Figuring Out My World: Alison May Alison’s story is the perfect example of what many families must go through when faced with the possibility of having a child diagnosed with a learning disability. Alison was not diagnosed with visual and auditory dyslexia until the summer before entering college. However, while still a toddler, her symptoms had been brought to her mother’s attention by her sister’s teacher. Alison’s mother then noticed her habits in repeating words incorrectly and how Alison would need tactile clues to follow directions. At the recommendation of her kindergarten teacher, Alison was tested for learning disabilities and the results from the school psychologists were that she was acting stubborn or disobedient. Her family did not stop with the school’s diagnosis. They had private testing completed that confirmed Alison did not have a specific learning disability. The final word came from a relative that happened to be a psychologist. He insisted Alison would grow out of her difficulties. So Alison continued on with her entire elementary, middle and high school journey as a student and daughter with an undiagnosed learning disability. Alison spent 12 years of her life learning how to learn. She was comfortable with conversation, but could not understand directions. This caused her a lot of self-esteem issues as a young child trying to fit in with all the other kids. She felt an enormous amount of pressure at both school and home. At age seven, she finally came to the realization that she just did not understand. That is when she began to develop coping mechanisms like asking others to repeat and clarify directions, spoken or written. She used the cues of those around her, and observed her classmates and reactions... ... middle of paper ... ...yslexia http://www.tsrhc.org/dyslexia-take-flight.htm • Intel Reader from Intel-GE Care Innovation http://www.careinnovations.com/assistive-reading-technology Agencies for Dyslexia • Catapult Learning http://www.catapultlearning.com/ • Children’s Dyslexia Centers of New Jersey http://www.mlcnj.org/ • Dyslexia My Life http://dyslexiamylife.org/resour3.html • Bridges4Kids http://www.bridges4kids.org/states/nj.htm • National Disability Rights Network http://www.ndrn.org/ Organizations for Dyslexia • Dyslexia International http://www.dyslexia-international.org/index.html • The International Dyslexia Association http://www.interdys.org/ • American Dyslexia Association http://www.american-dyslexia-association.com/ • Davis Dyslexia Association International http://www.dyslexia.com/ • National Center for Learning Disabilities http://www.ncld.org/
Dillon, P., & Grammer, E. (2001). Success stories of students with disabilities noted in new book. Science, 294(5543), 879.
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.
A mere two weeks passed by since the day of my arrival to my new home before the start of second grade. I struggled to learn basic phrases before the start of school, phrases such as “May I use the restroom?” and “What is this?” After timeless tries, my aunt, who already knew English, came up with an idea to write the phrases down on pieces of paper. I would have to hand the teacher the pieces of paper which matched what I needed in order to communicate with her. The idea made me feel embarrassed, but knowing that it was the only way possible for me to get my needs from my teacher, I agreed to the p...
...ded to occur in this realm of education. Before EHA and IDEA, how many students were neglected by the public school system; sent off to institutions to waste away. Families were facing the financial burden of paying for the facility that housed the child they were told would never amount to anything. As a result of these life changing laws, you will see a physically handicapped professor in front of a class, a paraplegic physician making her rounds in a hospital. Everyone has a dream. This author’s daughter who has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome wants to be a teacher. She is classified as mentally retarded yet has goals and dreams. Will she achieve this particular dream? Most likely not, but this author knows that the public education system will provide Hannah with an IEP and FAPE that will provide her with the proper tools to live a happy and content life.
Lynn has been through the special education system and was diagnosed with dyslexia in her twenties. During her elementary years, Lynn could not quite put her finger on it but she was different from the other children. She had difficulty reading and writing and could not keep up academically with her peers. Around this period of time, Lynn began taking special education classes where she would receive instruction, which would help her get on task. As she moved through junior high to high school, her LD became more apparent. Lynn felt alone and different from the other children, which was shown through her voice as she felt ashamed for having to go to summer school.
Students with learning disabilities can learn; each student has his or her own strengths and weaknesses. Educators must continue to focus on the strengths of each student and building on them, creating a stronger student and person. Identifying the weakness is at the core of getting a student help with their learning disability, but after this initial identification and placement, the focus should shift to the strengths and adjusting the student’s schoolwork to reflect these strengths. For instance, if a student is weak in reading but has wonderful group interaction skills and is good with his or her hands, the students' reading tasks should then be shifted to reflect these st...
Whether we graduate from highschool or college we all hope to find a challenging career that will propel us forward in today's society. For those suffering from dyslexia this only adds to the frustration and fears associated with seeking employment. Many adults with dyslexia or other forms of learning disabilities never disclose their disability in interviews or once employed for fear of being discriminated against. Several investigators have noted, however, that many persons with learning disabilities adjust well to the demands and complexities of adulthood. (Greenbaum et al. 1996). The basic cause of dyslexia is still not known, however, much research is being done to determine the problems underlying dyslexia. In many cases, dyslexia is highly inherited. Studies have shown a number of genes that may set the stage for its development. Characteristics of dyslexia are now more apparent to educators than ever before. Early educational interventions are helping individuals to manage their dyslexia. There have been some studies that attend to accommodating persons with learning disabilities in post-secondary and occupational settings. Only a few articles will be reviewed having been found worthy of this subject. However, before reviewing the articles, in order to gain a greater understanding of the types of learning disabilities people face lets define one of the most significant learning problems: dyslexia. A Type of Learning Disability: What is Dyslexia? The word dyslexia is derived form the Greek "dys" (meaning poor or inadequate) and "lexis" (works or language). Dyslexia is a learning disability characterized by problems in expressive or receptive, oral or written language. Problems may emerge in r...
I chose to research learning disorders for two reasons. The first is because I myself am affected by one. At the age of 13, I was told that I suffered from a type of Dysgraphia disorder. Dysgraphia is a term that describes a broad group of disorders that cause difficulties in writing abilities. The disorder often manifests itself as difficulties with spelling, poor handwriting and trouble putting thoughts on paper. I have dealt with, and will continue to struggle with this disability for the rest of my life. Furthermore, I have found that by studying the disorder I have also made strides in dealing with my own cognitive shortcomings as well. The second reason I chose to study learning disabilities is because I have chosen to work towards a degree in education. A recent report by National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities states that nearly 15% of Americans are affected by so...
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,
Millions of Americans show symptoms of dyslexia. However, few people actually realize the causes, effects, fears, and treatments associated with this disorder; making, those who are dyslexic to feel isolated and misunderstood. Dyslexia is defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary as, “a variable often familial learning disability involving difficulties in acquiring and processing language that is typically manifested by a lack of proficiency in reading, spelling, and writing”. This definition only begins to explain this complex disorder and the vast lack of proficiency it causes the human brain.
Hallahan, D. P., Kauffman, J. M., & Pullen, P. C. (2009). Learners with Emotional or Behavioral
During this time in my life I did not really understand what dyslexia was. I felt that it was just another way to say I was “stupid”. My parents would help me with my school work and help me study before my tests but no matter what, my efforts were never shown in my test scores. Although I knew the information on the test, I could not comprehend the way the questions were worded. I read the information on the test but had difficulty processing the information. I often came home crying from school. After every test my confidence level would decrease. I begged my mom each morning to let me stay home from school, afraid to be called on during class to read aloud. When reading something aloud I often skipped over words and replaced them with other words. I had trouble pronouncing words that I should have already known how to pronounce. I often confused letters and numbers.
Once a child becomes school aged and begins to learn how to read, learning disabilities may become apparent. An example of a developmental learning difficulty that affects 5-17% of school-aged children is called dyslexia (Jordan & Dyer, 2017, p. 161). The goal of this paper is to determine how dyslexia is defined, caused, and diagnosed. The paper will also explore implications of dyslexia on a child and how to help a child overcome their disability.
The problem not only affects the family’s life but it also affects the child’s ability to learn and be productive at school. Children requires a lot of attention and love on a daily basis, however, having a child that has a disability requires extra attention and love because they are trying to understand the world through a different set of lens. This could become a problem especially if there are multiple children in the household. In often cases, the amount of attention that the parents give to the child in need obstruct the family dynamic because of the pa...
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?