tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24192246594350114952024-03-08T06:50:59.637-05:00Joshua Clemens Life as a DyslexicAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08008701052023401733noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419224659435011495.post-20151487214113362242014-05-01T21:04:00.001-04:002014-05-01T22:18:53.419-04:00The Need for Dyslexia Legislation<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I recently read an article in <i>Education Week</i> that talked about the fact that Iowa has officially
defined dyslexia in their state education code. The article points out that “without
an official definition, identification and treatment of the condition was
nearly impossible.” The law that was just passed also charges Iowa’s Department
of Education with developing and providing school districts with professional
development programs for teachers to better equip them to work with these
students. Iowa now joins other states around the country that are committed to
helping their dyslexic students. You might wonder why a 15-year old high school
student is following this news. You see, my mother is a leader of Decoding
Dyslexia-IN and she keeps a legislative summary of all the states and whether
they have laws in place to help their dyslexic students. Whenever a state
passes legislation, she is quick to point it out to me and tells me that one
day Indiana will be on the list.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I am excited for the
dyslexic students in Iowa but I am sad for the dyslexic students in Indiana. Indiana just released this year’s scores for
IRead. IRead is a high stakes test that is
supposed to determine whether third graders can read well enough to move on to
fourth grade. Everyone is excited because 86% of the kids passed this year. It
makes me sad that nobody really talks about the 14% that failed the test. I
think that if Indiana had dyslexia legislation, we would have identified these
students earlier and would have already been using a multi-sensory phonetic approach
to provide intervention for these kids. Unfortunately, many of these students
will never get this help. Tutoring is very expensive and most schools don’t
offer this type of intervention. Although IRead wasn’t a requirement when I was
in third grade, based on my ISTEP scores, I probably would have failed. It was only because my parents could pay for
Orton Gillingham tutoring that I have been able to be successful in school. I
think failing this test will discourage these kids and may destroy their self-esteem.
Unfortunately many of these kids will go on to be struggling readers in high
school and beyond. The NIH says that, “Of children who display reading problems
in first grade, 74% will be struggling readers in ninth grade and into
adulthood unless they receive informed and explicit instruction in phonemic
awareness.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I think that Indiana should look to Iowa and other states and
see just how important dyslexia legislation is to helping their dyslexic
students. Since dyslexia affects 1 out of 5 people, this legislation would help
20% of its population. I also think this would help to improve Indiana’s test
scores and literacy rate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08008701052023401733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419224659435011495.post-39658234090532969002014-04-17T02:45:00.002-04:002014-04-17T02:45:41.870-04:00Discipline<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Discipline is a quality that I admire in people. It is the ability to follow through with something
in an effort to achieve your goal even if you really don’t want to do it or
it’s painful to do. I believe it is an important quality for anyone that wants
to be successful but I think it is especially important for a dyslexic student
like me. Like many dyslexic kids, school
isn’t easy for me. I often find myself doing homework for 6 or 7 hours at
night. It’s not that I want to work late
into the night, but I have to if I want to do well. I also find that I have to
work over the weekend on assignments that are due the following week. It’s not
always easy to be disciplined to work when I don’t feel like it, but I have to
keep reminding myself to keep my eye on the goal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Like most dyslexics, I struggled to learn to read. I started Orton Gillingham tutoring two days a
week after my first grade teacher told my mom, during an end of the year
conference, that I cried when I had to read out loud. While many people have
free time after school, I continue to tutor twice a week. It takes discipline
to practice what doesn’t come easily. It’s just a way of life for me. John
Irving, writer of the <i>World According to
Garp</i> seems to understand the importance of discipline in his life. He said,
“I believe that my life as a writer consists of one-eighth talent and
seven-eighths discipline.” John Irving found out that he was dyslexic when his
younger son was diagnosed. He refers to the fact that “More than a half, maybe
as much as two-thirds of my life as a writer is rewriting. I wouldn’t say I
have a talent that’s special. It strikes me that I have an unusual kind of
stamina.” I know the effort that it takes me to write a 300 word blog, I can only
imagine the amount of discipline it takes for a dyslexic to write a book. I
believe that discipline and perseverance are key qualities that a dyslexic must
possess to be successful. It takes discipline to work when you don’t feel like
it and perseverance to keep trying when you fail.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08008701052023401733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419224659435011495.post-1215008488523583652014-03-12T21:52:00.004-04:002014-03-12T21:52:54.696-04:00Dyslexia: Limited Abilities or Unlimited Possibilities?<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Thomas Edison once said, “My teachers say I’m
addled . . . my father thought I was stupid, and I almost decided I must be a
dunce.” You see Thomas Edison was
dyslexic and so he struggled in school. His mother pulled him out of school at
the age of six when a teacher sent home a note that said, “He is too stupid to
learn.” Edison went on to become one of the world’s greatest scientists. He
held 1,093 patents and changed the world with his discovery of the light bulb.
I often wonder if he would have been so successful if he had remained in school
and become convinced that he was stupid. He himself said that he had <i>almost</i>
decided that he was a dunce. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">I also wonder how many dyslexic kids never reach
their potentials because they become discouraged in school. They struggle to learn to read and often
struggle to memorize their math facts. I am dyslexic and I am one of those
kids. I had trouble learning to read and I also struggled to learn math facts.
In third grade, my teacher kept a chart on the wall with the names of the kids
that could do 30 math facts in a minute. I am pretty sure that I was still
working on addition when everyone else was doing multiplication and division.
In fact, I don’t think I ever got my name on the wall and everyone knew it. Unfortunately, this practice sends a message
to those kids that struggle that they aren’t smart enough.</span><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">These kids not only struggle every day but they
often aren’t offered opportunities in areas in which they would excel because
they aren’t considered smart enough or they are pulled out of those classes so
that they can work on reading. I love
science but it wasn’t offered in my elementary school as a class for everyone;
instead, it was offered as enrichment. There was a group that met for
“Enrichment” but someone like me was never offered that opportunity. Someone that didn’t get their name on the wall
for memorizing math facts certainly wasn’t going to be asked to come to
“Enrichment.” They seemed to have so much fun doing science-type activities. I wonder if Thomas Edison would have made it
through school still wanting to be a great scientist if he had experienced all
of these unspoken messages. Would he have
chosen to pursue his dream? We need to
be concerned that we have kids like Thomas Edison that leave school discouraged
that they aren’t “smart” enough. We may never know the contributions they could
have made because they just think they are “dumb.” It’s important to identify these kids, teach
them in a way they learn best, and help them to understand that they aren’t
stupid, they just learn differently. They are dyslexic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08008701052023401733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419224659435011495.post-65853997151111599222014-02-27T23:12:00.002-05:002014-02-27T23:12:47.874-05:00The Puzzle Child<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Nelson Rockefeller, an
American businessman, philanthropist, politician, and public servant, once
said, “I was one of the ‘puzzle children’ myself- a dyslexic… And I still have
a hard time reading today. Accept the fact
that you have a problem. Refuse to feel sorry for yourself. You have a
challenge; never quit!” Do you wonder
what a puzzle child is? A puzzle child is someone that shows great strengths in
some areas but has significant learning difficulties in other areas. These children pose a difficulty for most
classroom teachers because they appear to grasp the big picture but struggle in
areas that you don’t expect. The puzzle child may have great ideas but struggles
to learn to read. He may understand math concepts but can’t seem to memorize
simple math facts. I understand this seemingly complex puzzle because I am also
a puzzle child. I know what it feels like to be a puzzle child. I remember what
it’s like to be forced to read easy readers when everyone around me is reading
chapter books. I also know what it’s like to hear kids giggle because they
realize you’re not reading at their level. Unfortunately, I’ve only had a few
teachers that really understood what dyslexia is and know how to help. I think
this lack of understanding further helps to make the puzzle seem that much more
complex. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">As Rockefeller
acknowledged, dyslexia certainly provides a challenge. Dyslexia has taught me
to work hard and never give up. Being identified with the word dyslexia tells
me that I have potential. It tells me I have a challenge but I am capable. I feel
so fortunate though in knowing why certain things are hard for me. I am
thankful to have a name, dyslexia, for this apparent puzzle. You see, things
haven’t changed much since Nelson Rockefeller spoke about being a puzzle child.
Today most people with dyslexia are never identified. They experience the
challenges and they’ve heard the same giggles. They have felt the humiliation
of being called on to read and letting everyone hear them struggle. Some have been told they’re lazy or they just
need to work harder. Some even begin to believe it and others give up. They
realize they’re different and often in a bad way, but without being identified
with dyslexia, they somehow continue to remain a puzzle.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08008701052023401733noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419224659435011495.post-76901986987585953692014-01-30T20:43:00.001-05:002014-01-30T20:43:16.933-05:00Perseverance<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Perseverance is a quality that I admire in people. It is that quality that makes a person keep trying when no one thinks they will be successful. Perseverance drives people to succeed when everything and everyone seems to be against them. They somehow find the strength to continue to try. I don’t think perseverance is a quality that people are born with. I think that it is learned and practiced. It is developed and rehearsed with each seemingly impossible situation. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dyslexia has taught me all about perseverance. I would like to tell you that it was an easy lesson and that it wasn’t painful but that just wouldn’t be true. You see, it seems like everything comes hard for me. I have to work harder and longer than my friends to do homework and study for tests. I work for hours on homework every night and also on the weekends. Most people don’t know that about me because dyslexia isn’t something you can see and most teachers haven’t been trained to look for it. In fact, when I was in second grade, I had a teacher that kept telling me that I wasn’t trying hard enough. She couldn’t see that I was working as hard as I could. Second grade was a painful experience. Although I wanted to give up, I continued to work hard. There are many very successful dyslexics that attribute their success to their dyslexia. Their dyslexia taught them how to get back up after failing and it taught them all about perseverance.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Charles Schwab is someone that I admire for his perseverance. From a young age, learning was difficult for Schwab. He didn’t know that he was dyslexic. In fact, most of his teachers just thought that he was slow. In college, he failed both English and French. He learned to never give up. Schwab sees his disability as a blessing because it has allowed him to see the world differently. He explains, “There were people who were a lot brighter than I was, or at least seemed to be, because they got much higher marks. But I could see the bigger picture, whereas they could see what was right in front of them.” Charles Schwab went on to become the founder of the biggest, most successful discount brokerage firm in the industry. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 10px; text-indent: 36px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">I will try to remember the importance of perseverance as my dyslexia teaches me how to keep working and trying my best. It is with perseverance that I will get back up after failing and continue to strive to become the person that God wants me to be.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 10px; min-height: 18px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08008701052023401733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419224659435011495.post-69277962041325316892014-01-17T01:04:00.000-05:002014-01-17T01:04:18.277-05:00Different<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some
people may find that writing out their thoughts is difficult, and for some, it
is very difficult, but I actually find that writing is painful. I seem to have
lots of ideas but it is hard for me to get them down on paper. Many of my ideas
are really great ideas but when I write them, they seem so simple. I am sure
that many of my friends were able to sit down and write their blog post in a
matter of an hour, but for me, I spent hours trying to write and rewrite my
blog posts. When I was younger, I didn’t really understand how I could have
really great ideas but it would take me so much longer than everyone else to
write my paper. Now I know that it’s because I’m dyslexic. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dyslexics
struggle with written expression. It is much easier for me to write about a
famous person, or a period of history, but it is painful to express my thoughts
on paper. When I have to write a paper, I have to first draw out my thoughts. I
set it up like a web and boy is it messy. This allows me to organize what I’m
going to say. Then I use Dragon Naturally Speaking and start talking to write
out my thoughts. Dragon is a voice recognition software that allows you to
speak while the computer types. Dragon is a lifesaver for me! I usually end up
with 900 words for a 300 word post. This is because like most dyslexics, I have
lots of great ideas. I then read through the post and end up shrinking it down to
about 250 words. I keep reading and rereading the post and add more thoughts. I
have to read it out loud so that I can really hear what it sounds like. I also
have someone else read it and make comments and edits. As you can see, this
difficulty makes me different. Dyslexia makes me different than my friends but
I’m ok with different. I’ve actually learned to like different. </span><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08008701052023401733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419224659435011495.post-24127731891257061632013-12-10T20:20:00.002-05:002013-12-10T20:20:09.131-05:00The Case for Labeling<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Although 1 in 5 children is dyslexic, less than 30% of these children are ever identified. Why is this? In fact, most schools won’t even use the word dyslexia. There is a philosophy in education today that society shouldn’t “label” these children dyslexic. This philosophy not only discourages children from being “labeled” dyslexic but it also discourages schools from identifying children with learning disabilities. Society sees “labeling” as a bad practice. I disagree with this philosophy. I believe it does a disservice to the dyslexic child and to their families. Today, a dyslexic student is only identified as having a learning disability after the child has fallen significantly behind their peers. Schools are then able to “label” the child as having a Specific Learning Disability. The label Specific Learning Disability includes many different types of disabilities, including brain injury. Dyslexia accounts for 80% of those identified as having a Specific Learning Disability. Dyslexia requires a specific type of intervention so that the student is able to actually close the gap. Without the label of “dyslexia,” most students only receive interventions that are appropriate for a group of disabilities, but never receive interventions that are specific for dyslexia. To me, that’s like identifying a group of people as having cancer and assuming that the same type of treatment will work for each individual regardless of the type of cancer.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If dyslexic students aren’t identified as “dyslexic”, they are often informally identified by their teachers as being lazy or slow. The other kids in the classroom are also labeling these kids as “dumb”. These kids are often picked on and bullied. Everyone seems to have a label for them whether or not the school formally “labels” them. I can remember teachers telling me that I wasn’t trying hard enough. My second grade teacher told my mom that I was capable of reading but I just didn’t want to do it. She would send home papers that I had trouble reading and wrote in big red letters, “Joshua refused to do this.” </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I think having a “label” of dyslexia will help students get the right help and provide them with the appropriate accommodations for their weaknesses. It also helps families to have a term to research to better understand the learning difficulties. I knew I learned differently and was frustrated because I couldn’t learn the same way as my peers. The word “dyslexia” gave me confidence that I could achieve success.</span></span></div>
<div id="wrchoverdiv" style="display: none;">
<div id="wrccontainer">
<div id="wrcheader">
<div id="wrctitle">
WebRep</div>
</div>
<div class="wrchorizontal">
</div>
<div id="wrccurrentvote">
currentVote</div>
<div class="wrchorizontal">
</div>
<div id="wrcrating">
</div>
<div id="wrcratingtext">
noRating</div>
<div id="wrcweighttext">
noWeight</div>
<div id="wrcflags">
<div class="wrcicon" id="wrcicon_shopping">
</div>
<div class="wrcicon" id="wrcicon_social">
</div>
<div class="wrcicon" id="wrcicon_news">
</div>
<div class="wrcicon" id="wrcicon_it">
</div>
<div class="wrcicon" id="wrcicon_corporate">
</div>
<div class="wrcicon" id="wrcicon_pornography">
</div>
<div class="wrcicon" id="wrcicon_violence">
</div>
<div class="wrcicon" id="wrcicon_gambling">
</div>
<div class="wrcicon" id="wrcicon_drugs">
</div>
<div class="wrcicon" id="wrcicon_illegal">
</div>
</div>
<div class="wrchorizontal">
</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08008701052023401733noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419224659435011495.post-82463912921472986772013-12-08T15:14:00.003-05:002013-12-08T15:14:51.336-05:00Why Bother Testing for Dyslexia in High School or College?<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> While it is shocking to most people that one out of five children is dyslexic, it is even more surprising that less than 30% of these children are ever identified. It is not uncommon for people to find out that they are dyslexic once they're in high school or even college. Some people find out once they are adults and have children who are diagnosed with dyslexia. This is probably because dyslexics have an average to above average IQ and they have learned to accommodate in life and because schools are not identifying these children.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> My older brother diagnosed himself dyslexic in college. During this time my family was learning about dyslexia and worried about me. My brother recognized the signs and said, “Why are you so worried about Joshua because I am dyslexic too?” It took my parents many months before they recognized that he probably was dyslexic and never identified. He had delayed speech as a toddler and had speech therapy for a speech disfluency as a preschooler. In kindergarten, his report card said that he lacked phonemic awareness. Although he was an honor student in high school, he had difficulty in learning Spanish. My parents finally agreed to have my brother tested before his sophomore year in college if he was willing to use any accommodations for which he might qualify. My brother was right and he is dyslexic. He was extremely fortunate because he had Orton Gillingham in kindergarten through third grade. My brother graduated from college last May and is now in graduate school. He has accommodations for extra time on his tests and he gets a separate quiet room for tests, like me.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 17px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> According to the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, slow reading and writing is the primary symptom for dyslexia in an accomplished young adult. They explained that, “In children, the phonetical weakness affects reading accuracy; over time, accomplished dyslexic adults learn to read a core of words accurately. In bright young adults the phonemic weakness affects the speed of reading.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Many people wonder how important it is for a student to be identified in high school or college. It is very important. According to Dr. Shaywitz of the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, “ Far and away the most critical accommodation for the dyslexic reader is the provision of extra time. Dyslexia robs a person of time; accommodations return it.” Dyslexic students need extra time on tests to achieve their potential. They also require these accommodations to be successful on college entrance exams. Teachers and students that help identify dyslexic students have the potential to forever change a student’s life. Identification provides a student with accommodations and accommodates a dyslexic student to achieve their full potential.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08008701052023401733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419224659435011495.post-23968976116154096022013-11-18T23:30:00.001-05:002013-11-18T23:30:01.954-05:00Life as a Dyslexic: Learning to Advocate <div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">Dyslexic students require educational accommodations to achieve their potential. Accommodations are changes that help a student overcome or work around their disability. They help a child learn. According to the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, “accommodations represent the bridge that connects him to his strengths and, in the process, allows him to reach his potential. By themselves, accommodations do not produce success; they are the catalyst for success.” Accommodations are outlined in either an Individualized Learning Plan (IEP) or a 504. I have a 504. A 504 plan is a legal document that specifies the accommodations a student should receive. The kinds of accommodations I have are for things like the provision of extra time for tests and a quiet room.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">I am learning to advocate for myself. I need to learn to do this because I will have to do this for myself in college. It isn’t easy to do. Some teachers are very helpful and are willing to work with me so that I can do my best work. It is important to be respectful but it requires me to remind teachers of what I need according to my 504. For example, I may need to remind a teacher that I need extra time on a test. This isn’t easy to do. My experience through the years has been that most teachers want to help you. When an issue arises that is outside of my 504 or contradicts it, I need to talk to my parents to help advocate for me. I have had a recent experience where the teacher called me to the front of the class. It was very quiet at the time. The teacher told me that I was smarter than the accommodation allowed and that I just needed to try harder. She told me that when I used this accommodation during the first grading period, she gave me an “A”. Last grading period she gave me a “B” when I used the accommodation and if I continue to use it, she “would see to it that I failed the class.” I was so embarrassed because I knew the class heard the conversation. After class, someone asked me if they heard it right, that she was really going to fail me. It was the first time that I ever had a teacher deny me of my accommodations. It was so humiliating and made me feel very uncomfortable. I knew that this was a situation that I needed to share with my parents.</span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">It isn’t easy to be a dyslexic. I have to work extremely hard to do well. Due to the fact that dyslexia isn’t a visible disability like other disabilities, many people just don’t understand it. There is a lot of misinformation about dyslexia and people think you just aren’t trying hard enough when in fact, you have to work five to six hours every night on homework. Many people think we see letters backwards. There is a real need for more dyslexia awareness. It will make life easier for dyslexic students.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08008701052023401733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419224659435011495.post-56494483272604280522013-10-22T21:45:00.001-04:002013-10-22T21:45:02.224-04:00<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">Although 1 in 5 children is dyslexic, less than 30% are ever identified. Most schools and parents wait to evaluate a child with reading difficulties because they assume that it is just a temporary problem and that they will outgrow it. Data from the Connecticut Longitudinal Study conducted by the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity show that, “at least three out of four children who read poorly in third grade continue to have reading problems in high school and beyond. Without identification and proven interventions, virtually all children who have difficulties early on will struggle with reading when they are adults.” The importance of identifying these children and young adults and then providing them with evidence-based reading intervention cannot be overstated. As a country, we cannot afford the economic impact of undiagnosed dyslexia and lack of appropriate interventions. </span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">So how can we identify the signs of dyslexia in an elementary student and beyond? One sign is that the difficulty in naming the letters of the alphabet during the preschool years is followed by trouble with naming the sounds of each letter in elementary school. Blending sounds is even more difficult. I had difficulty in actually hearing the differences between some of the vowels. Children with dyslexia often find reading very difficult and try to avoid it. They often have a terrific fear of reading out loud. Their oral reading may be choppy and slow. There is often a history of poor spelling and they may even find that spell check is unable to autocorrect with the appropriate word. Many dyslexics have difficulty with the rote memorization of information. They often need a little extra time to respond verbally. There is often a history of reading problems in parents or siblings as dyslexia often runs in families. These difficulties are unexpected because their IQ is average to above average. It isn’t a matter of intelligence. Dyslexics have excellent reasoning abilities and seem to get the big picture.<span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span> In successful adults, dyslexics can be identified by their lack of reading fluency. They often have trouble pronouncing unusual or uncommon names and words. They prefer books with figures, charts, or graphs. Their spelling often remains disastrous. They continue to avoid situations where they are required to read aloud. These young adults are successful because they have learned to accommodate. Successful dyslexics include people like Steve Jobs, Charles Schwab, Steven Spielberg, and Alexander Graham Bell. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>It is important for teachers and parents to educate themselves on the signs of dyslexia. With this knowledge, they have the ability to intervene in the life of a child and ensure that they receive the appropriate intervention necessary for them to succeed. They truly have the power to change the life of a child.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08008701052023401733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419224659435011495.post-74393061740373009292013-10-20T14:02:00.007-04:002013-10-20T14:02:45.218-04:00Recognizing the Signs of Dyslexia in Young Children<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">Dyslexia is very common and according to the National Institutes of Heath (NIH) it affects one out of five people. Unfortunately, less than 30% of dyslexics are identified. Sadly, when they are identified, they are past the optimal age for remediation. It is not uncommon for dyslexics to go unrecognized until adolescence or adulthood. According to Dr. Sally Shaywitz at the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, it is unacceptable to have children and adults struggling to read when they could benefit from what modern neuroscience has taught us about reading and dyslexia. It is actually possible to catch these children and intervene before they ever have the chance to fail or to fall behind their peers. In her book, <i>Overcoming Dyslexia</i>, Dr. Shaywitz states, “new discoveries now make it possible to (1) identify with a high degree of precision those children who are at the highest risk for dyslexia - even before they develop reading problems, (2) diagnose dyslexia accurately in children, young adults, and adults, and (3) manage the disorder with highly effective and proven treatment programs.”</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>So how can we recognize the signs of dyslexia in a young child before they get behind? There are many signs that parents often identify early on and question. Although it is possible to see the signs in preschool children, it is important to note that dyslexic children are not all alike and they may have some of the signs but not all of the signs. One of the first warning signs that parents recognize is not so much what their child is doing, but what they aren’t doing. Delayed speech is common among dyslexic children. In the early years, they may have difficulty rhyming. They find it hard to memorize simple nursery rhymes such as “Humpty Dumpty” and “Jack and Jill”. Learning the letters of the alphabet can also be difficult. For me, the letters of the alphabet were basically the alphabet song. To identify a letter, I had to recite the song to find its name. Dyslexic children often mispronounce words for an extended period of time. It can sound like baby talk and it may persist beyond when it seems appropriate. They also often don’t recognize the letters in their own name. These difficulties are unexpected in these children because they are very bright and have an average to above-average IQ. They appear curious and have great imaginations. They often have large vocabularies for their age and enjoy building models. The key to success for these children is to identify them as early as possible, even before they are expected to begin to read. Based on the scientific data generated to date on dyslexia, it is possible to identify dyslexic children before they experience failure or fall behind their peers and to provide them with evidence-based instruction. <span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span> </span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08008701052023401733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419224659435011495.post-66418661860246204872013-09-30T22:07:00.003-04:002013-09-30T22:07:22.236-04:00Orton Gillingham<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Orton Gillingham (OG) is a way of teaching reading and writing. It is an intensive phonics based method. It is also multi-sensory. Multi-sensory instruction uses the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic pathways at the same time when learning new information. Orton Gillingham can help anyone learn to read and write. Pilot studies have shown big improvements in reading and writing success when OG concepts are taught in K-12 classrooms. Unlike most methods of teaching English, students are taught directly by the teacher. It uses synthetic phonics taught in a sequential way using all three sensory pathways. There are studies that have shown that OG is the only evidence-based approach for teaching reading.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span> OG helped me improve my reading level by two grades in a seven-month period. At this point I am now learning advanced Orton Gillingham. Advanced OG teaches the meanings of Greek and Latin roots. It has helped me with spelling words correctly and understanding the meanings of words.</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span> Studies have shown that when OG is used in the classroom all children are able to learn to read. So the real question is why aren’t all schools using this approach? OG has been around since 1935 when Samuel Orton and Anna Gillingham published their first book. Unfortunately, there are only a few schools using this evidence-based method to teach reading. Those schools that are using the approach, are not using it through 12th grade. Most schools are unwilling to spend the money to train their teachers to use the approach. If schools spent the money so that their students didn’t fall behind, they wouldn’t need to spend as much money for remediation. This would actually save money. The reading data shows that when children are caught up by 2nd grade, they remain at grade level with their peers. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>I wish more teachers would be trained in the Orton Gillingham approach. Unfortunately, teachers in Indiana are not taught how to teach reading. I believe there needs to be a law like the one in Ohio that requires teachers to be trained in this evidence-based approach. Marian College is the only college in Indiana that teaches this approach. Too many children in Indiana are falling behind in reading and this is unacceptable.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08008701052023401733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419224659435011495.post-13655748085845236932013-09-17T00:11:00.003-04:002013-09-17T00:11:15.927-04:00<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Assistive technologies have the ability to really help dyslexics. Dragon is a speech recognition software program which allows the user to wear a headset and speak to the computer. I use Dragon to write my papers. It allows me to express myself more freely. It is still important to know how to type and to edit, but Dragon allows me to create my initial draft. Dyslexia is a neurobiological learning disability that makes the task of writing difficult. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>E-readers have changed the lives of dyslexics. It is now possible to listen to almost any book, including textbooks. This is important because dyslexics often understand information that is presented to them through the auditory channel better than when they read the material themselves. Bookshare is a government-funded program that allows dyslexics to listen to almost any book for free provided that they have educational testing that confirms that they qualify for the service. In addition, Bookshare allows the user to change font size and increase the spacing between lines.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The LiveScribe pen is another technology that can help the dyslexic take notes. Note-taking is a frustrating task for many dyslexics because it’s difficult to listen carefully and absorb information during a lecture while simultaneously writing meaningful notes. Speed is an issue and it is often difficult to keep up. The pen and notebooks look like typical pens and spiral notebooks. When a student is listening to a lecture and realizes the information is important, the student begins writing in the notebook. As they begin writing, the pen begins to record the lecture. Later, if the student’s notes seem incomplete, he can place the pen on the exact page of his notes where the information is located and listen to the lecture at that point in time. It is also possible to plug the pen into the computer and transfer the student’s handwritten words into text. I have used the pen and if you have a teacher that does a lot of lecturing and doesn’t provide notes, the LiveScribe pen can make note-taking easier. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Apple’s AutoCorrect is also a very helpful tool for dyslexics since dyslexics often have trouble with spelling. I have found it extremely helpful in writing blog entries and writing personal narratives because it narrows the choices for spelling. In the past, a dyslexic student would have to look up in a dictionary every word they didn’t know how to spell. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Today, there are many technologies that are available to make life easier for the dyslexic student. It is exciting because with the current advances in science, this is just the beginning of the digital world and help for dyslexics. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08008701052023401733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419224659435011495.post-1480741371099446202013-09-09T23:13:00.006-04:002013-09-09T23:13:48.195-04:00 Indiana's Laws are Failing Dyslexic Students
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>In the state of Indiana, dyslexia is not a word used by most schools. That’s because there isn’t a definition of dyslexia in Article 7 of Indiana’s education law. Parents must wait for a child to fall far enough behind his peers before the school will test to see if the child has a Specific Learning Disability (SLD). Dyslexics make up 80% of those that qualify as having a Specific Learning Disability. Unfortunately, this puts parents in the position of waiting. If they test too soon, the child can’t qualify for accommodations and intervention. If they test too late, after third grade, the child is past the optimal age for intervention. According to studies, dyslexics should get help as early as kindergarten. Indiana’s education law makes dyslexics fail for several years before they give them any help. According to studies performed by Yale, less than 30% of dyslexics are ever identified and far fewer ever receive appropriate interventions. When they are identified, it is past the optimal age for intervention. By this point, the student is so far behind, it takes one-on-one Orton Gillingham tutoring to get them to grade level. This is very expensive and schools are not trained to provide this intervention nor willing to pay for it. Currently, those children who have the resources to afford Orton Gillingham tutoring are able to close the gap. Those students that aren’t fortunate to have money, have little chance of closing the gap with the current interventions used in most schools. </span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Laws around the country are changing. Indiana is behind. Other states are recognizing the social impact of this problem and are making changes. They are recognizing the benefit of early intervention. They are finding that it is less expensive to intervene early than it is to provide remediation later. Data shows that if you get a student up to grade level by second grade, they remain on par with their peers. As a state and as a country we can’t afford to ignore this group of students.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08008701052023401733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419224659435011495.post-61217523784311445162013-08-26T22:09:00.002-04:002013-08-26T22:09:07.216-04:00<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">While most people think dyslexia is just reading backwards, it is actually far more than that. Dyslexia is the way the brain thinks and transmits signals. When people without dyslexia think or hear something, the information just goes to one side of the brain for processing and stops. When people with dyslexia hear or think of something, it starts off on one side of the brain for processing and moves to the opposite side of the brain for further processing. Functional MRI scans show these differences. While the MRI scans of those without dyslexia, “light up” on one side of the brain while the person is reading, the brain of the dyslexic “lights ups” on both hemispheres. This is why dyslexics take longer to read and write. Dyslexia isn’t a matter of intelligence. They have at least an average IQ and most have an above average IQ.</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Some people find it shocking that one in five people are dyslexic. The Connecticut Longitudinal Study conducted by Yale provided the data for this determination. In other words, every classroom has several children that are dyslexic. </span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>Dyslexics are 40% more likely to become millionaires than the average person according to a study in England. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, John Chambers, Charles Schwab, Tommy Hilfiger, Bill Hewlett, Henry Ford, Ted Turner, and Ingvar Kamprad are just a few millionaires who are dyslexic. It’s not known whether their success comes from the way in which their brains process information or because they have learned to work hard to be successful. Either way, dyslexics learn very early on to work hard because they often struggle in school.</span></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>While I am dyslexic, I do not read backwards or see letters backwards as many people think. Dyslexia for me is really about having difficulty with reading, writing, and rote memorization. Orton Gillingham is an evidence-based method that teaches dyslexics to read and write. It is a multisensory, phonetic approach to teaching reading. I am being tutored by the Dyslexia Institute of Indiana. They have helped me to improve my ability to read and they are working with me to improve my ability to express myself in writing. </span></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08008701052023401733noreply@blogger.com0