32 LISTENER AUGUST 3 2019
by Nicky Pellegrino
HEALTH
ThisLife
G
ETTYIMAGESF
or decades, New Zealanders were dyslexia
deniers. There was a belief that any
problems children had with
reading and writing could
be solved with an inten-
sive programme, called the
Reading Recovery Initia-
tive, pioneered by literacy specialist
Dame Marie Clay. It wasn’t until 2007
that the Ministry of Education finally
accepted that dyslexia exists.
Now we are learning far more about
the neurological and genetic factors
behind the condition. Recently, German research-
ers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the
brain to show that people with dyslexia have a
weakly developed structure in the subcortical white
matter. The sampled group had less connectivity
than non-dyslexics in
a control group.
Previously, it had
been assumed the
cerebral cortex of
dyslexics differed
from non-dyslexics.
There are plentyof stories about highly
successful dyslexics – Sir
Richard Taylor, head of
Weta Workshop, is a local
example. But many adults with dys-
lexia go undiagnosed. Unaware that
their brains are wired differently, they
assume they must be stupid, and feel
embarrassed and ashamed.
Wellington-based literacy and
numeracy specialist Mike Styles
says we are letting those
people down. This has
implications not only for
an individual’s prospects
and mental health –
depression and anxiety
are often associated with
dyslexia – but also
for society.In research done in prisons last
year, Styles found half the adults he
screened were positive for dyslexia,
which is in line with international
statistics. In the general population,
10% of people have the condition.
Other countries are way ahead of
us in implementing ways to support
those with dyslexia. “Internationally,
it’s a rapidly developing field,” says
Styles. “Singapore is a success story
and the UK is also a leader. There are
a lot of researchers and practitioners
there assessing people for it as well
as doing needs analysis to work out
what sort of technology they need to
help level the playing field.”
Last year, the New Zealand
Government announced a plan to
screen schoolchildren for any specialLike a
Virgin boss
Aside from success, what
do Sir Richard Branson
and Jamie Oliver have
in common? Dyslexia.
NUTRITION • FOOD • WINE • PSYCHOLOGY • TECHNOLOGY • SPORT
Jamie Oliver, left, and
Sir Richard Branson.Mike Styles: dyslexics
are being let down.