In the future, the best dyslexia screening tests will be administered by medical doctors, rather than psychologists. Relatively new technology like MRIs and PETs will reveal structural differences in the brains of people with reading difficulties. For instance, it has already been discovered that dyslexic adults have a deficit in a region within the left hemisphere of the brain, including the inferior frontal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, middle cortex and ventral temporal cortex. Additionally, molecular biologists have linked dyslexia to modifications of certain genes: DCDC2 and KIAA0319 on Chromosome #6 and DYX1C1 on Chromosome #15.
In “Advances in early years screening for dyslexia in the United Kingdom” (2007), researchers discuss the dyslexia early screening test (DEST) and the cognitive profiling system (CoPS 1), which are both approved for use in the United States as well. By administering these dyslexia screening tests early, it’s believed that at-risk students can be identified before they even fail, thereby decreasing the possibility that these kids will develop emotional, behavioral and motivational issues. A number of educators who teach adults and children with learning disabilities say these two tests are the best options we have today, as long as they’re administered.
Recent advances in modern technology may provide more in-depth dyslexia screening and testing in the near future. For instance, PET (positron emission tomography) and fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) can show scientists what’s happening in the brain while special needs adults are reading, speaking and writing. By watching a dyslexic adults group and a fluent adults group, scientists will be able to create a “neurological profile” and better understand how the brains of dyslexic people differ from their peers. As treatments are being proposed, subsequent brain scans can show where real progress is being made.
Critics argue that dyslexia screening is largely subjective and that it’s futile to distinguish “adults with dyslexia” from “adults who have difficulty reading.” They add that saddling someone with “an adult learning disability” can actually further hinder their development or expose them to discrimination. However, researchers have also found that a number of individuals flourish once they learn about other adult learning styles that they may benefit from. Perhaps some of the biological arguments for dyslexia will settle the score once and for all.
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Diseases, Conditions and Treatments • September 24th, 2009 •