Forums > Social Discussion > Channel 4 program- dyslexia-a myth

Posted: 9th Sep 2005

Written by: pricklyleaf

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But dyslexia is nowhere nearly as simply as just being agressive, or shy, it is a disability and has multiple symptoms. Yes it is very different to cancer, but that was the first thing that came into my head to point out that its all very well you saying that symptopms should just be treated and not diagnosed, but until something is diagnosed, you can't know the bigger picture, thats why its important, you don't know or understand all the repracusions something could have, and can't treat them, until you know what it is you are dealing with.

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1. I think that's exactly what FNF wanted to point out... that dyslexia is more complicated than just 1 thing, but that aggressiveness is more complicated than "just" being aggressive, too, in that it can have a variety of causes. It can be something wrong in the brain, it can even be something wrong somewhere else in your body which makes you act aggressive because the body's got all defenses switched on, it can be a bad childhood, it can be something in your past you've forgot etc, and each of this causes needs different targetting. In schools, there's now so much more definitions for problems students have, like dyslexia, ADS, Aspergers etc, and numbers of aggressive children or those with social inhibitions are rising just as the ones for dyslexia, so you really shouldn't say that it's all easy for the others!

2. I wasn't saying either that dyslexic people use their disability as an excuse generally, just that I was annoyed at people like the girl Flid mentioned. Please don't think anyone on here is offensive just because they have a different view. I also think that people with a disability should not complain as much as SOME do - decades or centuries earlier, I wouldn't have survived beyond the age of 2, Lightning would probably never have become the DOC Lightning, and you wouldn't have been helped with dyslexia, so I think disabled people should just go for it and make all they can out of their lives instead of mentioning the times their disability has kept them from doing something over and over. Yes, some things are harder, but on the other hand we estimate success probably more than "normal" people.


3. If new studies have found that there is not as much a difference between dyslexia and other reading problems, maybe this is a step in the right direction for finding better ways of dealing with it and helping those concerned. You shouldn't dismiss it just because you don't like the sound of it, it will definitely help thousands of children who up to now have been regarded as 2nd class bad readers.

Btw, I have 10 of the dyslexia criteria myself, though I'd say they are pretty common. This means that either I am dyslexic, which I doubt (but if I am it's not done me any harm), or it proves that most of us have some difficulties with certain things and are better at others Thank God for that, otherwise we'd all be so similar!

This may be a bit off-topic, but I'd like to hear your opinions on this thought:


I keep wondering what would happen if schools etc be consequent about abilities. You'd need different tables in PE for people with short and long legs in running, for heavy and light people in shotput, for people with fear of hights on the beam etc. You'd need to adjust marks in maths for those with a less logical way of thinking, and in languages for those who just don't have the ability for that. Everyone's got weak spots somewhere, and most of them are not only caused by a lack of interest but by disposition, abilities of teachers to explain in different ways, and environment, so should we give all of them a name and put them down as a syndrome or should we just accept that different people are good at different things?

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Posted: 9th Sep 2005

Written by: Birgit

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3. If new studies have found that there is not as much a difference between dyslexia and other reading problems, maybe this is a step in the right direction for finding better ways of dealing with it and helping those concerned. You shouldn't dismiss it just because you don't like the sound of it, it will definitely help thousands of children who up to now have been regarded as 2nd class bad readers.

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I'm not disputing or dismissing those results, and have said previously that everyone should get the help they need etc. but my point is that the program didn't need to say dyslexia doesn't exist, and portray dyslexia just as a reading problem, causing problems for those diagnosed with a conditon that is already widely misunderstood.

I went on the live webchat after the program and many people were saying that their LEAs had withdrawn support for their dyslexic children. So now, because of the program, some dyslexics are going to end up with no support.

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and hula hoop like wiggling will save the world.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

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Posted: 9th Sep 2005

Written by: pricklyleaf

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my point is that the program didn't need to say dyslexia doesn't exist, and portray dyslexia just as a reading problem

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i didnt see the program but from what people have been saying and my own personal view is that dyslexia is just a way of defining a group of broad characteristics.

in its self it has no known specific cause.

its just a good way of labelling a group of characteristics that may now need relabelling as more is know about the condition

it is similar with autism. there are many 'shades' some bearly noticable if at all.

what matters, until dyslexia is 'cureable' (if its even desirable to cure it..) is how its treated and at the moment all that can be treated are the symptoms

so more help needs to be provided for each sympton. it may be that the person isnt dyslexic but has problems reading - they still need the help

so maybe blanketing a whole range of people under dyslexia isnt the best way of helping them. as some are excluded when they need the help as they arent dyslexic. and some are isolated when they dont need the help...

back

Posted: 10th Sep 2005

Written by: linden rathen

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in its self it has no known specific cause.

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Not entirely true. The educational psychologist I saw was also studying why we get Dyslexia. She asked my dad a few questions:



Are you left handed?

Did you start to read late?

Did you have difficulty at school?



All of which he answered left. The psychologist then said it was possible that my Dad (he hasn't been tested for it though) is dyslexic as well. She believes that it is more common down the male side of the family, and is passed on (So it could be genetic methinks).



But this doesn't explain why I have dyslexia, and not my brohter (an annoyingly clever chap, one of those straight As types). She reckons that its something to do with when we are born. She asked questions about my birth.



Turns out that I had a "traumatic" birth, meaning I came feet rather than head first, and she reckons that that's what triggered it all







Now I dunno if that's true or not, but an educational psychologist *is* and educational psychologist...
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Posted: 10th Sep 2005
thats not quite what i ment FRD

when i say there is no cause i mean we dont know what actually causes the problem - is it how the brain is set up? chemical? or something else?

the point is while yes it does have a cause there is no treatment for the cause so you can only treat the symptons

back

Posted: 10th Sep 2005
It is really intresting. I think it has something to do with which side of the brain is stronger. (this is just my own personal theory). People who are dyslexic tend to be left-handed or ambidextrous, and be very strong visual thinkers. I asume that visual thinking is more controlled by the right hand side of the brain (the right hand side of the brain controlling the left side of thhe body and all that.). So maybe its just caused by the right hand side of the brain being dominant over the left.
Intrestingly approx 10%of the population is left handed, and 10% of the population are dyslexic, and most dyslexics are left-handed (or ambidextrous).

Live like there is no tomorrow,
dance like nobody is watching
and hula hoop like wiggling will save the world.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Posted: 10th Sep 2005
hmmm could be something like that



but then again there are ltos of groups in the popualtion that are roughly 10% of it

back

Posted: 13th Sep 2005
Hmm, I missed it twice

Would have been good for my research

Anyone happened to tape it?

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Posted: 14th Sep 2005

Written by: pricklyleaf

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dyslexics have difficulty in, such as motor control, auditry processing, memory.

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ahhhhh suddenly its all comeing into focus i always thought i just had realy poor hearing cos im allways miss hearing people maby its a result of my dislexia intresting

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Posted: 14th Sep 2005
Dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism, Asperger's syndrome, Tourettes syndrome, Williams syndrome, bipolar disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Auditiory Processing Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic Pain Syndrome and schizophrenia are all just labels applied to people who could probably be best described as having an autistic spectrum disorder.

What they have in common is that they are genetic, although they can be triggered or worsened by trauma or exposure to certain chemicals. They can occur in widely varying severity, and often several can occur simultaneously. They are neurological, while the huge majority of doctors and psychologists/psychiatrists only have training in physiological or psychological conditions.

This doesn't mean that there is physical damage to the nerves (although that may generate simiar symptoms), but rather the cheicals used to transfer messages between nerves may be produced in different amounts, or the receptor sites at the ends of the nerves may be more or less sensitive. Also other processes in the body, such as incomplete digestion may be causing chemicals to be left in the body, that affect the way the nervous sytem works.

Everyone has symptoms of these conditions to some extent. Only when they are severe enough to be noticed do the labels get applied, and often those labels are wrong, and can lead to the wrong kind of help. Someone with dyslexia and secondary symptoms of ADHD will need very different support from someone with dyslexia and secondary symptoms of Asperger's syndrome. Getting further diagnoses and support for secondary symptoms rarely occurs though.

The symptoms, which are centered on the nervous system, affect the senses, how the brain interprets them, and how the brain sends impulses to the nerves that control the muscles.

For example, in dyslexics this is mainly visual, with some motor control problems. Dyspraxia is mainly motor control.

Some of the conditions are more common in males, whiles others are more common in females.

Many mothers of children with ASDs have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Chronic Pain Syndrome, so the genetic factor may be causing different symptoms depending on the generation that they are in, the sex of the person, or other environmental factors (some farming communities have higher levels of certain conditions, depending on what brands of fertiliser/pesticides are used).

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