A dyslexia diagnosis can help struggling children, but what about the rest?
Children who struggle to read and are diagnosed with dyslexia can get additional help, but those who can't afford a test or don't meet the criteria get left behind. Surely there is a better way?
In the past, young learners who faced difficulties with reading and spelling were often labeled as "stupid," "lazy," or "dim." Nowadays, we have a more enlightened perspective – we categorize many of these children as "dyslexic." Imagine two 9-year-olds reading at the level of an average 6-year-old. One receives a dyslexia diagnosis, which positively impacts her well-being.
Her teachers now understand her condition and can provide customized assistance. The second child, however, may not be as fortunate. His parents might not be able to afford a dyslexia evaluation – in the UK, such assessments are not covered by the NHS and can cost hundreds of pounds. In the US, the expense could reach thousands of dollars.
Alternatively, he might have undergone testing but received a negative result. Until recently, this scenario was prevalent for already disadvantaged children, as the official definition of dyslexia included the concept of "discrepancy" – implying that reading problems should be unexpected given a child's other cognitive abilities.
IQ testing to assess ability can also be biased against those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds or those learning to read in a second language. Consequently, the second child is simply considered poor at reading or lazy, and not eligible for additional reading support.
Despite trials involving various cognitive processes, researchers have been unable to pinpoint meaningful ways to identify dyslexia. Therefore, why not simply aid all children who struggle to read? Each child possesses a unique combination of risk and remediation factors, but all would benefit most if we intervene when the issue first manifests, rather than waiting years for them to fail and then receiving a diagnosis.
Our enhanced understanding of what occurs in their brains even suggests some surprisingly straightforward methods to assist. By providing every child with the best possible opportunity to overcome their challenge, regardless of the label attached to them, what truly matters is ensuring they receive the optimal support.
Written by urgent.news from New Scientist's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
