Integrating RTI with Cognitive Neuropsychology

Originally published here on March 10, 2008.

I attended Dr. Steven Feifer's session this morning on the cognitive neuropsychology of reading. Dr. Feifer is a school psychologist who now works in Maryland and I enjoyed the session enough to buy his new book.

Dr. Feifer discussed the areas of the brain that process reading. He answered my question about whether dyslexia is genetic. He said that it is inherited, but pointed out that there are a variety of factors that influence each other and that the issue was a little more complicated than a "yes" or "no" question allowed for.

Dr. Feifer looked at the nature of reading (learning) disabilities and at the brain activity behind different reading problems. I asked him if he thought that learning disabilities could be prevented (something I've been skeptical about) and his answer was that if we catch problems early enough and apply the proper types of interventions with those problems, that good instruction can change brain chemistry - and that yes, we can actually prevent disabilities. He was convincing and I'll now have to delve more deeply into the research on that issue...

Dr. Feifer was also very practical in his suggestions as to how to decide which interventions to use with what reading problems you see in a student.

I enjoyed Dr. Feifer and I look forward now to reading his book...