Persistent Reversers: Poor Readers, Writers, Spellers?

Helen S. Kaufman, MS, is a coordinator in the Bureau for the Education of the Physically Handicapped, New York City, and a lecturer in special education at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York. Phyllis L. Biren, MA, is an educational diagnostician and therapist. Correspondence may be directed to the authors at 12 Silver Birch Road, Merrick, New York 11566. I T IS FREQUENTLY STATED that a child’s success or failure in academic areas is linked with his perception of spatial relationships. Marianne Frostig has said that &dquo;Disabilities in the perception of position in space inevitably lead to difficulties in academic learning.&dquo; 1 Elizabeth Koppitz links these same two factors in a positive way when she states: &dquo;It appears that good reading ability is related to the correct perception of the direction and the shape of forms and designs.&dquo;2