Dyslexia in Greek higher education: a study of incidence, policy and provision

Dyslexia is defined as a disability that primarily affects reading and writing. Internationally, the number of dyslexic students entering higher education is on the rise. It is estimated that students with dyslexia represent a small but significant minority. Many English-speaking countries have developed support services and teaching practices to accommodate dyslexic students' educational needs. In Greece, research on dyslexia is very limited. The purpose of this study is to define the incidence of dyslexia among the Greek student population and to examine dyslexic students' age, gender and major field of study. Data were collected from a total of 406 departments at all Greek public institutions of higher education (n = 32). The existing practices for identifying and provisions for supporting dyslexic students were also examined. The incidence of dyslexia in Greek higher education was estimated to be 0.16%, which is far below the estimated incidence in the general population. Interesting results were yielded regarding the variability of higher education institutions' responses to dyslexia. In almost all Greek institutions, provision takes place in the form of oral examinations and generic counseling. technological education institutions (TEIs) seem to be more aware of the educational needs of dyslexic students, possibly because they have three times more dyslexic students than higher education institutions (HEIs). All Greek universities deal with the needs of dyslexic students on an individual basis, making provision reactive rather than proactive. The results of the present study are discussed in the light of inclusive education and equality of opportunity for students who learn in a different way but do not differ from their counterparts in terms of intelligence or general abilities.     

Length effects in pseudo-word spelling: stronger in dyslexic than in non-dyslexic students

It is often discussed whether dyslexics show a deviant pattern of reading and spelling development when compared to typically developing students, or whether they follow the same pattern as other students, only at markedly slower rate. The present cross-sectional study investigated phonological encoding skills in dyslexic Danish students. We compared dyslexic and non-dyslexic students from grades 3, 5, 7, and 9 and examined whether effects of item length were stronger in the dyslexic groups. Mixed between-within subjects analyses of variance revealed significant interactions between dyslexia status and item length as the dyslexics at all grade levels were more affected by item length than their non-dyslexic peers. A marked developmental delay was apparent as the dyslexic group from grade 9 performed on approximately the same level as the non-dyslexic group from grade 3. Although the overall difference between these two groups was not significant, a significant interaction between dyslexia status and item length remained because the grade 9 dyslexics were more affected by item length than the younger non-dyslexic students. This difference in error profiles suggests a difference in the developmental patterns of dyslexic vs. non-dyslexic students.     

认知因素对阅读障碍鉴别的准确性和稳定性

本研究探讨以阅读相关认知因素为预测变量来鉴别不同年龄段汉语阅读障碍的有效性和稳定性.研究中筛选出二年级阅读障碍组和年龄控制组各22人,四年级阅读障组和控制组各27人,六年级阅读障碍组和控制组各20人.Logistic回归分析结果发现认知因素组合能有效鉴别阅读障碍,但各个年级最有效的预测因素存在差异.     

Spelling improvement for college students who are dyslexic

Academic problems of the dyslexic child often persist in adult life. Such problems as spelling can interfere with the performance of such adult learners in college. Federal legislation requires reasonable accommodation for these students. At some colleges, this consists of allowing use of tape recorders in lectures and sometimes allowing extra time on examinations. Remediation of reading, writing, and spelling among dyslexic college students is often not addressed. This study reports the use of a modified Orton-Gillingham approach in comparison with a nonphonetic approach and with a group receiving no remediation. The results indicate a significant increase in spelling performance for the group receiving the modified Orton-Gillingham remediation. This contrasts with no significant change in the group receiving nonphonetic remediation and in the control group (no remediation), and indicates that adulthood is not too late for appropriate intervention for the dyslexic student. Colleges offering such intervention and the students receiving it will benefit from improved performance.     

Self‐efficacy in undergraduate students with dyslexia: a mixed methods investigation

It may be thought that gaining a place at university confers self‐belief on students with dyslexia; after all, they have succeeded in their academic studies. Our research explored self‐efficacy beliefs in university students with and without dyslexia. An Academic Self‐Efficacy Scale and a Sources of Academic Self‐Efficacy Scale were completed by 44 university students. These scores were compared between dyslexic and non‐dyslexic students. Interviews were conducted with eight participants to gain a fuller understanding of how their self‐efficacy beliefs develop. Undergraduate students with dyslexia scored lower than students without dyslexia on four out of the five measures of academic self‐efficacy. The dyslexic students reported role models, teachers and school performance as factors influencing their motivation toward academic work. The research suggests that university students with dyslexia still need interventions to help boost their self‐efficacy profiles, despite the level of success they have achieved in gaining a place at university.     

Identification of sub-types of students with learning disabilities in reading and its implications for Chinese word recognition and instructional methods in Hong Kong primary schools

This paper consists of three studies. The first study aimed to identify sub-types of students with learning disabilities in reading. Based on the dual-route model of reading, words may be read using either a lexical (words are recognized as wholes) or a sub-lexical (words are recognized through grapheme-phoneme correspondence) procedure. Castles and Coltheart (1993) provided evidence for the existence of these two mechanisms in English reading. They suggested that deficits in one and/or the other mechanism would lead to different patterns of reading disability. Surface dyslexia results from an impairment of the lexical procedure with an intact phonological route to reading. Phonological dyslexia results from a deficit in the grapheme-phoneme transformation mechanism. A higher percentage of surface dyslexia was identified in the present study. The aim of the second study was to analyze reading errors to support the existence of surface and phonological dyslexic patterns in Chinese reading. The results showed that students with surface dyslexic pattern made more phonological errors, whereas students with phonological dyslexic pattern made more semantic errors. These two studies indicate that students with learning disabilities could have different strengths and weaknesses and could have different preferences for recognizing Chinese characters and different responses to instructional methods. The third study was designed to test the effects of different teaching methods and different kinds of Chinese characters on students with learning disabilities. In general, the analytic method was found more effective for students with surface dyslexic pattern and the whole-word method for those with the phonological dyslexic pattern. The findings of this study showed the importance of identifying the strengths of the different sub-types of readers and the need to choose appropriate instructional methods accordingly.     

Exploring the use of the ICT in supporting dyslexic students’ preferred learning styles : A preliminary evaluation

Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities. It is described as a disorder manifested by difficulty in learning to read despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and sociocultural opportunity. It affects relatively about 7–10 % of the population across most languages and cultures. In this study, we explore the potential benefits offered by the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to support dyslexic students by considering their preferred learning styles. In the current paper we administered the VAK and Honey & Mumford questionnaires to 28 Arabic students with ages between 8 and 10 years old. 8 students from dyslexic group and 20 students from control group were selected to assess and compare their preferred learning style. The implemented system focuses on dyslexia in Arabic language, especially in Arabic countries such as Morocco. Based on the results of the analysis of learning styles differences, we introduced an adaptive mobile learning to support and promote learning for dyslexic students. The aim of the study is to consider the relationship between dyslexia and learning style and to suggest a different learning way. Preliminary results show that the ICT has a valuable role in providing opportunities for learners with dyslexia to participate more fully in education.     

Derivational morphology and spelling in dyslexia

This exploratory study aimed to evaluate the spelling of derived words by dyslexic adolescents and to verify whether this is associated with lack of vocabulary and/or morphological knowledge. A cross-sectional reading level-design was employed in order to determine differences in spelling, derivational morphology and vocabulary tasks between dyslexic students aged 13+ and age-matched and reading level matched control groups. The study confirmed a profound spelling impairment of dyslexic students in comparison with two control groups but this was not associated with poor vocabulary in relation with their age-peers. In contrast, they exhibited lower levels of morphological knowledge than age-matched controls but equivalent with the reading level controls. These results are interpreted in the light of current developmental models of spelling that support a reciprocal interaction between spelling and metamorphology.     

Book Reviews

Increased awareness and improved tests have contributed to the identification of rising numbers of dyslexic students entering higher education in the United Kingdom. Nearly half of these students are not diagnosed until they start their HE courses. Studies of experiences of dyslexic students diagnosed as children exist; however, there is little comparable information on dyslexic students diagnosed as adults.

This qualitative study explores the experiences of six students diagnosed with dyslexia after starting their Masters degrees. Their personal accounts were analysed using thematic analysis. The major themes identified were: ? Distress

? Self-doubt

? Embarrassment

? Frustration

? Relief

? Confidence

? Motivation

The findings revealed that being diagnosed with dyslexia as an adult can be cathartic or devastating depending on the individual’s current emotional status and personality. However, as they develop a deeper understanding of what dyslexia means and how it affects them as individuals, the diagnosis becomes a liberating revelation. Once the label is accepted, the individual can embrace the change in lifestyle that the diagnosis necessitates. This study provides a deeper understanding of the consequences of a late diagnosis and highlights the need for management approaches to be individually tailored to specific needs.     

Applying effective instructional strategies for teaching dyslexic students in a remedial college algebra course

For many secondary and postsecondary students with dyslexia, passing required algebra courses presents a formidable challenge. Although dyslexic students do have specific and sometimes severe learning deficits that can affect their chances of success in algebra, they can succeed if given appropriate and effective instruction that meets their special and individual needs. This article briefly describes the application of effective instructional practices to the teaching of remedial algebra that have been used with dyslexic students in the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Project Success program.     

The Effects of Morphological Awareness Training on the Reading and Spelling Skills of Young Dyslexics

This article reports data from a training study of morphological awareness involving 33 dyslexic students in grades 4 - 5. The dyslexic students received 36 lessons of morphological awareness training each of about a quarter of an hour. The training was oral and focused on semantic aspects of morphemes. During the training period, the experimental group gained significantly more than a similar group of untrained controls (n = 27) on one of three measures of morphological awareness. Both groups, however, made equal gains on measures of phonological awareness, phoneme discimination and picture naming. The experimental group progressed significantly more than the controls in reading comprehension and in spelling of morphologically complex words. The results of the study suggest that it is possible to develop dyslexic students' morphological awareness. Furthermore, awareness of morphemes, the smallest meaningful units of language, may support the development of meaning - oriented decoding strategies in reading and spelling.     

Dyslexic/learning disabled students at Dartmouth college

Dartmouth College, a highly selective Ivy League college with 4100 undergraduates, has a small but significant number of dyslexic/learning-disabled students, two-thirds of whom were identified through diagnostic testing at Dartmouth. Close advising relationships and intensive interviews with Dartmouth learning-disabled students reveal a profile of a particular category of learning-disabled college students. In spite of experiencing difficulty in a specific content area or with an information-processing task, learning-disabled Dartmouth students achieve well academically, socially, and extracurricularly, get high scores on timed SAT and IQ tests, and rely when necessary on accommodations, rather than remedial courses or specialized tutorial assistance. The authors surveyed selective colleges in 1986 and 1988 and found an increase in awareness and academic accommodations at other selective colleges during this two-year period. A 1987 dyslexic/learning-disabilities symposium hosted by Dartmouth is described, as are Dartmouth’s services and accommodations. The authors provide a suggested list of services and resources for highly selective colleges.     

Here’s to the future

In the near future the thoughtful and creative use of technology can, and should, greatly improve the quality of the curriculum for dyslexic students. The quality of their learning should also be enhanced, provided that educators are fully aware of student needs, have advance training, and have sufficient time and expertise to select and evaluate appropriate software programs. Computers and other multi-media devices must not only be present in the classrooms of the future, but should be fully integrated into the regular instructional system to meet the individual needs of dyslexic students. There should be prior knowledge on the teacher’s part of types of software which will lead to curriculum congruence and the achieving of goals unreached without the help of technology. Technology should not be restricted to one content area or discipline, but should be available whenever it can be seen to make learning more profitable and more efficient. Both students and teachers must be granted the freedom to use technology in ways that will encourage creativity, critical thinking, and easy access to information in keeping with intellectual potential. Teacher training and involvement are crucial to the successful use of multi-media in the remediation of skills and extension of knowledge for dyslexic students. This paper is based on the Keynote address given by the author at the New York Branch, The Orton Dyslexia Society, 17th Annual Conference, March 22, 1990.     

Cognitive-linguistic profiles of Chinese typical-functioning adolescent dyslexics and high-functioning dyslexics

Dyslexia is a developmental disability affecting the acquisition of reading and writing skills, and its developmental nature makes longitudinal research of great importance. This study therefore investigated the cognitive-linguistic profiles of the typical-functioning dyslexics and high-functioning dyslexics with longitudinal cohorts of Chinese-speaking adolescents diagnosed with childhood dyslexia. These two dyslexic groups of fifty students (with 25 typical-functioning dyslexics) were assessed in Grade 2 (Time 1) and in Grade 8 (Time 2), whereas 25 typically developing controls were assessed at Time 2. Students were administered measures of phonological awareness, morphological skills, visual-orthographic knowledge, rapid naming, verbal working memory, and literacy skills. Results showed that, at Time 2, both dyslexic groups performed less well than the control group on most of the measures. Deficits in rapid naming were particularly salient in both dyslexic groups. Comparing the two dyslexic groups, the typical-functioning dyslexics had more multiple deficits than the high-functioning dyslexics. Findings highlight the importance of rapid naming deficits as potential universal causes of dyslexia and the utility of targeting visual-orthographic knowledge and morphological skills in supporting the development of dyslexic adolescents.     

Questioning the benefits that coloured overlays can have for reading in students with and without dyslexia

Visual stress (the experience of visual distortions and discomfort during prolonged reading) is frequently identified and alleviated with coloured overlays or lenses. Previous studies have associated visual stress with dyslexia and as a consequence, coloured overlays are widely distributed to children and adults with reading difficulty. However, this practice remains controversial. We investigated whether overlays have advantageous and reliable benefits for reading in undergraduate students with and without dyslexia. Both groups read jumbled text faster with a coloured overlay than without. The dyslexic group did not show greater gains than controls, despite reporting significantly more symptoms of visual stress. However, coloured overlays did not improve reading rate or comprehension of connected text. The improvement in reading speed with an overlay was not reliable and was significantly reduced at retesting for dyslexic students. These results question the value of coloured overlays as a tool for identifying visual stress and as a form of remediation for the reading difficulties associated with dyslexia.     

Visual stress in adults with and without dyslexia

The relationship between dyslexia and visual stress (sometimes known as Meares‐Irlen syndrome) is uncertain. While some theorists have hypothesised an aetiological link between the two conditions, mediated by the magnocellular visual system, at the present time the predominant theories of dyslexia and visual stress see them as distinct, unrelated conditions, a view that has received some support from studies with children. Studies of visual stress in adults are rare, yet recent reports of a high incidence of this phenomenon amongst university students with diagnosed dyslexia call for further investigation of the issue. This study sought to clarify the relationship between visual stress and dyslexia by comparing the reading performance of dyslexic and non‐dyslexic adults with, and without, colour. Degree of susceptibility to visual stress was determined by means of a symptom rating scale. Optimal colour was determined using an Intuitive Colorimeter, which was also employed to assess reading speed under the two experimental conditions. Only the dyslexic students with high visual stress showed significant gains in reading speed when using optimal colour. The use of response to treatment (rather than symptomatology) as a diagnostic criterion for visual stress is questioned, especially when applied to adults, as this may give misleading findings. On the basis of reported symptomatology, students who experience high levels of visual stress are more likely to show improvements in reading rate with optimal colour if they also have dyslexia than if they do not have dyslexia. Although not establishing an aetiological link, these findings imply an interaction between the two conditions with major implications for theory, diagnosis and treatment.     

“…If we were cavemen we'd be fine”: Facebook as a catalyst for critical literacy learning by dyslexic sixth‐form students

This article is derived from a study of the use of Facebook as an educational resource by five dyslexic students at a sixth form college in north‐west England. Through a project in which teacher‐researcher and student‐participants co‐constructed a group Facebook page about the students’ scaffolded research into dyslexia, the study examined the educational affordances of a digitally mediated social network. An innovative, flexible, experiential methodology combining action research and case study with an ethnographic approach was devised. This enabled the use of multiple mixed methods, capturing much of the rich complexity of the students’ online and offline interactions with each other and with digital media as they contributed to the group and co‐constructed their group Facebook page. Social perspectives on dyslexia and multiliteracies were used to help interpret the students’ engagement with the social network and thereby deduce its educational potential. The research concludes that as a digitally mediated social network, Facebook engages the students in active, critical learning about and through literacies in a rich and complex semiotic domain. Offline dialogue plays a crucial role. This learning is reciprocally shaped by the students’ developing identities as both dyslexic students and able learners. The findings suggest that social media can have advantageous applications for literacy learning in the classroom. In prompting learning yet remaining unchanged by it, Facebook can be likened to a catalyst.     

Representing written vowels in university students with dyslexia compared with normal hebrew readers

The study investigates dyslexic and normal Hebrew readers’ perception of words containing a vowel letter in different orthographic and morphological contexts. In the first experiment, 72 undergraduate education students (half diagnosed with reading disabilities and half normal readers) were asked to judge pointed words with different morphological structures with and without the grapheme W. Half of the words had consistent (obligatory) W and half had inconsistent (optional) W. In the second experiment, the same procedure was repeated using the same words without pointing marks. Response latencies and accuracy were measured. In both experiments, dyslexic readers did less well than normal readers. They had lower scores on accurate lexical decisions and they took more time over these decisions. They also exhibited some deviant patterns, indicating that they cannot make use of orthographic and morphological cues that are available to normal readers, especially in the pointed experiment. Processing pointed words placed a heavier cognitive burden on the dyslexic readers. These findings are in line with other studies of adult dyslexic reader/writers, and support a reading / spelling processing model, which claims that internal orthographic representations of words are increasingly strengthened with each exposure during reading, but not all graphemes are strengthened equally. The general implication is that the ambiguities that exist in the relationships between orthography, phonology, and morphology underlie spelling knowledge, and are particularly difficult for dyslexic readers.     

Scholastic Aptitude Test preparation for the adolescent dyslexic

Residual signs characteristic of a specific language disability, such as vocabulary deficits, trouble differentiating between literal and figurative words, difficulty paraphrasing a reading selection, and problems with abstract reasoning make it arduous for dyslexic adolescents to demonstrate their maximum potential on the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test. This paper illustrates ways in which SAT skills can be enhanced through a structured program of vocabulary development, an understanding of test taking strategies for specific SAT questions, and the learning of a pattern of analysis to improve reading comprehension. It includes case studies, as well as a discussion of the types of special test arrangements available for dyslexic students.