Living With Dyslexia

249 Pages·1996·0.9 MB·English

by  Barbara Riddick

Living with dyslexia
Living with dyslexia

The social and emotional consequences
of specific learning difficulties

Barbara Riddick

London and New York
First published 1996
by Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE

Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001

This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003.

RoutledgeFalmer is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group

© 1996 Barbara Riddick
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British
Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of
Congress

ISBN 0-203-43260-6 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-74084-X (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN 0-415-12501-4 (Print Edition)
This book is dedicated to Tom and all the other children who have struggled
with dyslexia.

By Richard, aged 7 years, younger brother of Tom
Contents
List of tables ix
Foreword by Baroness Warnock xi
Preface xiii
Acknowledgements xv
1 Defining dyslexia: an overview of dyslexia and specific learning
difficulties 1
2 The educational perspective 21
3 Researching the social and emotional consequences of dyslexia 32
4 Introducing the study 51
5 Early indicators 58
6 Identifying dyslexia 77
7 Parents and teachers 92
8 Home life and support 103
9 Views on school 118
10 Children’s views on dyslexia 140
11 Mothers’ views 163
12 Case studies 179
13 Conclusions and recommendations 201
Appendix 208
Suggested further reading 214
Useful addresses 216
References 217
Index 228
vii
Tables
4.1 Basic information on the main study sample of children with
dyslexia at the time of their interview 54
4.2 Sub-tests of the WISC-R 55
4.3 Interviewees 57
5.1 A close relative with dyslexia or similar problem 59
5.2 Mothers’ recall of early developmental problems which with
hindsight they think relate to dyslexia 62
7.1 Parents’ perceptions of criticisms levelled at them by the school 99
8.1 Mother’s estimate of child’s self-esteem 106
8.2 Types of practical support offered by mother 113
9.1 Children’s perceived problems with school work related to
dyslexia 119
9.2 Mothers’ perceptions of their children’s problems with school
work related to dyslexia 119
9.3 Total number of named difficulties with work because of dyslexia 125
9.4 Children’s reported coping strategies for dealing with spelling
and writing difficulties 130
9.5 Children’s and mothers’ perceptions of the best and worst
teachers they had encountered 133
10.1 Children’s definitions of the term ‘dyslexia’ 141
10.2 Who, according to the children, explained dyslexia to them 143
10.3 Children’s understanding of the explanation of dyslexia they
had received 144
10.4 Dyslexic children’s thoughts on how aware other children are
of their difficulties 146
10.5 Children’s explanation of their dyslexia to other children 147
10.6 Meeting other children with dyslexia 150
10.7 Children’s views on meeting other children with dyslexia 150
10.8 Children’s views on adult role models 152
10.9 Role models named by children 153
10.10 Children’s perception of whether their parents understand
how it feels to be dyslexic 155
ix