Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Is dyslexia 'just a middle-class way to hide stupidity?'

Dyslexia is a social fig leaf used by middle-class parents who fear their children will be labelled as low achievers, a professor has claimed.

Julian Elliott, a leading educational psychologist at Durham University, says he has found no evidence to identify dyslexia as a medical condition after more than 30 years of research. There is a huge stigma attached to low intelligence," he said.

"After years of working with parents, I have seen how they don't want their child to be considered lazy, thick or stupid.

"If they get called this medically diagnosed term, dyslexic, then it is a signal to all that it's not to do with intelligence."

This from the London (UK) Daily Mail.

1 comment:

ruth said...

Julian Elliot clearly has no understanding of dyslexia, which is a very real information processing difficulty! I would welcome the opportunity to educate him. Dyslexia needs to be recognised, understood and appropriately supported.

Ruth Gravelle, Dyslexic individual and specialist teacher. www.dyslexiarooms.co.uk