The Davis Model of Dyslexia Intervention: Lessons from One Child

Ronald Davis developed a theoretical base for the Davis model of understanding dyslexia. The model describes the cause of dyslexia and prescribes certain strategies for intervention. The strategies consist of three main components. The first is the Davis Orientation Counselling procedure, while the second is the Davis Symbol Mastery procedure and finally the Davis Reading Exercises. Annie is a 9-year-old child diagnosed with dyslexia with major problems in the area of visual perceptual skills, which manifest academically in the area of reading and writing. The Davis strategies were used to help correct her dyslexia symptoms. The results suggest that the Davis Orientation Counselling method has helped to correct her visual perceptual problems, which in turn improves her reading and writing skills. Furthermore, the Davis Symbol Mastery was able to help identify and correct her problems with reversals. Finally, the Davis Reading Exercises helped her in tracking and in word recognition. Therefore, it is suggested that the Davis method offers a plausible explanation for Annie’s dyslexic symptoms.