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From: bwk@mbunix.mitre.org (Barry W. Kort)
Newsgroups: comp.cog-eng
Subject: Re: Handedness
Summary: I know which way is up.  But what is right?
Keywords: Dyslexia
Message-ID: <52133@linus.UUCP>
Date: 4 May 89 14:59:21 GMT
References: <0ejKI2d3Uw1010VXzqU@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com> <1256@mmm.UUCP> <5463@cs.Buffalo.EDU> <45148@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu>
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About 20% of the population suffers from some form of Dyslexia.

Dyslexia refers to a collection of cognitive deficits ranging
from left/right confusion, to difficulty in spelling and reading,
to learning disabilities associated with sequential information
processing and deductive reasoning.

The disorder may be caused by a genetically inherited neurological
dysfunction in a portion of the left cerebral cortex.

Prior to the diagnosis of Dyslexia, many dyslexics suffered psychological
stigmatization associated with inadequate academic performance in the
affected areas.  In extreme cases, learning anxieties and feelings
of inferiority further exacerbated the situation, leading to maladaptive
personality distortions and character disorders.

Dyslexia is treatable, in the sense that the cognitive functions
can still be developed in a suitably supportive setting and with
the aid of computer-assisted learning laboratories.

The left-hemisphere deficit is frequently counterbalanced by
right-hemispheric strengths in spatial relations, music, drama,
dance, and sensitivity to nonverbal information.

--Barry Kort