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From: deb5@midway.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: Dyslexia and phonetic spelling
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Date: Wed, 8 Jan 1997 02:24:09 GMT
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In article <01bbfc7e$db755800$166310ac@cto.olicom.dk>,
Claus Tondering <cto@olicom.dk> wrote:
>Is the amount of dyslexic people found in a population related to how
>logical the spelling of a language is?
>
>For example, are there as many dyslexics in Finland (which I believe has
>completely phonetic spelling) as in English speaking countries?
>
>And are there as many dyslexics in China (whose "spelling" is only remotely
>related to the pronuncication) as in English speaking countries?

From the _Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Language_ (1987 ed.):

	It is however extremely difficult to arrive at an accurate 
	estimate of incidence [of dyslexia] because there are no 
	internationally accepted reading tests and criteria of handicap.
	In one survey of 16 countries, the mean percentage of non- 
	retarded children with reading difficulties was 8%--but this
	covered a range that went from 1% (China) to 33% (Venezuela).

I would guess that the range is due more to diagnostic methods than
anything else.  It's hard enough to come up with cross-cultural
definitions of "functional literacy" and "retardation" to begin with;
conceiving a method of determining the percentage of "non-retarded
functional illiterates" across the world's cultures seems daunting indeed.

-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
