Harvard study indicates that at-risk children can be identified prior to ever struggling in school.
This study is led by Harvard researcher, Nadine Gaab, whose lab has focused on the development of youth brains for more than 15 years. Specifically, the Gaab lab examines how to pinpoint the brain characteristics that may be associated with dyslexia. Their current BabyBOLD study looks at infants between 3 and 8 months of age with a familial history of reading disorders and monitors them until elementary or middle school. As a result of this study, they have found evidence that suggests that some atypical brain characteristics involving white matter-the function in which information and communication is exchanged-and connectivity patterns that are found in older children are already present as early as infancy.
This finding is essential to the current research on dyslexia because it suggests that characteristics associated with dyslexia and other reading disabilities can be identified before a child begins school. Until recently, elementary schools across the United States have relied on the wait to fail model for students with reading disabilities which often leads children to have low-self esteem and negative learning experiences. Gaabs findings promote the importance of a proactive approach to assessing and supporting children with dyslexia which can lead to early interventions.
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