The Role of Magnocellular Cells in Dyslexia Essay -- Dyslexia Learning

The Role of Magnocellular Cells in Dyslexia Dyslexia is a defined as a learning disability characterized by problems in expressive or receptive, oral or written language. Derived from the Greek words "dys" (poor or inadequate) and "lexis" (words or language), dyslexia and other learning disabilities affect about 15% of the population. (What is dyslexia!) Dyslexia itself can manifest itself in many different ways. People with dyslexia do not see words "backwards" or have other vision problems. Many dyslexics are gifted with outstanding musical abilities, or the ability to solve three-dimensional puzzles with little difficulty. (What is dyslexia!) It is not representative of a below average mind and is not caused by behavioral or social problems. Dyslexia is caused by differences in the function and structure of certain areas of the brain. (What is dyslexia!) Because of this, Dyslexia can not be cured and will never be outgrown. Appropriate teaching methods are taught to help those with dyslexia overcome their weakness by using their strengths. Understanding how this disability works and where it stems from can only help in the search for beneficial teaching techniques. Because there are many different aspects of dyslexia, very few dyslexics show all the signs of the disorder. Understanding some of the more devastating symptoms of the disorder provide a strong base for research in the area. Dyslexics may have difficulty encoding words, not be able to recognize sequences of numbers or of letters in words, either when read or written, or not be able to fully interpret instructions that they have been given. Imagine a person driving down the road who cannot distinguish between a sign that says 15 mph and 51 mph. Or a person wh... ... http://cognitrn.psych.indiana.edu/busey/idloc/idloc.html Cornelissen, P.L. (1998). Coherent motion detection and letter position encoding. Vision Research Issue 38, 2181-2191. Cornelissen, P.L. (1998). Magnocellular visual function and children’s single word reading. Vision Research Issue 38, 471-482. Newman, Renee (1998, April). Dyslexia: Explanations from science. [ 8 paragraphs.] Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Support Services of Shiawassee County available: http://www.shianet.org/~reneenew/dysl.html Ridder, W.H. 3rd (1997). Not all dyslexics are created equal. Optometry and Visual Sciences, 74 (3), 99-104. Skottun, B. C. (1997). Some remarks on the magnocellular deficient theory of dyslexia. Vision Research Issue 37, 965-966. What is Dyslexia!. [3 paragraphs]. Discover Technology [Online]. Available: http://discovertechnology.com/whatisdyslexia.html