Abstract:

The purpose of this presentation will be to describe the International Case Studies of Dyslexia Research Project, which is a longitudinal study of dyslexia across 17 countries, six continents and 15 languages. The objective of this study was to use the case study method to increase understanding of the lives of children with dyslexia over time. The first phase of the study included interviewing children between the ages of 10 and 12 who were interviewed again in adolescence at the ages of 14 to 16 for the second phase. In addition, the mothers of these children were also interviewed in both phases of the study.

Specifically, the major objectives were to:
1) Describe and interpret the experiences and perceptions of children with dyslexia from different countries as they progress through their school careers;
2) Describe and interpret the experiences and perceptions of mothers of children with dyslexia from different countries; and
3) Provide a cross-case analysis to examine differences and similarities in experiences of the children and their families.

For all subjects, the following data were collected through separate child and mother interviews: medical and social profiles (birth, health, and social histories); educational history (school achievement, dyslexia diagnosis and treatment); child perceptions of dyslexia (semi-structured interview); and parent perceptions of dyslexia (semi-structured interview). The Phase I Assessment Protocol included five instruments: the Parent Interview, the Parent Perception Scale, The Child Perception Scale, the Sentence Completion and Elaboration, and the Child Interview. Instrumentation was developed specifically for this study and pilot tested prior to establishing the final materials for the protocol. The disability literature that focused on the significance of listening to the voices of those with disabilities was influential in developing the approach to the instrumentation and interviewing. Instrumentation for Phase II, when these children were between the ages of 14 and 16, included semi-structured Adolescent and Parent Interviews in addition to measures of optimism, achievement dispositions, and self-efficacy.

This study used a multiple-case design with a cross-case analysis sometimes referred to as a collective case study. Although this study used a mixed method of data analysis, the emphasis was on qualitative rather than quantitative. Quantitative analysis of the data for Phase I and II was accomplished with enumeration of frequencies in the data that provided a cross-case analysis for summary purposes. Selected results from Phase I include the following: school avoidance coincided with onset of reading problems; assessments were difficult to secure; self-esteem problems emerged in relation to reading challenges; teachers did not provide their children with adequate support; teachers were not prepared to work with dyslexic children; children did not make adequate progress; retention was used as an ineffective remedial strategy; and homework represented a major problem. Additional findings regarding progress and adjustment in adolescence will also be provided. The presentation will emphasize the importance of examining dyslexia from a global perspective.

Keywords:

Dyslexia, special education, longitudinal research, global.