| Parliamentary Assembly Assembl�e parlementaire |
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Controlling and diagnosing children with dyslexia
Doc. 10122
31 March 2004
Motion for a recommendation
presented by Mrs Azevedo and others
This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it
1. Dyslexia occurs in people from every social group and occupation; in people with a low school level and in persons with high academic degrees. At any age, people with dyslexia can learn effectively but they need special and specialized support. The causes of dyslexia are still unknown, though they are more and more visible in our schools.
2. The effects of dyslexia on a child can be serious, since they go beyond his/her body and intelligence. Dyslexic children can undergo constant discrimination, lose self-confidence, and a low self-esteem may be produced. This is considered one of the major and most common emotional problems. A dyslexic child has to deal with frustration, prejudice, and incapacity feelings which can sometimes lead to some “phobias”. These children are extremely deprived of affection, understanding and care.
3. In practice, a person with dyslexia has a specific linguistic incapacity which affects orthography and reading. There is a difference between his/her mental potential and his/her education level. Considering that dyslexia is a specific children’s problem, it should be approached and analysed by the Council of Europe, so that a pattern is reached to be followed by all members of this Council.
4. Not every country has education support, detection methods and diagnostic centres, groups supporting and assisting children, training for teachers of dyslexic students. In Portugal, there is no specific dyslexia assistance service. This assistance is centred in regular schools and the responsibility lies on teachers of education support in those schools and on Coordination Teams for Education Support. There are no Diagnosis Centres or Support Groups. The only support available at present is provided by the Psychology and Guidance Services or by the Coordination Teams for Education Support.
5. However, other countries already have other ways of combating dyslexia and solving this matter. For example, in Austria pupils in primary school are given special lessons and in some secondary schools, a support lesson is offered once a week. It is important to mention that this support and school psychological assistance is free. In Germany, some schools have some kind of protection to facilitate the passing of the school year, which includes not counting misspelling in tests and exams, so that the pupil’s personal capacities are valued. Nevertheless, in general, there is not just one solution for assisting dyslexic pupils. In Belgium, access to evaluation and detection of dyslexia is found in schools or depistage centres. All Belgian schools are connected to the PMS centre (Psychological – Medical – Social Centre) which is free. Dyslexic children are entitled to a private therapist and the money spent is partially reimbursed by the Social Security for a maximum period of two years.
6. If the detection occurred in preschool children in all member states, that would be beneficial for the entire community. Children would be immediately treated, parents would not spend time and money with psychologists not knowing their children’s problem and failure rate in schools might be reduced.
7. One can come to the conclusion that each country has its own way of dealing with dyslexia but there is no consistent idea and no pattern to be followed by all countries. Therefore, the Assembly invites the member states Governments to make a survey on:
i. the laws existing in their countries relating to special education for dyslexic children;
ii. the existence of diagnosis centres and assistance groups;
iii. the support given by social security or any similar organisms;
8. The Assembly recommends to the Committee of Ministers:
i. to elaborate common rules concerning dyslexia for all member states of the Council of Europe;
ii. to make the dyslexia detection in preschool children and the existence of diagnosis centres and educational support to children compulsory;
iii. the detection tests should be unified and they should not include any type of intelligence test (IQ). Tests should be free.
Signed
[1]:
Azevedo, Portugal, EPP/CD
Belohorsk�, Slovakia, EDG
Dupraz, Switzerland, LDR
Flynn, United Kingdom, SOC
Glesener, Luxembourg, EPP/CD
Hancock, United Kingdom, LDR
Ionescu, Romania, EDG
Kovalev, Russia, EDG
Kox, Netherlands, UEL
Marty, Switzerland, LDR
McCafferty, United Kingdom, SOC
Milotinova, Bulgaria, LDR
Poty, Belgium, SOC
Sysas, Lithuania, SOC
Vis, United Kingdom, SOC
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SOC |
Socialist Group |