What Is New In Remedial Reading?

New treatments of reading disabilities have recently been developed. New medical therapies for reading disabilities link poor functions of the mechanism that controls balance and movement to reading disability and focus medical attention on diet as a cause of hyperactive behavior and learning disorders. These medical therapies are still controversial and their use should be decided upon by parents and not by reading specialists. New psychological theories involve cognitive behavior modification and "suggestopedia" in which the use of positive suggestion is emphasized. New educational therapies include a number of modifications of the Fernald kinesthetic method, the neurological impress method, repeated readings, and changing print format. These innovations have not been followed up by controlled research, but remedial teachers should know about them and be prepared to try them with pupils who seem unable to learn from conventional remedial procedures. The 1978 legislation on learning disabilities may expand the need for teachers with remedial reading training since the legislation limits the definition of learning disabled to no more than two or three percent of the school population. Certain basic principles of successful remedial reading instruction have not changed in the past 50 years. The reading specialist who combines flexibility and resourcefulness with unlimited patience will achieve results with most disabled readers. (MKM)