• CHAPTER ANNOTATION

1. INTRODUCTION TO LEARNING DISABILITIES
2. DEFINING LEARNING DISABILITIES
3. CLASSIFICATION OF LEARNING DIFFICULTIES
4. PREVALENCE AND ETIOLOGY OF LEARNING DISABILITIES
5. ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING DISABILITIES
6. READING DIFFICULTIES
7. WRITTEN LANGUAGE DEFICITS
8. MATH UNDERACHIEVEMENT
9. MOTOR COORDINATION DEFICITS
10. ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER
11. SOURCES AND LITERATURE

6. READING DIFFICULTIES

Reading difficulties (dyslexia) are a language-based learning disability. Dyslexia refers to a cluster of symptoms, which result in people having difficulties with specific language skills, particularly reading. Reading difficulties are the prevalent form of learning difficulties. It is estimated that 85 - 90% of all students with LD are diagnosed with reading problems. The International Dyslexia Association defined the main characteristics of dyslexia as follows:

• neurobiological origin
• difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition
• poor spelling and decoding abilities (orthographic representation and specific sound)
• deficits in phonological component of language

Secondary problems arising from reading difficulties:

• problems in reading comprehension, reduced reading experience
• limited growth of background knowledge

A child with dyslexia might manifest the following behaviour and problems: slow and uncomfortable reading, troubles with word recognition, errors, especially with the order of letters, disparity between listening and reading comprehension of a text, problems with spelling and handwriting, decoding real words better than nonsense words.

Dyslexia, as all learning difficulties, is a life-long condition. Early identification and treatment is the key to helping persons with reading difficulties learn to read and write well and also achieve in school and in life.

Educational Approaches

There are two main stages in working with dyslectic children. The first one is motivation and preparatory exercises. Preparatory exercises focus on the development of perception, speech, attention span, etc. The consequent stage involves learning to read. This stage begins with recognition of single letters and moves towards syllables and whole words. The goal of reading is comprehension.

It is important for students with dyslexia to be taught by a systematic and explicit method that involves several senses (hearing, seeing, touching) at the same time. Many individuals with dyslexia need one-on-one help so that they can move forward at their own pace. In addition, students with reading difficulties often need a great deal of structured practice and immediate, corrective feedback to develop automatic word recognition skills.

A student with dyslexia can also be given extra time to complete tasks, help with taking notes, and work assignments that are modified appropriately. Furthermore, use of books on tape can be considered. Students may also need help with emotional issues that sometimes arise as a consequence of difficulties in school.