Research Into Dyslexia Provision in Wales Literature Review on the State of Research for Children with Dyslexia

Research into dyslexia provision in Wales Literature review on the state of research for children with dyslexia PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES Research Research document no: 058/2012 Date of issue: 24 August 2012 Research into dyslexia provision in Wales Audience Local authorities and schools. Overview The Welsh Government commissioned a literature review, auditing and benchmarking exercise to respond to the recommendations of the former Enterprise and Learning Committee’s Follow-up report on Support for People with Dyslexia in Wales (2009). This work was conducted by a working group, which comprised of experts in the field of specific learning difficulties (SpLD) in Wales including the Centre for Child Development at Swansea University, the Miles Dyslexia Centre at Bangor University, the Dyscovery Centre at the University of Wales, Newport, the Wrexham NHS Trust and representatives from the National Association of Principal Educational Psychologists (NAPEP) and the Association of Directors of Education in Wales (ADEW). Action None – for information only. required Further Enquiries about this document should be directed to: information Additional Needs Branch Support for Learners Division Department for Education and Skills Welsh Government Cathays Park Cardiff CF10 3NQ Tel: 029 2082 6044 Fax: 029 2080 1044 e-mail: [email protected] Additional This document can be accessed from the Welsh Government’s copies website at http://wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/publications/ researchandevaluation/research/?lang=en Related Current literacy and dyslexia provision in Wales: A report on the documents benchmarking study (2012) Digital ISBN 978 0 7504 7972 1 © Crown copyright 2012 WG16498 Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 2 I. INTRODUCTION 3 II. CURRENT DEFINITIONS OF DYSLEXIA 4 III. MAIN THEORETICAL ACCOUNTS AND ASSOCIATED EVIDENCE 7 IV. CROSS‐LINGUISTIC FACTORS IN THE EXPRESSION OF DYSLEXIA 18 V. DYSLEXIA AND OVERLAPPING DISORDERS 21 VI. PSYCHOSOCIAL OUTCOMES 29 VII. SCREENING 31 VIII. ASSESSMENT OF DYSLEXIA 33 IX. INTERVENTIONS CURRENTLY ACCEPTED AS BEST PRACTICE 35 X. COMPLEMENTARY INTERVENTIONS 41 XI. LOOKING TO THE FUTURE 46 REFERENCES 49 APPENDIX A 91 Table A1 92 Table A2 93 Table A3 93 Table A4 94 Table A5 95 Table A6 96 Interventions 102 Table A7 103 Table A8 109 Table A9 111 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Literature Review was led and edited by Markéta Caravolas (Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Director of the Miles Dyslexia Centre, Bangor University) in collaboration with Amanda Kirby (Professor of Education and Director of the Dyscovery Centre, Newport University), Angela Fawcett (Professor and Director of the Centre for Child Research, Swansea University), and Kathleen Glendenning (Paediatric Physiotherapist and Service Manager for Children with Disabilities, BCUHB ‐ North Wales NHS Trust). Many thanks go to Ms Andrea Reynolds (Bangor University) and Ms Sarah Jackson (Newport University) for their help with the extensive literature searches, formatting and proofreading. Thanks also to Mrs Juliet Bennett (Bangor University) for help with general administration of the project. 3 I. INTRODUCTION The present literature review was commissioned by Jane Hutt, Welsh Assembly Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, in response to the Enterprise and Learning Committee’s report “Support for People with Dyslexia in Wales” (2008) and the recommendations therein. The literature review is to guide the Minister (now Leighton Andrews) in the implementation of measures to promote best practice in schools for the support of pupils with dyslexia and other related developmental disorders. The literature review also provides a timely document to inform the newly established National Literacy Plan. The Enterprise and Learning Committee’s report highlighted ten key recommendations for the betterment of support for dyslexic pupils in Welsh schools, including the agreement of a definition of dyslexia, effective early identification (screening and assessment), effective intervention – especially in early years, teacher training on dyslexia, and provision in the Welsh language. This Literature Review was commissioned as part of the Minister’s response to these recommendations, with a view to informing policy decisions about the design and implementation of such provision. The Review is therefore necessarily very broad in its scope, yet our objective was to capture succinctly both the seminal findings in each relevant research area, as well as to summarize the important new findings that are shaping current understanding and developments in dyslexia research and practice. The Review was undertaken with the Welsh context in mind, with attention to advances in dyslexia within bilingual learning settings. The Review consists of two main documents: (1) the Literature Review, which includes the references and appended Tables, and (2) an Annotated Bibliography. The first document, the Review, is presented in 11 chapters which include the Introduction (Ch. I); an overview of current definitions of dyslexia (Ch. II); an overview of the main theoretical and empirical accounts of the causes of dyslexia (Ch.III); an overview of current knowledge of the manifestation of dyslexia in different languages and in bilingual individuals (Ch. IV); a review of research into developmental disorders that may co‐occur with dyslexia (Ch. V); a review of the longer‐term educational and psychosocial outcomes of individuals with dyslexia (Ch. VI); an overview of issues associated with screening (Ch. VII) and assessment (Ch. VIII) of dyslexia; a review of the rationale and effectiveness of literacy intervention approaches currently held to reflect best practice (Ch. IX); and a review of some commercially‐available complementary intervention approaches (Ch. X); we conclude with a consideration of the implications for best practice in supporting children with dyslexia and other SpLDs in Welsh schools, and with a note on developing a revised definition of dyslexia (Ch. XI). Throughout the Review, summary boxes are used to highlight key concepts and findings, while more detailed data and materials are presented in the Tables of Appendix A (this document). The Reference section contains all publications cited in the literature review as well as those additionally included in the Annotated Bibliography (accompanying document). The Annotated Bibliography (Appendix B and C) is provided as a supplementary document, which contains a brief description of all of the research cited in the Literature Review, as well as a sample of additional, representative research publications available in topic areas covered in the Review. The summaries are thematically organized (e.g., Phonological Deficit, Memory Deficit, Cross‐linguistic Factors, etc.) and are ranked according to the methodological rigour of the study. The criteria for our ranking system are provided in Appendix B. The summaries are structured systematically and include (a) the full reference, and title of each article, (b) a summary of the design, sample size, and statistical approach, (c) a summary of the key findings, and (d) comments of the reviewer, where relevant. In cases where these annotations were not provided, the published article abstract is provided instead. 4 II. CURRENT DEFINITIONS OF DYSLEXIA The definition of dyslexia, its aetiology, and most significant manifestations are updated and revised regularly as the ongoing research effort brings new knowledge and understanding. Because the research is being carried out by researchers in different spheres, including education, psychology, biology, neuroscience, and medicine, the focus of a definition can vary depending on the nature of the organization that generated it. Below, a selection of current definitions by the most prominent national and international organizations is provided. In addition, in Appendix A, Table A1 contains a summary of the key similarities and differences among definitions of 11 organizations and specialist bodies. The table allows the reader to see the best established findings to date on the behavioural markers of dyslexia. II.i Definitions of Key UK Bodies British Dyslexia Association (17 October, 2007) Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty, which mainly affects the development of literacy and language related skills. It is likely to be present at birth and to be life‐long in its effects. It is characterised by difficulties with phonological processing, rapid naming, working memory, processing speed, and the automatic development of skills that may not match up to an individual’s other cognitive abilities. It tends to be resistant to conventional teaching methods, but its effects can be mitigated by appropriately specific intervention, including the application of information technology and supportive counselling. Department for Education and Skills (2004) We understand dyslexia to be a specific difficulty, typically characterised by an unusual balance of skills. Dyslexia affects information processing (receiving, holding, retrieving and structuring information) and the speed of processing information. It therefore has an impact on skills such as reading, writing, using symbols and carrying out calculations. However, there are many differing definitions; dyslexia is an umbrella term. It is important to recognise that: • dyslexia is not related to intelligence and can occur in severe, moderate, or mild forms • people with dyslexia have their own individual profiles

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