Re: OT: Dyslexia (was Re: Announcement: New auxlang "Choton")

On Tue, 5 Oct 2004 21:41:39 -0400, John Cowan <jcowan@...> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       Constructed Languages List <CONLANG@...>
> Poster:       John Cowan <jcowan@...>
> Subject:      Re: OT: Dyslexia (was Re: Announcement: New auxlang "Choton")
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Ph. D. scripsit:
>
> > The original poster replied that having English spelled
> > phonemically (in Shaw) would help dyslexics more than a lack
> > of distinctiveness. He pointed out that dyslexia is rarer among
> > native speakers of Hebrew (which has several letters which
> > look *very* similar) than among native speakers of English.
> > He offered no proof. As I know nothing more about dyslexia
> > than what I read in the mass media, I didn't challenge him.
>
> There can be no doubt that dyslexia is widely overdiagnosed;
> much of it is mere incompetent teaching, and what remains is a
> mixture of different syndromes.  Hebrew is fairly straightforward
> to learn to read (though spelling it is another thing altogether),
> and it doesn't surprise me that dyslexia is rarer among native speakers.

True, and many disorders are overdiagnosed these days (ADD).

My issue with a script like the one for Chonton is not so much it
would cause problems for those with learning disabilities (which
extend further than just reading), because how many people actually
have learning disorders to those that don't? It's minor (but it is
still something to consider)

My issue is that it's a bit too "artificial" looking. Even though
Hangul has letters showing articulation relations, when used it
appears "random" enough that it doesn't look like you have so many
repeating elements. Even with the dots to differentiate the different
sounds, the mind picks out the main glyph shape.

When I construct similar scrips with a form based off of articulation,
usuing a main form for each point of articulation, I add enough
elements to make the shapes look different enough. Of course I often
never use them because they are a bit too "logical" for my tastes.

--
And when you saw it all come, it was waving the flag
Of the united states of calamity, hey!
After all that you've done boy, I know you're going to pay

Sleep the Clock Around  - Belle and Sebastian