Do you know what dyslexia is?

Opinion: the causes and definitions of dyslexia are unclear, which creates many problems for the individual and society

Dyslexia has a long history and has been described in journals going back to 1896. Then, a physician Pringle Morgan described a boy called Percy who was bright, sporty and progressing well in school, but who had an unexpected difficulty learning to read.

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month and it's a time of year when we hear some disgruntled voices arguing that dyslexia is harmful and should be abandoned. That voice may be the psychologist Julian Elliott who has gained attention through the years arguing that the term dyslexia lacks validity and should not be used. This is on the back of "The Dyslexia Debate" the book he wrote with the scientist Elena Grigorenko in 2014 documenting the history of research into dyslexia. But what are his main arguments and how do they fit in an Irish context?

Despite decades of research, the causes of dyslexia are unclear, and this is problematic for creating an agreed definition and in differentiating dyslexia from a general learning difficulty that includes a difficulty with reading. Elliott argues for the term 'Reading Disability’ to encompass all individuals who struggle to read regardless of the reason.

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From RTÉ Radio 1's Ryan Tubridy Show, Gordon Goodwin talks about struggling with dyslexia and recognising it in his son

However, primary definitions of dyslexia from the Taskforce on Dyslexia (Ireland), the International Dyslexia Association (US) and the Rose report (UK), have a number of commonalities. They define dyslexia as neurobiological in origin, meaning that it originates in the brain and the way the brain is organised. They refer to the high heritability of dyslexia, such that it commonly runs in families. They describe the persistent nature of the difficulty despite adequate teaching.

They also mention the unexpected nature of the difficulty given good teaching and learning opportunities (as was the case with Percy). This is designed to exclude cases of reading difficulty caused by other difficulties such as sensory perception or inadequate education opportunities. Importantly, these definitions state that dyslexia affects learning to read and spell words with accuracy and fluency. This latter specificity is the core of dyslexia. There may be co-occuring difficulties including language difficulties, attentional skills, or motor co-ordination, but these are not core features of dyslexia.

Another concern is the use of IQ in identifying dyslexia. Dyslexia has traditionally been diagnosed by evidence of a discrepancy between IQ score (in the average range) and reading attainment (low attainment). This assessment is undertaken by a psychologist and there needs to be evidence of a significant gap between IQ and reading attainment.

From RTÉ 2fm's Jennifer Zamparelli show, Amy Smyth and Kevin Stewart discuss their experiences with dyslexia, which affects one in 10 people in Ireland

However, it is common knowledge since the 1980s that IQ has little or no association with reading skills and should not be used to ‘diagnose’ dyslexia. Elliott argues that the diagnosis of dyslexia can be used as leverage by wealthy parents to obtain disability and exam supports and entrance to expensive private reading schools. This situation is indeed unfair as poorer parents who can’t afford a private assessment or who don’t value it, lose out on vital supports.

But what about Ireland? A new model of teaching support allocation was rolled out in schools in 2017 and is organised on a needs-basis, rather than by category of disability (e.g., autism, deaf and hard of hearing etc). A psychological assessment, though helpful in clarifying a learning difficulty, is no longer essential for access to learning support. Nor is a diagnosis of dyslexia needed for an exemption from Irish. The main consideration is evidence of a severe reading difficulty (at or below the 10th percentile rank).

There appears to be less leverage in terms of supports in terms of the ‘diagnosis’ of dyslexia and perhaps there may be a reduction in diagnosis and use of the term in time. In areas of disadvantage, school psychologists from the National Educational Psychological Service would usually diagnose children in primary school with severe reading difficulties, but this service has been severely reduced in recent years. How this re-evaluation of the importance of identification of dyslexia will affect research, teacher competence and knowledge, and student support and understanding of their difficulty needs to be considered carefully by our policy makers.

From RTÉ One's Six One News, 2018 report on efforts to de-stigmatise dyslexia

But to access the disability route in higher education, students need a psychological assessment of dyslexia and two up-to-date literacy assessments showing attainment at or below 10th percentile. It’s also significant that a student with dyslexia needs an up-to-date psychological assessment of dyslexia to obtain disability supports in higher education. This has resulted in significantly more students with dyslexia from middle-class backgrounds in higher education.

While psychologists in private practice continue to diagnose dyslexia, there is little evidence here of a huge industry around dyslexia, as Elliott has described in the UK. For example, there is no disability allowance money at stake in Ireland, as there is in the UK. Internationally, eminent scholars argue for the continuation of the term and that the clearest manifestation of dyslexia is evidenced when a discrepancy definition is adopted.

Many parents, especially those who have struggled with dyslexia themselves, may be anxious to know if their child who has been struggling with reading for years in school has dyslexia. Parents in Ireland are often left in the dark about policy changes that affect school practices around dyslexia (and the jargon) and this can be hugely problematic for them.

Many dyslexics do not succeed to the best of their abilities in our education system

Contrary to Elliot’s assertions, the label of dyslexia is a very positive and empowering one for dyslexics, and there is consistent evidence of this in the research. A simple view of dyslexia might liken it to blood pressure or insomnia, as it varies in severity, but there comes a point where intervention is needed because of the severity.

Because dyslexia is a persistent difficulty and many dyslexics do not succeed to the best of their abilities in our education system, this is sufficient reason in my view for wider acknowledgement and understanding of dyslexia. Regardless of the above issues, the onward march of international research in genetics and neuroscientific understanding of dyslexia is progressing unimpeded by the negative voices of dyslexia week.

The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ

Do you know what dyslexia is?

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Ellen Reynor