Health > British teacher sparks row on dyslexia

Julian Elliott, professor of education at Durham University in northern England, described dyslexia as a "construct" that had no scientific basis but had gained wide currency.

"It is hardly surprising that the widespread, yet wholly erroneous, belief that dyslexics are intellectually bright but poor readers would create an impassioned demand to be accorded a dyslexic label," he wrote in the Times Educational Supplement.

The article, to publicize a documentary on the emotive issue to be aired next week, said there was no proof there was any teaching method more appropriate for children diagnosed as dyslexic than those simply classified as slow readers.

Elliott declined to discuss the article or its implications when contacted by Reuters.

Dyslexia has a very broad definition -- ranging from reading to writing and learning difficulties and covering both literacy and numeracy.

Experts say four percent of people suffer from a severe form of the condition, with another six percent have a mild form of the condition -- making it quite hard to pinpoint at times.

Dyslexia specialists rejected Elliot's claims as baseless and potentially damaging.

"Dyslexia is an internationally recognized illness. It affects all races, all religions and, importantly, all ability levels -- not just the intelligent as he suggests," Laura Sercombe of the Dyslexic Institute told Reuters.

"For people who come to us seeking help, the first step on the road to recovery is the recognition that they are dyslexic. Somebody like this can actually do a lot of damage to their self confidence. We don't need people like this," she said.

Symptoms can include problems with short-term memory, mathematics, concentration, personal organization and sequencing. School children diagnosed with dyslexia are given more time in exams.

The Dyslexia Institute's Web site www.dyslexia-inst.org.uk said the condition is biological and tends to run in families.

"We have been working with sufferers for the past 30 years. Yet parts of this article seem to suggest the condition does not even exist -- and that is just plain wrong," Sercombe said.

2005-09-03