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Joseph Gall Scientific Work
A number of cases in which specific loss of mental function in adults occured as a result of brain damage. He realizes that his patient's loss of functioning was isolated to one particular ability. -
Adolph Kassmaul coined the phrase: Word blindness
The phrase, which is still used today to describe a form of dyslexia known as alexia, refers to a neurological disorder that can be described by the loss of the ability to read or understand the written word -
James Hinshelwood noted the difference between alexia and dyslexia
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First Systematic Clinical Studies of Specific Reading Disability
James Hinshelwood examined several cases in which adults lost the ability to read while other areas of mental functioning remained intact. -
Samuel Orton's Explanation for reading disabilities
Orton developed an explanation for reading disability that was much different from Hinshelwood's. "He proposed the difficulty was caused by delay or failure in establishing dominance for language in the left hemisphere of the brain" (Wong, 2000). -
Orton Dyslexia Society was formed
After Orton's death, his wife and colleague, created the Orton Society to continue his important work, train teachers and publish instructional materials -
Establishment of the ACLD
Formal beginnings of the LD field as a social/political/educational movement and it was primarily an organization for parents. -
The term "learning disabilities" was born
Samuel Kirk used it to identify groups of what he called "perceptually handicapped children." -
Passage of Children with Learning Disabilities Act
The passage of this act authorized the U.S. Office of Education to establish programs for LD students. This was the first time federal mandates support students with learning disabilities. -
Program initiated to fund Child Service Demonstration Projects in different states
These projects were to directly serve children with LD as well as provide development professional expertise in the field. -
Passage of PL 94-142
Required all states to provide an appropriate public education for all students with LD. Learning disabilities finally achieved official status as a category eligible services. -
The government issued regulations pertaining to the identification of students with LD
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Dr. Guinevere Eden and her research team used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
Process looks at the brain and is able to identify the parts of the brain that behave differently . -
Research team at Yale find a gene that is associated with dyslexia
Dr. Jeffrey Gruen's research team at Yale found a gene that had patterns and variations that were associated with dyslexia (a type of learning disability).
