Thread by @Dyslexia_London

The #DALwebinar with Dr Iris Berent is about to begin. We will be live-tweeting throughout. Join us! #DecodingDyslexia

We will be continuing the discussion on the #DALforum so join us there: forum.dyslexialondon.org

#DALwebinar

We will discuss the tension between what Science thinks #dyslexia is and what laypeople think what #dyslexia is. And why the difference matters. #DALforum

"Developmental dyslexia is characterized by an unexpected difficulty in reading in children and adults who otherwise possess the intelligence, motivation and schooling considered necessary for accurate and fluent reading."

#DALwebinar

There is a consistent pattern of difficulties:
- Phonological Decoding
- Phonemic Awareness
- Speech and Sound Perception (reduced sensitivity in this skill in dyslexia - as young as 2-month old infants)

These are all related to SOUND.
#DALwebinar

Speech sounds matter in reading!

On 3 levels:
- Learning to read (writing is a code)
- Brain mechanisms (reading and speech run on the same brain network/tracks)
- Skilled reading (readers decode sounds when they read- even silently) #DALwebinar

We do not grow out of phonological decoding.

- Dyslexia is primarily comprised of the perception of speech sounds and their decoding from print (phonics)
- It is not 'just in your head' - they are biological.
- They are highly treatable.
#DALwebinar

Some myths of Dyslexia:

- Visual difficulties exist, but it is not typical.
- Letter reversal is common in ALL children - it is not a symptom of #Dyslexia
- Coloured overlays do not help.

It is a biological condition - it is in their genetic make-up.

#DALwebinar

Laypeople think that dyslexia is more likely to arise from visual difficulties.

The sources of these misconceptions?
- Experience, media
- Early Scientific theories blamed #dyslexia on vision
- How the human mind works - when we reason about dyslexia we try to figure out how...

..the mind works.

There are 2 fundamental cognitive principles:

- Bodies and minds (Dualism)
- Inheritance (Essentialism)

Phonological decoding is 'ephemeral' whereas 'vision' is easier to understand.

Our errors arise from the principles that make our minds tick. #DALwebinar

Dyslexia can exert a heavy toll but it is highly treatable.

Misconceptions about dyslexia by parents and teachers could delay/divert treatment.

The Blind Storyteller: How we reason human nature by Dr Iris Berent.

#DALwebinar

If we can hit these misconceptions on the head, we could:

- Improve public understanding

- Facilitate early treatment

#DALwebinar

Q on the requirement of vision tests for assessments in the UK:

It may be that you would need to rule out visual problems with tests. It could be one explanation as to why vision is tested by an optometrist in the UK.

#DALwebinar

These tests were conducted with English speakers in the USA. Dr Berent would welcome that the same studies be carried out across different cultures.

#DALwebinar

The first step is to shed light on these misconceptions so that policymakers can realise their mistake and so that we can promote this leading-edge research.

#DALwebinar

Q: You say that overlays do not work, does this apply to fonts?

Not her area of expertise - she quotes research that exists. We need to make a distinction between the problems and how you can tackle them individually. Calling attention to the printed word could help.
#DALwebinar

Is there any evidence to support that attention deficit is common in people with dyslexia?
ADHD and dyslexia are two distinct conditions, but the symptoms do tend to occur together.

#DALwebinar

That's all. Thank you very much, everyone. Be sure to join the #DALforum where we will upload a recording in the next couple of days.

forum.dyslexialondon.org

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