Erin

There are numerous theories in literature regarding the effect of birth order on an individual’s development, language acquisition and reading skills, as well as their overall intellectual advancements. Recent research has suggested that increasing familial size and birth order may pose decremental results. Many of the studies have concentrated on what is considered a ‘typical’ family, whereas little information has been forthcoming regarding deviations from the norm. There are numerous childhood disabilities and conditions that are more predominant in today’s society than ever before. With this in mind, countless families are not considered within the data as ‘average’ as they digress from the standard. The number of children with disabilities in Canada has risen since 2001, according to figures released today by Statistics Canada (“Rise in number of Canadian kids with disabilities,” 2008). Of all the children with disabilities in this country, more than half (59.8%) have a learning disability (“Prevalence of Learning Disabilities,” 2006). The number of children diagnosed with learning disabilities has not stabilized and is continually escalating. Dyslexia for instance, is a specific type of language-based learning disability that hinders the development and progression of reading and writing skills in individuals (“The International Dyslexia Association Ontario Branch,” 2013). There is no precise cure for dyslexia, as it is not a disease, rather it is an inherited infirmity. However, there are educational plans and techniques devised for an individual in order to support children with dyslexia. When a child has dyslexia, it is important for their parents to consistently assist and encourage the child in language tasks. Add...

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...ng them towards success and will read to them, more often than later born children. As well, it has been stated that parents tend to become less strict as they have more children. With less of a strict figurehead, children tend to become more deviant and troublesome and less caring about success. Additionally, it has been determined that parents spend the most financially on a first-born education and well-being. Therefore, if a child with dyslexia is the first-born it can be assumed that the parents will be more willing to send their child to an exceptional educational program as well as hire a tutor in order for them to succeed.

It is therefore apparent that a first-born child with a specific type of language-based learning disability such as dyslexia will be more academically successful than a later born child born with dyslexia due to the above influences.