Dyslexia proponents Dr. Julia Safri and Suri Charles.

 

These dyslexia proponents will write on anything to promote their wares. It is time to shut them up.

This morning Julie posted the following on Facebook.

DrJulie Safri

Neural Connection Differences

Studies using electroencephalography (EEG) indicate that individuals with dyslexia have different neural connection patterns, particularly in the temporal lobe areas associated with auditory processing. The discovery indicates that dyslexia involves atypical neural communication pathways, which affects language processing abilities.

Reference:

Pugh, K. R., Shaywitz, B. A., Shaywitz, S. E., et al. (2000).

The following was my comment:

Luqman Michel

This woman Shaywitz is a humbug. I would like to use some stronger words but FB will not allow it. This woman wrote that phonological awareness deficit is the cause of dyslexia. I wrote a long response on the Yale website which was left there without an answer for a few years and then she took down the whole post. She took it down when research reports surfaced confirming my theory. She did not respond to many of my questions. This woman is a curse to parents with kids who can't read in English.

 

Suri Charles commented:

Luqman Michel You clearly have strong opinions, deep knowledge, and a lot of experience on the subject. Have you ever considered pursuing a PhD to formally research and defend your theories? That way, you could substantiate your ideas with rigorous research and contribute to the academic conversation in a meaningful way.

 

This was followed by Dr. Julie Safri:

DrJulie Safri

Luqman Michel, Thank you for sharing your thoughts. However, this post specifically highlights EEG studies, which are evidence-based and focus on how the brain processes information, not opinions or individual theories. The discussion here centers on measurable brain activity and neural connectivity differences observed through EEG, providing objective insights into dyslexia. Let's keep the focus on the science and the studies themselves.

 

I am busy with my posts on Pinyin and China but I think it best to respond.

It would be a waste of time to respond, especially since Suri Charles did not respond to my previous post. However, for the benefit of everyone, I felt it necessary to reply.

 

In my experience over the past 14 years, many PhDs seem unable to think critically without a research report in front of them. Why would I want to obtain a PhD for that?

I've shared insights I've gained from experts, my students, on why certain individuals struggle with reading and how they can improve with targeted intervention. Many PhDs simply copy and paste material from books and the internet without any original thought.

I have written over 100 articles on social media challenging the long-standing theory that phonological awareness deficits cause dyslexia. It's evident that if a child can read in Malay or Pinyin but struggles with English, then phonological awareness cannot be the  issue. LINK

Despite reaching out to PhDs, universities, and dyslexia associations, no one accepted this until students visited my blog in 2017 and presented research that debunked that theory.

Do you really need a PhD to recognize something so obvious?

 

Now to address Julie Safri:

As for the EEG reports, Sally Shaywitz introduced these findings over 30 years ago. What do they really show? For those interested, I encourage you to read my post at the link below and then we can continue this discussion. LINK

Let’s stop perpetuating the notion that a PhD is necessary to discuss topics that can be understood with a bit of common sense. It's time to stop exploiting desperate parents for financial gain.