other

problems not directly connected to reading or writing.
 difficulties with numbers (dyscalculia)
 poor short-term memory
 problems concentrating and a short attention span,
including ADHD
 poor organisation and time management
 physical co-ordination problems, also called DCD or
dyspraxia)
 Davis Dyslexia Association International.
https://www.dyslexia.com/about-dyslexia/signs-of-dyslexia/test-for-dysle
xia-37-signs/
23/2/5
23 5. Types of Dyslexia
 Although dyslexia is a specific reading disability, it
cannot be pigeoned hole or strictly categorized.
 Individuals with dyslexia respond differently, researchers
break down dyslexia into subtypes.
 Thus, some types of dyslexia does not sound a disability
in reading.
 However, determining the type of dyslexia is essential for
intervention purposes. While there are many proposed
theories for the treatment of dyslexia, it remains that
dyslexia has no cure.

23/2/5
 24 5. Types of Dyslexia
 Neglect Dyslexia. This type  Neglects either the left or
of dyslexia specifically the right side of the
words.
associated with problems in
 community – unity
the complexion of words,
such that letters in a  cowboy – boy or cow
particular position in a word  rainbow – bow
or non-word are neglected
when read (Sharma, 1996;
Coltheart, 1998).

23/2/5
 25 5. Types of Dyslexia
 Phonological Dyslexia. This type is specifically
associated with difficulties in converting letters to their
sounds. Individuals are often able to read words that are
already familiar to them but have great difficulty reading
unfamiliar or novel words (Sharma, 1996).
 A great number of individuals show poor word
identification due to the impairment in print-to-sound
conversion. This is due to the deficits in decoding written
words using phonic or sound principles (Coltheart, 1998;
Pierangelo and Giuliana, 2006).

23/2/5
26 5. Types of Dyslexia
 Literal Dyslexia. Also referred to as “letter blindness. In
this case, the student has difficulty in identifying letters,
matching upper case letters with lowercase, naming letters,
or matching sounds with the corresponding letters.
Moreover, a student may read individual letters of the
word but not the word itself, or may read a word, but not
comprehend the meaning of the word. Some may read
words partially. For example “lice” as “ice” or as “like.”
Some can do better by moving their finger along the
outline or a word or, by tracing the letter in the air.

23/2/5
27 5. Types of Dyslexia
 Semantic Dyslexia. Learners with dyslexia distorts
the meaning of the word or incorrectly reads a word
because of the confusion in the meaning of the given
word. Learners may say an antonym, synonym, or a
subordinate of a word instead of the proper word.
“Dog” may be misread as “cat” or “fox”; “twist” into
“twisted,” “buy” into “bought.” Others may have
difficulty reading functions words such as “of,” “an,”
“not,” and “and.”

23/2/5
28 5. Types of Dyslexia
 Spelling Dyslexia. Students with this type of dyslexia
may have problem reading all types of words and
sometimes have trouble identifying individual letters.
Reading is extremely slow and he is hesitant,
particularly on long words. While a normal reader
takes 30 milliseconds for reading each additional
letter, a spelling dyslexic may take about a second to
do the same. Dyslexics tend to read words one letter at
a time, even the words are short and familiar.

23/2/5
29 5. Types of Dyslexia
 Deep Dyslexia. This type has a problem in writing
letters and words, grasping word-meaning,
integrating sounds of letters, and in pronouncing
unfamiliar, and sometimes, even familiar words.
Students in this category face the biggest and need
closest attention for educational and career planning
(Dyslexia with Dysgraphia*).
 *a neurological disorder of written expression that impairs writing ability and fine
motor skills. It affects children and adults, and interferes with practically all aspects of
the writing process, including spelling, legibility, word spacing and sizing, and
expression.

23/2/5
30 5. Types of Dyslexia
 Primary Dyslexia. This refers to dyslexia when it is a
result of a genetically inherited condition.
 This means if a child has a parent with dyslexia, they
are more likely to have the learning difficulty
themselves.
 Primary Dyslexia can cause difficulties processing
sounds, letters and numbers, which negatively impacts
on a child’s abilities in spelling, reading and math.
 Dyslexia not only runs in families but tends to be seen
more often in males, particularly those who are left-
handed.

23/2/5
31 5. Types of Dyslexia

 Developmental Dyslexia. This type is due to

infections, and sometimes poor nutrition in the
womb, some babies experience brain
development issues which can cause
neurological impairment and result in dyslexia.
 Of the many types of dyslexia, this type has
been shown to respond best to treatment,
including targeted phonics work through
computer programmes.

23/2/5
32 5. Types of Dyslexia

 Acquired Dyslexia. This is caused by brain injury

from trauma or disease. They can sometimes develop
difficulties with language processing, which result in
dyslexia.

23/2/5
33 6. How can we help learners
with dyslexia?
 use audio books as an alternative to reading
 write instructions on the board instead of just saying them
 look for apps that can make learning fun by turning decoding
into a game
 use a ruler to help kids read in a straight line, which can help
keep them focused
 when telling a story, give motivations
 paste many sight words
 set policy in classroom: “No one should laugh if a word is
mispronounce.”

23/2/5
34 6. How can we help learners
with dyslexia?
 Emotional support: Dyslexia may result in frustration, embarrassment,
avoidance and low self-esteem as a result of difficulties performing tasks
that seem to come naturally to others. Some things we can do:
 Discuss the specific challenges that result from dyslexia: “You know how you
have a hard time reading signs or copying notes from the board? That’s
dyslexia.”
 Acknowledge his effort and celebrate hard work, even if there are still
mistakes: “I know how difficult that reading homework was. I am so proud of
how hard you tried.”
 Help him recognize his strengths: “You showed such great sportsmanship and
teamwork in the soccer game the other night, and that was a great goal you
scored!”
 Combat negative self-talk: If your child starts saying things like, “I’m just
stupid,” don’t ignore it.

23/2/5
35 6. How can we help learners
with dyslexia?

•Don’t push, instead understand.

•Let’s not make mainstream classroom a
slaughter house of dyslexic learners.

23/2/5
 36

• Alber Einstein
• Whoopy Goldberg
• Richard Brandson
• Regine Velasquez
• Albie Casino
• Sass Rogando Sasot

23/2/5
37

Thank You

23/2/5