title: Dyslexia-Early Identification and Prevention: Highlights from the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Dyslexia.
abstract: Over two decades of Finnish research, monitoring children born with risk for dyslexia has been carried out in the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Dyslexia (JLD). Two hundred children, half at risk, have been assessed from birth to puberty on hundreds of measures. The aims were to identify measures of prediction of later reading difficulty and to instigate appropriate and earliest diagnosis and intervention. We can identify at-risk children from newborn electroencephalographic brain recordings (Guttorm et al., J Neural Transm 110:1059-1074, 2003). Predictors are also apparent from late-talking infants who have familial background of dyslexia (Lyytinen and Lyytinen, Appl Psycolinguistics 25:397-411, 2004). The earliest easy-to-use predictive measure to identify children who need help to avoid difficulties in learning to read is letter knowledge (Lyytinen et al., Merrill-Palmer Q 52:514-546, 2006). In response, a purpose-engineered computer game, GraphoGame™, provides an effective intervention tool (Lyytinen et al., Scand J Psychol 50:668-675, 2009). In doubling as a research instrument, GraphoGame provides bespoke intervention/reading instruction for typical/atypically developing children. Used extensively throughout Finland, GraphoGame is now crossing the developed and developing world to assist children, irrespective of the cause (environmental or genetic) of their failing to learn to read (Ojanen et al., Front Psychol 6(671):1-13, 2015).
authors.affiliation: Inclusive Literacy Learning for All, Agora Human Technology Center & Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, Jyväskylä, 40014 Finland.
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lyytinen
authors.affiliation: Agora Human Technology Center, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, Jyväskylä, 40014 Finland.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Erskine
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, Jyväskylä, 40014 Finland.
authors.forename: Jarmo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hämäläinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Teacher Education, University of Jyvaskyla, P.O. Box 35, Jyväskylä, 40014 Finland.
authors.forename: Minna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Torppa
authors.affiliation: Agora Human Technology Center, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, Jyväskylä, 40014 Finland.
authors.forename: Miia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ronimus
keywords: Dyslexia; Finnish; GraphoGame; Intervention; Longitudinal; Prediction