| In 1878 Adolph Kussmaul, a German neurologist, | | | | US in 1967. The group's main goal was raising |
| began the first recorded investigation into people | | | | public and political awareness and stressing the |
| that suffered with reading difficulties. He was | | | | needs of dyslexic children. |
| aiming at making a connection between adults | | | | It wasn't until 1994 when the US Department of |
| with reading difficulties and neurological | | | | Education finally recognized dyslexia as a disorder |
| impairment. He found that many of his patients | | | | or disability. Even when it was finally recognized, |
| could not properly read and often would use | | | | professionals would still use the term dyslexia in |
| words in a "wrong order". He used the term | | | | the same sentence as ‘specific learning |
| word blindness to explain their difficulties. | | | | difficulties' showing that even the people that |
| Dyslexia history then moves on with an 1891 | | | | recognized it as a disability still held reservations |
| report in The Lancet medical journal by Dr. | | | | about the designation. |
| Dejerne. He was describing a brain injury one of | | | | In 1997 the Orton Dyslexia Society changed it's |
| his patients suffered after he was hit over the | | | | name to the International Dyslexia Association due |
| head by a crowbar. He wrote that the patient | | | | to the influence the association had beyond the |
| lost several language functions, including the ability | | | | borders of the USA. |
| to read. The result of this report was a general | | | | Even with advances in medicine, it still took a while |
| consensus that people with difficulty reading had | | | | for the general teaching and medical fields to |
| most likely suffered brain damage or a brain | | | | accept that learning difficulties were not |
| injury. | | | | necessarily brought on by a medical condition. In |
| By the 1930's the term dyslexia began to appear | | | | fact, it was not really until the 21st century that |
| more often in professional literature and then, in | | | | schools fully accepted the condition and began |
| 1963, the Invalid Children's Aid Association (ICAA) | | | | making accommodations for those that suffer |
| established the Word Blind Centre for Dyslexic | | | | from dyslexia. When you trace dyslexia history, it |
| Children in London. It allowed for specialized | | | | is easy to see that more attention and more |
| teaching for children that had been diagnosed with | | | | research are still needed. |
| dyslexia. The Orton Dyslexia Society began in the | | | | |