Intervention through metacognitive development: A case study of a student with dyslexia and comorbid attention deficit disorder (ADD)

Metacognition can be defined as taking control of and directing one's own thinking processes, and being aware of one's own cognitive strengths and limitations. It is the ability to understand, monitor and self-regulate cognition and is inseparable from intellectual functioning and learning. An important aspect of metacognition is the ability to show reflective awareness about the self, and knowledge in tandem with conscious monitoring during learning. Students with dyslexia and with associated learning disabilities appear to lack these metacognitive skills, which can be seen as a critical aspect of cognition. Metacognition is a bridge between areas and reflects all aspects of cognitive processing. An approach to metacognition within the framework of literacy development is presented through the case study of a 17 year old adolescent who has dyslexia with the co-morbidity of an attention deficit disorder (ADD). This paper illustrates the effectiveness of metacognition in general cognitive processing. The cyclic relationship between the two processes, namely cognition and metacognition is illustrated and the reciprocal nature of these two processes is emphasized. The objective is to show that the development of metacognitive awareness is an important tool in intervention for dyslexic and/or learning-disabled students and provides a case for general recognition of its importance in cognitive intervention. As metacognition is complex, the development of self-awareness is the focus of this qualitative study. The student’s name has been altered to maintain confidentiality but the specific data on his learning disabilities and his progress in learning have been accurately reported.