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What is dyslexia? - Kelli Sandman-Hurley

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Dyslexia affects up to 1 in 5 people, but the experience of dyslexia isn't always the same. This difficulty in processing language exists along a spectrum -- one that doesn't necessarily fit with labels like "normal" and "defective." Kelli Sandman-Hurley urges us to think again about dyslexic brain function and to celebrate the neurodiversity of the human brain.

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Kelli Sandman-Hurley
  • Animator Marc Christoforidis
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
Avatar for Mavi Ruiz Blondet
Lesson in progress

Does this happen in other languages?

What about German and Spanish, etc, that are so phonologically transparent?

Comments are closed on this discussion.

Avatar for Alejandra Rivera
Lesson completed

Yes, in Spanish it is also common to find this situation, particularly in kids that go to primary schools, but it can be detected since kindergarden, but again, there is such few information on how to approach it.


Avatar for Thataw Moo
Lesson completed

Good question, I went to school in Thailand before I came to United States and started my high school in 2004. Throughout my school years in Thailand I had never see anyone with dyslexia. Nobody in my community was identified as being dyslexic. Last year in college, we had a speaker in our class who was dyslexic, I thought he was a living prove that anyone can overcome obstacles through perseverance. He was amazing.


Avatar for Lucy Steinert
Lesson in progress

in response to Beth Thompson Show comment

The Finns recognise dyslexia, and their language is non-latin and entirely phonetic.


Avatar for Beth Thompson
Lesson in progress

in response to Megha Verma Show comment

Found on the link below:
"In transparent languages, it is easier for everyone to learn to read, even those with dyslexia. Therefore, in a transparent language like Spanish, there are fewer children with reading and spelling problems, even though the same percentage of the Spanish-speaking population has the neurobiological differences that cause dyslexia."
http://www.learning-inside-out.com/dyslexia-statistics.html
The webpage author cites her sources at the bottom of the page.
However, this new study (link below) reveals that dyslexia shows up in other areas of language learning even when the first language is latin-based. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150428082006.htm


Avatar for Megha Verma
Lesson in progress

To add to the question, does dyslexia occur as frequently in people whose first language is not latin based? i.e. arabic or hindi or mandarin? I know that syllables are not treated and information isn't always organized as linearly as it is in English in other languages. For example, in hindi, vowels are added on the character of the consonant rather than individual letters themselves and syllables might be easier to decipher.


Avatar for Beth Thompson
Lesson in progress

Some years ago I read that dyslexia does not show up as soon in children whose first language (L1) is a more transparent language like Spanish. However, I just read about a new study that revealed that children with L1 as Spanish who have dyslexia "display impaired prosodic processing."
See: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150428082006.htm


Avatar for Cristian Artoni
Lesson in progress

Hi Mavi,

I can speak about Italian, but also for our language this happens.

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