Dyslexia, Article Critique Example

The topic of dyslexia as a disorder has been troubling the minds of research and practitioner community for many years, since the first time of the problem’s formulation by Berlin in 1887. Since then, the issue of “word blindness”, as it was originally called, was raised by authors of both scholarly and clinical research journals, as well as the popular mass media. The work of Ian Smythe published in 2011 to give an overview of the disorder, the article of Wajuihian and Naidoo who explored the history and definitions of dyslexia, as well as the article of Anne Murthy Paul published in 2012 in The New York Times magazine will be reviewed and critiqued in the present paper to explore the authors’ perspectives of approaching the subject of dyslexia as a developmental disorder.

Smythe’s article was published in the British Journal of Hospital Medicine, and was dedicated to the issue of controversies over dyslexia. The author noted that dyslexia as a disorder is still not unanimously accepted in the medical field, and there is no unified definition and agreement about the underlying causes of dyslexia (Smythe 39). Smythe provided an overview of dyslexia definitions and stated that the key to understanding the disorder was to detect problems in the “automatization of word identification” as the major difficulty of a dyslexic person (39). The author also discussed alternative definitions, and noted that some of them focus on reading only, others expand to all aspects of literacy, and some definitions pertain to the causes of dyslexia (such as the definition of the International Dyslexia Association insisting that it is neurological in origin) (Smythe 40).

Smythe dealt with the underlying etiology of the dyslexia problem, outlining the theories of its emergence (biological, cognitive, behavioral, and environmental; cerebellar and magnocellular hypotheses) (40). The role of genetics is also considered one of the decisive factors in the dyslexia occurrence rate (Smythe 41). Smythe also discussed other potential causes of dyslexia prevalence such as the geographical dominance thereof (prevalence in certain nations), age characteristics of diagnosed individuals, and gender bias (41). Among other subjects explored by Smythe, one can see the diagnosis of dyslexia, with the emphasis on the educational instead of medical solution to the problem, and the future directions and challenges of research in the field of dyslexia (42).

The article of Smythe seems highly valuable for the beginning researcher in the field of dyslexia, since the author provides the introductory portion of data regarding the overall issues of concern and disagreement regarding dyslexia. The present article provides concise information regarding the key disputes surrounding the disorder, the debate regarding the definition of dyslexia, its presupposed causes and the role of genetics, as well as other socio-demographic contributors to the risk of acquiring dyslexia. However, Smythe does not go deeply into the neurobiologocial roots of the problem, and does not provide an informed account of the role of the brain in the formation and development of this disorder. Hence, this article can be considered valuable for laypeople not knowing the medical and neurophysiological specificities of the disorder.

In contrast to the general overview of the problem presented by Smythe, Wajuihian and Naidoo focus much more on the neurological information regarding dyslexia. The article of Wajuihian and Naidoo also contains much specific data on the definition of dyslexia, as well as the history of its research (24-25). However, at the same time, the authors deal closer with the mechanism of reading as developed in the human brain, and consider the dysfunctions in the neuroanatomical structure of the brain that lead to dyslexia (Wajuihian and Naidoo, 25-26). Prevalence of dyslexia, signs and symptoms of the disorder, and the way it can be diagnosed are also discussed by the researchers similarly to the account given by Smythe. Nevertheless, the following part of the article is dedicated to the neuro-imaging techniques used to study dyslexia (MRI, CT, PET, MEG, etc.), and the overview of the neural paths involved in reading (Wajuihian and Naidoo 27-28). Specific attention is drawn to the etiology of dyslexia – the account is much more detailed than the one of Smythe is; the authors consider the neurological, genetic, and environmental factors that affect the risk of acquiring dyslexia (Wajuihian and Naidoo 28-29). The focus of Wajuihian and Naidoo is also made on the theories of dyslexia; the authors discuss such theories as the phonological, cerebellar, auditory theories, and the theory of visual deficit worked out to explain the nature and origin of dyslexia (29). The phonological theory is the dominant one in the research of dyslexia, since it focuses on the deficiency of dyslexic individuals in the specific aspect of the language system in their brains – processing the sound of words (Wajuihian and Naidoo 29). The final part of the article is dedicated to the discussion of dyslexia classifications and sub-types, as well as management and intervention of disorder; the role of optometry is clarified as non-significant, since the problem of dyslexics is not with vision, but with the language processing systems in their brains (Wajuihian and Naidoo 30-31).

The article of Paul is more focused on the gravity of the problem for Americans – the author starts with mentioning the scope of the issue, and indicating that about 15% of Americans are affected by it (Paul 1). The author emphasizes that dyslexia is a complex issue, and not much is still understood about it, but focuses on the strengths and advantages dyslexics may have over people without this disorder, for instance, sharper peripheral vision (Paul 1). The question that Paul raises is whether these advantages can translate in real-life skills for dyslexics. The conclusion the author draws is that dyslexia is still a disorder posing certain restraints on the cognitive abilities of people, and considering it a gift is misleading and wrong. However, at the same time, the diagnosis of dyslexia should not serve as debilitating for individuals, and the intervention strategies should teach individuals build on their strengths rather than emphasize their weaknesses and limitations (Paul 1).

Works Cited

Paul, Annie Murphy. “The Upside of Dyslexia.” The New York Times (February 4, 2012). Web. 7 Oct. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/opinion/sunday/the-upside-of-dyslexia.html?_r=0>

Smythe, Ian. “Dyslexia”. British Journal of Hospital Medicine 72.1 (2011): 39-43. Print.

Wajuihian, Samuel Otabor, and Ansuya Kasavelu Naidoo. “Dyslexia: An overview”. Optometry and Vision Development 43.1 (2012): 24-33. Print.