Reading Disability

Abstract

One cause of severe reading disability appears related to dysfunction or "difference" in functioning of the language area in the left hemisphere. Research also suggests lateralization differences, temporal sequencing difficulties, and undifferentiated left hemisphere processing as characteristic of children with reading problems. Some of this research does not differentiate those children with severe reading disability from those with easily corrected problems.Attempts to teach children with reading difficulty have typically centered on teaching methodology or notions of perceptual modality preference related to either visual or auditory processing. These notions have been short-sighted in view of the fact that reading is a highly integrative task based on cognitive development. The field of neurology currently is expanding our data base regarding the role of the hemispheres in word processing.The educator needs to examine the reading task in relation to teaching methodologies and the type of response individuals must make to the print given different teaching methods. Severely disabled readers may need to learn to read using methods that go beyond currently acceptable standards.