Representations of dyslexia in children's fiction picture books: a critical content analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed methods critical content analysis was to examine the depiction of dyslexia and dyslexic characters in children's fiction picture books published between 2004 and 2022. Examining the data through the lens of critical neurodiversity studies and transactional theory concentrated the data collection and analysis on identifying the types of messages and values about dyslexia that are transmitted to the reader through the text. A mixed method critical content analysis approach was utilized, which involved categorizing texts, text passages, and thematic analysis as a qualitative step, followed by frequency analysis as a quantitative step. The use of mixed methods enabled the collection of descriptive statistics, frequency distributions, and specific data on the books. Multiple rounds of coding were utilized to discover and analyze themes and descriptive statistics found in the fifty-nine texts which met the criteria for inclusion. Results were described, analyzed, and interpreted. Finally, implications for practice and suggestions for future research were discussed.