[bjo590]

> We do have a term: slow to learn to read.

There are dozens of reasons a child can be slow to learn how to read. They could have not have access to education. They could has poor eye sight. They could be malnourished. They could have difficulties learning in general. Dyslexia means "Slow to learn how to read, despite no obvious influencing factors." It's a bit of a catch-all. There might be treatments for dyslexic children that also help other children learn how to read, but it's likely that non-dyslexic children will need treatments that will not apply to dyslexic children.

Dyslexia has more than 3 million cases in the US every year. It's common. When given the right treatments their quality of life can be improved greatly. I do not want to remove the classification of dyslexic, because it might jeopardize the way those children receive treatment.

EDIT: "Dyslexia has more than 3 million cases in the US every year." You can see the dyslexia in my writing style right there....

[marcus_holmes]

The point is not that dyslexia treatments don't help dyslexic kids; it's that those treatments help all kids that struggle with literacy, regardless of cause.

Some kids struggling to read because they "don't have access to education" or are malnourished is as much (or more) of a problem than wealthy kids struggling to read because of a neurological condition.

The article says it all: Dyslexia is a label that is being used to divert special needs funding from disadvanted struggling kids to wealthy struggling kids. No-one denies that all these kids are struggling, and that the special attention does help them with that struggle.

[Someone]

“Dyslexia has more than 3 million cases in the US every year.”

If interpreted as “3 million _new_ cases every year, and dyslexia being incurable, with a life expectancy of 70 years, that would mean way over half the population of the USA would be dyslexic.

I seriously doubt that. So, what do you mean by “every year”?

[bjo590]

I typed "dyslexia" into Google, and on the side bar overview it says "More than 3 million US cases per year"

Edit: I dug a little deeper. It's 5-15% of the population. http://www.ldonline.org/article/10784/

[bluGill]

Dyslexia also has an IQ component which means those with low IQ are not dyslexic even if they otherwise have the same symptoms.

Perhaps the definition needs to change?

Note the above is from the article which is focused on the UK. It could be different in other countries.

[bjo590]

> Dyslexia also has an IQ component which means those with low IQ are not dyslexic even if they otherwise have the same symptoms.

A person with IQ 100 (or whatever the mean IQ is) learning to read slower than average is different than a person with IQ 60 learning to read slower than average. You cannot completely remove the IQ component.

[mjevans]

Their point might be that the ability to read, has a non-zero influence on how intelligence as well knowledge; both of which are what IQ tests try to measure. The two signal values are related to an unknown degree.

[keithnoizu]

And it shouldn't really. Assuming dyslexia is the result of structural differences in how the brain operates and not simply that a person is behind the curve on reading ability.

If say dyslexia behind the scenes looked something like the difference between being left handed or right handed, a persons natural athletic skill (IQ) might improve their odds of throwing a good right handed pass yet regardless of athletic skill their outcomes would be better throwing left handed.

[agd]

It no longer has an IQ component. (This is described in the article).

[6gvONxR4sf7o]

But doesn't the article make the case that both of your example children need the same treatment?

[bluGill]

Exactly but some don't get it because they miss the dyslexic diagnosis even though the same treatment would help if they could get it.