01 NRDC Dyslexia 1-88 update - Texthelp

Developmental dyslexia in adults: a research review 139
probably represents a specific maturational defect which tends to lessen as the child
grows older and is capable of considerable improvement, especially when appropriate
remedial help is afforded at the earliest opportunity (page 149).
Research Definitions
Fletcher, J. M., Foorman, B. R., Boudousquie, A., Barnes, M. A., Schatschneider, C. and Francis,
D. J. (2002). Assessment of reading and learning disabilities: a research-based interventionoriented
approach. Journal of School Psychology, 40(1), 27–63.
Dyslexia is one of several distinct learning disabilities. It is a specific language-based
disorder characterised by difficulties in the development of accurate and fluent single
word decoding skills, usually associated with insufficient phonological processing and
rapid naming abilities. These difficulties in single word decoding are often unexpected in
relation to age and other cognitive and academic abilities; they are not the result of
generalised developmental disability or sensory impairment. Dyslexia is manifest by
variable difficulty with different forms of language, often including, in addition to
problems in reading, a conspicuous problem with acquiring proficiency in writing and
spelling. Reading comprehension problems are common, reflecting decoding and
fluency problems (page 43).
Fisher, S. E., Francks, C., Marlow, A. J., MacPhie, I. L., Newbury, D. F., Cardon, L. R., Ishikawa-
Brush, Y., Richardson, A. J., Talcott, J. B., Gayan, J., Olson, R. K., Pennington, B. F., Smith, S. D.,
DeFries, J. C., Stein, J. F. and Monaco, A. P. (2002). Independent genome-wide scans identify a
chromosome 18 quantitative-trait locus influencing dyslexia. Nature Genetics, 30(1), 86–91.
Developmental dyslexia is defined as a specific and significant impairment in reading
ability that cannot be explained by deficits in intelligence, learning opportunity,
motivation or sensory acuity. It is one of the most frequently diagnosed disorders in
childhood, representing a major educational and social problem. It is well established
that dyslexia is a significantly heritable trait with a neurobiological basis. The etiological
mechanisms remain elusive, however, despite being the focus of intensive
multidisciplinary research (page 86).
Berninger, V. W. (2001). Understanding the ‘lexia’ in dyslexia: a multidisciplinary team approach
to learning disabilities. Annals of Dyslexia, 51, 23–48.
Developmental dyslexia is defined as uneven development (dissociation) between word
reading and higher-level processes in the functional reading system. Dyslexics may
struggle with word reading because of deficits in phonological processes, orthographicphonological
connections and/or fluency (rate, automaticity, or executive coordination)
(Abstract).
Grigorenko, E. L. (2001). Developmental dyslexia: an update on genes, brains, and environments.
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 42(1), 91–125.
… a complex biologically-rooted behavioral condition resulting from impairment of
reading-related processes (phonological skills, automatised lexical retrieval and verbal
short-term memory, in any combination) and manifested in difficulties related to the