Dyslexia issues and advices for adults and children

Landmark School Invititation

2009-04-21T23:37:00.000-07:00

Landmark Parents Association hosts a free presentation, “Dyslexia and the Reading Brain: Challenges and Unusual Gifts” by Dr. Maryanne Wolf Saturday, April 11, 9-11:30 a.m. at the Landmark High School Dining Room, 412 Hale Street, Beverly.

Acclaimed author, literacy expert and professor, Maryanne Wolf will present an evolutionary view of the reading brain that helps us re-conceptualize dyslexia and intervention. Individuals with dyslexia may possess a somewhat different organization of the brain that predisposes them to both challenges and unusual gifts. Wolf is the director of the Center for Reading and Language Research and professor of child development at Tufts University. A book signing of “Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain” will follow the presentation.

Registration is required and can be done online at www.landmarkoutreach.org/saturday.htm. Contact Irena Sinclair at 978-927-1456 or irenasinclair@comcast.net.
The school’s Outreach Program will host a free workshop, “Landmark’s Approach to Developing Phonemic Awareness” Saturday, May 9, 9-11 a.m. at the Elementary-Middle School campus, 167 Bridge St., Manchester. An overview of the Lindamood-Bell® LiPS Program and how it is used to impact decoding and written expression skills will be discussed, with ample time for questions. To register call 978-236-3216 or visit www.landmarkoutreach.org/saturday.htm.

Dyslexics Images Reversed

2009-04-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

It took a while -- almost a century -- for the assumptions made about dyslexia in 1896 to catch up with Dr. Harold N. Levinson's theory, first espoused in 1973, about what he felt to be the cause of the malady.

"Dyslexia has remained a scientific enigma, defying most attempts at medical understanding, diagnosis, prediction, treatment and prevention," explains Levinson, a world-renowned psychiatrist and neurologist considered a pioneer in this field. "Few, if any experts have fully recognized how deeply this disorder impacts sufferers."

But what experts do agree on is the fact that dyslexia is not a form of retardation, but generally a reading and language disorder in which people see letters and numbers reversed. In fact, people with the condition often have average to above-average IQs. Prominent examples include Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso and George Washington.

But, as Levinson sees it, dyslexia is much more than a reading problem: It's "an inner-ear syndrome," he says, "that can be easily treated with simple and safe combinations of inner-ear improving medications and related nutrients."

Levinson, former clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the New York University Medical Center, is currently director of the Medical Dyslexic and ADD Treatment Center (which is also known as the Levinson Medical Center for Learning Disabilities) in Great Neck, N.Y.

All About the Inner Ear

Through his work with dyslexics and those with learning, concentration and balance/coordination disturbances -- research he began when he first worked for the New York City Board of Education -- Levinson says that he uncovered the fact that all of his patients appear to have one thing in common: a malfunction within the inner-ear system. He credits his discovery with bringing about a dramatic medical breakthrough in the understanding, diagnosis and successful treatment of dyslexia and its many related signal-scrambling disturbances of the inner-ear and the cerebellum.

His work is described in his book Smart but Feeling Dumb: The Challenging New Research on Dyslexia -- and How It May Help You, now in a revised and updated paperback edition.

Complete with case histories and research that led to his medical breakthrough and the medical establishment's recognition of his theories, this book reports how you may be able to get safe, effective, immediate treatment for you or your child.

Detailed in his book are the origins, treatment and inner-relationships of dyslexia; learning disabilities; attention-deficit disorder; and anxiety and phobic disorders, based on the detailed examination and successful medical treatment of more than 35,000 children and adults.

He also says that his work resulted in an unforeseen side benefit: "While treating my reading-disabled patients, many of them confided in me that they had lost their phobias. They were no longer afraid of the dark, of escalators, of heights and much more."

"It seemed that these phobias also seemed to stem from inner-ear disturbances," he continues. "My patients began seeing unexpected improvements in a wide range of phobias, which are, to me, a warning signal from the body telling you you're not well enough or balanced.

"And so," he sums up, "the main message in my book is that there are hundreds of unexplained symptoms with differently named disorders -- all of which can be traced to hidden inner-ear problems [that] can be successfully treated -- even prevented -- by testing early before symptoms even arise."

http://www.jewishexponent.com/

Scientology Members

2009-04-21T04:26:00.000-07:00

Scientology is like other religions in some ways. It seems the group believes in educating children in the principles of this religion early. Tom Cruise is preparing his daughter Suri for Scientology school now.
Suri, the daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, turns three years old this month. According to newspaper reports, father Cruise is very interested that his daughter begin to learn Scientology and its precepts. The Mail reports that the school in question is New Village Academy in Los Angeles. This school was initiated by another actor and friend of Cruise by the name of Will Smith.

The tabloid reports that children at the academy begin to learn and accept individual responsibilities when they are very young. The diet of the school emphasizes nutritional standards that include low sugar, low-carb and low sodium meals. Other sources go on to say that the school includes what is called “study technology.” This technology reinforces the need to be responsible throughout life for one's behavior. The education is reported to cost $12,000/year.

Not long ago Cruise was in the news for maintaining that his dyslexia was cured through Scientology. This became a controversial topic among educators as well as those in the entertainment business. Dyslexia, according to experts, isn't cured but improved through special education methods, not just becoming involved in a religion.

Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis daughter, was introduced as a very young person to Scientology. She and her mother Priscilla learned about it through John Travolta, another famous celebrity who is a Scientologist. There wasn't the Will Smith new school for her to attend but the years of early education in the religious group have provided her with strong support for her beliefs and positions in the Scientology religion. She was reported to have been cured of drug addiction through Scientology.

Although there are frequent criticisms of Scientology in many quarters, primarily for its secrecy and what is alleged to be extreme ideas and brainwashing, Belief.net provides an overview of the group's beliefs that allow mature discussion about this religion that is frequently in the news

http://www.digitaljournal.com/

Learning Disabilites Way Of Henry Winkler

2009-04-20T17:22:00.000-07:00

In the world of special education, Henry Winkler is as big a hero today as he was on television's "Happy Days" 30 years ago, when his role as the leather-jacket-wearing, motorcycle-riding "Fonz" made him one of the nation's most popular actors.

Winkler had to overcome a case of severe, undiagnosed dyslexia to pursue his career.

"Every one of you has greatness in you," Winkler, now 63, said recently in Short Hills, at a talk sponsored by the Winston School, a private school that serves students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities.

"It doesn't matter if you don't get a subject," he told the audience, which included many of the school's first-grade to eighth-grade students. "How you learn has nothing to do with how great you are. Your job is to find out what your gift is, what your contribution will be."

Winkler has continued his acting career since "Happy Days" ended its 10-year run in 1984, with dozens of roles on television and in movies. But Winkler's prominence of late has come as co-author of the Hank Zipzer series of books, which chronicle the misadventures of "The World's Greatest Underachiever," a boy with a learning disability similar to his.

In Short Hills, a crowd of about 550 packed the sanctuary at Temple B'nai Jeshurun to hear Winkler. Speaking in rapid-fire, clipped tones that often recalled the cadence used by the Fonz, Winkler came across as a combination motivational speaker, concerned parent and stand-up comic.

During his childhood in Manhattan, Winkler recalled, his German-Jewish immigrant parents didn't understand his learning problem. Their nickname for him was the German expression for "dumb dog."

"I was very bad in math, science, spelling, reading, writing and social studies. I was very good in lunch," he said.

And he wasn't much of an athlete, either: "In tetherball, I always got smashed in the face."

"My parents and teachers told me I was stupid, lazy and not living up to my potential," he said.

Winkler, who had wanted to be an actor since he was 7, never attended special-education classes, but he managed to make it through high school. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Emerson College in Boston and a master's degree in fine arts from the Yale University School of Drama.

At age 31, Winkler said, "I found out, I ain't stupid, I have something with a name -- I was dyslexic."

It was a huge relief, Winkler said, and today, he feels grateful for his disability, because it made him work harder and achieve more.

Pamela Bloom, head of Winston School, also located in Short Hills, said Winkler was an important guest speaker because her students have a lot in common with his younger self -- and that his success can serve as an inspiration.

"It's just pencil-and-paper tasks that are difficult for our kids," she said. "The rest of them is fantastic."

During a question-and-answer period, several students asked about the Hank Zipzer books. They were especially interested in knowing if any of the characters were based on real people.

Winkler said he used the real names of two teachers, Ms. Adolf and Mr. Rock.

The hard-hearted Adolf "was an actual teacher," he said.

The kindly Mr. Rock said, "'You're going to be okay,' but he was the only one," Winkler said.

In U.S. public schools, dyslexic students are classified under the category "specific learning disabilities" when they are recommended for special education programs. About 80 percent of students with a "specific learning disability" have a "primary disability" in reading and language processing -- with dyslexia the most common source of that disability, according to the International Dyslexia Association, based in Maryland.

Of the nearly 1.4 million students who attended New Jersey public schools from kindergarten through grade 12 in 2007, there were 90,356 students enrolled in special education programs for specific learning disabilities, or more than 6 percent of the total school population, according to data provided by the state Department of Education.

"There is no difference between a reading disability and dyslexia," explained Kathleen Selvaggi Fadden, a neurodevelopmental pediatrician and medical director in the Child Development Center at Morristown Memorial Hospital. Students thought of as dyslexic generally have a "severe" reading disability, which shows up in several symptoms, Fadden said.

Although the popular perception of dyslexia involves reversing letters, or reversing words, that's just one of the symptoms, Fadden said.

Dyslexic children are slow to learn the sounds made by letters. After they learn to "tap out" words phonetically, they may find it difficult to remember words without tapping them out each time they see them. Also, they have trouble reading and remembering words that don't follow phonetic rules.

Winkler and his wife, Stacey, raised two sons and a daughter. Winkler said he decided he would be different from his own parents and he made a point of constantly praising his kids and listening to what they had to say.

Winkler's learning disabilities persist to this day, but he said he's learned to deal with them. When he accepts a new TV or movie role, he said, "I get the script early and I read one ... word ... at ... a ... time."

Also, he said, he enjoys reading mystery novels and thrillers, even though reading remains a challenge. "I keep every book I have read on a special shelf," he said. "Every book I have read is a triumph."

by Ben Horowitz/The Star-Ledger
http://www.nj.com/

Answer For Dyslexia

2009-04-20T03:19:00.000-07:00

Pittsburgh, PA, April 06, 2009 --(PR.com)-- It is estimated that 10-15% of the population struggles with dyslexia. Unfortunately, a large majority go undiagnosed – despite struggling to read or write throughout their lives. Usually bright in every other respect, dyslexics are often misunderstood, leading to frustration and low self-esteem.

Breakthrough research by Ronald D. Davis, author of the internationally acclaimed book, The Gift of Dyslexia, indicates that dyslexia is not a malfunction of the brain, eyes, or ears - it is a compound of simple factors which can be dealt with step by step.

Davis will be touring the US and Canada to conduct a series of lectures to present his breakthrough methods for treating people with dyslexia. Davis has helped many thousands of adult and child dyslexics all over the world to read, understand the dyslexic learning style, and enhance their natural creative ability.

Davis explains, “Dyslexics have a visual, multi-dimensional, picture-thinking style, and are less predisposed to word-based thinking.” It is this difference in perception and thinking style that causes dyslexics to have difficulty recognizing printed symbols - such as letters of the alphabet and written words. Their lack of verbal thinking also poses problems with teaching approaches which emphasize phonics and phonemic awareness.

According to Davis, confusion with symbols and abstract words cause a dyslexic’s perception to distort - resulting in the well-known transpositions, mistakes, fatigue, and frustration seen while reading and writing.

In order to successfully assist a dyslexic individual, one must address both the perceptual distortion, and the underlying confusion with symbols and words.

Davis asserts, “If control can be gained over perceptual disorientation by using simple mental processes, and language skills taught with methods adapted to picture thinkers, then someone who is dyslexic will be able to read and write without problems.”

Considered autistic from infancy, Davis grew up labeled a “dummy” at home and “mentally retarded” at school. Despite his severe learning disabilities, he became a successful engineer, businessman and sculptor. Davis was functionally illiterate until the age of 38 when he discovered a method that allowed him to stop the distorted perception that rendered words impossible to decipher - and to read a book cover-to-cover for the first time in his life without struggling.

Davis went on to research and develop training procedures known as the Davis Dyslexia Correction Program for dyslexic adults and children which are now changing the face of special education and learning disability correction throughout the world. These methods are geared towards the unique learning style of dyslexics. The unique aspects of his work include a series of perceptual and kinesthetic exercises called Davis Orientation Counseling, which quickly and easily enable people prone to disorientation, and who suffer from learning difficulties, to control the mental processes that cause distorted perceptions of letters, words and numerals.

Davis has also developed creative learning procedures called Davis Symbol Mastery which allows dyslexic students to think with symbols and words so they can learn to read easily, and with full comprehension. The process involves students modeling symbols and word concepts in clay, a multi-sensory process that enables them to exercise their creativity. With this approach, learning is permanent.

Ron and Alice Davis founded Davis Dyslexia Association International (DDAI) in1995. Its goals are to increase worldwide awareness about the positive aspects of dyslexia and related learning styles and to present methods for improving literacy. The Davis methods report a 97% success rate correcting (not curing) dyslexia and related conditions such as dysgraphia, dyscalculia, attention difficulties and dyspraxia. Today, there are more than 400 licensed Davis Facilitators worldwide providing Davis Programs in 40 nations and 30 languages.

Best-selling author, Ronald Davis, will present a public lecture on "The Gift of Dyslexia" on May 6 at Westmoreland County Community College from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Laurel Highlands Dyslexia Correction Center
Marcia Maust
(814) 267-5765
info@dyslexiapa.com
www.dyslexiapa.com

Fundraise For Reading Disablities

2009-04-20T02:17:00.000-07:00

Faced with the elimination of its funding, the Understanding Disabilities Program of the Reading Public Schools is fighting for its life.

The directors of the 25-year-old not-for-profit program, which opens up conversations about disabilities with elementary school age children in order to teach about tolerance and acceptance, learned this year that it will not be a line item in the 2010 school budget. The district had contributed $20,000 each year to pay for a part-time director and related costs, according to director Ruth Clogston.

The UD program was originally started by Judy LeBlanc, a visually-impaired Reading resident who learned about a similar program in Newton. With LeBlanc’s support, UD eventually became a part of the third and fourth grade curriculas.

The program has grown to offer 68 programs district-wide, providing education in such issues as food allergies, hearing impairment, and learning disabilities.

Clogston said that the program has been very popular with students and teachers, as well with the community at large, and that she hears from former students who still remember the second grade “guided walk” that teaches about blindness.

“When you do hands on learning, it really stays with the kids,” Clogston said. “It is an incredible life lesson that they learn. Our children may face disability in their own life, in a friend or co-worker. We want them to become people who work with the disabled, who hire the disabled.”

With no funding available for next year, the UD directors have had to begin fundraising for the first time in the program’s history, in a year when donations to other organizations, such as school PTOs, have been reduced due to the bad economy.

“We are still evaluating how much we can raise,” Clogston said. “We are new to this, and we have to raise a lot of money in a short period of time.”

The district has offered “in kind” services such as copying, Clogston said, and School Committee members and administrators have expressed moral support, even while they cannot offer the program financial support.
“We are hoping for the best,” Clogston said.

Contributions to Understanding Disabilities are tax deductible and can be sent to Understanding Disabilities, Inc, PO Box 465, Reading, MA 01867.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/reading/homepage

The Tireless Pensioner

2009-04-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

A PIONEERING pensioner has revolutionised help for adults and children with dyslexia during her work in the community over the past 20 years.

Rosemary Palmer, 83, offArgyle Road,West Ealing was nominated for by her colleague, Dineke Austin for her work as a long-serving member of the Ealing Dyslexia Association.

During her 20 years working for the charity, she raised funds for, set up and was course director for the Adult Dyslexia Group. The group runs evening classes which provide support and practical help for adults in Ealing with dyslexia and is the only class of it's kind in London.

Dineke Austin, of Midhurst Road, Ealing, called Rosemary "an inspiration to the teachers and adults" who take her courses and described her as a "worthy contender for the community champion award."

Dineke said adults with dyslexia have had their life chances "handcapped by this hidden disability, and even a six week course can so boost confidence, along with their skills profiles, that adults have gone on successfully to take up college courses and to gain employment in the local area".

"We all hope that we will still have her energy, enthusiasm, dedication and sense of humour when we're 83".

Rosemary, whose son suffered from dyslexia, worked as an English and drama teacher in west London schools for many years and after she retired was determined to try and help those with the condition.

She said:"I thought 'If I can do something, I'd like to do it.' I helped set up a voluntary group called the Adult Dyslexia Group five years ago and we did these six-week courses with a team of specialist teachers to try and assess whether adults had the condition. We'd also give them strategies on how to cope with dyslexia. The courses also provide a chance for people to meet people who are the same as them, for people who have dyslexia to realise that they aren't idiots. They know what they want to write but can't write it down.

"Dyslexia is still not truly recognised as a condition, it makes you angry when MPs come out and deny it exists. Some teachers still think that dyslexic children are just lazy because when they talk in class they seem fine but then they can't write what they're saying.

Even at the age of 83, Rosemary shows no sign of slowing down and continues to teach even to this day.

http://www.ealinggazette.co.uk/

Image captured by Brain controlled

2009-04-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

A special region of the brain’s visual cortex, which is in charge of distinguishing between background and foreground images, called V2, is what makes brain cells remember things, according to a new study.

Neuroscientists at The Johns Hopkins University have demonstrated that nerve cells in V2 can “grab onto” figure-ground information from visual images for several seconds, even after the images themselves are removed from our sight.

“Recent studies have hotly debated whether the visual system uses a buffer to store image information and if so, the duration of that storage. We found that the answer is ‘yes,’ the brain in fact stores the last image seen for up to two seconds,” said Rudiger von der Heydt, a professor in Johns Hopkins’ Zanvyl Krieger Mind-Brain Institute, and co-author on the paper.

He also explained that the image, which the brain grabs and holds onto momentarily is not detailed, and is more like a rough sketch of the layout of objects in the scene.

This may partly explain how the brain creates a stable visual world for us when the information coming in through our eyes changes at a rapid-fire pace-up to four times in a single second.

The study was based on recordings of activity in nerve cells in the V2 region of the brains of macaques, whose visual systems closely resemble that of humans.

Located at the very back of the brain, V2 is roughly the size of a wristwatch strap.

In the study, macaques were rewarded for watching a screen onto which various images were presented as the researchers recorded the animals’ brain nerve cells’ response.

Previous experiments have shown that the nerve cells in V2 code for elementary features such as pieces of contour and patches of colour. And V2 codes these features with reference to objects.

For instance, a vertical line is coded either as the contour of an object on the left or as a contour of an object on the right.

During the study, the researchers presented sequences of images consisting of a briefly flashed square followed by a vertical line, and then compared the nerve cells’ responses to the line when it was preceded by a square on the left and when it was preceded by a square on the right.

The recordings revealed that the V2 cells remember the side on which the square had been presented, which means that the flashing square set up a representation in the brain that persisted even after the image of the square was extinguished.

Von der Heydt said that although the research is only a small piece of the “how people see and process images” puzzle, but it’s very important.

The results of the study may eventually make it possible to understand the mechanism of this phenomenon and to identify factors that can enhance or reduce this important function.

It could further help researchers in unravelling the causes of - and perhaps even identifying treatment for - disorders such as attention deficit disorder and dyslexia.

The study has been published in a recent issue of the journal Neuron. (ANI)

By ANI

Teaching has its rewards

2009-04-07T20:30:00.000-07:00

When Yen Wei Shing and Lim Zhi Wei scored an A and a A* respectively for Chinese in the Primary School Leaving Examinations , teachers and pupils at Nan Chiau Primary School were stunned. Their results were unexpected as the 13-year-olds were known to be struggling with the subject. As children from single-parent families, both were too poor to afford private tuition.

Wei Shing also has dyslexia, which had caused him to consistently fail the subject. Zhi Wei, although a good student, had been falling behind in school, distraught that his mother was dying from brain cancer. One woman, however, turned their grades around. Upon learning of their plight, Chinese Language teacher Chin Seow Kiat tutored them a few times each week free of charge, counselled them and even offered Zhi Wei financial assistance.

What Madam Chin did for the two boys has been held up as an inspiring example of what schools and teachers can do for children with family problems.

'Teachers are in the front line, they are in touch with children, and if they can identify students who need help, their schools can reach out to them,' says Nan Chiau Primary's principal, Mr Tan Chung Ming.

With the downturn affecting many families, he says teachers like Madam Chin are even more crucial in helping to turn around boys and girls who might otherwise be overwhelmed by what is happening at home and let their studies slide.

Madam Christine Goh, 49, who is Wei Shing's mother and Zhi Wei's aunt, agrees.

'Madam Chin knew about my financial situation. My son and my nephew were not even her pupils but she went out of her way to help them,' says the unemployed widow with two older children aged 15 and 17. Her husband, a company manager, died from liver cancer in 1999.

It was a year ago that Wei Shing's Chinese Language teacher advised Madam Goh to get the boy tested for dyslexia.

'He was always failing, sometimes even getting zero marks for his tests,' she recalls. 'He struggled with reading and writing, and could not recognise characters. He would even write his surname wrongly.

'It was as though his brain was not wired to study Chinese. I couldn't afford a private tutor to help him.'

When tests confirmed her son did have the learning disability, Madam Goh decided he should drop the subject.

She had left her administrative assistant job about a year ago to look after her children, as well as her sister, Zhi Wei's ailing mother. Although she has sent out numerous application letters in the last six months, she says the recession has made it very difficult to get a job. She did not need another battle, helping her dyslexic son cope with Chinese.

But Madam Chin, who used to teach her daughter, advised her against doing so and offered to coach Wei Shing.

Madam Goh - whose children are all receiving financial assistance from their schools - recalls: 'I told Madam Chin that I wouldn't be able to pay her. She said: 'Who's asking you to pay?''

A graphic designer who took up teaching six years ago, Madam Chin says she decided to help Wei Shing for several reasons.

'If there is hope, you have got to pursue it,' she says. 'Knowing Chinese is very important and useful since China is such a powerful economy. Moreover, we are Chinese, how can we give up the language?'

Married to a graphic designer, she also believes that every child can be taught and that a teacher just needs to find the right method to do so.

In Wei Shing's case, she spent a lot of time encouraging him to speak, using everyday situations to explain the meaning of words, phrases and proverbs. She also used a lot of graphics and visuals to help him remember words.

They met two or three times a week, whenever Madam Chin coached her only child, Yi-Chao, who is of the same age.

Now a student at Sin Ming Secondary School, Wei Shing says Madam Chin was a patient teacher who made studying Chinese fun.

'She understood how I felt, knew when I was happy or sad,' says the bespectacled boy, adding that she would even take him out on little excursions when he did well.

'Yi-Chao also motivated me. When I did badly at tests, he would comfort me and tell me that there was always a next time.

'I never expected to score an A. I would have been very happy with a C.' Wei Shin obtained Bs for English and Science, and a C for Maths.

Zhi Wei also came under Madam Chin's wing last June. He was then staying with his aunt and cousin as his mother was critically ill from brain cancer, and was in and out of hospital. His father - whom he declines to talk about - was not around to help him and his elder brother cope with the trauma. His studies started to suffer.

Madam Goh says: 'He was very down and couldn't concentrate on his schoolwork. Sometimes, he would cry himself to sleep.'

When Madam Chin found out what he was going through, she got him to join Wei Shing and her son.

'She was very kind and encouraging, telling me not to give up. She motivated me to study hard for my mother,' says Zhi Wei, adding that the sessions cheered him up.

Unfortunately, his mother's condition took a turn for the worse.

'On the day I took my PSLE Chinese Comprehension, she slipped into a coma,' he says softly.

However, he aced the exams, scoring A* for Chinese, and As for English, Science and Maths. His results got him into Chung Cheng High School, a Special Assistance Plan school.

He keeps quiet when asked if his mother - who died in January this year without waking up from her coma - knew he had done so well.

Madam Goh says: 'She knew. One of my other sisters told her that her wish for Zhi Wei to do well came true, and even though she could not respond, tears fell steadily from the corner of her eyes.'

Nan Chiau Primary's principal, Mr Tan, hopes that more teachers could be like Madam Chin, especially during this downturn. Besides applications for financial assistance, there are other signs which indicate the recession has made life tough for many of his pupils.

'For instance, we've suddenly got a lot of parents questioning why the school is subscribing to certain publications for their children. It's a clue that they are trying to tighten their belts and cutting down on expenses.

'I tell my teachers to look out for tell-tale signs such as rebellious behaviour or slipping grades among the students. The issues could be a lot deeper,' says Mr Tan, adding proudly that some of his staff even dig into their own pockets to help needy pupils buy books and other necessities.

The fourth of six children of a businessman and a housewife, Madam Chin says her late father always taught his children to repay society.

It explains why the grassroots leader at Punggol 21 Community Centre has always been active in community work.

'He said I have to follow my grandfather's sense of justice. My grandfather studied in Japan and was a supreme judge in Guangzhou. His name is in the history books,' says the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts graduate who switched to teaching because she felt that nurturing young minds was one of the best forms of community work.

To help families in need during the recession, she plans to round up a group of teachers to conduct extra classes after school.

Madam Chin says if teachers set a good example, their pupils will follow. 'I tell Wei Shing and Zhi Wei that just as I have helped them, they should also help others when it is their time.'

She still keeps in touch with her two charges even though they have left Nan Chiau Primary.

Wei Shing sheepishly admits that he is struggling with his Chinese again. Zhi Wei, meanwhile, also says that Higher Chinese - which he is now taking - is a lot harder than expected.

Madam Chin is already making plans to help them. 'If they need help, of course I will help.'

http://www.asiaone.com/

Unraveling the roots of dyslexia

2009-03-13T15:25:00.000-07:00

By peering into the brains of people with dyslexia compared to normal readers, a study published online on March 12th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, has shed new light on the roots of the learning disability, which affects four to ten percent of the population. The findings support the notion that the reading and spelling deficit—characterized by an inability to break words down into the separate sounds that comprise them—stems in part from a failure to properly integrate letters with their speech sounds.

"The adults with dyslexia in the study had enough reading experience to match letters and their speech sounds correctly," said Vera Blau of the University of Maastricht, The Netherlands "Still, the results show that the way their brain integrates letters and speech sounds is very different from normal readers. It's quite astonishing."

The researchers examined activity in the brains of dyslexic and normal adult readers by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as they were presented with letters, speech sounds, or a matching or non-matching combination of the two. While undergoing that task, dyslexic adults showed lower activation of a brain region known as the superior temporal cortex than the more typical readers did.

The findings point to a neural deficit in letter-speech sound integration as a fundamental mechanism that might distinguish poor from good readers, Blau said. Such a difficulty in integrating the most basic units of written and spoken language could offer a promising link between well-documented difficulties in processing the sounds of language (phonology) and the actual reading problem itself, she added.

Her team, led by Leo Blomert at the University of Maastricht, is currently conducting further studies in children as they are learning to read to help identify whether the difficulty to integrate letters with speech sounds begins in early school years and whether it comes before or after deficits in processing the sounds of language.

In addition to enhancing scientists' fundamental understanding of the disability, the new results might also have some ultimate implications for therapy. "Our findings may offer a way to validate intervention strategies and narrow down the best training approaches," Blau said. Indeed, in a new series of studies, the group is investigating whether training strategies focused on phonological skills as well as letter-sound associations improve reading skills by changing activity levels in the brain of dyslexic readers.

The researchers include Vera Blau, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands, Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Maastricht, The Netherlands; Nienke van Atteveldt, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands, Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Maastricht, The Netherlands; Michel Ekkebus, Regionaal Instituut voor Dyslexie, Arnhem, The Netherlands; Rainer Goebel, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands, Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Maastricht, The Netherlands; Leo Blomert, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands, Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), Maastricht, The Netherlands.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pubnews.php

Supporting young children with dyslexia

2009-03-13T15:06:00.002-07:00

How do pupils with dyslexia, or specific learning difficulties, learn best? Rebecca Jenkin offers active strategies to support dyslexic pupils and make a difference to their experience and outcomes at schoolThere have been times in my teaching career where I’ve struggled to support dyslexic pupils. When I did my teacher training, I don’t think dyslexia, or specific learning difficulties, was even mentioned. In recent years, working as an English co-ordinator in a middle school (where more and more pupils are identified as having dyslexia), I have had to find information and discover what works best in the classroom. This certainly does not make me an expert – far from it – but I now try to support dyslexic pupils using effective strategies that seem to make a difference to their educational achievement, attainment and happiness at school.

What is dyslexia?
The word ‘dyslexia’ comes from the Greek dys-, meaning difficult, and -lexia, meaning words or language. Dyslexia affects information processing skills (receiving, holding, retrieving and structuring information) and the speed at which information can be processed. It has an impact on the skills that many pupils take for granted – reading, writing, using symbols and calculating.

Dyslexia is not linked to low intelligence. The term indicates a kind of mind that learns in a different way from most other people. The condition appears in all age, race and social groups. I have noticed over the years that dyslexic pupils are often more likely than their peers to have other positive talents, such as creativity, lateral thinking and good visual and spatial skills. I have found dyslexic pupils to be efficient problem-solvers, and they often have good social and verbal skills. I have been able to make a difference in my classroom by harnessing these positive talents. I have found that children can secure knowledge in their long-term memory when the learning is made personal and meaningful. I have used patterns for text types and tried to give pupils the big picture by using a more holistic approach. Often, I link reading and writing to what the pupils are actually interested in, which I find generates enthusiasm and a positive attitude to learning.

Dyslexic children can find it difficult to acquire literacy skills, and they often encounter a lot of anguish and trauma because they find learning difficult. As teachers, we can take steps to alleviate this by making sure that we fully integrate a dyslexic child into the classroom learning environment; that we try to make the child feel secure and comfortable in order to develop their confidence and raise their self esteem. If we create a positive climate, the child can feel successful and valued.

In the classroom
In the classroom, start by preparing an outline of what is going to be taught in the lesson. Use a laminated timeline and write the lesson outline using simple key words. It is important to be explicit – dyslexic learners are often very literal.

Always finish a lesson with a resume of what’s been taught to help pupils make the shift from short-term memory to long-term memory. It is important to break tasks down into small, easily remembered pieces of information. Too much writing can be confusing, so if the pupils are copying from the whiteboard try to use a different colour pen for each line. If possible, have the text copied for the dyslexic pupil onto a small board in the colour that the pupil finds easiest to read.
An additional way to help dyslexic learners with their writing is to offer models for written work.

Writing frames and scaffolds can be used to help with planning, structure and organisation. If possible, encourage dyslexic pupils to use an audio tape or mini-disc recorder. This can be useful to help them organise their writing by recording their initial thoughts and ideas. Audio tapes can be used as a record of the child’s verbal, rather than written, account. Try to find ways that help pupils compose without too many constraints – for example, using a computer. Consider using a scribe.

If you are teaching an older year group, I recommend talking to the dyslexic pupil about how they prefer to learn. Learners do not always know how they learn best, so I sometimes have to suggest an approach and encourage the learner to evaluate whether or not it works. As teachers, we need to be very flexible in approach when working with a dyslexic child so that they can find the method of working that suits them best.

When working with extracts from texts or a class novel, it is helpful to give the pupils the extracts to be studied before the lesson so that they can familiarise themselves with the text. Invite the pupils to highlight key points and underline unfamiliar vocabulary. This certainly makes the pupils I teach more confident in class; many of them volunteer to read aloud to the whole class. Dyslexic learners find that using a coloured acetate or overlay on the page can help them to read more fluently and improve comprehension.

Some dyslexic pupils find it difficult to check and proof-read their work. Aim to offer direction and give the pupils plenty of opportunities to practise. From the experiences I’ve had, I recognise that the dyslexic child needs to be able to separate the two processes of writing and reading. Allow time after a writing task before asking the pupil to proofread the work. Often, the process of proofreading will need to be carried out more than once. The first time, encourage the pupil to look at content and organisation; the second time, ask the pupil to focus on grammar, expression and sentence structure. The final check should focus on spelling. Dyslexics find it difficult to correct their spellings spontaneously as they write, but they can be helped to look for errors that are particular to them. Avoid rewriting pieces of work as this can dishearten a child who has put a lot of effort into the original piece.

Promoting good organisational skills
Homework should always be written on a board so that pupils can copy it down correctly (use a pen in the colour preferred by the dyslexic child). To help organisation, never leave setting homework until the end of the lesson so that the instructions are hurried. Dyslexic pupils often have poor organisation. Give them time to put away their books and worksheets so that the right materials are taken home. Depending on the school’s homework policy, try to only set homework where it will be of real benefit to the child. Set a limit on the time to be spent completing homework, for dyslexic pupils a task will generally take them longer than a child with good literacy skills.

I have a buddy system in my classroom which pairs more able children with less able children. The buddies’ numbers are written in the front of pupils’ homework diaries so that if they are not clear about any aspect of the homework, they can ring their buddy and check what they have to do, rather than worry all evening or complete the work incorrectly. Encouraging a daily routine can help develop the child’s independence, responsibility and self-reliance. Stick a laminated sheet in the homework diary where a daily checklist for the pupil can be recorded to refer to during the evening.

Providing the pupils with coloured, labelled folders and dividers can help them to organise their work for different subjects. The more creative dyslexic pupils like to personalise their folders with drawings that mean something to them. This gives them ownership and makes them generally more enthusiastic about using the folders.

One of the most positive ways to raise self esteem is through how you mark work. Try to give credit for effort as well as achievement so that a dyslexic child who tries hard gains self-assurance. When marking creative writing, give credit for the context. Positive comments in pencil or green ink are much less off-putting than work covered in red ink.

Having fun and enjoying learning
Brain Gym activities, a series of simple movements developed to enhance whole-brain learning, are enjoyed by all pupils. Brain Gym is said to make all types of learning easier by processing all parts of the brain, through movement. I often incorporate these activities, which are widely available online, into my starters, so that pupils feel warmed up and ready to learn. Since I’ve been incorporating more Brain Gym in my classroom, the performance of dyslexic pupils has improved.

Everyone can benefit
Teaching dyslexic pupils highlights the need for more varied learning within a classroom. Often the strategies used, including structured and systematic techniques, can be of value to all learners in the class. Use a range of multi-sensory approaches with auditory, visual and kinaesthetic elements that serve to reinforce each other. Try to see the whole child, and understand their strengths and weaknesses. Understanding a pupil’s particular difficulties can enable a teacher to adopt teaching methods and develop strategies to help the dyslexic child to be fully integrated into the classroom.

Resources
The British Dyslexia Association. 0845 251 9002.
Dyslexia Action. 01784 222300.
Updates about Sir Jim Rose’s review of approaches to teaching dyslexic children.
A Framework for Understanding Dyslexia (DfES 2004). (Free download)

Teaching dyslexic pupils highlights the need for more varied learning within a classroom. Often the strategies can benefit, and be of value to, all pupils

Dyslexic learner spreads his method of education

2009-03-13T15:06:00.001-07:00

As a child, he was labelled a "dummy" at home and "mentally retarded" at school. By age 12, he was considered "uneducatable" by the American education system and he was functionally illiterate until he was 38.

Now, most people would not realise Ron Davis (66) has dyslexia and autism.

He is visiting New Zealand sharing his experiences of life with those conditions, and how his search for an effective treatment led him to create a globally recognised method for treating dyslexia.

Mr Davis spoke to more than 400 people at the University of Otago College of Education auditorium last night about his "experimentations and discoveries", and how he developed training procedures known as the Davis Dyslexia Correction Programme, which is changing special education and learning disability throughout the world.

His methods claim a 97% success rate in correcting dyslexia and related conditions such as dysgraphia, dyscalculia, attention difficulties and dyspraxia.

Mr Davis' research indicates dyslexia is a compound of simple factors which can be dealt with step by step.

He believes dyslexics have visual, multidimensional minds which are less predisposed to word-based thinking. This causes dyslexics to not easily recognise printed symbols, such as letters of the alphabet and written words, and to have difficulty with teaching approaches that emphasise phonics and phonemic awareness.

If control could be gained over perceptual disorientation by using simple mental processes, and language skills taught with methods adapted to picture thinkers, then someone who was dyslexic would be able to read and write without problems, he said.

"The programme was designed for me. The fact that it works for other people, especially children, is a bonus."

Despite being a successful engineer, businessman and sculptor, Mr Davis said one of his greatest achievements came at the age of 38 when he overcame the challenges of dyslexia and read his first book from cover to cover without struggling.

• Mr Davis will give another lecture at Queenstown Primary School tonight at 7pm.
http://www.odt.co.nz/

Somerset Dyslexia Association

2009-03-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

LAST month members of the Somerset Dyslexia Association enjoyed a social evening discussing issues important to them.

Specialists from the Somerset Dyslexia Association committee were there to answer queries and partners and friends were welcomed. This followed a pleasurable outing to watch the roosting starlings at Shapwick.

The next meeting will be on Thursday, March 26, at 7.30pm at The Falcon Hotel, Henlade. The group will be welcoming Simon Anderson from the Support Dogs charity. Over the last four years, Simon and his dog Fudge have attended numerous venues, talking about the life- transforming work of the charity. Support Dogs aims to enhance the lives of people with epilepsy, physical disabilities and children with Autism, by training dogs to act as efficient and safe assistants. For more information about Support Dogs, visit www.support-dogs.org.uk. Or if you are interested in Simon coming to speak to your organisation, call the charity on: 0114 261 7800. It is not government funded and relies entirely on donations and fundraising. You can help by donating any old mobile phones.

For more information about the dyslexia group, call Jane (01458-251408). Membership and booking is not necessary. For any dyslexia queries, call 01823-672271 and 01823-351762 www.somersetdyslexia.co.uk.

TV star's boost for dyslexic youngsters in Bristol

2009-03-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

Adventurer Charley Boorman roared into a south Bristol school to meet children involved in a literacy programme.

Charley, who is best known for his globetrotting biking travels with fellow actor Ewan McGregor in the television series Long Way Round and Long Way Down, as well as his own expedition from Ireland To Sydney By Any Means, is the new president of Dyslexia Action.

He visited Waycroft Primary in Stockwood, where pupils have been taking part in a scheme run by Dyslexia Action and known as Partnership for Literacy (P4L).

It takes a "whole school" approach to helping children and is proving very successful.

Mr Boorman said: "School was not something I excelled at and I think everyone gave up on me! I now know I am dyslexic but no one knew it at the time."

His role at Dyslexia Action will be to promote awareness and understanding of the condition, as well as raising funds. He said: "I feel very strongly that if the right help and support is available it can make a real difference."

Charley also visited St Barnabas School in Portishead and the Dyslexia Action centre in Whiteladies Road, Bristol.

Good News for Dyslexics

2009-02-23T10:02:00.000-08:00

Dyslexia accounts for 90 percent of learning disabilities in America, and those who have it never outgrow it — they have to adapt. Sally Shaywitz (pictured), a national expert on dyslexia, who shared that statistic with a Citizens Television audience — then offered reason for optimism.

Shaywitz, author of the groundbreaking book in the field, “Understanding Dyslexia,” is a neurologist and co-director with her husband, fellow neurologist Bennett Shaywitz, of the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity at the Yale School of Medicine. They were guests on Thursday’s edition of 21st Century Conversations, hosted by N’Zinga Shani.

Dyslexia is defined as unexpected difficulty reading well compared to a person’s cognitive ability level. In other words, it is not a reflection of intelligence, though children who have it are often ridiculed by classmates as “slow” or “dumb.”

“When parents get that diagnosis for their children,” Sally Shaywitz said, “they’re devastated. But what does it mean? We’ve learned a great deal about reading and teaching reading, and if they get accommodations like more time on tests, they are going on to college and success. They must work very hard, but it can be done.” The website mentions people from many fields who have succeeded despite their dyslexia - Albert Einstein, John Irving, Whoopie Goldberg, among others.

Bennett Shaywitz said that half the people diagnosed with dyslexia also have some form of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and the reverse is also true. That can make for tough going in a classroom of 20 or more students, for the dyslexic child as well as his classmates.

charles%20cicarella.JPGAnother guest on the show was Charles Cicarella, supervisor of psychological services for New Haven Public Schools (pictured). He said schools offer a range of support services for these children, once they are identified, and their parents. “It’s whole school-based team,” he said. “It can wrap around the parent, and give referrals to, for example, the Yale Child Study Center; school systems also put on events so parents can understand what’s available.”

Bennett Shaywitz said that through the studies they conduct, many children are given MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging), so the researchers can actually observe the brain activity while the children are reading. “It allows us to take a hidden disability and make it visible,” he said.

For those who participate, added Sally, “We can offer a state of the art evaluation to families at no cost.”

She also mentioned an “exciting new treatment for dyslexia.” It’s a medication, atomoxetine (Strattera) “which preliminary studies suggest may be helpful in improving reading,” according to a brochure inviting children between the ages of 10 and 16 with dyslexia or ADHD to participate in one of two studies. Children who are good readers are also being recruited as a control group. Both groups will receive ability and reading achievement tests, a diagnostic interview and a physical with laboratory studies. Parents who are interested can contact Karen Marchione at 785-4641.

(Thanks for name correction, John John.)

By Melinda Tuhus
http://www.newhavenindependent.org/

Teachers, parents gain tools to help kids with dyslexia

2009-02-23T09:57:00.000-08:00

THIBODAUX , Louisiana, USA — More than 200 people from throughout Louisiana filled the halls of Nicholls State University Saturday to improve their understanding of dyslexia and its effect on human’s intellectual development.

Called “Unmasking Their Potential,” many who attended said they welcomed the chance to learn of the learning disability without traveling far.

“It’s important that it’s close by. I’ve had to go to conferences in Baton Rouge,” said Celeste Molaison, a Thibodaux resident whose daughter has characteristics of dyslexia.

Instructional guides on reading big words, elementary sentence structure and college preparation were among the nearly two dozen courses centering on various aspects of the learning disability held throughout the day.

Most who came were teachers, tutors or parents of children with dyslexia who sought to improve the lives of youth, according to Karen Chiasson, director of the Louisiana Center for Dyslexia and Related Learning Disorders at Nicholls.

And it was so well attended, Chiasson said, that it will likely be the first of many local conferences.

“We figured it’s such a success that it’s our ‘first annual conference,’ ” she said.

Rob Langston, chairman and CEO of the For the Children Foundation and president of the Langston Company, was the keynote speaker.

Langston makes regular appearances on radio and TV, is an author and developed a five-step process aimed at helping people overcome a personal battle with dyslexia.

In two morning presentations, he spoke of his own experience with dyslexia and how he successfully overcame the disability.

Dyslexia affects 10 to 15 percent of the U.S. population, but only 5 percent of people with the reading disorder are recognized and given assistance, according to the Dyslexia Research Institute.

About 60 percent of those diagnosed with attention deficit disorder are also considered dyslexic, but often the behavioral aspects of ADD are addressed while dyslexia goes ignored, according to the agency.

Ellen Ryan, a teacher at Northlake Christian School in Covington, works with children with many learning disabilities, including dyslexia and ADD.

Ryan noted that these conferences can improve all methods of teaching because the techniques to aid all learning disabilities are a relatively similar and can be useful for children without disabilities.

“Anything that helps (learning-disabled) kids helps everybody,” she said.

Staff Writer Ben Lundin can be reached at 448-7635 or ben.lundin@dailycomet.com.

http://www.dailycomet.com/

Fish Oil Benefits

2009-02-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

There are two main ways to include fish oil as part of a healthy diet. The first involves the consumption of oily fish, including sardines and cod, which contain oils throughout their body and about their gut, unlike other species of fish. Depending on the species, oily fish fillets may offer up to 30% oil. Besides omega-3 fatty acids, oily fish also provides a good source of vitamins A and D.

The second approach towards increasing the amount of fish oils in a diet is to purchase fish oil capsules or supplements. Many people are said to prefer the consumption of fish oil capsules because are easy to follow and do not require laborious measurements in making sure recommended daily values are satisfied. To explore some of the many benefits associated with fish oil supplements and consumption, a few examples can be found below:

Decreased Pain Levels and Inflammation

Omega-3 fatty acids may posses the power to lessen inflammation in the body, as well as ease the pain associated with arthritis and cystitis. Rheumatoid arthritis patients often report an improvement in joint pains and inflammation when taking fish oil supplements.

Treats Depression and Stress

Some individuals have been able to ease their symptoms of depression by implementing omega-3 fish oil supplements into their diet. Fish oils have also been linked to promise in treating bipolar and psychotic patients. Supplements may also help to promote the overall mood of patients, and may even reduce premenstrual stress.

Cardiovascular Improvements

The heart, arteries, and veins may benefit from fish oil because it has been known to help lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure, while at the same time improving "good" cholesterol levels.
Fights Strokes and Heart Attack

The threat of stroke and heart attack may be decreased with the introduction of fish oils into a diet because they may help to prevent blood clots and other damage to the heart. A decreased risk of sudden death and heart attacks has also been seen.

Enhances Brain Activity

Fish oil is known to boost intelligence and overall happiness in users, as well as improve the memory and ability to stay focused. In the elderly, the risk of dementia and memory loss sometimes decreases with the use of fish supplements. Additionally, mothers who consume or take a high amount of omega-3/fish oils during pregnancy often give birth to children with a higher IQ.

Combats Childhood Disorders

Children, who suffer from disorders, such as ADD and ADHD, have experienced a better quality of life when incorporating fish oil fatty acids into their diet. Additional conditions that respond to fish oils include dyslexia and compulsive disorders.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

http://msokorea.com/

Andrew has talent for writing, poetry

2009-02-23T09:52:00.000-08:00

Every good talent takes time, practice and dedication, a fact which 19-year-old Caroline Andrew knows very well. She has been developing her gift of poetry and spoken word most of her life. She says she has written her whole life because it was passed down from her grandfather who is also a writer.

She attended a private high school at The King's Academy, where she was recognized early on as a freshman upon winning a speech contest. Now in her fifth quarter at De Anza College, she continues to do hyperbole spoken word; which are strong emphasis poems on a certain topic meant to stir up a feeling or create a certain impression on others.

In addition, she writes traditional love poems. Her favorite is Allen Ginsberg, popular in the 70s and 80s,. She is inspired by random people she sees in her everyday life.

Andrew has a learning disability known as dyslexia which makes it harder for the brain to process written language, particularly reading or spelling. But, for this brilliantly artistic student writing has never been an issue. In fact Andrew said, "writing poetry is an easy way to express yourself."

Andrew defeats many stereotypes in society that claim those with a disability "can't do" something; however, she has clearly shown she has a "can do" attitude on life.

Although poetry is one of her fun pursuits, it isn't the only skill that she possesses. Writing poetry is something she says she does for fun because she loves it and has hopes to be published one day. She is also interested in black and white photography, writes music in the genre of alternative pop- punk and is an assistant kindergarten teacher at a day care in Sunnyvale.

De Anza instructors have helped tremendously in her pursuits to further develop her miraculous gift of writing.

"Teachers at De Anza have taught me it's important to be yourself and don't take crap from people," said Andrew. "De Anza is a place I can write freely because in high school and at home I have to censor myself."

Andrew's major is Theater Production. She wants to do technical lighting and production for stages. She is a technician and lighting director for her church in Los Gatos. She says she loves stage work because there is a certain energy involved in it; theater production is all about "doing something and making something glow."

Brittany Sims
http://www.lavozdeanza.com/home/

Disabilities need intervention

2009-01-11T22:14:00.000-08:00

Strengthens attention and improves reading related motor functions.

Candidates have made average comprehension gains of a year and decoding gains of almost two years, in less than a month

THE young dyslexic child begins school, full of enthusiasm and curiosity. Very quickly that enthusiasm dwindles to confusion and inability to make sense of the words on the page. The bright teenager is struggling with English but excelling in other subjects.

Parents suspect that something is not quite right. School reports show the child is lagging behind the rest of the class. Extra learning support is provided but the child plateaus and nothing seems to work.

The causes of reading disabilities involve auditory, visual and motor functions. Recent brain scan research shows auditory, visual and motor functions must be activated and coordinated at the same time. This allows the neural bonds between letters and sound combinations to develop. This is vital to the reading process.

The Celifield tntervention is a neuroscientific reading programme scientists describe as powerful, remarkable and brilliant. The Celifield Intervention is the first software designed to target auditory, visual and motor pathways simultaneously. It expands working memory, with Cellfield Intervention. Improvement has also been noted in spoken language, handwriting, numeracy, ba ’ance, co-ordination and music skills.

Children and adults with dyslexia see words as designs, rather than a series of symbols representing sounds. Data confirms that Cellfield improves decoding skills significantly.

Irlen Syndrome is a piece of the puzzle of dyslexia and presents as visual distortions of print. People with Irlen Syndrome have a visual perceptual disorder that affects the way they see the print on the page. The client can often be helped with specially tinted Irlen lenses.

The Cellfield Intervention and Irlen screening are available at the Tauranga/Mt Maunganui Kip McGrath Education Center. The school holidays provide a wonderful opportunity to get your child up to speed for Term One, 2009.

The Kip McGrath Education Center is now accepting enrolments for the holiday workshops in numeracy, young writers programme as well as the standard Kip tuition.

For a free consultation and assessment call Judith 578 1518 or email kramac@clear.net.nz

Judith Kramer Director- Kip McGrath Center
Bay of Plenty Times,
Tauranga Bay,New Zealand

Special programme for preschool and Year One children

2009-01-11T22:09:00.000-08:00

KUCHING: The Dyslexia Association of Sarawak is working with the state Education Department to run a three-month dyslexia intervention programme.

The programme, if given the green light, will affect pupils in preschool and Year One classes.

The programme aims to give a foundation on phonics and advance the literacy skills of reading, writing and spelling, both in English and Bahasa Malaysia.

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty which affects reading, spelling and writing.

A research conducted by Unimas in 2004 showed that almost seven per cent of primary school pupils are affected by dyslexia.

The association will hold its second annual general meeting this Saturday at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (near Wisma Saberkas).

Its president Ong Puay Hoon said the meeting is expected to start from 9am and all members are invited to attend.

Ong said the association is a non-governmental organisation with the main objective of enhancin~ education and improvin~ the general welfare 0: children and adults affectec by dyslexia and othei learning disabilities.

It also helps to promot awareness am understanding amon~ parents, teachers and th public towards dyslexia.

At present, nine student~ aged between nine and U years are attending th~ programme and th~ outcome has been positive particularly on th~ development of self esteem, confidence am better understanding o dyslexia.

Borneo Post,
Sarawak,Malaysia

Panchkula plans centre for dyslexic kids

2009-01-11T22:05:00.000-08:00

PANCHKULA: The district administration has decided to work on bridging the learning gap that exists between dyslexic children and others

It has decided to set up a Child Guidance Centre for dyslexic kids and a proposal for this prepared by District Council for Child Welfare has been sent to central social welfare department for approval.

The centre will cater to the needs of the Tricity. It will be the second such facility in the northern region. Another facility of this kind exists in Lucknow.

Panchkula deputy commissioner Rajinder Kataria said, "District officials felt that time had come to do something positive for these children. They studied the functioning of the Lucknow-based centre closely."

For now, district administration has reserved a budget of Rs 2 lakh for setting up this centre, but that may be increased if a need is felt for it, said sources. If the centre is a success, more such facilities will be started in other districts.

The Child Guidance Centre will be run from the District Child Welfare Council building in Sector 14. Highly trained teachers will instruct children at this centre. Counselling courses from one month to a year in length will be available at the facility.

Dyslexia is a neurological condition that makes it difficult for children to learn reading or writing. Experts say having this condition does not mean that a dyslexic is lacking in intelligence. Many talented individuals have been dyslexics, they say.

The facility will also offer counselling to parents of dyslexic children, say sources. Play therapy and reconstruction of school environment will also be used at the centre to handle dyslexia.

School phobia, slow learning, depression and attention deficit will also be looked at in this centre.

Kataria said, "Children are the future of our country and we should provide them with whatever facilities we can. Dyslexic kids need care and attention. So we thought we should do something for them."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

How to Cope With Adult Dyslexia

2008-12-22T19:55:00.000-08:00

About 40 million children and adults in the US are afflicted with dyslexia. Unless screening is done, the disorder is not easily known in some cases. Surprisingly, adults at work are not aware they have dyslexia, and if they do, they keep it a well-guarded secret.

Until an employee undergoes dyslexia screening, it's difficult to determine if the disorder is making him fall behind on his job. To help dyslexic workers function, online screening is made available by numerous service providers.

To assist individuals with their work and help them reach their full potential in the workplace, management should provide the programs that could assist possible dyslexics. The help given to dyslexics not only promotes positive work attitudes, but fosters loyalty, increases work efficiency, and lessens stress.

How To Explain Dyslexia

Dyslexia isn't an intellectual disorder, but a neurological challenge that affects an individual's processing of words in reading and spelling. It can occur to people in different levels of intelligence. Even the highly gifted can be afflicted by dyslexia, among them Albert Enstein.

The symptoms of dyslexia are diverse and range from difficulty in reading and spelling, poor memory, challenges in concentrating, struggle with time management, and restlessness. Unless dyslexia screening is done, those afflicted may not even know that they have it.

Dyslexia have been overcome by a lot of people who now have successful careers. Jay Leno, Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Cruise, Leonardo DaVinci, Pablo Picasso, and Thomas Edison are a few examples. Adults and children who have dyslexia should not be held back by this condition.

Dyslexia Has Diverse Levels

Adult dyslexia can be overcome with carefully designed solutions, and online services make it convenient and discreet for adult dyslexics requiring help. Prior to commencing a program, dyslexics undergo screening to evaluate the kind of program that can help people function with dyslexia.

Dyslexia can either be developmental or acquired. Developmental dyslexia is described by a genetic abnormality in the brain area. Caused by injuries and brain trauma in birth is acquired dyslexia.

The kinds of dyslexia is also grouped according to the visuospatial challenges, speech sound difficulties, and correlating difficulties. With the availability of Web-based dyslexia screening, dyslexic adults can find out immediately if they have any of the types of dyslexia.

Does Dyslexia Have Treatment?

The brain beginning to function normally is the start of the treatment for dyslexia. As proof that it's a treatable disorder, a dyslexic learning to read will start utilizing his brain differently. It is a lengthy process, but one that helps many dyslexics handle one challenge at a time.

http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/leslie-carsson/53667.htm

Scientists Link Gene To Dyslexia

2008-11-06T09:19:00.000-08:00

A gene which is likely to be one of the causes of dyslexia in children has been discovered by researchers at Cardiff University.

They believe the major finding will give researchers a better understanding of what causes the brain disorder which disrupts reading and writing skills.

It is now hoped that follow-up research will also lead to the discovery of treatments which could help children susceptible to dyslexia.

The discovery was made by a team from the Department of Psychological Medicine, Wales College of Medicine.

They carried out analysis of 300 families from Wales and the West of England where at least one child suffered from the disorder.

The research team led by Professor Julie Williams and Professor Michael O'Donovan will now continue their study in order to discover more about the gene called "KIAA0319".

The research will focus on discovering exactly how the gene works within the brain to disrupt reading and writing skills.

Professor Williams said: "This is a major breakthrough and the first study to identify one gene which contributes to susceptibility to the common form of dyslexia. We would like to thank all the parents and children who took part in the study and would extend a call to new volunteers to take part in this important research."

The researchers want to hear from more families with at least one child who has dyslexia.

Professor O'Donovan said: "The finding vindicates our optimism that a disorder as apparently complicated as impaired reading ability can be amenable to molecular genetic dissection." However, he added: "Much more remains to be done before the finding is translated into therapy. To tackle the genetic origins of disorders like dyslexia, both quality of assessment and sample size are crucial. We have the tools to take care of the latter, but we are entirely dependent on the altruism of the public in offering their time and DNA".

Cardiff University

Slow Reading In Dyslexia Tied To Disorganized Brain Tracts

2008-11-06T08:30:00.000-08:00

Dyslexia marked by poor reading fluency -- slow and choppy reading -- may be caused by disorganized, meandering tracts of nerve fibers in the brain, according to researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). The study, using the latest imaging methods, gives researchers a glimpse of what may go wrong in the structure of some dyslexic readers' brains, making it difficult to integrate the information needed for rapid, "automatic" reading.

The study was led by Christopher Walsh, MD, PhD, chief of the Division of Genetics at Children's Hospital Boston, and Bernard Chang, MD, a neurologist at BIDMC.

"We looked at dyslexia caused by a particular genetic disorder, but what we found could have implications for understanding the causes of dyslexia in other populations as well," says Walsh, who is also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at BIDMC.

Dyslexia, which affects 5 to 15 percent of all children, has different forms. Subjects in the study had reading problems caused by a rare genetic disorder known as periventricular nodular heterotopia, or PNH. Although their intelligence is normal, people with PNH have trouble reading fluently, or smoothly, lacking the rapid processing necessary for this aspect of reading.

The genetic mutation that causes PNH disrupts brain structure. In a normal brain, much of the gray matter (consisting mostly of nerve cells) appears on the brain's surface, while white matter (consisting mostly of nerve fibers or "wiring" connecting areas of gray matter) runs deeper in the brain. In PNH, nodules of gray matter sit deep in the brain's core, in the white matter, having failed to migrate out to the surface as the brain was developing.

To learn more about how these developmental changes in the brain might lead to reading problems, the researchers tested cognitive skills needed for reading in 10 patients with PNH, 10 individuals with dyslexia without neurological problems, and 10 normal readers. They used a specialized form of MRI called diffusion tensor imaging to look at the structure of the white matter in the brain.

In PNH patients, unlike in normal readers, white matter fibers took circuitous routes around the misplaced gray matter, and in some cases, didn't organize into uniform bundles, which could leave regions of gray matter poorly connected. Importantly, the more disorganized the PNH patients' white matter, the less fluent their reading.

While other studies have found disorganized white matter in the general population of people with dyslexia, these individuals often struggle with several aspects of reading, making it "hard to know exactly what the role of white-matter integrity is in isolation," says Chang. By demonstrating white-matter problems in PNH patients, who have an isolated reading fluency problem, and correlating that with reading fluency scores, the researchers were able to conclude that white-matter integrity and organization may be the structural basis in the brain for reading fluency.

"This makes sense," says Chang. "When we read, we need to take in information visually, hook it up with our inner dictionary of what letters and words mean, and when we're reading aloud, connect that with the region that gives us our ability to speak." For smooth, automatic reading, "the white matter is there to connect different regions of gray matter and allow them to function seamlessly." When reading fluency is the primary problem, "it may be that the areas of the brain that are important for reading are not connected efficiently," says Chang.

Most people with dyslexia who have trouble reading fluently don't have misplaced gray matter or PNH. But Walsh and Chang believe that disorganized white matter could similarly alter brain function in both groups. Their next study will examine how faulty white-matter connections alter brain patterns, comparing brain activation during reading in PNH patients and in dyslexic readers with poor fluency, who do not have PNH.

"Our findings suggest that white matter integrity plays a critical role in reading fluency and that defects in white matter serve as the structural basis for the type of dyslexia we see in this brain malformation," said the study's lead author Bernard S. Chang, MD, with Harvard Medical School in Boston, and member of the American Academy of Neurology. "Our work highlights the importance of studying white matter structure in order to understand cognitive problems and learning disabilities more fully."

Pinpointing the brain structures responsible for fluent reading may eventually help researchers and educational specialists develop and use techniques that help improve the automatic nature of reading in children and adults with these kinds of difficulties, the researchers note.

Findings will appear in the journal Neurology on December 4. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Mind-Brain-Behavior program at Harvard University.

Children's Hospital Boston.

Pre-school Age Exercises Can Prevent Dyslexia, New Research Shows

2008-11-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

Atypical characteristics of children’s linguistic development are early signs of the risk of developing reading and writing disabilities, or dyslexia. New research points to preventive exercises as an effective means to tackle the challenges children face when learning to read.

The results achieved at the Centre of Excellence in Learning and Motivation Research were presented at the Academy of Finland’s science breakfast on 21 August.

Headed by Professor Heikki Lyytinen at the University of Jyväskylä, the research has dug deep into how to predict and prevent difficulties in learning to read and write. The study involved a comparison between 107 children whose either parent is dyslexic and a control group of children without a hereditary predisposition to dyslexia. The researchers followed intensively the development of the predisposed children, from their birth through to school age.

“Half of the children whose parents had difficulties in reading and writing found learning to read more challenging than children in the control group. The atypical characteristics of these children’s linguistic development indicated the risk at a very early stage, and we were also able to draw a clearer picture of the typical progression of a development that indicates reading and writing difficulties,” says Lyytinen.

According to Lyytinen, the predictors of reading and writing difficulties are evident primarily in two contexts: on the one hand as a delayed ability to perceive and mentally process the subtleties of a person’s voice, on the other hand as a sluggishness in naming familiar, visually presented objects. When approaching the age when they acquire the ability to read, the children seem to have more difficulties than expected to store in their memory the names and corresponding sounds of letters.

“Acquiring the ability to read demands much more practice from these children than from their peers. The automatisation of reading poses an additional challenge. Also, a fluent ability to read is a prerequisite to be able to understand a demanding piece of text,” says Lyytinen. “A slow reader isn’t able to grasp a given text as a whole, and therefore has a hard time following the storyline. This is why we should pay special attention not only to the accuracy of reading and writing but also to the comprehension of texts even with quite long sentences.”

Computer game to aid learning

The difficulties children experience when learning to read can be significantly reduced through training – “and in a way that children find amusing, even if they do have difficulties in learning to read,” Lyytinen points out.

The CoE in Learning and Motivation Research has developed computer game-like learning environments to aid preventive training, and made them available on the internet free of charge. They are especially recommended for children with a perceived risk of developing reading and writing disabilities or who have had a hard time learning to read already in first grade.

“The best time to start these exercises is the latter part of the pre-school age, but it’s not too late even after the children have started school. The learning result, of course, improves with repeated training: more than once a day and in short sessions. The optimal time for a single playing session is however long the children find it enjoyable.”

Researchers at the CoE in Learning and Motivation Research have made good use of a wide range of scientific disciplines in creating the learning environment. Apart from psychology, the exercises include elements from phonetics, mathematics and information technology. This has allowed the researchers to make the learning environment more effective than traditional educational games.

With funding from the Ministry of Education and in collaboration with researchers of the Niilo Mäki Institute, the researchers at the CoE are also working to create constantly-developing, game-like exercises as well as tools with which to identify risks and detect learning disabilities. The exercises and tools are all available at the same address http://www.lukimat.fi.

To access the learning environment, go to http://www.lukimat.fi

Suomen Akatemia (Academy of Finland)

Dyslexia may be in your genes

2008-11-04T11:13:00.000-08:00

German researchers say that dyslexia, a learning disability whose sufferers struggle Dyslexia may be in your genes with reading and writing, can occur due to genetic Dyslexia may be in your genes causes.

“We are trying to find out which genes cause the disease. A predisposition to dyslexia could be detected by a genetic test to support affected children appropriately at a very early age,” says Arndt Wilcke, scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI) in Leipzig.

The researcher says that the migration of nerve cells to their designated positions during brain development at the embryonic stage is routed by specific genes, which, when defective, can be a cause for dyslexia.

Wilcke points out that evidence for responsible “dyslexia genes” is already existing, and the first steps towards a genetic test have been taken.

However, reckons the researcher, at least five more years will be needed to reach that aim.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Dyslexia Training For Teachers

2008-02-24T05:30:00.000-08:00

DENVER - Students who struggle with reading may find out from their teachers dyslexia could be to blame. House Bill 1223, sponsored by Representative Michael Merrifield (D-Manitou Springs/Colorado Springs) unanimously passed through the House education committee on Thursday afternoon. The legislation would give teachers the training needed to identify literacy challenges, such as dyslexia.

"I was diagnosed with dyslexia in second grade," says 11-year-old Holmes Middle School sixth grader Theo Reitwiesner.

"Theo came to me in second grade and told me, ‘I'm done with school,'" says Theo's mom Patricia.

Theo started meeting with a tutor soon after his mom told him state law required him to go to school.

"I miss little words like ‘in,' ‘as,' the,' and I'll just skip them completely," says Theo. "There'd be a sentence and you'd read it, then it wouldn't make any sense cause you couldn't figure out one of the words, and you'd read it over like seven or eight times and then it'd finally click, and then you understood it, and that still happens to me today."

Dyslexia is much more than reading a word backwards, it's trying not to confuse letters that look alike, like a lower case ‘b' and a lower case ‘d.' It's trying to understand a word when you're not exactly sure what each letter of the alphabet sounds like on its own. Theo used to memorize words so that he knew how to say it later.

"If you hear the word ‘cat' it's three syllables cah-ah-tah,' so then you can't break apart the sounds in words and you can't blend them together," says Patricia.

"I didn't learn how to pronounce each syllable of every word," says Theo.

Patricia was one of more than a dozen who testified in front of the education committee about the need for literacy training.

"It gives us a chance just to elevate awareness to dyslexia," says Patricia. "This isn't just a problem for special education teachers, this is a problem for everybody in education."

Sydney Hough is a former teacher in the Lewis-Palmer School District. She told the committee about how the word ‘dyslexia' was basically taboo.

"I was not allowed to use the word dyslexia when I was speaking to parents about their child's struggles," says Hough. "I now understand why Joey and Brianna and several other students never learned how to read in my first grade class."

"They're accused of being lazy, not trying hard enough or just plain dumb," says Ellen Steinberg, from the Rocky Mountain Dyslexia Association.

Karen Brass is a 44-year-old mother with dyslexia. While testifying in support of the bill, she couldn't remember a certain word.

If I can't see it, I can't say it," says Brass. "That's a dyslexic mind for you."

"Having taught for 30 years, now that I've learned so much about it, I can recall students that I'm sure must have had dyslexia," says Merrifield. "This does provide training for teachers to recognize certain symptoms."

Merrifield wants to catch learning disabilities early in a student's life, so they can see a specialist and get the tutoring they need.

"From 40,000 to 150,000 students in Colorado have some form of dyslexia," says Merrifield. "This could have a huge impact on the dropout rate, on our graduation rate."

"We graduate far too many kids, able kids, with third and fourth grade reading levels," says Dr. Ed Steinberg of the Colorado Department of Education. "Our kindergarten through third grade teachers in general education, need this training probably desperately in the sense of the preventative aspects of this."

Today, Theo the sixth grader, reads at a seventh grade reading level. He loves to read the Harry Potter books.
"I've worked my butt off all year," says Theo.

By Marshall Zelinger
m.zelinger@krdo.com

EMOTIONS

2008-01-23T01:05:00.000-08:00

Dyslexic people are increasingly encouraged to view their dyslexia in a positive light. However, many dyslexics feel a number of distressing emotions about their difficulties and their situation. Most commonly reported are the following:

Confusion and bewilderment.

Many adult dyslexics are unaware that they have a recognizable pattern of difficulties which can be significantly alleviated through the learning of appropriate skills and strategies. Typically, therefore, an adult dyslexic feels thoroughly confused. He/she seems to be quite bright and quick-thinking in some ways, but apparently quite slow and 'stupid' in others.

Embarrassment, shame and guilt.

Feelings of embarrassment about dyslexia can deepen into shame, and, whereas embarrassment is often specific to a particular situation, shame seems to seep through the whole personality. Often dyslexic people come to feel that they have a guilty secret. Ella, a successful potter, describes it thus:

“I had a secret inside me. I kept 'it' in a box; and would only open the lid very cautiously. You may well laugh when you know the contents of the box: it was dyslexia. That word, that almost indescribable thing, lived in the box and pervaded almost every part of my life, but no one could see it. It was a living nightmare.”

Lack of confidence, low self-esteem.

The emotions described above – bewilderment, shame, guilt – deal a crippling blow to confidence and self-esteem. Lack of confidence manifests itself both in relation to specific tasks that a dyslexic person finds difficult, and in a more general way. At work there is a feeling of not being competent to hold down one's job. There is also a nervousness about applying for promotion, or for another job. In interviews, particularly, lack of confidence can be very damaging.

The daily questionings of one's own abilities and capacities will slowly but surely erode one's self-esteem. Among all the problems, the difficulties, the inefficiencies, the traumas, where is the person who is of worth? Is there such a person in there somewhere? Lack of confidence may result in aggressive or defensive behavior. Then the dyslexic person becomes trapped in a pattern of interaction, or rather reaction, which imprisons him/her in a lonely and distressing world.

Frustration and anger.

A sense of being imprisoned, trapped, impotent is often reported by dyslexic adults. George, a long-distance lorry driver, describes it thus: “I felt I couldn't move in any direction. In my job I was always moving, going in all directions, but in myself I couldn't go anywhere. I was grounded. That's why I liked the driving – I would drive and drive and drive to try and get away from the frustration, but however far you drive, you can't get away from yourself.”

In human beings, frustration soon turns to anger. But who should the anger be directed against? Who is to blame? All too often dyslexic adults end up blaming themselves.

Anxiety, fear and panic.

Whatever difficulties one may have in life, anxiety usually makes them worse, and this is certainly true of dyslexic difficulties: adult dyslexics become locked in a vicious circle of anxiety and inefficiency. Anxiety and stress can also precipitate physical symptoms: panic attacks, nausea, migraine, susceptibility to illness. Being physically below par naturally further reduces efficiency and so the downward spiral continues.

Despondency, depression and despair.

If the difficulties continue to go unrecognised, if there is continual failure in attempts to study and hold down jobs, then the dyslexic person may lose hope and sink into depression.

Relief, determination and hope.

It perhaps seems as if this paper has been full of doom and gloom. Yet all the emotions that have been described here are commonly reported by dyslexic adults. However, once dyslexic difficulties have been recognized, and strategies for dealing with them put in place, life can often take a turn for the better. All the energy that previously went into worrying about the problems, and covering them up, can now be channeled into developing effective ways of dealing with them, both practically and emotionally. What usually emerges most strongly is a sense of hope and a feeling of determination to turn one’s life around.

As James, who was recently diagnosed as dyslexic, said: “I felt as if the prison doors had been opened. I looked out and saw paths leading in all directions. I didn't know which of the paths was mine. All I did know was that I would have a path in future and that the years of confinement were over.”

Further reading:

- Dyslexia in the Workplace, by Diana Bartlett and Sylvia Moody, published by Whurr.
- Dyslexia at College, by Tim Miles and Dorothy Gilroy, published by Routledge.
- Dyslexia and Stress, edited by Tim Miles and Ved Varma, published by Whurr.

Perception and Movement

2008-01-23T00:57:00.000-08:00

Dyslexia denotes difficulty with reading and writing, and it is often supposed that this difficulty must stem from poor phonology (ability to recognise, produce and sequence letter sounds). However, dyslexia may also be associated with perceptual and motor (movement) difficulties. Such difficulties are often grouped together under the term ‘dyspraxia’.

General difficulties.

· poor balance and posture

· clumsy gait and movement

· difficulty with bat and ball games

· tendency to fall, trip, bump into things and people

· poor handwriting and typing

· lack of manual dexterity (needed in tasks such as cooking)

· over-sensitivity to light and noise

· discriminating between left and right

· judging distance

· finding one’s way about

· doing numerical and spatial tasks

· planning and organising thought, and expressing thoughts

· organising daily life

· social interaction

Study difficulties.

· presentation of written work

· keeping place when reading

· keeping overall structure of essay in mind

Workplace difficulties.

· using machines such as photocopiers, faxes

· entering data on a computer / calculator

· copying down figures correctly and in the proper columns

· remembering where things have been put

· taking messages

· using a date stamp

· keeping papers in order

· carrying trays, eg, of coffee mugs

Managing the difficulties.

· use a ruler to keep place on page

· photocopy text onto coloured paper

· colour-mark layout of tables of numbers

· systematically scan each part of graphs, charts, tables of numbers

· keep operating instructions for fax machine, etc. by the machine

· use an ergonomic keyboard

· use keyboard shortcuts / slow down the mouse

· plan a daily, weekly and monthly work schedule

· carefully pre-plan before going to a new place

· use upside-down maps

· make a note of routes, eg, to photocopying room

· request a quiet workspace

· get a tray with high sides and a long central handle (from disability organisations)

· use specially adapted utensils for cooking / tools for DIY

Assessment.

Dyspraxic difficulties can usually be identified in a psychological assessment (eg, using the WAIS test).

If physical clumsiness is a marked feature, it is advisable to seek an assessment also from a physiotherapist or occupational therapist who specialises in adult dyspraxia.

If perceptual difficulties are marked, then a referral to a perception therapist would be useful.

Further reading.

Living with Dyspraxia: A guide for adults with developmental dyspraxia, ed. Mary Colley; available from the Dyspraxia Foundation. (Some of the material in this paper has been taken from this book.)

Dyslexia in the Workplace, by Diana Bartlett and Sylvia Moody, published by Whurr.

Dyslexia at College, by Tim Miles and Dorothy Gilroy, published by Routledge.

Sequencing and Structuring

2008-01-23T00:52:00.000-08:00

The logical sequencing and structuring of information, ideas and activities is a necessary part of human life. Though we may prefer to see the world holistically, yet still we cannot escape structure in our daily lives.

Language in particular is highly structured. It is not surprising, therefore, that dyslexic people have a number of difficulties with language, especially written language. However, they are often also inefficient in many other tasks which involve sequencing and structure. Some commonly-reported difficulties are listed below.

General difficulties.

· writing and copying words and numbers

· following instructions / carrying out instructions in the correct sequence

· working under pressure

· keeping workspace tidy

· organising daily life

Study difficulties.

· structuring essays

· taking succinct notes

· organising work and revision schedules

· presenting an argument logically in a seminar

· dealing with library catalogues / finding books

Workplace difficulties.

· filing documents / retrieving files

· following work protocols

· writing letters and memos

· structuring reports

· presenting ideas clearly in oral interactions / presentations

· carrying out tasks in an efficient, logical way

· dealing with a varied workload

· getting the times and places of meetings wrong

· missing appointments

· failing to prioritise / missing deadlines

· never having the right papers

Managing the difficulties.

· read words and sentences bit by bit

· skim text to get an overview before reading for detail

· use alphabet cards

· colour code columns and rows of figures

· colour code instructions / protocols

· colour code files and filing trays, eg, use red for urgent work

· clearly label files and filing trays

· keep workspace tidy

· plan daily, weekly and monthly action lists

· leave some time each day to deal with emergencies / unexpected tasks

· at the beginning of each day review the action plan for that day

· at the end of each day check what has / hasn’t been done

· pre-plan essays and reports

· pre-plan oral interactions / presentations

· pre-plan tasks, and split them into sections / stages

· work one step at a time

Further reading.

- Dyslexia in the Workplace, by Diana Bartlett and Sylvia Moody, published by Whurr.

- Dyslexia at College, by Tim Miles and Dorothy Gilroy, published by Routledge

Short -Term Memory

2008-01-23T00:47:00.000-08:00

Short-term memory (STM) is a temporary store for information. The information in this store will later either be forgotten or, if important, transferred to our long-term memory store. For example, we use STM to remember a telephone number for a few seconds, or to keep the shape of an object in mind as we try to draw it. To use your STM, carefully read through the following numbers ONCE ONLY; then look away and see if you can recall them in the correct order: 5 9 2 8 3 7 4 6.

One important component of STM is working memory. In the example given above, STM was a passive recipient of information – its task was to remember the information only, not to do anything with it. The working memory component, however, is active: it takes the information held in the main STM store and uses it in some way. For example, we use working memory when we do mental arithmetic. To use your working memory, carefully read the following sentence through ONCE ONLY and then try to work out the sum in your head. Add 5 and 3 and 8 and 4 and then divide by 2.

Poor short-term memory, especially in the visual and auditory modalities, is often associated with dyslexia. Below are some of the difficulties it causes:
General difficulties.

· remembering telephone numbers

· copying down numbers correctly

· remembering messages, instructions and directions

· keeping track of ideas when speaking, listening or writing

· remembering people’s names

· remembering where things have been put

Study difficulties.

· taking notes in lectures

· formulating responses to questions in seminars

Workplace difficulties.

· taking notes in meetings

· following discussions

· following oral instructions

· taking telephone messages

Managing the difficulties.

· break numbers and words into chunks

· read sentences slowly and methodically

· try to identify the central theme of each paragraph you read

· request repeats or written back-up for instructions

· ask for instructions to be given in visual form, eg, flow charts

· use set formats for telephone messages

· use visual symbols or pictures as cues and reminders

· tape record instructions / lectures / meetings

· take regular rest breaks

· do relaxation exercises

Sylvia Moody
Dyslexia in the Workplace, by Diana Bartlett and Sylvia Moody, published by Whurr.

Coping skills

2008-01-23T00:43:00.000-08:00

Emotional support and opportunities for achievement in activities that don't involve reading are important for children with dyslexia.

If your child has dyslexia:

* Be supportive. Having difficulty learning to read may affect your child's self-esteem. Be sure to provide love and to support his or her talents and strengths.
* Talk to your child. Explain to your child what dyslexia is and that it's not a failure on his or her part. The better your child understands this, the more likely he or she will cope with and compensate for this learning disability.
* Take steps at home to make it easier for your child to study. Provide a clean, quiet, organized place for your child to study, and designate a study time. Also, make sure your child gets enough rest, good nutrition and family support — through outings and activities — to provide a better environment in which he or she can learn.

Stay in close touch with your child's teachers so that they're fully aware of your child's situation and so that you and they can reinforce one another's actions. If available, tutoring sessions with a reading-disorders specialist can be very helpful for many children with dyslexia.

You may also want to consider joining a support group to stay in contact with parents who face similar learning disabilities in their children. Belonging to a support group can provide you with both good information and emotional support.

Vision Training: Improving Your Eyesight

2008-01-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

Vision training reduces your dependence on strong compensating lenses and enhances your visual interaction with the world. Vision deficiencies are changeable–training helps make your eyes function more efficiently by using a combination of exercises, nutrition, light, color, awareness, and reducing the use and strength of visual aids. Vision fitness includes visual acuity, the ability of the eyes to work together, and the ability to visually interact with your environment without eye problems or emotional blinders

History

Dr. W. H. Bates, a New York ophthalmologist, is considered the pioneer of vision training. In the early 1900s, he developed the Bates Method for vision improvement which focuses on breathing, relaxation, memory, imagination and eye drills. In over thirty years of research, he showed that vision defects are usually the result of functional problems that can be overcome, and not permanent flaws in the shape of the eye. His work was not accepted by most ophthalmologists.

The Bates Method was used with great success by many practitioners and notably by writer Aldous Huxley who, within two months of using this method, was able to read without using Braille or a heavy magnifying glass. He was so impressed that he wrote a book called The Art of Seeing.

Dr. Robert-Michael Kaplan is an internationally known consultant in complementary vision care who has used a multifaceted approach to develop a comprehensive vision training system that incorporates exercise, diet, lifestyle and mental and emotional awareness. The self-help techniques of Bates and Kaplan are becoming more popular as people are realizing the benefits of natural health care.

How Can It Help Me?

Vision training improves dyslexia, far-sightedness, near-sightedness, eye strain, astigmatism, eye coordination, memory, photosensitivity and will enhance overall well-being. Emotional patterns such as beliefs, fears and angers, and perceptions picked up from your parents and teachers, distort vision

Causes of Eye Problems

Eye problems have many causes, including mental and physical tension, unsynchronized eyes, strain from looking sideways instead of directly at things, traumatic events that alter our visual perception, fluorescent lights and improper nutrition.

Although 20/20 prescriptions help you to see perfectly, they increase eye stress, reduce natural depth perception and produce strain and fatigue after extended use. Strong prescriptions do not give your eyes an opportunity to regenerate themselves naturally and result in a dependency on compensating lenses.

How Does It Work?

Conventional compensating lenses hold the eye in a fixed position and inhibit the eye muscles from naturally adjusting to accommodate near and far focusing. Avoiding corrective lenses or using a reduced (less than 20/20) prescription permits your eyes to function more naturally.

Kaplan’s concept of vision fitness lenses (20/40 instead of 20/20) allow your eyes to relax, producing a calming effect. The reduced lens prescription also means that your eyes are given a chance to increase their natural function, and you are able to notice any fluctuations in vision that are triggered by your activities, diet and environment.

Eye exercises and general exercise improve circulation, oxygenate the blood and enhance nerve function. Proper nutrition improves the health of the entire body, including your eyes.

Vision training reveals your inner perceptions, either current or from the past, as they manifest themselves in your eye condition. By understanding the "mind’s eye," you learn how emotions affect the way you see, and you can overcome these visual limitations.

Improving vision starts with specific exercises including the following: head movements to loosen the neck area and relax the mind; swinging your torso from side to side while looking between your two outstretched arms; placing your palms over your eyes for relaxation; near and far focusing; blinking; blinking into sunlight; scanning; stretching the eye muscles; crossing your eyes; breathing; acupressure (for more information, see earlier part of this section) and non-staring. Visual aids such as glasses and contacts should be removed for at least a few hours a day so that the eyes have an opportunity to function naturally and regenerate.

Eye patches are also used to stimulate perception and peripheral vision. Rate of improvement depends on the effort you put into the program and the severity of your vision deficiency. Be patient and relax–emotional strain will also affect your vision.

Vision Exercises

Here are a few simple vision training exercises you can use for your own self-help. Palm your eyes after these exercises to relax the eyes.

Strain from Close Work and Reading

* Changing Focus Distance: Frequently look away from your work to an object in the distance.

* Near and Far: Shift focus between a near object and a far object several times.

* Blinking: Blink every three seconds.

* Crossing Eyes: Cross your eyes by focusing on an object that you bring to touch the bridge of your nose.

* Scanning: Move your eyes quickly to different objects within your visual field.

Tension

* Palming: Rub palms together and place over your closed eyes, but not touching your eyes, to block all light and relax for a couple of minutes. When you are completely relaxed, you should see pure black.

* Neck Stretch: Stretch your head down to the chest. Repeat ten or more times.

* Side-to-Side Neck Stretch: Stretch the head sideways to look over one shoulder then look over the other shoulder. Repeat ten or more times.

Stimulating

* Up-and-Down Eye Stretches: Keep head still and without straining look up and then down. Repeat three times.

* Side-to-Side Eye Stretches: Keep head still and without straining look left and right. Repeat three times.

* Left-to-Right Diagonal Eye Stretches: Keep head still and without straining look up and to the left and then down and to the right. Repeat three times.

* Right-to-Left Diagonal Eye Stretches: Keep head still and without straining look up and to the right and then down and to the left. Repeat three times.

* Crossing Eyes: Cross your eyes, by focusing on an object that you bring to touch the bridge of your nose.

What Can I Do?

When your eyes are tired, give them a break and stimulate them with some vision exercises. Take time to relax by breathing and stretching. Avoid looking sideways to prevent straining the eyes. Instead, move your head to look directly at what you want to see. When reading, use a 100-watt light source behind you and keep your work directly in front of you. A healthy lifestyle including exercise, proper nutrition, natural light and relaxation is also important

Where Do I Go Next?

Check at your holistic health book store or natural food store to find a vision fitness practitioner, or contact the International Society for Eyesight Education.

Ten Top Organising Tips For Dyslexics

2007-12-29T07:31:00.000-08:00

Over the years I have had to find alternate ways of doing certain everyday tasks, so I developed various ways to cope with my Dyslexia, methods that have also helped thousands of others. Now I would like to share them with you.

1)Highlighting Numbers and Words

I still use the method my parents had devised for me as a child for seeing numbers - colours! I use different highlighter pens for different items. Everything from everyday lists to spreadsheets can be prepared this way. For example, when using numbers, sub-totals can be highlighted in pink and the gross amounts in green.

2)Memory Statements

If, like me, your long term memory is great but your short term memory isn't quite so good, you may often find yourself putting things down and not finding them again, especially things like house and car keys. Try saying aloud, "putting car keys on kitchen work surface". Somehow that penetrates my mind and I know exactly where they are later when I need them. I have given many people this method, and it nearly always works.

3)Make lists

Whenever you need to remember something you want to get or do, use a sheet of paper or notebook to jot it down. None of us remember everything all the time and lists are so useful. For some things you can also start a list and just keep adding to it. My favorite lists include the one on the back of my door in the kitchen of reminders of vital things for any trip, including purse, mobile and adapter, credit cards, etc.

4)Post-it Notes!

Where would we be without them?! They are so great for quick reminders. Try keeping a post-it pad in the cupboard by the kitchen door, and when you need to remember to get a birthday present or food items for example, write it down when you think of it; then check your post it notes each time before leaving the house.

5)Calendars & Wall Planners

Calendars and day or week planners are great tools for keeping you organized. Discover which method of recording data works best for you and use it regularly.

6)Diary

Using and regularly updating your diary is essential to being organized. Using either electronic or hard copy version, always keep it updated. Record appointments and holidays well in advance.

7)Databases

Databases are also important to being organized. (I personally keep an electronic as well as a hard copy (printed) of all my data.) Divide your data bases into different areas of your life: friends and family, health practitioners, service providers, etc. Make sure your data is correct before recording it to avoid inaccurate or incomplete information. Do take the time to record everything correctly and regularly update it.

8)Duplicating Everything You Need

For traveling organize a big cosmetic case with the same things you keep in your home bathroom.

9)Financial Records

It is essential that you keep track of your financial income and outgoings. To help you with this I have devised a basic Financial Tracking Chart. (The template is available to download from my website)

10)Organizing Chart

To further help you organize yourself and create a proper place for all your belongings, and pertinent information, an Organizing Chart is invaluable. Write down the problem area, followed by what you are going to do to improve in that area. Basically, everything you own needs a home, or else it becomes a weed, (something not the right place). Identify belongings that don't have a home and create a place for them. You may need to have a clear-out to create more space. Make a list of your 'homeless' possessions and then decide where their homes will be from now on. Then create folders for your files and name them.

The good news is, once you have organized yourself you just need to keep following through. Then not only will you feel so much better, those around you will benefit as well.

Genevieve Dawid
http://www.articlesbase.com

Treating Dyslexia

2007-12-29T07:29:00.000-08:00

Dyslexia has become a term that most people are familiar with. They believe it means reversing letters and numbers, which is true, but in my work with children I have found that it encompasses so much more than just reversals. What I have primarily found is that these children are highly intelligent, yet their world cannot seem to hold still for them. Can you imagine your world floating or moving? That is what these kids deal with daily. Can you imagine your world changing daily, hourly, or by the minute? That is what is on these poor kids’ plates. And yet, we ask them to sit still, read, do math, mind and follow directions, and the list goes on.
There are many forms of dyslexia. The dyslexia most people think about involves reading and reversing letters. Recently I was working with a dyslexic student and told her mom that she was having a hard time reading the silent e. I gave her some activities to help her. The next day the mom called me. The student had indeed inherited her dyslexia from Dad. When Mom was telling Dad about the silent e, He replied, “Well, that’s because we don’t see it.” How simple is that? Can you imagine not being able to see a letter right there in front of you, a letter so important that it can change the sound and meaning of a word? Can you imagine how stupid you would feel if you read the word site as sit? How about if you did it in front of your reading group or the entire class? How about if your teacher isn’t kind and makes you feel stupid in front of the whole class when you make a mistake such as this? It happens daily.
Dyslexia may show up in math, writing, handwriting, or spelling. I have worked with kids who could read so well it would amaze you, but give them some math problems, and they fall apart. Also, they may not reverse letters or numbers. They may have an auditory form of dyslexia. Some of these kids can’t focus because they hear the computer whirring away but only hear every third or fourth word the teacher might say.
And we wonder why these kids are failing. We wonder why many of them become behavior problems or retreat into a silent, strange world. I think I might have to get up and move around the classroom if it couldn’t hold still. I can guarantee you that a teacher wouldn’t sit for hours on end if she had this problem. And the sad truth is that these kids are probably smarter than the straight A student whose mom is bragging to you at soccer practice. If you are the parent of a dyslexic child, you may have given up or you may think your child is dumb. That bragging can get pretty old.
Dyslexia can be treated. I don’t know if there is a cure, but I do know this. I have had students who write backwards or in mirror form, who couldn’t read or write, who were failing school and life. After working with these kids, most have been on the Honor Roll or close to it. The most severe dyslexic student I have ever had was misdiagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. Her mother was told by the school to plan on institutionalizing her when she grew up because she had no future ahead of her. She was 9 years old and couldn’t read or write. She couldn’t do first grade math. She is now reading, writing, and doing math. No, she is not yet on grade level, but I have no doubt that within a year she will be close. My first indication that she had a world that wouldn’t hold still was how she held her head. You see, it was tilted to the side constantly. Each week when she comes, that is one of my biggest victories. Her head is no longer tilted, which means her world is starting to settle down. She can now settle down and get on to the business of learning. I am convinced that she is intelligent. I am convinced that she does not have Asperger’s Syndrome. I am convinced that as we work on spatial issues and visual and auditory processing activities as well as brain retraining that this child will lead a normal life. She will be reading and writing like any other kid her age.
The progress each child has will differ. I have had kids show huge growth in a few weeks. Other kids will show nothing and then one week they seem to know everything. Some kids will just plod along at a steady pace. Do not give up on them. Keep the kindness and patience alive for them, because you are all they have to fight this battle. I usually work with a student once a week for a year before the student is able to function in a classroom and have decent grades and test scores. I have had some severe students for two years. The students who make the most progress get daily help. Once a week isn’t enough to lick this thing.
Most parents are relieved when they actually get a diagnosis. However, they must understand that if a student has dyslexia, then he won’t always see a b as a d. It may be a p or a q another day. This just seems to drive parents nuts. They had just gone over the b the day before and now the kid is saying it is a p! Keep in mind that their worlds are not constant. Not much is constant in their brains, and yet you will hear some of the biggest bits of wisdom you have ever heard come out of their mouths. There truly is intelligence in there. If you have a problem you can’t seem to find the answer to, find a dyslexic child or adult and ask his opinion. You will be astounded at his insight. These are the most intuitive kids I have ever met, and most have a sense of humor that is so advanced that they are one step ahead of you.
So, how do you know if your child has dyslexia? Following are some general symptoms of dyslexia that can serve as a guide for the steps you need to take if your child has these symptoms.
· Slow, labored inaccurate reading of single words in isolation
· Slow, choppy oral reading while ignoring punctuation
· Becomes visibly tired after reading for a short time
· Poor reading comprehension
· When reading, frequently reverses, inverts, or transposes letters or words
· Substitutes similar looking words, even if it changes the meaning of the sentence, such as sunrise for surprise
· Omits or changes suffixes, such as need for needed
· Spelling errors of reversals, inversions, or transpositions
· Continually misspells sight words or misreads sight words
· Written work shows signs of spelling uncertainty
· Misspells even when copying something from the board or from a book
· Unusual pencil grip when writing, often with the thumb on top of the fingers – a fist grip
· May hold the pencil lower or higher than normal
· The pencil grip is so tight that the child’s hand cramps
· Writing letters is a slow, labored, non-fluent chore
· Writes letters with unusual starting and ending points
· Has great difficulty getting letters to sit on horizontal lines
· Unusual spatial organization of the page. Words may be widely spaced or tightly pushed together. Margins are often ignored
· Has an unusually difficult time learning and using cursive writing
· Writes extremely short sentences
· Takes an unusually long time to write
· Displays very poor mastery of punctuation as well as grammar, syntax, and suffixes
· Misspells many words
· Has nearly illegible handwriting
· Uses space poorly on the page
· Misses many errors in written work even when proofreading has been attempted
· Left-right confusion, mainly showing up in handwriting and math
· Difficulty in directionality – confuses north and south or the meaning of words such as right – left
· Tying shoelaces is difficult
· Difficult time writing capital cursive letters
· Long division, fractions, and memorizing multiplication tables is difficult
· Touch typing is difficult
· Learning science and history facts is difficult
· Concepts of time and calendars are difficult
· Disorganized personal space
· Loses many personal items such as clothing, watches, papers, books, shoes
If your child has many of these symptoms, he may be dyslexic. A test is a good place to start to find out for sure. Or, you can just assume that this is his life and move on from there.
So, how do we still the waters that churn continually in a dyslexic child’s mind? For starters, brain exercises must come into play. To calm these waters the brain must become balanced. Ear eights, eye eights, cross crawls, magic eights, and mirrors are exercises I use regularly with the dyslexic child. (You can find these exercises at www.learning-aids.com – just look for the free Quick Start Kit) Martial arts is wonderful for these children due to the constant crossing of the midline and visualization of moves and poses.
Next, I work on spatial and visual processing. I have found that most of these kids are having a difficult time processing in their visual field. Eighty percent of what we take in is visual, so I always start here. Usually their eye muscles are weak, so I patch an eye and do the star eye exercises and repeat them on the other eye. I work on strengthening eye muscles. I have them work on spatial skills as well. Listen and draw is a great exercise I use for dyslexic children, as it encompasses all three avenues of learning. It is amazing how these kids perceive the world.

Then, I work on auditory and fine motor skills. I have yet to work with a dyslexic child who didn’t have fine motor skills problems. I am to the point where I can almost diagnose a kid after a few minutes. This thing is real, and it seems to be an epidemic. Getting these kids to write is one of the most difficult things I do. We start slowly with other exercises to get their hands and brains to work together. I always have these kids learn cursive, as it is difficult to have a reversed letter with cursive and it also flows with the brain. Manuscript is choppy and it does not flow. It actually slows these kids down. Cursive is a tough transition for them, but once it is made, then it works so much better and writing skills can then be learned.
Usually, after a few months of this, the waters do indeed calm down. They start doing things that were not possible for them before. They start seeing some successes in school. Reading isn’t quite the chore it once was. Writing becomes easier.
Is this an over night fix? Definitely not. It usually takes about a year for me to get a kid with dyslexia to be functional in a classroom and on grade level. And, that is with the parent’s help. Daily exercises are important. It took me twice as long to get a dyslexic girl up to speed because her parents weren’t willing to do eye exercises at home. But, she is in junior high school now and doing well. It just takes time and patience.

Lisa Harp
http://www.articlesbase.com

Teaching Children With Dyslexia

2007-12-29T07:24:00.000-08:00

A child affected with dyslexia would have problems while copying notes from blackboard. A child would complain of not getting sufficient time to copy down all the notes from the blackboard. Children may become blank and not know which letter to write or even they would not be able to read the joined writing on the board.

If your child is complaining any of these then he probably is suffering from dyslexia and is not lazy or not wanting to study. Dyslexia is a learning problem with reading and writing amongst children. It makes difficult for the children to remember and read also they get jumbled with words.

Suffering children with Dyslexia

Children suffering from dyslexia have to struggle with learning to read and spell. They lack in confidence level. The children suffering from dyslexia would find themselves comparing with other children of their own age. However some people do not understand this condition and find their children rather lazy or unwilling to learn or simply find them stupid. A lot of research has been done over past couple of years and the researchers have come up with certain help. Dyslexic children need a special program to be followed everyday with special care and attention.

If one's child is suffering from dyslexia then the condition could be improved by using an appropriate teaching method. However, if dyslexia is not mild then it would take some time for child to get better. One should remain patient, persistent, understanding also loving. Most of the cases would have reading and spelling problems. It would take some time however, it is better to be slow than not having the ability at all.

Various methods

It is necessary for one to identify dyslexia in a child. A child suffering from dyslexia needs to be given special attention and care. Certain special teaching program could help the children suffering from dyslexia. Multi sensory teaching method has proved to be very helpful by the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development. This method has proved to be effective on children suffering from dyslexia. Specialists could help the children suffering from dyslexia. These specialists could help the children with dyslexia remembering the sounds in new ways.

Children can learn easily by making use of sounds the way mouth can easily move. Flash cards or tapes could also be used as they are more effective than the notes in a classroom. Children may find it difficult to do their homework at home so they can get some tutors who would help them with it. There are special computer programs designed that would help children with learning the sounds in a better and in easy way. Special coaching and guidance can help children overcoming their deficiency. Confidence building would help children with dyslexia.

Children suffering from dyslexia often feel inferior and loose confidence when they see children of the same age performing better than them. Thus various teaching methods could help children to overcome with dyslexia.

Stephen Campbell
http://www.articlesbase.com

Recognising the signs of Dyslexia in Primary Schools

2007-12-25T10:08:00.000-08:00

Which children in your school are dyslexic? Dyslexia comes from the Greek language meaning 'difficulty with words'. Around 10% of people in the UK are thought to have dyslexia to some degree. Dyslexia affects people in different ways. Some are very good readers but may struggle with spelling or writing. Others may have only mild symptoms of dyslexia, or may have severe symptoms but only experience them now and then. You can often spot signs of dyslexia in children at a young age. However, children develop at different rates, so it's important to remember that just because a child may have one or more of these characteristics, it doesn't mean that they necessarily have dyslexia. 10 signs of dyslexia:

1. Difficulty remembering times tables or the alphabet and putting the days of the week in order
2. Enjoys being read to but when attempting to read themselves, guesses at words
3. Confuses left and right
4. Takes a long time to complete any written work
5. Persistent difficulties with reading and spelling
6. Leaves letters out of words or puts them in the wrong order
7. Appears careless and lacks concentration
8. Has unusual difficulties in dressing or tying shoe-laces
9. Writes letters and / or numbers the wrong way round
10. Needs to use fingers or written marks to do simple calculations when other children are easily able to do them in their heads

Although there is no cure for dyslexia, recognition of the problem and appropriate teaching methods are vital. Let’s give children the help they need.

Keytools have a wide range of learning and disability resources for children. Visit us at www.keytools.com for specialist software, keyboards and mice.

Written by Leigh Cooke
http://www.freepressreleases.co.uk

Study shows stronger links between entrepreneurs and dyslexia

2007-12-25T10:04:00.000-08:00

It has long been known that dyslexics are drawn to running their own businesses, where they can get around their weaknesses in reading and writing and play to their strengths. But a new study of entrepreneurs in the United States suggests that dyslexia is much more common among small-business owners than even the experts had thought.

The report, compiled by Julie Logan, a professor of entrepreneurship at the Cass Business School in London, found that more than a third of the entrepreneurs she surveyed - 35 percent - identified themselves as dyslexic. The study also concluded that dyslexics were more likely than nondyslexics to delegate authority and to excel in oral communication and problem solving and were twice as likely to own two or more businesses.

"We found that dyslexics who succeed had overcome an awful lot in their lives by developing compensatory skills," Logan said during an interview. "If you tell your friends and acquaintances that you plan to start a business, you'll hear over and over, 'It won't work. It can't be done.' But dyslexics are extraordinarily creative about maneuvering their way around problems."

The study was based on a survey of 139 business owners in a wide range of fields across the United States. Logan called the number who said they were dyslexic "staggering" and said it was significantly higher than the 20 percent of British entrepreneurs who said they were dyslexic in a poll she conducted in 2001.

She attributed the greater share in the United States to earlier and more effective intervention by American schools to help dyslexic students deal with their learning problems. Approximately 10 percent of Americans are believed to have dyslexia, experts say.

One reason that dyslexics are drawn to entrepreneurship, Logan said, is that strategies they have used since childhood to offset their weaknesses in written communication and organizational ability - identifying trustworthy people and handing over major responsibilities to them - can be applied to businesses.

"The willingness to delegate authority gives them a significant advantage over non-dyslexic entrepreneurs, who tend to view their business as their baby and like to be in total control," Logan said.

William Dennis Jr., senior research fellow at the Research Foundation of the National Federation of Independent Business, a 400,000-member trade group in Washington, said the study's results "fit into the pattern of what we know about small-business owners."

"Entrepreneurs are hands-on people who push a minimum of paper, do lots of stuff orally instead of reading and writing, and delegate authority, all of which suggests a high verbal facility," Dennis said. "Compare that with corporate managers who read, read, read."

According to Logan, only 1 percent of corporate managers in the United States have dyslexia.

Much has been written about the link between dyslexia and entrepreneurial success. Fortune Magazine, for example, ran a cover story five years ago about dyslexic business leaders, including Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic Airways; Charles Schwab, founder of the discount brokerage that bears his name; John Chambers, chief executive of Cisco; Craig McCaw, the cellular phone pioneer; and Paul Orfalea, founder of the Kinko's copy chain.

Similarly, Rosalie Fink, a professor at Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, wrote a paper in 1998 on 60 highly accomplished people with dyslexia, from a Nobel laureate to a Harvard oncologist.

But Logan said hers was the first study that she knew of that attempted to measure the percentage of entrepreneurs who had dyslexia. Carl Schramm, president of the Kauffman Foundation, which financed the research, agreed. He said the findings were surprising but, he noted that there was no previous baseline to measure it against.

Emerson Dickman, president of the International Dyslexia Association in Baltimore and a lawyer in Maywood, New Jersey, said the findings made sense. "Individuals who have difficulty reading and writing tend to deploy other strengths," said Dickman, who has dyslexia. "They rely on mentors, and as a result, become very good at reading other people and delegating duties to them. They become adept at using visual strengths to solve problems."

Orfalea, 60, who left Kinko's - now FedEx Kinko's - seven years ago, and who dabbles in a hodgepodge of business undertakings, is almost boastful about having both dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

"I get bored easily, and that is a great motivator," he said. "I think everybody should have dyslexia and ADD."

He attributes his success to his difficulty with reading and writing because it forced him to master verbal communication.

"I didn't have a lot of self confidence as a kid," he said. "And that is for the good. If you have a healthy dose of rejection in your life, you are going to have to figure out how to do it your way."

Danny Kessler, 26, also has dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He founded Angels with Attitude, which holds self-defense seminars for women. He is a co-founder of Club E Network (www.clubenetwork.com), which sponsors "networking events," runs an online chat room for entrepreneurs and produces television shows about them.

He said he also had low self-esteem as a child, and now views that as a catapult into the entrepreneurial world. "I told myself I would never be a lawyer or a doctor," he said. "But I wanted to make a lot of money. And I knew business was the only way I was going to do it."

By Brent Bowers
Published: December 5, 2007
http://www.iht.com/

Septuagenarian triumphs over dyslexia thanks to tutor

2007-12-25T10:02:00.000-08:00

Recently, I read a book for the first time. This may not seem like much. However, for an individual in his 70s, this meant the world to me. I spent decades living in shame and fear of being “found out.” I refused countless promotions just so my co-workers would not learn I could not read.

I wanted to send my wife a birthday card. I picked out the most beautiful card I could find. My wife told me I actually had selected a sympathy card for her.

About a year ago, I went to a free reading program offered by Literacy Services of Indian River County Inc. It is a nonprofit organization that helps adults, like me, learn how to read through volunteer tutors. I am reading my fourth book, and my wife and I now fight over who gets to read the newspaper first in the morning.

My issue with reading stems from dyslexia. Research demonstrates that dyslexia is a neurological condition and can be genetic. It is not mortally fatal but can be spiritually fatal to an individual living with it. Historically, students with dyslexia have been ignored, labeled “dumb” and generally put in the back of the room and left alone.

This was my fate. The reality is that those with dyslexia are generally bright and eager to learn.

For example, Albert Einstein was dyslexic. I hope this letter debunks some of the dyslexia myths that are out there. It is important for individuals with dyslexia to know they are not dumb and that they can learn how to read notwithstanding the learning disability.

Please seek help!

I encourage everyone in our community and elsewhere to become a volunteer tutor, help financially, or just increase literacy awareness. I know I will do my part.

Edward Hall

http://www.tcpalm.com/

Dyslexia can’t stop dream of teaching

2007-12-16T10:14:00.000-08:00

Viterbo student Jessica Winker will walk across the stage of the Fine Arts Center Main Theater at Viterbo University on Saturday because she didn’t let a disability stand in her way.

“She does not make excuses for herself,” Donna Benden, academic adviser in education at Viterbo. “She is the perfect model of a student that has direction and does whatever she has to do in order to achieve the goal.”

In kindergarten, Winker was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Retested at 22, she was told the earlier diagnosis was wrong and she instead had dysphonetic dyslexia, a form that makes it difficult to link sounds to words. Her math, reading and writing skills also were at an eighth-grade level.

The news was a relief, Winker said, because she finally understood why her brain mixed up words and it took so long to read and do homework.

The psychologist was amazed Winker had made it so far in school. She had learned how to memorize and use other strategies to adapt to the dyslexia. In fact, she adapted so well she had graduated from high school with a 3.5 grade point average.

The dyslexia obviously

didn’t slow her down in college, either.

The 25-year-old will graduate from Viterbo University with a bachelor of science degree in elementary education, a liberal studies degree and an early childhood minor.

Since starting at Viterbo in 2003, Winker had commuted from Mauston, Wis., five days a week for classes, except the year in which she had her baby, Thomas.

Winker initially couldn’t get into Viterbo’s education program because she was unable to pass the state entrance exam, so she had to change her major. She decided later to take the test a fourth time and, with the help of a writing tutor, passed it in December 2005.

Once in the program, Winker had more “hoops to jump through,” such as signing a contract that she would meet with a writing specialist two to three days a week.

She also had to pass the second phase of the state exam, which she managed to do on her third try in August.

Winker will finish student teaching and turn in an example of a class unit she taught to complete her elementary education degree. She can begin substitute teaching as soon as Jan. 24.

Benden thinks Winker will make a wonderful teacher and good role model for students.

“She will instill in them that confidence, work ethic and goal orientation she has,” said Benden.

Winker already has made a difference for children: During her 100 hours of classroom observation in the education program, Winker recognized dyslexia in a young girl. The girl would write letters backwards and read certain words wrong, just as Winker had, she said.

Winker is happy to know the girl will be able to improve her reading and writing. She now looks forward to making a difference for others.

“I am excited to be a teacher and inspire children’s minds,” she said. “I could teach for free if I didn’t have to pay the bills. Kids make it worthwhile, worth life and worth everything I’ve gone through.”

KJ Lang can be reached at (608) 791-8226 or klang@lacrossetribune.com.

Dyslexia group wants to hear from families

2007-12-16T10:06:00.000-08:00

ASSEMBLY Members studying methods of treating dyslexia want to hear from children and parents.

A group of AMs set up to look at approaches to the treatment of dyslexia in Wales is asking children with the condition and their parents for their views.

The cross-party Dyslexia Rapporteur Group including Conservative Education spokesman Alun Cairns, Plaid Cymru education spokeswoman Janet Ryder and Liberal democrat education spokeswoman Kirsty Williams was set up by the Assembly’s Enterprise and Learning Committee.

The group has been on a series of fact-finding visits and has taken evidence from leading academics, organisations and institutions.

The AMs have studied established ways of dealing with dyslexia and also looked at more innovative approaches such as the Dore method – the subject of a TV documentary featuring rugby star Scott Quinnell – and the Raviv method, and IT packages including Fast ForWord.

They have also heard evidence from organisations including the British Dyslexia Association Cymru and Dyslexia Action Cymru and looked at other innovations such as the accreditation of dyslexia-friendly schools and the prescribing of tinted glasses and coloured lenses. They now want to talk to parents and children with experience of dealing with the difficulties of living with dyslexia. In particular they want to know:

Their experiences of different interventions

The support provided in schools

The services of educational psychologists

Welsh-medium provision for children with dyslexia.

Mr Cairns AM, said, “Being on the Dyslexia Rapporteur Group has been a fascinating experience and we have learned a great deal about the different innovative methods of tackling the condition.

“However, it is important that as well as hearing from practitioners and institutions, we hear from the real experts – children and their parents – about their experiences. I am urging anyone who has a dyslexic child in their family to contact the group. This will help us in developing our final recommendations about approaches to dyslexia treatment.’’

Anyone wanting to send their views to the group should write to Kathryn Jenkins, Committee Services, National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff Bay CF99 1NA or via email: Kathryn.jenkins2@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Is dyslexia an asset for entrepreneurs?

2007-12-16T09:59:00.000-08:00

BusinessWeek takes a look at an interesting trend: dyslexic executives building great companies.

Dyslexia is generally viewed as a disability, but it hasn't stopped some of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time: Cisco Systems founder John T. Chambers, Richard Branson, Henry Ford, William Hewlett, Charles Schwab, and Ted Turner.

In nearly every field of endeavor, there are a plethora of hugely successful dyslexics: Agatha Christie, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, George Patton, John Lennon, Nolan Ryan, Andy Warhol, Leonardo da Vinci, Tommy Hilfiger, Jay Leno, Tom Cruise ... the list goes on and on.

Many dyslexic individuals develop unique coping skills to deal with their disability, leading it to actually become a strength: they develop strong work ethics, good people skills, and think creatively.

To learn about the mind of one of America's most innovative entrepreneurs, check out Kinko's founder Paul Orfalea's Copy This!: Lessons from a Hyperactive Dyslexic Who Turned a Bright Idea into One of America's Best Companies. It's one of the better business books to come out in the past few years.

http://www.bloggingstocks.com

Dyscalculia : Math Disability

2007-12-16T09:56:00.000-08:00

Math Disability Characteristics of Dyscalculia

1. Unable to understand relationship concepts of: time, space, and measurement.
2. Unable to memorize simple number facts and multiplication tables.
3. Lacks understanding of place value for carrying and borrowing.
4. Forgets the procedures for addition, subtraction, multiplication, division.
5. Arrives at the correct answer, but only after an inordinate amount of time.
6. Counts on fingers for simple number facts well after the appropriate age.
7. Works very slowly on work pages. Close observation will reveal that he has worked out the answer to a supposedly memorized fact in this fashion: 4X8= 2×8=16 2×8+16 32
8. Makes many simple computing mistakes.
9. Learns to compute without understanding the concept and therefore does not use the appropriate algorithm for word problems.
10. May reverse the digits in writing: 31 for 13
11. Carries the unit digit instead of the tens digit because does not understand place value.
12. Ignores math symbols or misreads them.
13. Unable to tell the time by age nine.
14. When distracted in the middle of a math problem, has to start over from the beginning.
15. Looks for any excuse to escape math class. Feigns boredom or fatigue when asked to work on math.
16. Lacks the needed computational skill in shopping, making change, and figuring his expenses.
17. Does not understand the relative cost of items.
18. May become more hyperactive during math period.
19. Covers the bottoms, margins and backs of arithmetic papers with marks for counting up to answers because lacks the ability to compute.
20. Unable to estimate time, space, costs.
21. Does not discover or invent strategies for calculating.

What are the treatments for Math disability
Dyscalculia Treatment for dyscalculia focuses on many specific instructional methods and at present can follow any structured mathematics program. Dyscalculic persons must have far more opportunities to practice in concrete ways the association of numbers with actual situations. For example, Teachers should not assume that children have understood place value simply because the have learned, to carry the digit on the on the left side of a two digit number and add it to that column. In multiplication they may have learned to move the second row of products one place over, but not understand that they are actually now multiplying the ten’s column.

Principles of Instruction for Dyscalculia

* Start at the student’s success level.
* Ensure understanding of terms used. (bigger, smaller, more, less, before, after, etc)
* User concrete objects to introduce all new concepts (blocks, beads, playing cards, cuisinaire rods, stearns blocks, lego, etc.)
* Continue to have concrete objects available as long as the student needs them.
* Follow a structured program.
* Give homework only for reinforcement when you are sure his answers will be correct.
* Move to semi-symbolic level (pictured objects, rulers, dominoes, etc.)
* Give massive practice before moving on.
* Review the work done during the last lesson before introducing the new material. This will reassure the student that he is ready to go on as well as provide some reinforcement.

Published Programs
Key Math Teach and Practice Program Published by American Guidance Service. AGS

What are the treatments of learning disability/ dyslexia?
Treatment programs for dyslexia, a specific learning disability, should be linguistically based, highly structured, provide for massive practice for each new element to be learned, and stress phonemic awareness and syllabic decoding. Several such programs are available in the USA. Among the better known programs are: Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, Let’s Read, Scottish Rite. Students may continue to be somewhat slower readers and may be eligible for extra time when taking exams such as the College Boards if it is proved- by diagnostic testing- that reading accuracy and comprehension are within the normal range and only reading speed is affected. How can tutors help a child with learning disabilities? A qualified and experienced tutor for children with dyslexia should provide specific instruction several times a week and use a recognized, scientifically based and approved program. Two to three years are usually required to bring the student up to his or her age level in reading and spelling. What are the skills and qualifications for a teacher of children with learning disabilities? The teacher must first meet all State teacher requirements and then possess a master’s degree in Special Education or have taken all courses required for certification as Teacher of Children with Special Learning Needs by their particular State. Most tutors are also trained in one or more of the recognized programs for the remediation of dyslexia.

Pamela Kvilekval
http://blog.tutorz.com

Learning Disability

2007-12-16T09:55:00.000-08:00

What is a learning disability?
Learning Disability is not a specific term; it is a category containing many specificdisabilities, all of which cause learning to be difficult. The following definition of “learning disability” is used for legislative, financial, and educational purposes only. It is NOT a definition of dyslexia, which is one specific learning disability. The term ‘learning disability’ means a disorder in one or more of the basic processes involved in understanding spoken or written language. It may show up as a problem in listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, or spelling or in a person’s ability to do math, despite at least average intelligence. The term does not include children who have learning problems which are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or physical handicaps, or mental retardation, or emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.

Simple Definition of Dyslexia
Dyslexia is an inherited condition that makes it extremely difficult to read, write, and spell in your native language—despite at least average intelligence.

Revised definition from the International Dyslexia Association
Dyslexia is a neurologically-based, often familial, disorder which interferes with the acquisition and processing of language. Varying in degrees of severity, it is manifested by difficulties in receptive and expressive language, including phonological processing, in reading, writing, spelling, handwriting. Dyslexia is not the result of lack of motivation, sensory impairment, inadequate instructional or environmental opportunities, or other limiting conditions, but may occur together with these conditions. Although dyslexia is lifelong, individuals with dyslexia frequently respond successfully to timely and appropriate intervention.

Research definition used by the National Institutes of Health
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

Cause of Dyslexia
Dyslexia is an inherited condition. Dyslexia results from a neurological difference; that is, a brain difference. Dyslexia runs in families. f/MRI studies have shown that people with dyslexia do not activate sufficiently the same part of the brain when reading as other people. Studies by NIH (National Institute of Health) and other prominent researchers have demonstrated that dyslexic persons are deficient in phonemic awareness.

Phonemic Awareness
Quotes from prominent NIH researchers: “The lack of phonemic awareness is the most powerful determinant of the likelihood of failure to learn to read.” “Phonemic awareness is more highly related to learning to read . . . than tests of general intelligence, reading readiness, and listening comprehension.” “Phonemic awareness is the most important core and causal factor separating normal and disabled readers.” NIH research has repeatedly demonstrated that lack of phonemic awareness is the root cause of reading failure. Phonemes are the smallest unit of SPOKEN language, not written language. Children who lack phonemic awareness are unable to distinguish or manipulate SOUNDS within SPOKEN words or syllables. They would be unable to do the following tasks:

* Phoneme Segmentation: what sounds do you hear in the word hot? What’s the last sound in the word map?
* Phoneme Deletion: what word would be left if the /k/ sound were taken away from cat?
* Phoneme Matching: do pen and pipe start with the same sound?
* Phoneme Counting: how many sounds do you hear in the word cake?
* Phoneme Substitution: what word would you have if you changed the /h/ in hot to /p/?
* Blending: what word would you have if you put these sounds together? /s/ /a/ /t/
* Rhyming: tell me as many words as you can that rhyme with the word eat. If a child lacks phonemic awareness, they will have difficulty learning the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent in words, as well as applying those letter/sound correspondences to help them “sound out” unknown words.

So children who perform poorly on phonemic awareness tasks via oral language in kindergarten are very likely to experience difficulties acquiring the early word reading skills that provide the foundation for growth of reading ability throughout elementary school. Phonemic awareness skills can and must be directly and explicitly taught to children who lack this awareness. Phonological Processing and Phonics Phonemic awareness must exist or be explicitly and directly taught BEFORE phonics (or phonological) instruction begins. Otherwise, the phonics instruction will not make sense to the dyslexic child. Phonological processing starts by knowing which speech sounds are represented by which written letters. The goal of teaching phonics is to make phonological processing fluent and automatic. Phonics teaches how the written letters blend together to produce words, how the sounds of the letters change depending on the letters that surround them, the rules regarding adding suffixes and prefixes, and so on. In other words, phonics teaches students the internal linguistic structure of words.

How can parents recognize it?
A reading disability A kindergarten child may have difficulty remembering rhymes and recognizing words that rhyme, naming shapes such as square, triangle and circle, and learning the names and sounds of letters. Most young children confuse the letters b an d but it is symptomatic of dyslexia if they continue to read and write them incorrectly at age eight. An older child or adult may demonstrate many of the following symptoms.

http://blog.tutorz.com

2007-08-10T08:42:00.001-07:00

Symptoms of Dyslexia

Children with dyslexia are not all alike. The only trait they share is that they read at levels significantly lower than is typical for children of their age and intelligence. This reading lag is described in terms of grade level. Dyslexics commonly have one or more of the following problems:

* Difficulty learning and remembering printed words

* Letter reversal (b for d, p for q), number reversals (6 for 9), and changed order of letters in words (tar for rat, quite for quiet) or numbers (12 for 21)

* Leaving out or inserting words while reading

* Confusing vowel sounds or substituting one consonant for another

* Persistent spelling errors

* Difficulty writing

Other characteristics sometimes include:

* Delayed or inadequate speech

* Trouble picking the right word to fit the meaning desired when speaking

* Problems with direction (up and down) and time (before and after, yesterday and tomorrow)

* Clumsiness

Diagnosis of Dyslexia

A physician will obtain a medical history and perform a physical exam in order to rule out other causes of reading difficulty, including vision problems. Testing by a psychologist is often recommended.

Treatment of Dyslexia

Educators and psychologists generally agree that the remedial focus should be on the specific learning problems of dyslexics. Therefore, the usual treatment approach is to modify teaching methods and the educational environment.

Children suspected of being dyslexic should be tested by a psychologist. By using a variety of tests, it is possible to identify the types of mistakes that are most commonly made. The examiner then can make specific recommendations for treatment such as tutoring, summer school, speech therapy, or placement in special classes.

Treatment programs for dyslexic children fall into three general categories: developmental, corrective, and remedial. Some programs combine elements from more than one category.

The developmental approach involves the use of methods that have previously been used in the belief that these methods are sound and that the child needs extra time and attention.

The corrective approach uses small groups in tutorial sessions, but it emphasizes a child's assets and interests. Those who use this method hope to encourage children to rely on their own special abilities to overcome their difficulties.

Proponents of the remedial approach try to resolve the specific educational and psychological problems that interfere with learning.

2007-07-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

Reason and Risk Factors of Dyslexia

Developmental dyslexia is a precise learning disability characterized by complicatedness in become skilled at to read. Some dyslexics also have complicatedness learning to mark, to spell and, now and then, to talk, or to work with numbers.

We do not be familiar with what causes dyslexia, but we do identify that it affects children who are physically and sensitively healthy, academically competent, and who come from good home environments. Actually, many dyslexics have the advantages of good schools, high mental ability, and parents who are well-educated and value learning.

School children are subject to a broad range of reading troubles and researchers have discovered the cause of a lot of of these problems. Nowadays, most teachers accept these research consequences and use them in planning their instruction, but there remains a small group of children who have complicatedness in learning to read for no apparent reason. These children are called dyslexic. Although approximation of the commonness of dyslexia are tough to find, it is estimated that as many as 15 percent of American students may be classified as dyslexic.

Children with dyslexia are not all alike. The only trait they divide up is that they read at levels significantly minor than is typical for children of their age and intelligence. This reading lag is described in terms of grade level. Dyslexics usually have one or more of the subsequent problems:

* Difficulty education and remembering printed words

* Letter reversal (b for d, p for q), number reversals (6 for 9), and changed order of letters in words (tar for rat, quite for quiet) or numbers (12 for 21)

* Leaving out or inserting words while reading

* Baffling vowel sounds or replacement one consonant for another

* Constant spelling errors

* Difficulty writing

* Delayed or inadequate speech

* Trouble picking the right word to fit the meaning desired when speaking

* Problems with direction (up and down) and time (before and after, yesterday and tomorrow)

* Clumsiness

2007-07-07T10:32:00.000-07:00

Definition of Dyslexia
Dyslexia is an impairment of the ability to read, as a result of a variety of pathologic conditions, some of which are associated with the central nervous system.

Dyslexic persons often reverse letters and words, cannot adequately distinguish the letter sequences in written words, and have difficulty in understanding left from right.

Some reading experts doubt that dyslexia is a pathologic disorder and believe the condition represents a combination of reading problems, each of which should be isolated by specific tests. The problems cited by these authorities are poor vision, impaired hearing, emotional immaturity, lack of physical development, psychic stress, and inadequate reading instruction.

Over the years, the term dyslexia has been given a variety of definitions, and for this reason, some teachers have resisted using the term at all. Instead, they have used such terms as "reading disability" or "learning disability" to describe conditions more correctly designated as dyslexia.

Although there is no universally recognized definition of dyslexia, the one presented by the World Federation of Neurology has won broad respect: "A disorder manifested by difficulty in learning to read despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and sociocultural opportunity."

2007-07-03T23:24:00.000-07:00

Linda Gross

About Linda Gross

* Linda Gross, Ed.M.Linda has a Master's Degree in Reading Psychology and is a state certified reading specialist with over 25 years experience in education. Having completed extensive post-graduate work in Reading Psychology at Temple University, she continues to take courses to enhance her ability to serve people.

* She specializes in multisensory instruction and is a proponent of Orton-Gillingham principles. Certified as an instructor in the Wilson Reading System, which is based on these principles, Linda frequently utilizes this program as a core curriculum for her students. She is also certified in Fast forWord™, a language-based, computer-assisted program. In addition to having a private practice, she is an adjunct professor at Community College of Philadelphia where she teaches reading and writing.

* Linda is also trained as a specialist in One Brain, a program developed for dyslexics which removes learning blocks and enhances attention and concentration.

* She works with a highly educated and trained staff of associates, among them certified reading specialists with master's degrees, multi-sensory structure language educators (MSLE) and those skilled in using specific reading and language programs.

Linda Gross, Ed.M.
302 N. Washington Ave.
Suite 101, West Building
Moorestown, NJ 08057

Phone: 856-778-2262
Fax: 215-860-2377
info@lindagrossedm.com

http://www.lindagrossedm.com/about.html

2007-07-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

Dyslexia Help In Singapore

Singaporeans who believe they have a child who could possibly have Dyslexia now have a chance to look for a help from Dyslexia Association of Singapore. Below are some highlights from their official homepage.

The DAS is able to charge fees that are below commercial rates because of kind donations and grants.

Singaporean Students in MOE Primary and Secondary Schools	Others
Assessment	S$420 ($400 + 5% GST)	S$630 ($600 + 5% GST)
Teaching: (Term Fee) Admin Fee: Total Fee:	S$945.00 per term S$7.50 per term S$952.50 per term	S$945.00 per term S$7.50 per term S$952.50 per term
MOE Grant:	(S$446.00)	-
DAS General Fund:	($26.50)	-
Total:	S$480.00 per term	S$952.50 per term
GST:	S$24.00	S$47.63
Total (With GST):	S$504.00	S$1001,13

If you pay through Bank GIRO, your monthly payment is S$168.00 for Singaporean students and S$334.35 per month for non-Singaporean students.

Bursaries

Bursaries are available for families needing financial assistance - we will never turn a Singaporean away because they cannot afford our fees. For information on how to apply for a bursary call Pauline Chin at 64445700.

Unfortuantely due to financial constraints we are not able to offer bursaries or reduced rates to those who are not Singaporeans.

How/where to pay the fees ?

You can pay our teaching fees at the Dyslexia Centre or any of our Learning Centres using the NETS payment system. Alternatively you can send us a cheque.

Please make your cheque payable to the Dyslexia Association of Singapore and send it to:

Dyslexia Centre
2 Bukit Merah Central
#05-00, Spring Singapore
Singapore 159835

Tel: 64445700
Fax: 64447900

When you apply for an assessment with the Dyslexia Association of Singapore you will be asked to send a $52.50 ($50 + 5% GST) deposit. You can pay the rest of the fee at the Dyslexia Centre when you come for the assessment.

http://www.das.org.sg

2007-07-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

Is my children dyslexic?

All dyslexic children have some difficulty in reading and writing but many dyslexics have other difficulties such as poor organisation or short-term memory problems.

If the way in which your child works and behaves suggests that your child has some of the difficulties often linked with dyslexia it is advisable to seek a psychological assessment.

The psychological assessment measures the child's profile of abilities to give a more objective way of judging whether a child is dyslexic. More importantly an assessment helps recommend the best way of helping your child.
Difficulties in Literacy as an indicator of dyslexia

A key indicator of dyslexia is a child's failure to learn to read, spell and write at the level expected by their intelligence and by the opportunity they have had to learn. Parents and teachers often wonder why the child seems so capable and intelligent in many areas but has difficulty with reading and writing.

The extent and type of difficulties each dyslexic faces varies. Dyslexia can range from being a mild problem to a severe difficulty.

All dyslexics have some difficulty with literacy but dyslexia can show itself quite differently in different people.

Short-term and/or Working Memory
Many dyslexics are 'quick forgetters'. They may learn and understand how to do something but they will need frequent reminders before they remember. It is not uncommon to have to keep repeating something over and over to a dyslexic to try and ensure they remember it. However there are ways to increase the liklihood that dyslexics will remember what they are taught see Advice on helping dyslexics to remember information .

Sequencing
A lot of dyslexics have difficulty sorting or ordering information. This means that the dyslexic may have difficulty in Mathematics, remembering a list of instructions or giving a good verbal explanation.

Letter Reversals (writing 'b' for 'd' etc) - quite normal up to Primary 2
Some dyslexic children do reverse letters as they write. However there are many dyslexic children who have never written letters in reverse. In fact it is perfectly normal for non-dyslexic children in Kindergarten or Primary 1 to reverse letters as they write. Most children grow out of letter reversals by Primary 2. Letter reversals are only something to be concerned about if a child continues to show letter reversals after Primary 2.

Most children have problems in school at one time or another. Ask yourself and the teacher if your child has shown these characteristics to a greater degree than normal over a period of time and in different environments, e.g., school, home, child care.
Ages 6-11

* Has difficulty pronouncing words, may reverse or substitute parts of words
* Has difficulty carrying out a sequence of directions
* Does he have trouble with sounds in words, e.g. poor sense of rhyme?
* Doesn't hear fine differences in words; e.g., writes "pin" for "pen"
* Has problems stating thoughts in an organised way
* Confuses the order of letters in words
* Doesn't recognise words previously learned
* Does he read a word then fail to recognise it further down the page?
* Spells a word several different ways; doesn't recognise the correct version
* Has poor reading comprehension
* Does he answer questions orally but have difficulty writing the answer?

Ages 12-adult

* Has difficulty remembering what he just read
* Has difficulty concentrating when reading or writing
* Is unable to tell important information from unimportant details
* Spells poorly; misspelling is not phonetic
* Has problems taking notes accurately
* Has difficulty organising and completing written projects

All ages

* Is he bright in some ways with a 'block' in others?
* Is there anyone else in the family with similar difficulties?
* Does he have difficulty carrying out three instructions in sequence?
* Was he late in learning to talk, or in speaking clearly?

http://www.das.org.sg

2007-07-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

More About Dyslexia

What are the Effects of Dyslexia?
Dyslexia can have different effects on different people, depending on the severity of the learning disability and the success of efforts to develop alternate learning methods. Traditionally dyslexia causes problems with reading, writing and spelling and those problems manifest themselves differently in each person. In fact, some children with dyslexia show few signs of difficulty with early reading and writing, but have more trouble with later complex language skills, such as grammar, reading comprehension, and more in-depth writing.

Dyslexia can also make it difficult for people to express themselves clearly. It can be challenging for them to use vocabulary and to structure their thoughts during conversation. Others struggle to understand when people speak to them, not because they don’t hear, but because of their difficulty processing verbal information. This is particularly true with abstract thoughts and non-literal language, such as idiomatic expressions, jokes and proverbs.

Perhaps most importantly, all of these effects can have a disastrous impact on a person’s self-image. Without help, children often get frustrated with learning. The stress of dealing with schoolwork often makes children with dyslexia lose the motivation to continue on and overcome the hurdles they face.

Is Dyslexia Common?
According to the National Institute of Health, up to 15% of the US population has significant difficulty learning to read. Dyslexia occurs among people of all economic and ethnic backgrounds. People are born with dyslexia. Often other members of the family also have dyslexia.

What are the Warning Signs?
The following are common signs of dyslexia in people of all ages, but that does not mean that a person displaying these signs necessarily has a learning disability. If a person continues to display difficulty over time in the areas outlined below, testing for dyslexia should be considered.

*
Understanding that words are made up of sounds (known as phonological awareness)
*
Assigning correct sounds to letters-alone and when combined to form words
*
Pronouncing words properly-blending sounds into speech
*
Spelling words
*
Learning the alphabet, numbers, days of the week-basic sequential information
*
Reading with age-appropriate speed and accuracy
*
Reading comprehension
* Learning numbers facts
*
Answering open-ended questions, such as math or word problems
*
Organizing thoughts, time or a sequence of tasks
*
Learning a foreign language

How is Dyslexia Identified?
Identifying dyslexia must be done through a formal evaluation by trained professionals. The evaluation investigates a person’s ability to understand and use spoken and written language and looks at specific areas of strength and weakness in the skills that are needed for reading. Family history, intellectual ability, educational background, social environment and other factors that can affect learning are also taken into account.
Treating Dyslexia
Recognizing dyslexia early in life is a key factor in how much the learning disability will affect a person’s development. Unfortunately, adults with unidentified dyslexia often work in jobs below their intellectual capacity. But with help from a tutor, teacher or other trained professionals, almost all people with dyslexia can become good readers and writers. Incorporating the following strategies into the learning process can help overcome the difficulties of dyslexia:

*
Early exposure to oral reading, writing, drawing and practice to encourage development of print knowledge, basic letter formation and recognition skills and linguistic awareness (the relationship between sound and meaning)
*
Practice reading different kinds of texts (i.e., books, magazines, advertisements, comics)
*
Multi-sensory, structured language instruction and practice using sight, sound and touch when introducing new ideas
*
Modifying classroom procedures to allow for extra time to complete assignments, help with note-taking, oral testing and other means of assessment
*
Using books-on-tape and assistive technology such as screen readers and voice recognition computer software
*
Help with the emotional issues that arise from struggling to overcome academic difficulties.

Reading and writing are fundamental skills for daily living, however it is important to emphasize other aspects of learning and expression. Like all people, those with dyslexia enjoy activities that tap into their strengths and interests. As multi-dimensional thinkers, visual fields such as design, art, architecture, engineering and surgery, which do not emphasize language skills, may appeal to them.

http://www.ncld.org

2007-07-01T04:25:00.000-07:00

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a term that has been loosely applied to reading disabilities. Specific definitions for dyslexia vary with disciplines. Those in medicine define dyslexia as a condition resulting from neurological, maturational, and genetic causes, while those in psychology relate dyslexia on the basis of the specific reading problems evidenced and give no reference to causation. All disciplines would probably agree that dyslexia is evidenced by persons of otherwise normal intellectual capacity who have not learned to read despite exposure to adequate instruction.

How Is Dyslexia Diagnosed?

The diagnosis of dyslexia usually begins with an awareness by parents or teachers that a problem in reading exists. A physician is often the first diagnostician to explore the nature of the difficulty. The medical practitioner should investigate the cause of the reading problem by conducting a complete physical examination and obtaining a comprehensive health history. If indicated, the child should be referred for a neurological examination. If dyslexia is suspected, the physician should refer the child for further evaluation and treatment by a specialist in psychoeducational diagnosis.

The major purpose of the diagnostic process is to isolate the specific difficulties associated with dyslexia and to suggest appropriate educational intervention. Usually the diagnostician will employ a battery of assessment instruments that explore the relationship of specific reading problems to the intellectual, achievement, perceptual, motoric, linguistic, and adaptive capabilities of the individual. Based on the results, an intervention plan can be implemented by a special educator or remedial reading teacher trained in specialized reading techniques. No one remedial reading method works for all reading disabled students. Therefore it is important that the teacher have mastery of many different techniques.

What Are Some Of The Characteristics Of Dyslexia?

An individual is identified as dyslexic when a significant discrepancy exists between intellectual ability and reading performance without an apparent physical, emotional, or cultural cause. Common findings in the history include, but are not limited to: (1) family history of reading problems; (2) a predominant occurrence in males (males to females 8:1); (3) an average or above average IQ and, not uncommonly, a proficiency in math: (4) no enjoyment of reading as a leisure activity; (5) problems of letter and word reversal; (6) developmental history of problems in coordination and left/right dominance; (7) poor visual memory for language symbols; (8) auditory language difficulties in word finding, fluency, meaning, or sequence; (9) difficulty transferring information from what is heard to what is seen and vice versa.

Specific reading problems associated with dyslexia include difficulty in pronouncing new words, difficulty distinguishing similarities and differences in words (no for on), and difficulty discriminating differences in letter sound (pin, pen). Other problems may include reversal of words and letters, disorganization of word order, poor reading comprehension, and difficulty applying what has been read to social or learning situations.

What Factors Contribute To Dyslexia?
Ocular Problems

Several reliable studies (Helveston 1969; Blika 1982; Keys 1982; Hiatt 1984) have found that dyslexic individuals have no greater incidence of eye problems than do individuals with normal reading ability. Such parameters as visual acuity, stereo acuity, ocular alignment and motility, fusion status (break point amplitude), and refractive error have not been shown to be significantly different in poor versus normal readers. Individuals with reading problems should, however, have a careful eye examination as part of an overall medical examination. There is no scientific evidence that visual training (including eye muscle exercises, ocular tracking or pursuit exercises, or glasses with bifocals or prisms) leads to significant improvement in the performance of dyslexic individuals.
Language Problems

According to Mattis (1978), the primary contributing factor to dyslexia is an auditory language deficit. Approximately 86% of the individuals identified as dyslexic evidence an auditory language disorder that prevents the individual from linking the spoken form of a word with its written equivalent. In light of this, any individual with reading problems should have a careful evaluation of his or her language capabilities and where indicated, appropriate speech and language intervention should be provided.
Visuo-Spatial-Motor Problems

In contrast to language problems, visuo-spatial-motor factors of dyslexia appear less frequently (Robinson and Schwartz 1973). Approximately 5% of the individuals identified as dyslexic have a visuo-spatial-motor problem that interferes with sequential organization, scanning, and the perception of temporal and spatial cues. Although visuo-spatial-motor confusion is common in young children who are just learning to read, these problems do not tend to account for severe and persistent reading difficulties unless the child has missed so much basic reading instruction that he cannot get caught up. Assessment of visual, spatial, and motor capacities should be included in the diagnosis of any coordination or orientation disorder; however, there is no scientific evidence that interventions such as neurological and sensory organizational training, laterality training, dominance training, balance beam, or reflex inhibition will significantly accelerate reading performance.
Other Factors

The importance of general intelligence in learning to read has been examined and shown to be a critical factor in both reading and language abilities. Investigations of the role of dominance in handedness, eyedness, and mixed laterality have produced no consistent conclusions. Studies investigating low birth weight, EEG abnormalities, temperamental attributes, attention deficit disorders, birth order, food additives, and chemical allergies have yielded mixed results. What is clear is that a wide range of factors can be associated with reading difficulties but that these factors work differently in different children. There is no simple formula for diagnosing and treating a dyslexic child. Each one requires his or her own individual program.

http://www.kidsource.com/