The Dyslexia Debate

by Julian G. Elliott, Elena L. Grigorenko

Overview

The Dyslexia Debate examines how we use the term “dyslexia” and questions its efficacy as a diagnosis. While many believe that a diagnosis of dyslexia will shed light on a reader's struggles and help identify the best form of intervention, Julian G. Elliott and Elena L. Grigorenko show that it adds little value. In fact, our problematic interpretation of the term could prove to be a major disservice to many children with difficulties learning to read. This book outlines in detail the diverse ways in which reading problems have been conceptualized and operationalized. Elliott and Grigorenko consider the latest research in cognitive science, genetics, and neuroscience, and the limitations of these fields in terms of professional action. They then provide a more helpful, scientifically rigorous way to describe the various types of reading difficulties and discuss empirically supported forms of intervention.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521119863
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/24/2014
Series:	Cambridge Studies in Cognitive and Perceptual Development , #14
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.67(d)

About the Author

Julian G. Elliot is a professor at the Durham University School of Education. He is a chartered psychologist, an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society, and an academician of the Academy of Social Sciences. Prior to practising as an educational psychologist, Elliott taught children with special needs. He appeared in the UK television program 'Dispatches: The Dyslexia Myth' in 2005 and has continued to be featured regularly in international media. He has received major grants from the Economic and Social Research Council to study a wide variety of topics, including collaborative group work, interventions for children with working memory difficulties, and improving mental health and wellbeing through exercise.

Elena L. Grigorenko is the Emily Fraser Beede Professor of Developmental Disabilities, Child Studies, Psychology, and Epidemiology and Public Health at Yale University. She is also an adjunct senior research scientist at Moscow City University for Psychology and Education. Grigorenko received her PhD in general psychology from Moscow State University and her PhD in developmental psychology and genetics from Yale. She has written more than 400 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and books and received funding from numerous federal and private organizations, such as the NIH, NSF, DOE, USAID, and American Psychological Foundation. Grigorenko has worked with children and families in the United States, Africa (Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar, the Gambia, and Zambia), India, Saudi Arabia, and Russia.

Table of Contents

Preface; Foreword; 1. What is dyslexia?; 2. Explanations at the cognitive level; 3. The neurobiological bases of reading disability; 4. Assessment and intervention; 5. Conclusions and recommendations.

Editorial Reviews

"No term has so impeded the scientific study of reading, as well as the public's understanding of reading disability, as the term dyslexia. The retiring of the word is long overdue. Elliott and Grigorenko provide an impressive review of the evidence on why this is the case. I highly recommend the book for reading practitioners."
Keith E. Stanovich, University of Toronto

"This is a thought-provoking book that rigorously examines the scientific evidence and ends up challenging many assumptions about the concept of dyslexia. Elliott and Grigorenko do not wish to deny the reality of children's reading difficulties, but they do cast doubt on the usefulness and validity of our current diagnostic constructs. Essential reading for anyone interested in neurodevelopmental disorders."
Dorothy Bishop, University of Oxford

"This book provides a comprehensive and insightful analysis of all aspects of dyslexia. The assessment and intervention chapter is particularly important for parents, educators, and policy makers. A tour de force!"
Gordon F. Sherman, Executive Director, The Newgrange and Laurel Schools, Princeton

"This book represents a significant contribution in the field towards addressing key issues that underlie dyslexia. Expert insights are provided on issues related to assessment and intervention. Particularly insightful is the authors' examination of the role of cognition in the classification and intervention process. In general, the book more than succeeds in a quest to address several complexities related to the construct of dyslexia."
H. Lee Swanson, University of California, Riverside

"Every decade or two, a book will emerge that is able to synthesize the past and present research on dyslexia in such a way that the future of where we need to go next is illumined and propelled. The Dyslexia Debate is such a book. Elliott and Grigorenko have provided a breadth of topics and a depth of coverage to the complex issues surrounding dyslexia that should be read by researcher, practitioner, and parent. After reading their book, I feel enriched in all three categories."
Maryanne Wolf, John DiBiaggio Professor of Citizenship and Public Service, and Director, Center for Reading and Language Research, Tufts University

From the Publisher