1. The first non-dominant hand activity that I tried was writing the alphabet backwards. This activity was very difficult because it was hard for my hand to move in a smooth motion like it does with my dominant hand. It was also quite difficult to write the letters of the alphabet backwards because I was having to slowly say the alphabet out loud to make sure I was putting the letters in the correct order. I can easily say the alphabet backwards when I am speaking, but as I began to write them down, I realized it becomes more challenging because I’m having to focus on the movements of my hand along with the order of the alphabet. My handwriting was very messy and it was hard for me to stay inside the lines. I also saw myself having to think …show more content…
When I was writing the alphabet backwards, I was having a hard time with memorizing the letters and organizing them in my head from left to right. This resulted in me having to write them a lot slower than usual. One of the early signs of children having dyslexia is how they grip a writing utensil in their hand. Holding a writing utensil too many early child with dyslexia is very uncomfortable and that’s how I felt when I was having to use my non-dominant hand. In general this activity links to learning disabilities because many students with a learning disability have a hard time with short-term, long-term, and working memory. After I said the alphabet aloud and then I tried to write the alphabet backwards, it was difficult for me to remember the order of the letters that I said aloud. Students with a learning disability have a hard time recalling the information shortly after it is presented. Using my non-dominant hand to write the alphabet, brush my teeth, and paint my toe nails, links to a student with a learning disability because it affected my long-term and working memory and made the tasks a challenge. I forgot how to use the same motor skills in my non-dominant hand that I use on a daily basis with my dominant hand. The steps and the motions that I usually take in order to complete these tasks were gone and I was having to try and reteach my non-dominant hand how to complete the task properly. When I use my dominant hand, I don’t have to think about what I am doing, but with my non-dominant hand I
Our abilities are often what we use to define our worth. Whether we fail or succeed our future lifestyle is open to our discretion; however, we fail to realize outside influences have the ability to cripple us. One way in which this is true is through the education system. If we fail to meet the average or typical standards of others we often mark ourselves as useless. Children, and adults, facing adversity in literacy see this as a daily struggle no matter what their individual disability is. In “Dyslexia” by Eileen Simpson, and “The Library Card”, by Richard Wright, details are what define their disabilities to their audiences. Through the descriptions presented in “Dyslexia”, we have the ability to place ourselves into Simpson’s point of view; meanwhile, in “The Library Card” it is easy to draw a connection between this story and the struggle of those in slave narratives such as the one written by Frederick Douglass.
Dyslexia is the most prominent learning disability here in the United State but, it is also the most misunderstood. For centuries, those with dyslexia have been labeled as stupid and incompetent, when in fact they extremely intelligent, excelling in areas such as art, science and music. Due to our lack of knowledge and understanding, we as a nation are ignorant, deeming truth to the stereotypes that have long been associated with this so called “disease.” In order to reverse the damage that has already been done, we must differentiate fact from fiction. In order to fully understand dyslexia, individuals need to be provided with resources that address every aspect of the disability, including what it is, the possible causes, signs, symptoms and treatments available. Awareness is key to change.
Robert Buck once said, “If children can’t learn the way we teach, then we have to teach the way they learn.” The Wilson Language Program has become disclosed to amplify this mentality. Dyslexia is a common disease among ten to fifteen percent of the United States, where a human being has trouble in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols. Programs are reaching out to try to terminate as much distress of dyslexia as possible. Up and coming programs, The Wilson Language Program for example, are making their best efforts to start working with children from a young age with the slight signs of this common problem. Catching dyslexia earlier in life brings more assurance that the child’s future will have little to no setbacks or disadvantages for success. In order to enhance the regressive literacy of dyslexic individuals, the Wilson Language Program is progressively being implemented into regular schooling to ensure that reading standards are met, through structure, hours of research, copious practice, and strong evidence.
Dyslexia has been a commonly known problem in the Unites States. Even though, dyslexia is a mental problem that causes disabilities in reading, most people do not know the truth about it. There have been movies where a person with dyslexia sees letters moving around, yet people with dyslexia do not have disabilities like moving letters around. The truth is that there are plenty of misconceptions. The myths going around of what dyslexia supposedly is, is not the truth. These myths are just misconceptions and the truths about dyslexia are more complex than what it seems like. Dyslexics have different learning processes and different ways of handling the problems at hand.
This is a subject and disorder near and dear to my heart. My personal experience with dyslexia, with myself and my daughter, has given me great insight into what dyslexia is, what the signs are, and how soon you can detect the potential for problems. It is not always the case that dyslexia is the sole source of reading and reading comprehension difficulties, there are other disorders that can exist at the same time, and this is important to know in order to help students improve their reading abilities. But, dyslexia will not only affect reading abilities and reading comprehension. It can affect writing, spelling, math, memory, listing comprehension, self-esteem, social skills, the ability to understand sarcasm, understanding spatial concepts,
Dyslexia is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders that haunt adolescents throughout their childhood. Commonly known as a reading disability (RD), dyslexia is a hereditary complex trait that occurs in five to seventeen percent of people. Neuroimaging studies show that dyslexic individuals display abnormal brain function compared to fluent readers when challenged with reading assignments (7). The exact genes that code for dyslexia are not certain, however substantial studies have potentially linked dyslexia to the KIAA0319 gene, the DCDC2 gene, and the DYX1 gene. The severity of each case is largely determined by environmental factors such exposure to reading and professional intervention. Significantly, the interplay between these external influences and innate genetic characteristics ultimately determine the performance of the dyslexic individual.
Being left handed or right handed is a natural development every individual catches on to at a certain age and according pediatrician (Laura Jana), most children start to show a preference for either their left or right hand at about 2 or 3 years old but can develop a preference as early as 18 months old. Most people feel that being right handed is an automatic adjustment that being right handed is correct and being left handed is viewed as a negative factor, in a retrospective study on decedents; scientist have solved the reason being that left handedness can reflect in a negative outcome. In researchers’ study (Marcel E. Salive, MD, MPH, and Jack M. Gurlnik, MD,PhD) they found that the average death rate for left-handers was 9 years lower
The largest misconception is that dyslexia changes the word to read backwards in the reader’s brain. While this is one possible effect, dyslexia covers a wide range in the visual learning disorders. While dyslexia is not limited to a specific gender, race, or age group; it does tend to affect males more than females. Males make up 75 – 80% of people diagnosed with dyslexia (Chivers, 2006, p. 20). Dyslexia has various symptoms that can help diagnose children, students, and even adults.
The teacher walked to the front of the room with her book in hand and as she got closer to the front, Paul got lower in his seat. He knew what was coming next; it was time for the class to read the next chapter. The teacher would start reading and then call on different students to read as they moved through the chapter. This scared Paul right down to his toes. He had read in front of the class before, but it was what followed after class that worried him the most. The taunts from the other students like “retard” or “are you stupid or what?” This type of relentless teasing would continue until gym class where he could hold his own ground again. He did not have any problems in gym; class he was good at sports and liked to play. The reason that Paul has so much trouble reading is because he has Dyslexia.
Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), also referred to as dyspraxia, is a motor disorder. The condition is characterized primarily by “lack of co-ordination/poor co-ordination,” “motor-difficulties/impairment,” “planning difficulties,” and “organizational difficulties” (Kirby, Davies, & Bryant, 2005, p. 124). DSM-IV-TR criteria for Developmental Coordination Disorder includes: (1) “marked impairment in the development of motor coordination,” (2) “significant interfere[nce] with academic achievement or activities of daily living,” and (3) the absence of “a general medication condition” or “Pervasive Developmental Disorder” (Lingam, Hunt, Golding, Jongmans, Emond, 2009, p. e695). Furthermore, in the presence of mental retardation, motor difficulties must be considered excessive in nature (Lingham et al., 2009, p. e695).
The classroom is a diverse place where learners from all different genres of life meet. Included in these learners are those that display learning disabilities. According to the British Columbia School Superintendent’s Association, ‘learning disabilities refer to a number of conditions that might affect the acquisition, organization, retention, understanding or use of verbal or nonverbal information. These disorders affect learning in individuals who otherwise demonstrate at least average abilities essential for thinking and/or reasoning’. They also posit that ‘learning disabilities result from impairments in one or more processes related to perceiving, thinking, remembering or learning. These include, but are not limited to language processing,
“Everybody needs something to hope for.” (p. 157) Says Dr. Spivak to Max after the death of Kevin. Indeed, he is right. Hope can solve problems for everyone. There are plenty of problems in the world. People struggle with disabilities and certain limiting conditions. Though the road may be rough, there are ways that these people cope with their problems and find hope. Max has a problem. He is dyslexic, which is always causing him to talk negatively about himself. Kevin also has an issue that makes his body small. Nevertheless, he makes up for it by making his brain bigger. Together, Kevin and Max become Freak the Mighty. Freak the Mighty fosters their friendship, makes them as one person, and helps them deal with their individual problems.
The long disputed debate about the primary cause of dyslexia is still very much alive in the field of psychology. Dyslexia is commonly characterized as a reading and writing impairment that affects around 5% of the global population. The disorder has frequently been hypothesized to be the result of various sensory malfunctions. For over a decade, studies have made major contributions to the disorder's etiology; however, scientists are still unclear of its specific causal. Initially, dyslexia was thought to be a reading disorder in children and adults (1). Later it was suggested to consist of both a visual and writing component, therefore characterizing it as more of a learning disability which affected people of normal intelligence's ability to perform to their fullest potential (5). In the current research, cognitive and biological perspectives have often been developed independently of one another failing to recognize their respective positions within the disorder's etiology.
Multiple cases show dyslexics having exceptional talent in drawing, painting, and music. The appropriate way to describe dyslexia is not calling it a disability but as a learning difference. Despite the fact that the obstacles flourish, treatment, educational techniques, positives can provide wellbeing and overpowers the weaknesses.
People across the United States, from small rural areas to enormous urban centers, from small town farmers, to big city nurses, exhibit signs of a Developmental Dyslexia. In fact, Herb Scribner (2014) identifies it as one of the most common disabilities that American children have, and due to this fact, most people have heard of and likely know someone who exhibits symptoms of this relatively common disability. Due to the number of those affected by this disability, it is certainly one that strikes close to the heart of Americans; so what exactly is it, and what can be done by family and specifically Occupational therapists (OTs) to reduce its debilitating effects and increase the success of these children and adults?