Addressing learning disabilities

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/11/2024 (350 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It is good to learn from Maggie Macintosh (Making sure every student learns to read – Nov. 1) of the emerging emphasis on early screening of children who struggle to read. Screeners like the Shaywitz screener are useful and highly accurate in identifying children with dyslexia.

Ensuring every student in Manitoba learns to read will require a provincial plan, not just for screening, but also to provide clear training for teachers with respect to the screening and the instruction needed for children, youth and adults.

The province must use an approach with strong science and evidence for its effectiveness.

In 2000, after careful review the U.S. National Reading Panel found strong scientific evidence to support the use of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and reading comprehension. The Ontario Expert Panel on Early Reading (2003) and in England, the Rose Report (2006), confirmed this. The Rose Report noted “The impact of phonics instruction on reading was significantly greater … when phonics was the method used to start children out… results show that early instruction in systematic phonics is especially beneficial for learning to read.” And “for most children, it is highly worthwhile and appropriate to begin a systematic program of phonic work by the age of five.”

Given the long history of scientific evidence, it is difficult to understand why Manitoba has delayed so long in using this information to help children throughout our province learn to read.

On Nov. 9, 2012, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in the case of Jeffrey Moore, who has severe dyslexia, that learning to read is a basic and essential human right.

The court said “For those with severe learning disabilities it is the ramp that provides access to the statutory commitment to education made to all children.”

The court recognized what was needed to fulfil this commitment for students with learning disabilities was significant remedial support including, where needed, intensive and individualized assistance.

In essence, the Supreme Court said the provincial education system needs to provide the funding and plan to ensure the right to read for all children, even where intensive instruction is needed.

In 1999, when the Supreme Court said that the equality rights of same-sex couples needed to be addressed, the Province of Manitoba acted quickly to produce and pass legislation two years later in 2001.

Yet today, the rights of individuals with learning disabilities in Manitoba still have not been adequately addressed in 12 years since the Supreme Court ruling. It is scandalous that successive NDP and PC governments in Manitoba have failed in 12 years to deliver a plan to ensure the basic human rights for some of the most marginalized people in our province — individuals with learning disabilities.

Sadly, today, too many children with dyslexia and other learning disabilities are not identified early enough or even identified at all in Manitoba, let alone given adequate help.

Because of these failures, too many struggle in school, develop poor self-esteem, have mental health and/or substance abuse issues, consider and/or even die by suicide, become homeless and may in their frustration and struggles get involved in juvenile delinquency and/or criminal activity.

Children with learning disabilities can do amazing things when helped — often becoming successful entrepreneurs, or creative leaders in a variety of fields. The list of high achievers with dyslexia is long.

The net benefit of helping children with dyslexia, including orthographic dyslexia, do well is enormous, including better life trajectories for those affected and increased tax revenue for governments.

The net cost of failing children and adults with dyslexia is large.

Too often it is associated with a poor quality of life for individuals and extra costs in education, health care, social and justice services for governments. Good evidence from Shaywitz (Overcoming dyslexia, 2020) shows that up to 20 per cent of children have dyslexia.

Intervention to screen and ensure children with learning disabilities can learn to read may be one of the most effective actions to reduce mental health issues, to reduce addictions, to reduce homelessness and to reduce crime in Manitoba.

The province needs, as fast as possible, to deliver a comprehensive plan to address and help children, youth and adults with learning disabilities like dyslexia.

As a person with extended family members who have dyslexia, I have a personal stake in this.

It is time to dedicate the financial and human resources to end the ongoing tragedies resulting from not addressing this vital issue.

Jon Gerrard is the former MLA for River Heights.