October has been proclaimed Dyslexia Awareness Month. It is appropriate to celebrate the birth month of Dr. Samuel T. Orton, an American physician and pioneer in the study of learning disabilities. Until his death in 1948, he devoted much of his life to the area of reading difficulties and dyslexia.
Through his observations and brain research, Orton discovered specific differences in the cerebral organization of people with average to above-average IQ who were challenged learning to read. Modern technology such as functional MRI has confirmed Orton’s theory. Working collaboratively with other scientists in the 1920s on the concept of multisensory teaching, incorporating both movement-based and sensory-based learning strategies, resulted in improved outcomes with this group of people.
Later in life, Orton worked with psychologist Anna Gillingham to develop a systematic and orderly approach of categorizing and teaching the letters based on the phonetic system. This method still is used successfully today.
By the most conservative estimates, one in 10 people exhibit symptoms of dyslexia including but not limited to: slow inaccurate reading, poor spelling, poor writing or mixing up similar words.
You probably know someone who is dyslexic – a friend, co-worker, parent, child or maybe you. Without proper intervention with proven, research-based learning strategies, dyslexia can lead to frustration and failure.
In 1949, the Orton Dyslexia Society was created to continue research and development of programs and services for dyslexics, educators and parents. By the 1990s, a new name, International Dyslexia Association, more clearly reflected the global reach that now includes 47 branches in North America and 18 international partners.
Learn more about dyslexia at www.interdys.org or dyslexia-rmbida.org. And happy birthday, Dr. Orton.
Myriam Palmer
Durango
