Assessing the dyslexic individual
In working with both the local community, teachers and the education authority, it was realised that whilst a definitive "diagnosis of dyslexia" may sound useful, but it did not provide additional information to help determine an appropriate education plan for these children. The approach that appears to offer more for the child is to create a procedure to assess the cognitive profile (eg auditory short term memory and riming skills) to aid the understanding of the preferred learning style, as well as the current level of attainment in literacy skills of the children. This will provide valuable information that may account for their difficulty in acquiring literary skills. Only once we have this information could we hope to construct that appropriate individual education plan.
What does a cognitive profile offer that a label of dyslexia does not?
It is generally accepted that the more closely the teaching style is matched to learning style of the individual, the greater the amount that will be learnt in a given time. We know that if you make it culturally relevant, the child will learn more. And if the child is a'visual' learner and more visual support material is used, learning is facilitated. But unless we can deduce the child's learning style,through a thorough investigation of all the abilities and difficulties,including their cognitive skills and deficits, much of what is presented to them may not be learnt, or learn ineffectively. An appropriate assessment will allow us not only how the child learns, butalso what and how they should be taught.
Dyslexia is not a result of a single difficulty, which may be better understood if we compare it with short-sightedness. If a specialist tells you that a child is short-sighted, you know the implications - they need glasses. But they need glasses of the right strength to be effective.Only by measuring the child's eyes, using a variety of techniques, will the correct prescription be made. If there is a considerable mismatch between the needs and provisions, the glasses will be useless, or even damage their eyes.
The analogy for dyslexia is that the label 'dyslexia' tells us very little, like saying one needs glasses. What is required is a full assessment of the difficulties. But where the glasses may be specified fairly easily (usually only needing to refer to strength and astigmation), the cognitive difficulties which may cause reading and writing problems are many, since there are many abilities required to read and write. If the 'dyslexia prescription' is poorly conceived and constructed, the child may receive help that is not only useless, but may even be damaging, if not directly, then at least emotionally as they continue to fail academically.
Most teachers will not have access to assessment procedures. But there are checklists that may aid the identification of those children with specific learning difficulties. Although these will not provide information on the specific underlying difficulties, they can help confirm the concerns of the teachers and parents.
Below is a checklist, which separates out two types of difficulties: literacy related and behaviour related. These are some of the most common indicators used to identify the dyslexic individual. Literacy related difficulties - has particular difficulty with reading,writing and spelling
- puts the letter or the figures the wrong way around
- has difficulty with tables and the alphabet
- omits letters out of words. Writes the letters in the word 'Robertson' in the wrong order eg: Roterbson
- he takes longer than average to do written work
- gets "tied up" using long words, e.g. preliminary, philosophical.
- has difficulty with nursery rhymes
Behavioural identifiers
- has difficulty telling left and right, order of months of the year etc
- has a poor sense of direction
- lacks self-confidence and has a poor self-image
- is often accused of not listening or paying attention
- difficulty with most skills
- difficulty with clapping a simple rhythm
- surprise you because in other ways s/he is bright and alert
However, it is important to remember that just because a child may have a number of these difficulties, it does not mean they are dyslexic. Many things may influence a child's literacy development, including the learning environment, and it is only with a full assessment of the difficulties, by somebody appropriately trained, that it will it be possible to confirm the reason for the failure to acquire literacy skills.
The framework suggested for assessment of the specific difficulties of the child with literacy difficulties is based around the International Cognitive Profiling Test (ICPT), developed by the author. It is uses the following framework;
Phonological segmentation and assembly skills
Auditory system
Visual system
Semantic lexicon
Speed of processing
Each of these components may be considered as a separate 'module' in the brain, and it is the relative functioning of each of these that determine the ability of a child in the acquisition of literacy skills. However, it is important to remember that each of these areas has several components, each of which, in turn, needs to be evaluated. For example, the auditory system tests include auditory short term memory and sound discrimination.
Research clearly shows that the ability to acquire literacy skills is poorly related to the overall intelligence of the individual, and therefore any measure of intelligence does not indicate their potential to acquire literacy skills. Of course, this does not mean that intelligence is not important, as the ability of the child to understand instructions, for example, will determine the way he/she is taught. But a measure of 'intelligence' should not be used to determine the level of provision given.
There is no definitive list of tests that should be used, but the following list provides an indication of the tests one could expect to be included in the formal assessment of the dyslexic individual.
- Basic skills: alphabet and number, including reversals, book knowledge, days of the week
- Visual tasks - Shape copying, visual recall of shapes, and visual sequential memory
- Spelling words and non-words
- Auditory memory: digit span (forward and reverse) and tapping task
- Reading words and non-words
- Phonological segmentation skills: alliteration and rhyme tasks
- Rapid naming - picture, number and letter
- Sound discrimination
- Reasoning ability: Ravens Matrices
- Free reading
- Free writing
- Listening comprehension
- Reading comprehension
- Measure of spoken vocabulary
- Motor skills
- Comprehensive questionnaire, including medical and learning history.
Whilst the dyslexic individual may experience difficulties in the acquisition of reading, writing and spelling, they can be taught to find strategies and alternative learning methods to overcome most of these and other difficulties. However some problems, such as poor spelling, may persist into adulthood.
Every dyslexic is different, and should be treated as an individual. Many show talents actively sought by employers, such as good visuo-spatial skills, an ability to think holistically and see the bigger picture, and good lateral thinking. The same factors that cause literacy difficulties may also be responsible for highlighting positive attributes. For example, those finding difficulty solving a problem the way others do may tap resources that lead to more originality and creativity, a talent often noted in the dyslexic individual. Some people suggest that these attributes are only discovered thanks to the difficulty acquiring literacy skills. It is the role of the assessor to find out the reason for the individual having difficulties in acquiring literacy skills. It is the role of the teacher to find way these individuals can learn. If he cannot learn the way we teach, can we teach the way he learns
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