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All children can learn, all children must learn. Taken at face value, this statement is true. However, upon closer examination, those who know better are very much aware that there are many learning challenges that hinder children from learning.
Jamaica’s education system is faced with many challenges, but perhaps one of the most prevalent barriers to education is Language-Based Learning Disabilities (LBLD). Language-based learning disabilities can take several forms. Some of the most common include dyslexia and dysgraphia.
Children with language-based learning disabilities usually have problems reading, spelling, speaking and writing. Students who have difficulty in these areas often experience challenges at school, since weak language skills can make comprehension and communication more difficult.
It is important to understand that language-based learning disabilities are unrelated to a child’s intelligence.
According to Dr. Susan Anderson, a special education expert, dyslexia is the most common learning disability in Jamaica. Dyslexia, in many instances, is genetic and can run in families.
Dyslexia affects up to 20 per cent of a given population. Despite having average to above-average intelligence, children with dyslexia can have difficulty learning to “decode,” or read words by associating sounds with letters or letter combinations.
Students may also have difficulty recognising common “sight words,” or frequently occurring words that most readers recognise instantly. Examples include “the” and “and.” Children with dyslexia can also experience difficulty learning how to spell, sometimes referred to as “encoding.”
Recent research suggests that there are two main features of dyslexia.
First, people with dyslexia may have weak phonemic awareness. This means they have difficulty hearing the fine distinctions among individual sounds, or phonemes, in a language.
Phonics is no longer taught in many educational institutions, which, according to the writer, compounds the problem. Dyslexic students may also have difficulty rhyming and breaking words down into individual sounds.
Phonemic awareness is directly related to learning to decode and spell words.
In addition, children with dyslexia may take longer to process phonemic information or make connections between sounds and letters or letter combinations.
One has to ask the question: How can it be that so many students leave the primary level annually and enter high school unable to read or with severe literacy difficulties?
Alarmingly, not much data is available in Jamaica regarding the percentage of students with dyslexia.
Apart from teachers who specialise in special education, the vast majority of teachers are not adequately exposed to the knowledge needed to identify students displaying symptoms of dyslexia. These symptoms can include an inability to recognise letters, difficulty with rhyming and difficulty listing words that begin with the same sound.
Many dyslexic students also have trouble learning to recognise words, difficulty decoding unfamiliar words, slow or word-by-word reading, reluctance to read and writing considerably less than other children.
According to the Dyslexia Association of Trinidad and Tobago, dyslexia is a congenital organising disability that can impair hand skills, short-term memory and perception, thereby inhibiting the development of a child’s literary skills, particularly reading, writing and spelling, and sometimes numeracy.
Its effects can range from slight reading or spelling difficulties to complete illiteracy. Other symptoms can include problems with reading comprehension and reduced reading, which can impede vocabulary development.
Interestingly, both sexes are affected by dyslexia at similar rates. However, boys may be more likely to act out because of reading difficulties and therefore may be diagnosed earlier.
Girls, on the other hand, may be more likely to try to hide their difficulties by becoming quiet and reserved.
Many students, from as early as the primary level, display serious behavioural difficulties that, the writer argues, can stem from frustration and an inability to cope with the required educational pace because of poor reading and comprehension skills.
In many instances, schools are not adequately equipped or resourced to deal with such students.
The issue of dyslexia is complex.
Teachers may suspect that a student is dyslexic, but they are not generally in a position to make a clinical diagnosis. That responsibility belongs to a qualified clinician.
However, many parents are unable to afford the costs associated with having their children assessed.
Poverty therefore plays a significant role in the diagnosis and treatment of dyslexia, according to the writer.
Students from higher-income households who have dyslexia may be more likely to receive an early diagnosis and treatment, allowing their learning to improve. Conversely, students from lower socio-economic backgrounds may take longer to receive a diagnosis, potentially affecting their educational progress.
Dysgraphia
Dyslexia and dysgraphia are two distinct neurological conditions, although they can be confused because they share some symptoms and often occur together.
Dyslexia is a learning difference that can make it harder for people to learn to read. A person with dyslexia may read more slowly or have difficulty recognising words. Often, people with dyslexia read at a lower level than expected.
Dysgraphia, meanwhile, involves difficulty with the act of writing. Challenges can range from physically writing words to organising and expressing thoughts in written form.
The Cleveland Clinic defines dysgraphia as a neurological condition in which someone has difficulty turning thoughts into written language for their age and ability to think, despite receiving adequate instruction and education.
Dysgraphia can present with different symptoms at different ages. It generally becomes apparent when children are first learning to write, which is known as developmental dysgraphia.
People can also develop dysgraphia suddenly following some form of head or brain trauma. This is known as acquired dysgraphia.
Dysgraphia is more common in boys, as is the case with many neurodevelopmental conditions. Researchers estimate that between 5 and 20 per cent of people have dysgraphia, although the range is broad because the condition can go undiagnosed or be misdiagnosed.
Dysgraphia can present in several ways, including difficulty writing in a straight line, reversing letters, incorrectly ordering words in sentences and omitting words.
Unfortunately, many educators witness these behaviours among students every day.
As a result, teachers can become frustrated. It is not uncommon for students to be labelled as “bad” because learning disorders such as dyslexia and dysgraphia can be mistaken for behavioural problems.
Too often, the school environment is not a safe space for such students, who may face bullying, teasing and discrimination.
Addressing dyslexia and dysgraphia requires early diagnosis and intervention. The writer also points to teachers learning from their students as a useful instructional strategy. By asking specific content-related questions, teachers can encourage students with dyslexia to participate in meaningful conversations that stimulate learning and motivation (Miller & Faircloth, 2009).
Another strategy is think-aloud. This approach requires students to extract, construct and think about content, helping to facilitate their understanding.
Think-aloud activities tap into a metacognitive process in which students monitor their reading before, during and after reading (Baker & Beall, 2009).
The strategy can provide teachers with valuable insight into the cognitive approaches students use to comprehend text. Its foundational framework is rooted in the constructivist idea of gaining knowledge.
The Problem of Underdiagnosis
Regional research has highlighted significant gaps in the diagnosis and reporting of specific learning disorders such as dyslexia and dysgraphia. Many cases may go undetected or be grouped broadly under general learning difficulties.
The underdiagnosis of dyslexia and dysgraphia among students is therefore a serious concern and highlights some of the challenges they face in accessing education.
More attention must be paid to students, particularly boys, many of whom continue to underperform at different levels of the education system.
Jamaica is at a critical juncture, the writer argues, and all high schools should have a special education unit or department.
Developmental language disorders should be treated as opportunities to understand that some students learn differently and require appropriate support.
With early intervention and structured programmes in place, students with dyslexia and dysgraphia can go on to live rewarding lives.
All children can learn. However, some children require more support and scaffolding.
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and gender issues.
Email: [email protected]
X: @WayneCamo
