Research Projects Funded by IDA 

Summary: 

International Perspectives on Dyslexia

The overall goal of this project, International Perspectives on Dyslexia, was to expand our knowledge and understanding of the magnitude and complexity of the problem of dyslexia from an international perspective. This project was particularly significant because the researchers interpreted the findings from an identical measure, the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), in light of differences in the definition of learning disabilities and/or dyslexia, awareness of LD/dyslexia, each country’s legislative mandates regarding special education, reading pedagogy, and provision of special education services. In addition, the IALS findings were interpreted by comparing the findings for those with self-reported LD/dyslexia to those without disabilities within each nation and in some cases among groupings of nations that shared a common language, legislation, or special education history, for example. Among the 22 countries that administered the IALS, 17 asked a series of questions pertaining to the presence of a disability including a learning disability. Denmark and Sweden added an additional optional item regarding self-reported dyslexia. A group of twelve researchers who were involved in international comparative research and who had expertise in the field of adult literacy, learning disabilities, and/or dyslexia were invited to participate in this international project. They represented nine countries where the IALS had been administered and the disability status questions were asked (see below). Initially, Steve Reder provided frequencies and descriptive data analysis for the nine nations that included the disabilities questions. The factors that were examined included prevalence, age and gender distribution, literacy proficiency, and educational attainment. The researchers then conducted additional data analysis based on their specific hypotheses and research interests including examination of the IALS, findings in light of differences in the definition of learning disabilities, awareness of LD/dyslexia, history of special education, legislative mandates and public policy, alternative models of provision of special education instruction, and reading pedagogy. Steve Reder and Susan Vogel compared the five English-speaking countries (Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, The UK, and the US) in an effort to understand the dramatic differences in prevalence in the five English-speaking countries; Angela Fawcett focused on recent legislative mandates and changes in the availability of special education; James Chapman attempted to understand the very high prevalence of SRLD in New Zealand in light of the lack of recognition of learning disabilities in the special education legal mandates and special education services in New Zealand in addition to the wide spread use of Reading Recovery for students with reading difficulties; Wied Ruijjsenaars and Pol Ghesquiere compared the IALS findings in the Flemish-speaking population in Belgium and The Netherlands where the main differences were in definition of LD, legislative mandates, and special education service delivery.