Dyslexic students banned from using computers

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Students with dyslexia will not be allowed to systematically use computers and adapted software in high schools.

The Council of States narrowly rejected a motion by Valais MP Sydney Kamerzin, overturning earlier approval by the National Council. 

Supporters argued the measure would close a gap, as such tools are already permitted in primary school, lower secondary and at university. 

Senator Fabien Fivaz questioned why students should lose access at a crucial stage. 

Opponents in the upper chamber ultimately blocked the proposal by 21 votes to 19.

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Parents told to check for three signs of condition affecting one in 10

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Parents are being urged to watch for some key signs of a condition affecting one in 10 people. Undiagnosed it can leave children frustrated and struggling, it has been warned.

Experts at Evolve Psychology explained three signs of dyslexia that occur away from the books and how a diagnosis can help frustrated children and adults get the support they need. Alicia Johnson, Specific Learning Difficulty Assessor, at Evolve, said: “Struggling with literacy is such a fundamental challenge; it impacts a person’s experience of education, work and often, their self-esteem.

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Lauren Sánchez Bezos reveals how she hid dyslexia as a reporter with help of co-anchor

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Lauren Sánchez Bezos has said she spent most of her life hiding her dyslexia, even when she worked as a news reporter.

During Tuesday’s segment of the Today show, the former Emmy-winning journalist, 56, revealed that she wasn’t diagnosed with the learning disability until she was 19.

“My community college teacher … got me tested,” she said. “She literally looked at me, because I was like, ‘I can’t write,’ and she goes, ‘You’re not dumb, you just can’t spell. You were learning differently.”

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Reframing Dyslexia: Ancient Genes, Modern Skill

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A large study published in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research systematically analyzes the genes that have so far been proposed to be involved in specific reading disability (SRD) — commonly called dyslexia, a term the authors consider inappropriate.

Questions about the genetic origins of SRD first arose in 1983. Since then, scientists have wondered whether reading problems stem from specific genes that emerged during human evolution or from a much older genetic basis.

The study suggests SRD originates from subtle alterations in very ancient genetic networks that predate modern humans and are shared by many vertebrates. Those networks are central to brain development and synaptic transmission, which helps explain why SRD often coexists with other neurodevelopmental disorders.