TITLE:
Visual Discrimination and Reading for Children Dyslexic Arabophone, Aged 7.5 - 11.5 Years
AUTHORS:
Ahlam El Moutez, Mostapha El Alaoui Faris, Maria Benabdejlil
KEYWORDS:
Visual Discrimination, Reading and Vocalization, Learning Disabilities, Assessment, Arabic Language, Dyslexia, Children, Norms
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.9 No.8,
August
16,
2018
ABSTRACT: Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate visual discrimination in an Arabic-speaking environment and then to appreciate the contribution of its disorders in the treatment of the Arabic language written for the Arabic-speaking reader. Method: A visual discrimination measuring instrument was created and adapted based on the test of the letter sequence discrimination of the battery. The structure of the Arabic language has been taken into consideration in the design of the items (vocalization). This test was applied to an individual based on different types of children from different age groups and different types of schools in Rabat, capital of Morocco. The standard methodology for the administration of created tests has been respected. Standard statistical indices were applied to analyze the measurement results and discuss the different possible interactions. Psychometric indices, as reliability, validity and correlation indices, were applied to assess the performance of the created test. Results and conclusion: The test used, was designed, adapted and standardized to the Arabic-speaking population of Moroccan children. The results obtained were summarized in the following points: 1) The standards obtained could be applied by health professionals to assess the performance of visual discrimination in relation to reading. 2) The main factors of segregation of children (gender and type of school) have no influence on visual discrimination. 3) Vocalization slows down reading for normal readers. On the other hand, it stimulates the attention in the dyslexics. 4) The visual discrimination disorder is present in dyslexic children at 69% (two out of three children).