| Summary: | The general purpose of the present study was to
investigate the nature, etiology and treatment possibilities
of dyslexia, as seen against the background of the normal
reading process.
In the discussion of the reading process it is pointed
out that the ability to read influences the total personality
of the child as well as his contact with the environment.
Reading is described as a psychoneurological activity which
involves the integration of several complex organical and
psychological processes.
A study of the literature on the nature of dyslexia
revealed that the reading disability is usually accompanied
by other somatic and psychological symptoms. Several
theories on the etiology of reading disabilities are discussed
and it seems that there is as yet no general agreement about
the causal factors. Traditional theories in which either
organical, educational or psychological causes are overemphasized
do not seem acceptable. As reading involves the whole
personality, disturbances on the organical or psychological
levels of the personality, or the complex interaction of
several of the factors can probably lead to dyslexia.
An analysis of remedial reading methods showed that the
immediate aim of most of the traditional techniques was the
correction of the reading disability itself. In recent years
a growing number of reading specialists endeavoured to include
the remediation of basic neurological and psychological factors
in their programme. The use of the Aurelle apparatus for the
correction of language disturbances enables the therapist
to reach the child on the level of neurological organization,
by correcting certain hearing functions and verbal expression.
At the same time the necessary didactic and psychotherapeutic
help can be given, which makes the rehabilitation of the total
personality of the child possible. It was decided to initiate
research which would eventually help to make Aurelle therapy
possible for Afrikaans speaking dyslectic pupils.
The specific experimental aim of this study was to
discover common reading errors made by dyslectic pupils in
two different age groups (7 ½ - 9 years 11 months, 10 – 12 ½ years)
and to determine whether the errors of the two groups differ
qualitatively. Both experimental groups, consisting respectively of 30 and 32 pupils, were selected on the basis of
teachers' evaluation, examination results, number of reading
errors and I.Q.
A standardized reading test, the Individuele diagnostiese
toetse in Afrikaans: lees en taal, was used as basis for the
analyses of reading mistakes. A remarkable similarity was
found between the two groups with regard to the categories
in which most mistakes occurred. Some categories nevertheless
differentiated on a significant level between the groups,
possibly because of the relatively better sensory discrimination
of the older group and this group's greater effort to grasp
the meaning of the reading material.
The analyses of reading errors in broad categories
can be used together with the frequency analyses of mistakes
made with specific words and phonemes to build up a programmed
model for remedial teaching in reading. Such a model is
essential where the Aurelle is included in the audio-visual
programme, but it can also be of value for any of the other
forms of reading therapy. === Thesis (MA)--PU vir CHO
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