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/
Dyslexics Images Reversed
Scientology Members
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
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/
The Tireless Pensioner
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
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
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/
TV star's boost for dyslexic youngsters in Bristol
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.
Andrew has talent for writing, poetry
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/
Panchkula plans centre for dyslexic kids
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/
Slow Reading In Dyslexia Tied To Disorganized Brain Tracts
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
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
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.
Dyslexia Training For Teachers
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
Vision Training: Improving Your Eyesight
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.
Teaching Children With Dyslexia
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
Study shows stronger links between entrepreneurs and dyslexia
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
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
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
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?
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
