Dyslexia
Dyslexia has come to be known as the most common learning disability. It is also referred to as a reading disability. The International Dyslexia Association call it a "specific learning disability". It's been estimated that between 3 -7 % of the worlds population suffer from the symptoms of the disability. It is thought that that number could be as high as 20%.
There are so many people who do not read or write (could this be because of Dyslexia)? I'm sure a lot of people have never heard of Dyslexia so they wouldn't understand if they did have it. They would just get frustrated and down on themselves. I have a friend who is 60 yrs old and it wasn't until last year that she was diagnosed with Dyslexia. She just always thought she was "stupid" because thats how people made her feel. She kept a full time job while raising 4 children on her own. She still felt bad about herself because she couldn't read or write very well. This all changed when she was told that she wasn't stupid and they taught her some tools to use.
The symptoms of Dyslexia interfere with the brains ability to receive and process information. Research is on-going and scientists have identified the area of the brain that deals with Dyslexia. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) shows that there doesn't seem to be as much electrical action on the left side of the brain. Post autopsy show that in the language area of the brain there is a noticeable difference from a person who didn't have Dyslexia.
Studies are coming out now that scientist think the abnormalities that cause Dyslexia are developing in the 6th month of pregnancy while the child is still in the womb. There is no cure for it but as with my friend there are tool you can use to help you. A teacher can give the child more time to finish projects while they are in a quiet area. A lot of people have started to listen to Audio books while following along in the book.
A person with Dyslexia should be able to live a very good life doing anything they want. There are Doctors, Lawyers, Teachers, Newspaper writers and Authors who have succeded in their chosen fields in spite of Dyslexia. This is just a quick over view of the disability. There is so much to learn about it.
Thanks for reading
Ann
Recent Comments
37
Thanks Ann for such an informative post. I'll pass this on to a friend of mine who is affected by dyslexia. Hope all is well with you in WA.
Randy B
https://extraincomecoaching.com
Hi, Randy, thanks for reading the post and commenting, It's such a big topic I only scratched the surface. I hope you enjoyed it. All the best.
Ann
Hi Ann,
Both my son and my husband are dyslexics. We don't refer to it as a learning disability; instead we refer to it as a learning difference. I am also a teacher, and I have worked with many students with Dyslexia. And you are correct. Many times these kids and adults walk around thinking they are stupid just because they can't read, write, or speak as well as other students.
It's really sad because the fact of the matter is most Dyslexics have average to above average IQ's. It has nothing to do with their cognitive abilities.
Did you know one of the characteristics of a Dyslexic is excellent balance? This means they excel in sports like skiing, horseback riding, ice skating, and gymnastics. Another characteristic is their strength of visual learning. This means gifted artistic abilities.
You mentioned giving extra time and audio books as a way to help with the learning process. These are both excellent helps.
Hands on learning projects are good choices as well as good old fashioned phonics, which utilizes as many of the senses as possible to teach a concept.
If you are Dyslexic or you know someone who is Dyslexic, I recommend this book: The Gift of Dyslexia, by Ronald Davis. It is a real eye-opener, and it gives powerful insights about Dyslexia. It really helped me to better understand my husband, my son, and my students.
Sorry to talk so much, but you blogged about a subject very near and dear to my heart. ;)
Kathy
Hi, Kathy, I'm preaching to the choir then. Thank you so much for your comments. I like the term "learning difference" it doesn't seem to categorize and separate people with Dyslexia the same way disability does. You can talk all you want. With your knowledge and experience. I welcome it. I'm going to look for that book for my friend and I to read. I hope I got the information right. All the best.
Ann
Hi, Gautam, there are so many very successful people who had or have Dyslexia. Thanks for taking the time out to read it. All the best.
Ann
Learning Disabilities are the most misunderstand because there are few studies or research being done to help people with disabilities---until the late 70's when the USA started enacting laws to protect people with disabilities society didn't acknowledge it's disability community even existed---they were hidden away
Hi, Davida, isn't that the truth. Why do you think that is? They seem to do studies on the silliest things why, not something that affects so many. Thank you for sharing your comments. All the best.
Ann
This might make things a little less frustrating Ann! https://itunes.apple.com/app/dyslexiakey-dyslexic-keyboard/id957626910
Hi, Mike, thank you for the link. I did read a little about the keyboard but not that much. I couldn't quite figure out how it worked. Thanks for taking the time to read the post. All the best to you.
Ann
Ann,
Dyslexia is a very common learning disability that I was unaware of until I had kids who have friends who were disgnosed with the condition. I don't know about other states but in New York children diagnosed with dyslexia can receive lots of extra help including extra time when taking SATs and ACTs.
Erica
Erica,
I'm also from NY. In some instances, students are even able to have a scribe. I think the other states are pretty much the same because the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is federal law. And you are right. Dyslexia is more common than most people think.
Kathy
Hi, Erica, thank you for reading and commenting, People are starting to see how many children and adults are affected with Dyslexia. The schools in your state are awesome. All the best.
Ann
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Thanks Ann for you great informational post.
Jerome
Hi, Jerome, I hope you enjoyed the post, Thank you for your comment. All the best.
Ann