Hi Deborah,
Thanks for that article, which is one of the few clear explanations of Prof Elliot's position. The outrage that resulted from the Ch 4 program, was mostly a result of the program producer's attempt to sensationalise the issue.
Where it turned out that the producer's partner happens to have been preparing to publish a book on Dyslexia that she had been writing.
It was a shame that the issues that Prof Elliot was raising, were lost in the sensationalism.
Though he raises the most important issue of how 'Labels' for not just Dyslexia , but all Learning Disorders are used?
Which really needs to be brought into question?
Where any Child with a 'learning difficulty', must be officially given a 'Label' for their difficulty. Before they will recieve direct assistance to address it.
No label, no assistance?
Though, the problem is that Labels are generalised terms, where very few children/adults actually fit the precise definition?
This creates a further problem, where after having been given a label?
Remediation is then adopted, which addresses what is defined under the label?
Which fails to recognise the variety of different potential causations of a difficulty with reading/writing/ Dyslexia?
Where as Prof Elliot states; "It is a catch all label".
What Elliot is suggesting, is that we need to move beyond the labels, and directly focus on the causations.
So that it becomes an 'individualised approach'?
Though Elliot also raises another most important issue in relation to 'why' Labels are sought after?
One most important factor, is that a distinction can be made between 'Being Stupid', or having a specific 'Learning Difficulty'!
The importance of this, cannot be overstated !
It makes an overwhelming difference to one's self esteem to be able to explain their 'difficulty' with a 'label'! Be it to a friend, relative, teacher, employer?
Another most important issue, is that Children who do not have a Label for their difficulty. Often suffer abuse from Teachers, where they are repeatedly accused of 'being lazy, not trying hard enough, or just plain stupid, etc'!
I am involved with a Dyscalculia [maths disorder] forum, where I am yet to find a Member that didn't suffer this abuse from Teachers?
Who are most relieved to have finally found an explanation and a Label?
So having stated the case for both for and against Labels?
I would suggest that we need to move beyond labels towards the development of the general public's understanding of our Brain's Processes?
So that the labels decome redundant?
Where we speak of precise brain processes.
So that remediation is focussed more precisely on a particular brain process/es, than just a label?
Yet I would argue that Schooling should have a greater emphasis on the development of the spectrum of brain processes, than on information acquisition?
Geoff.
