Wednesday 8 August 2012

the medicalisation of dyslexia

Dyslexia is not a condition it is a state of being. I am dyslexic therefore I am, and I will always be dyslexic and happy to be so. The worst thing that ever happened to dyslexics was the medicalisation of dyslexia. Now we are being told our brains are broken and do not function as they should. We are being smothered under a tidal wave of medibabble that only doctors understand. But the general gist is we dyslexics have a medical coondition which has to be treated. Richard Branson managed to function pretty well with his dyslexia as have many other dyslexics without any, "remediation". Many dyslexics find their own ways.

Dyslexics are not taught in ways they can learn and access learning taking place in the classroom. Teachers are not trained to teach dyslexics or any child with learning difference during teacher training. Qualified teachers go into classrooms totally unprepared to teach a significant number of kids they are there to teach. Many dyslexic kids learn from a very early age that they are stupid, that they cannot do the work in school, that they cannot learn and many just give up trying at school. The medical model of disability would say its because of your condition of dyslexia. I would say, and the social model of disability would say, its a failure of the education system. 

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