Reading, Writing and Speech Problems in Children
- Author:
Samuel
Torrey Orton, M.D. Chapman & Hall, 10/6.
In the early part of this book, the author reviews briefly certain language disturbances which occur as a result of injury to the dominant hemisphere of the brain. This is followed by a prolonged discussion on laterality and the difficulties which present themselves in any attempt to determine dominance by test.
The author then proceeds to describe cases of delay or disorder in the acquisition of language and its written expression, and classes them under six headings. In these chapters, the presentation of some interesting material is somewhat marred by an unnecessarily involved mode of expression and by the adoption sometimes of an equally unnecessary complication of terms. It would seem, for instance, simpler and no less clear to speak of a ” tricycle” rather than of a ” three wheeled velocipede “, and to mention ” children occasionally making reversals ” rather than ” cases exhibiting residuals of strephosymbolia.”
However, apart from the author’s obvious predilection for Latinity, our chief criticism of these chapters lies in the fact that although syndromes of numerous cases are presented, there is little, actually, in the discussion of origins so necessary before corrective methods are recommended.
After some interesting, but now?on the basis of recent clinical practice?somewhat discredited suggestions for corrective treatment, the author concludes with a useful glossarv of his terms. M. I. D.
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