This commentary reviews forthcoming articles on the scientific study of dyslexia, genetic and neurophysiological aspects of dyslexia, cross-linguistic aspects of literacy development and dyslexia, and theory-based practice. It concludes that educators should continue to strive to promote theory-based research and evidence-based practice to achieve…

Multifactorial models of dyslexia have expanded how we consider heterogeneity within the population of children with dyslexia. These models are predicated on the idea that cognitive/linguistic risk factors are not deterministic but instead probabilistic, with the likelihood of difficulties involving an interaction between risk and protective…

The authors of this rejoinder write that they understand that there are mixed views on the work they do, the products they publish, and the roles they play in the professions they serve. They also believe that in any healthy professional context, debate and disagreement enhance their work. The authors state that most of the time, their work is…

In this paper we argue that attempts to distinguish between categories of "dyslexia" and "poor reader" or "reading disabled" are scientifically unsupportable, arbitrary and thus potentially discriminatory. We do not seek to veto scientific curiosity in examining underlying factors in reading disability, for seeking greater understanding of the…

This commentary reviews and summarises the strides which neuroscience has made in our present understanding of the development of literacy and numeracy in children. Specifically, it draws attention to key insights from studies which have elucidated the possible neural mechanisms that may account for difficulties in the development of these…

In this article, the author presents some reflections on the study of children with specific language impairment (SLI). He acknowledges the heterogeneity found in the many individuals who meet criteria for the label of SLI. The genetics of SLI attracts much research interest, particularly into the causes and characteristics of SLI and the…

Compared with autistic disorder and developmental dyslexia, specific language impairment (SLI) attracts considerably less media coverage and research funding. Whereas most members of the public have some idea of the characteristics of autistic disorder and developmental dyslexia, this is not so for SLI. It is intriguing to consider why this might…

In this article, the author argues that there are so many different understandings and conceptualizations about what dyslexia is, or is not, that the term has become almost meaningless. The questioning of the value of the dyslexia concept turned into media headlines in the UK. The author accounts three key questions surrounding the debate about…

Argues that Texas' dyslexia laws and practices are misguided, with children being routinely tested on instruments that have no demonstrated validity or reliability for educational assessment purposes. Suggests that few school districts actually have implemented either assessment or instructional intervention practices that can be defended, given…

The educational systems in all countries have failed to adequately address the problems of students with learning disabilities. Antisocial behaviour, homelessness, mental health problems and even suicide are a result. This article will explore the reasons for this state of affairs. One of the major reasons is excessive reliance on testing without…

This article introduces four papers (and responses to them) originally given at an April 1990 conference on the identification and treatment of dyslexia. Noted is the lack of consensus on what dyslexia is, how the condition comes to be, and what the nature of educational intervention ought to be, though developmental views are seen to predominate.…

This book is a compendium of papers presented March 18-20, 1996, at the eighteenth annual Spectrum of Developmental Disabilities course. Research findings are presented that address identification, diagnosis, management, and prognosis of specific reading disability. Individual chapters include: (1) "Dyslexia: The Evolution of a Concept" (John…

This article discusses issues in the assessment of individuals who show difficulty in learning to read and write in different languages. A review of reading studies in several language contexts leads to a proposed framework for assessment procedures. Case studies from interventions in three language contexts (Sylheti/English, Herero/English,…

Originally given as a speech, this paper describes the double-deficit hypothesis of reading disabilities, which proposes that developmental dyslexia is due to deficits in the phonological system and in processes underlying naming speed. The paper also reports on an innovative reading fluency intervention program based on the double-deficit…

This article addresses the academic difficulties of children with language disorders (including dyslexia) and suggests that their persistent academic vulnerability results from the lifelong need to acquire language, to learn with language, and to apply language knowledge for academic learning and social development. The need for continuing…