01 NRDC Dyslexia 1-88 update - Texthelp

Developmental dyslexia in adults: a research review 137
incompletely or with great difficulty. (Recommended ‘working definition’ of dyslexia that
separates description from causal explanations. It focuses on learning at the ‘word’
level and implies that the problem is severe and persistent despite appropriate learning
opportunities.)
Note 1 ‘This report could be seriously misleading for practising educational psychologists’
(Abstract). Thomson, M. (2003). ‘Monitoring dyslexics’ intelligence and attainments: a
follow-up study’. Dyslexia, 9(1), 3–17.
Note 2 ‘This definition is so general that it could easily be applied to any child who has poor
literacy skills, regardless of their origin. Such contributions simply reinforce false
stereotypes and contribute to misunderstandings’ (page 9). Fitzgibbon, G. and O’Connor, B.
(2002). Adult Dyslexia: a guide for the workplace. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
Note 3 ‘ … the report’s definition of dyslexia, as ‘word-reading developing incompletely or
with great difficulty’ has given rise, in my view, to the misunderstanding that ‘diagnosis’ is
not important. On the contrary, it is crucially important for deciding on the most appropriate
intervention.’ Thomson, M. (2002). ‘Dyslexia and diagnosis’. The Psychologist, 15(11), 551.
Note 4 ‘The recent tautologous definition offered by the Working Party of the British
Psychological Society … focuses entirely on literacy difficulties. There are clear advantages
in this approach … However, there are also profound weaknesses … First, there is a
tendency to view difficulties through a school-based literacy rather than a “New Literacy
Studies” lens … A second weakness is that if primary and secondary causal factors are not
distinguished, inappropriate teaching approaches may be produced … A third weakness is
that in side-stepping the question of distinguishing between causal factors and their effects,
it becomes difficult to answer the common question of whether all those with persistent
literacy difficulties are dyslexic … Finally, the literacy focus encourages a view of dyslexia as
solely a literacy problem … ‘ (page 111). Herrington, M. and Hunter-Carsch, M. (2001). A
social interactive model of specific learning difficulties, e.g. dyslexia. In M. Hunter-Carsch
(Ed.), Dyslexia: a psychosocial perspective. London: Whurr.
Note 5 ‘We used the term “working” to show that developments in research and practice
were ongoing while we needed a starting point for the report. It was something to work with
and not necessarily the final word. And it was particularly important to recognise that the
descriptive working definition was not an operational definition’. Reason, R. (2001). ‘Letter to
the Editor’. Dyslexia, 7, 174.
Note 6 ‘ … a good operational definition of “dyslexia” will stick to symptoms’ (page 84).
Tønnessen, F. E. (1997). ‘How can we best define ‘dyslexia’?’ Dyslexia, 3, 78–92.
Gersons-Wolfensberger, D. C. M. and Ruijssenaars, W. A. J. J. M. (1997). Definition and
treatment of dyslexia: a report by the Committee of Dyslexia of the Health Council of the
Netherlands. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 30(2), 209–213.
Dyslexia is present when the automatisation of word identification (reading) and/or word
spelling does not develop or does so very incompletely or with great difficulty (page 209).
Note 1 The JLD paper is an adapted version of the executive summary of the report,
which had appeared (in Dutch) as Publication No. 1995/15 of the Health Council of the
Netherlands.