Dyslexia – A long History in Education

Dyslexia – A long History in Education

Teaching and Learning Mrs Cara Fugill

“A boy, aged 10 years, was brought to me by his father on Jan. 8th, 1900, to see the reason of his great difficulty in learning to read. The boy had been at school for three years and had got on well with every subject except reading. He was apparently a bright, and in every respect, an intelligent boy… It was soon evident, however, on careful examination that the difficulty in learning to read was due to a deficiency of the visual memory for words.” (Hinshelwood)

In the early 1900s, around the time Scotch College opened its doors, the term Dyslexia was coined by a German ophthalmologist, Rudolf Berlin, who determined that the issues associated with reading were not related to any underlying eye condition, but instead, a deficiency in ‘seeing’ words. At the time, he referred to it as, Wortblindheit or ‘word-blindness’. UK physicians then began the long journey to understanding dyslexia and the impact it can have on a child’s education. However, it wasn’t until the 1970s, that important work was done on developing intervention programmes that promoted the explicit teaching of phonics and language learning at a young age to reduce the impact of dyslexia.

During this period there were many myths dispelled about dyslexia, which was considered a reading difficulty rather than a disability, and linked to lower intelligence. Unfortunately, this misinformation had a detrimental impact on generations of dyslexic learners who were perceived by many as incapable of learning.

In 2011, more than 100 years after its determination, the Australian Government put together a working party and published a paper entitled, ‘Helping people with dyslexia: a national action agenda.’ Among other things, the working party agreed on a common definition; dyslexia became recognised as a learning disability requiring government funding and a National Advisory Council was founded.

Today, all education syllabuses for preservice teachers include training on identifying dyslexic traits and differentiating teaching strategies to support participation for dyslexic students across the full range of abilities. Furthermore, a diagnosis of dyslexia should entitle a student or adult to use a computer or laptop with appropriate assistive technology programs installed, in class, in exams and in the workplace. Finally, additional working time should be given in timed examinations at school, TAFE and university.

At Scotch, we pride ourselves on providing an inclusive and equitable education and are passionate about removing learning barriers for all our students. This is, in its most basic form, about providing support and adjustments that can assist students with a learning disability overcome challenges in their learning environment. At a more complex level, it is about designing a curriculum and learning environment where the learning disability no longer matters because all students have options in how they learn and share their understanding. In the past the level of reading skills, writing ability, organisation and rote learning required to be successful underpinned our education system. Nowadays teachers have flexibility and options to determine a student’s level of understanding using different assessment formats, assistive technology, and varied modes of delivery.

For example, it is just as valid to ascertain a student’s content knowledge through a presentation as it is for them to write about it or be tested in timed conditions. It is just as valid for a student to understand and analyse a novel by having it read to them through e-books, as it is by reading it themselves. It is just as valid for a student to discuss, select how they would like to demonstrate and share their understanding, as it is for them to rote learn a response and regurgitate it in writing. In fact, some would argue these skills are more relevant for a 21st century model of education.

It is common knowledge that numerous successful individuals such as Albert Einstein, Richard Branson, Pablo Picasso and George Washington were or are dyslexic. The talents of people with dyslexia have more recently been recognised, with social media platforms such as LinkedIn adding ‘Dyslexic Thinking’ as a valuable skill. The wide range of creative and talented people in this group demonstrate that whilst dyslexia is a learning disability, it can have some significant upsides with the following abilities noticeably above average in dyslexic people.

• Visualising: Interacting with space, senses, physical ideas & new concepts. (75% are above average).

• Imagining: Creating an original piece of work or giving ideas a new spin (84% are above average).

• Communicating: Crafting & conveying clear & engaging messages. (71% are above average).

• Reasoning: Understanding patterns, evaluating possibilities & making decisions. (84% are above average).

• Exploring: being curious & exploring ideas in a constant & energetic way. (84% are above average).

At Scotch, we pride ourselves on providing an inclusive and equitable education and are passionate about removing learning barriers for all our students.

Whilst it would be fair to say that we have come a long way to helping students with dyslexia reach their potential, the model of exam-based education is still a barrier for these students. The International Baccalaureate is more generous than the state-based system where it offers between 25% and 50% additional working time depending on the severity of the disability, whereas the state-based system offers an additional 10 minutes for every hour of assessment regardless. Furthermore, Universities can now be accessed through a Certificate IV pathway with no examinations required at all. These changes are significant in making sure that people with a learning disability have an equal chance of fulfilling their career aspirations.