May 31, 2005
Is dyslexia a hearing problem?
A new study suggests that dyslexia originates in difficulty distinguishing the spoken word from surrounding noise, a problem that then carries over into reading.
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5 comments:
Dick: I can't really tell how the study was done from the article, but the problem is with how the brain processes sound, for a child before he learns to read. The child learns to hear words in a different way, then doesn't relate properly to the written word, because it's so dissimilar to the language learned through speech.
They say Autism consists in part of a superabundance of external stimuli that are difficult or impossible for the sufferer to distinguish.
I'm just saying that because it sounds like they're saying Dyslexia to be a cognitive-process issue along those or similar lines.
Tinnitus usually occurs later in life as a result of exposures: to wind-noise, industrial noise, as well as to rock-concerts.
It seems to me that if noise is a cognitively divisive issue early-on, conceivably it could lead to the dyslexic condition, and perhaps as the condition is overcome or mastered later in life through more precise listening, the noise-component might become ignored or otherwise managed.
I have an adult dyslexic friend who's kinda deaf, or at least he tends to talk pretty loud. ;-) I also have tinnitus from riding fast motorcycles without good hearing protection, use those ear-plugs! Cops often get it occupationally, from driving around with the window down in order to listen for things.
Interesting 'teaser' of an article. My boyfriend's dyslexic and I've noted in talking to him that he often garbles things he hears, as well. Often I've wondered if the language processing issue were more global than just having difficulty mixing up symbols. Sometimes in my less charitable moments, I've wondered if he was just tuning me out.
My younger brother, roommate and roommate's brother are all dyslexic as well, but they don't seem to have the same issues with spoken language.
Myself, I'd been (mis?)diagnosed as mildly autistic in elementary school - I don't know that that's necessarily the case, but I do know that if there is too much noise/stimulation going on around me (I work in a very loud, hectic environment) I will shut down completely from time to time or focus on the wrong things (hearing always trumping visual - so need silence when working). I don't have any problems processing spoken language as far as I know (though am partially deaf in one ear), and I'm very conscious about that.
Math dyslexia, that's interesting!! My math sucks but I always thought it was because I got switched from the old style of learning math to the SMSG "New Math" which broke down all continuity into nonsense.
After that switcheroo I got put into the C-Lane group of math-dummies from 7th grade on, and my final math-attempts was to fail Pre-Calculus (twice) in college.
At one point as a kid I could work numbers pretty well, and then they changed 'em and it weren't much more than a different kind of alphabet - but one that didn't form words or sentences either. Medieval German was easier and made sense at least.
Shake it out and don't fall asleep into medical conventions.
Dyslexia is in the sound of one hand clapping. It's not about subject matter. Imagine all math and writing and sounds laid out on the surface of the ocean. Now come the waves. Dyslexia is the waves, making all subjects twist and curl on themselves. The subject matter doesn't know it's on waves. They're invisible to it, just as the brain can't feel pain, but we can.
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