Don't Call Me Stupid

Don’t call me stupid
Don’t stare with bewilderment
Say as, say this, say in whispers heard
Mention a word and spell with ease

To check, and check and check again,
My keys my phone, words spelling too
And still not see, where things do lie, 
Where letters disjoint, in forming words

Look and say; whats wrong with him
Its not by choice, am not a dunce
Don't patronise me so, gesture as jester
And call me stupid

I am, the wordsmith, dabbler you came to know 
I write, I utter and to you; thought provoked
Such metaphoric connections, 
Your intellect bow to, in appreciation's gestures

In sing songs, such masterful sounds of music sang
In painting, always a master piece to hang
My speeches are moving, I utter with grace
Effortlessly in doing, it brings smiles to faces

But then, in spelling be, to have become lean
To spell they as there,
Their as thier, exact, as exert
Don't call me stupid, its not by choice 

To my mind, its what it sees, and reads as so
Being forgetful is not by choice 
Sorry to have to ask, again
Your "name", your "name", please

To maths, I am brilliant, 
To maths I am not
In my mind, its entangled in abstract
But don't call me stupid, its not by choice

Is dyslexia inherited?

Is dyslexia inherited?

Published on January 10, 2010 by Robert Langston in

 

Dyslexia is inherited, and my family tree is thick with dyslexic branches. My grandfather, father, older brother, and I all have struggled with dyslexia. Does it affect more boys than girls? Current research suggests it affects just as many girls as boys. My family seems to be a bit heavy on the male side, though. That is why I was not surprised when my wife and I started seeing signs that our four-year-old son might be having issues. It was not much, just an occasional "I don't like school" or "School's too hard." With my family history, we decided it would be better to be proactive than reactive.

So, the next day my wife walked into my son's preschool class and asked his teacher if she would meet with us concerning our son. She did not hesitate, and they set the meeting time. Our parental instincts were confirmed the day of the conference when his teacher leaned across the table and said as compassionately as she could, "It does not seem to be sticking." She was referring to his learning of letters and his memory for names. She explained that the letter of the week might be "A." They would work on this letter all week. At the end of the week, she would show him the apple they had used to illustrate the letter. She would ask, "What is this?" Instead of "apple," he would say "tractor." She told us he could describe an apple and could tell her it is something that people eat. He knows what an apple is, but he cannot recall the name of the object or the letter it starts with.     

Listening to my son's teacher, I was thinking, "This sounds just like me." I took the Woodcock-Johnson-Revised Test of Cognitive Ability at age twenty-three and scored on a kindergarten level in Memory for Names. Also, like my son, I have trouble with the beginning and ending sounds in words. I could tell by the tears swelling in my wife's eyes that she had been hoping that this was one family trait that would die on the vine, but as the reality of the situation set in, the tears became too much, and she had to take a break to compose herself.

I will admit I was a little shocked my wife was not better prepared for this eventuality, since she knew dyslexia runs at least three generations deep in my family, but I do understand that the reality of the moment was overwhelming for her. I also have to admit I was inwardly glad my son was like me. I know how devastating dyslexia can be, and I would be lying if I said I am not a little concerned, but my initial reaction was the same that I have expressed to countless parents who have approached me after my lectures and whispered mournfully, "My child has dyslexia." As they brace for an outpouring of sympathy, they are shocked as I announce in my biggest voice, "GREAT!" This is not the reaction most people expect, but it is how I feel. "GREAT!" I hope my son's mind is naturally wired with the same visual, spatial, conceptual, and intuitive gifts as mine.

Now, with all this said, my son may not have dyslexia like I do. In my opinion, it is too early to diagnose him with an "impaired ability to understand written language: a learning disorder marked by a severe difficulty in recognizing and understanding written language, leading to spelling and writing problems," as defined by Encarta ® World English Dictionary. Even so, my wife and I want to make sure our son has all the advantages available today, just in case the acorn has not fallen far from the tree.

At the end of our conference, the teacher indicated she would like to start the process to evaluate our son. I served on the State Advisory Panel for Special Education in Georgia for seven years, so I know she is asking to initiate the national Child Find process. Child Find is a continuous process of public awareness activities, screening, and evaluation designed to locate, identify, and refer, as early as possible, young children with disabilities and their families who are in need of Early Intervention Programs (EIP). She did a great job explaining that in our county there is a representative from the local public school system whom she could contact on our behalf to evaluate our son for initial signs of learning difficulties. First steps are basic: hearing and vision screenings to rule out problems in those areas, a parental questionnaire, and observation of the student in the classroom. The Child Find process is important in case an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is needed in the future.

Studies show that parents wait an average of twelve to eighteen months to act on their initial instinct that something might be wrong. The best advice I can give is don't wait; listen to your instinct, be proactive not reactive, and accept the help that is available.

My family has been on its journey with dyslexia for generations, and it will be interesting to see if my son sprouts as a new branch of this tree. I rejoice in the possibility that my son may have the power of dyslexic thinking within him and be gifted with a visual, spatial, conceptual, and intuitive brain. But at the same time, I hope we have come far enough that I can prune out some of the more painful limbs that have plagued the Langston men in the past, allowing him to grow even stronger than those that have come before him.
Wish us luck,

Rob
"Good timber does not grow with ease; the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees,"
-- Author unknown.
www.robertlangston.com

7 Ways to help dyslexic children succeed

1. Full discloser is the order of the day


It has been my experience that children want straight answers to what is happening with them and why. Educate yourself on dyslexia, and then share what you have learned with the child. If a child is left to his or her own devices to figure out what is wrong, the chances are what he or she comes up with will be worse than what is actually happening (i.e. 'I'm just stupid' or 'my brain is broken'). Educate yourself and your child to demystify the situation.


2. Reinforce strengths


The average child spends a tremendous amount of time mastering how to read and write. If a child has learning challenges, this time can become associated with struggle and defeat. It is critical that you find alternative ways for this child to experience success. Be attentive and aware; seek out the child's strengths and magnify them. Keep in mind that a child may look to you as a barometer of their overall worth. Remember that a child's strength may not always be a traditional strength like sports. It may be more unique, such as Lego construction or being a good friend to others.
         
3. Reading is hard work-- at least make it interesting

Dyslexic children might not like the reading process but they can really like the content. Finding passages that relate to the child's interests can make the experience more enjoyable. For example: If a child has an affinity for All Terrain Vehicles (ATV's) then take pages from ATV magazines and watch the motivation levels rise.

4. Provide current role models

Everyone has seen the black and white picture of Albert Einstein with his hair standing on end that has been associated with dyslexia. I feel it is harder for children today to draw self-confidence from someone who died in the 1950's, even though he is a great role model. Give them modern-day dyslexic role models: Orlando Bloom, Jackie Chan, McDreamy himself, Patrick Dempsey, and don't forget some ladies too: Selma Hayek, Jewel, Whoopi Goldberg. Keeping it current can keep it real for children.

5. Assistive technology

Buying a child with dyslexia a computer is not giving them assistive technology. Adding Dragon Naturally Speaking or Kurzweil 3000 and working with them until they master using the voice recognition software is a step in the right direction. Let's face it. For dyslexics, the ability to have your computer read an email aloud and transcribe your response is an assistive technology home run. I'm not saying to stop trying to teach your child to read. A good balance of hard work and help can ensure better productivity in school and life.

6. Multi-sensory approach to learning at school or home

There are schools which I refer to in The Power of Dyslexic Thinking as 'pockets of greatness.' These are schools around the country that use a multi-sensory approach to teach children with learning challenges. If you cannot afford to send a child to schools such as Churchill Center & School in Missouri or Currey Ingram Academy in Tennessee then maybe you can find local tutors trained in the same methods that these schools use. Some of these methods include the Orton-Gillingham, Slingerland Approach or Wilson Reading System. Look online for local tutor-locating search engines.

7. Provide accommodations

Early intervention provides the greatest chance of success in reading fluency. Remember that preserving a child's self esteem intact is the most important factor in his or her surviving and thriving in the classroom and life. For this, I offer the accommodation list I used myself: Oral test-taking, classroom note-takers, people reading written assignments onto a recorder, audio books and un-timed test-taking. Focus on what it will take for a child to learn in his or her class tomorrow and you both will live to read another day.

In service to children,

Rob

http://www.robertlangston.com/

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Did I cross my Ts

I beat my self down yesterday while reading an article I posted the other day; an un-edited post.
I wondered how the readers would have felt reading the article, whether indeed they finished reading the article or were turned off. I sat with my sisters working through the editing process when a topic my elder sister discussed with me came to mind.

It is a technique used to help others "teachers and parents" associate with people with dyslexia and it is simple enough. At this point I should highlight that, there are different forms of dyslexia, some are very gifted mathematically others are not, others are more creatively gifted. Ultimately however, to relate to a dyslexic, teachers and parents are taken through a process where they are requested to write with their left hands if they are right handed and vise-visa while being dictated to. The pattern of dictation increases in pace.

The end result generally shows frustration on the part of the participants and a good number would have the inclination to stop participating long before the exercise is finished. Even without taking part it is easy to picture the frustration one might feel having to write with the otherwise weak hand, while being dictated to. More so if and when the one dictating the sentence refuses to repeat and just carries on, because one or two have got the gribs of the excersise.

The excerse is meant to show how frustrated a dyslexic would feel in situations where their teachers are impatient and unsupportive explaining why potentially, someone with dsylexic would lose concentration and start dudling and engaging in other activities in the class when expected to pay attention.

To be a good teacher is to be like the Shepherd who lost one sheep and went out searched long and hard to bring that one sheep back to the folk. Another parable to add; if you find a treasure box with missing keys and with the awareness that it holds treasures, do you abandon such find or do you find other ways to get to the treasure it holds.

Living with dsylexia means growing a thicker skin. I have read so many dyslexic jokes on the net, yet those aware they have such conditions are the lucky ones because without the awareness, it is difficult to understand why others are quick to pick up information when they are being thought; where as others absorb the same information slowly.

Add your own experience and story to the discussion in the comment box below. For a more confidential resource email dey.help@gmail.com

By: Kodjo Deynoo

New Research: Visual Attention & Dyslexia

Researchers have confirmed a causal link between visual attention difficulties and dyslexia. A 3-year study of Italian children shows that 60% of children who develop dyslexia had difficulties with visual attention orientation as pre-schoolers.

All Davis programs begin with focusing training or orientation counseling, to ensure that students are able to accurately perceive letters and other symbols.

* Read More: Research Abstract

* Building Skills for Visual Word Recognition

An Old Report Card

The memory box of life is not so often visited. Once a while, yes, in search of one thing or the other; mine was my bank details. In 2008, I came to Ghana for a visit and decided it would be a good idea to open a savings account. I started laying down the foundation for a possible repatriation in the future. The plan was simple; send some money every month to be credited to my savings account.

In reality that never flourished and the account laid dormant for a while, un be known to me, that meant the account was permanently closed by the bank. To get my money back, what little I put in there in the first place, after returning in 2012, I had to produce a letter or any such documentation, to prove I am indeed the owner of the said account and funds; not even a driving license would get me through as a form of identification. I got frustrated and the banker explained in not so many words, that to safe guard the funds and stop corrupt activities by his fellow work colleges on the account of past experience, the bank decided to adopt such a policy. Knowing Ghana and the greed of some people I couldn't argue with such explanation, even-though  I was still left in a frustrating situation.

I went back to my mum, who I left as a custodian of my documents; honestly, between her, my sister and myself, we are still looking for where the documents could be. This became my reason for going into my memory box.

Out came my old report card, really bad grades and to top it off, the teacher signed under with a little note which, stated, " A very troublesome boy, likes playing football". Back to the future I have got my master degree an MSc in construction project management, with very good grades.

So why was I, so unfocused in my young youth, truthfully it was partly because the teachers could not keep me attentive long enough and with that I would lose my concentration and look for other ways of entertaining my self. I was hyper and very energetic. This meant, I needed stimulation in ways very different to that of the average student, and with that these teachers from my past failed.

Fortune on my side, I was still able to go ahead and find ways of concentrating and methods of learning, that suited my energetic and stimulus mind. In the working world, I am just as good and best with thinking on my feet, a good social skill and a likable character.

The question remains, are we all the same, in the way we learn and the way we are able to maintain our concentration? if the answer is no, why then is there no tailored teaching techniques developed to suit each groups of students, in other for them to fulfill their full potential.

Please add your view to the subject of discussion. Tell us how you were at school, what kind of student and what has become of you, not in so much detail only if you so choose to. The idea here is to bring awareness and motivation to today's student, from the very young to the young adult and give them the hope and support to fulfill their full potential.

Should you need any confidential support email dey-help@gmail.com and we will get back to you

NB: Still searching for the bank details, seriously I want my money back Mr. Banker

By: Kodjo Deynoo 

Tips for Teaching Pre-School Dyslexic Children

There is a large body of research linking speech and language difficulties in early childhood, to later literacy problems. Because much can be done pre-school to help a child at risk, early identification is really important.

Although some children may have difficulties with some parts of their learning, they are just as bright and able as their peers - in some cases even brighter! They are often creative and imaginative. At the same time they also have difficulties. If a child shows a cluster of difficulties, you will need to take action.
Here are some hints on identification. The list is worth keeping handy - the chances are there's at least one dyslexic child in each nursery class.
Watch out for the child who does not outgrow the following possible indicators:-

• has difficulty learning nursery rhyme
• finds difficulty paying attention, sitting still, listening to stories
• likes listening to stories but shows no interest in letters or words
• as difficulty learning to sing or recite the alphabet
• has a history of slow speech development
• gets words muddled e.g. cubumber, flutterby
• has difficulty keeping simple rhythm
• finds it hard to carry out two or more instructions at one time, (e.g. put the toys in the box then put it on the shelf) but is fine if tasks are presented in smaller unitsforgets names of friends, teacher, colours etc.
• poor auditory discrimination
• finds difficulty cutting, sticking and crayoning in comparison with their peer group
• has persistent difficulty in dressing, e.g. finds shoelaces and buttons difficult
• puts clothes on the wrong way round
• has difficulty with catching, kicking or throwing a ball
• often trips, bumps into things, and falls over
• has difficulty hopping or skipping
• has obvious 'good' and 'bad' days for no apparent reason

A child who has a cluster of these difficulties together with some abilities may be dyslexic, but remember that the levels of development and speed of learning at the pre-school stage differ significantly for each child.
If you find such at risk children, consult with the special needs advisor. There are programmes and games to help with development in speech and language, motor skills, auditory and visual perception and memory.
Source www.beingdyslexic.co.uk  and Copyright: Unkown - Let us know by emailing today - dey.help@gmail.com

Famous Dyslexic People.

Tom Cruise

 

Woopi

Bill Gate

Is Dyslexia The Hair Dresser's Story

Last night I met a very interesting lady, who came to braid my sisters' hair. Initially, she was reluctant to come out of her shell and said very few words when I tried to interact with her. I thought she was either rude or the kind that had so little to say. I left the company of the hair dresser and my sister so they could carry on with the business of the day.

In my room I heard the hair dresser chatting, laughing and giggling as she carried on with my sister, so then I interrupted again,  I made a joke, said I loved her laughter and she smiled. After a few such banters, which become a game of trying to get her to smile as a bet, she her jovially refused. Mind you, each time she lost and couldn't stop herself from smiling.

The conversation moved on to the reason why she left school early to become a hair dresser and an explanation of why she was so withdrawn, when I started interacting with her. This beautiful lady said something I found very poignant, her fear of her grasp of the English language meant she felt very uncomfortable in environments and situations where she would have to express an opinion so no restaurants for her she said.

She then added, 'I left school early because I just couldn't get what I was being taught; it all just went over my head and felt very frustrating when others around could just pick things we were being taught with ease. After a while I told my Dad I was going to quit schooling and learn a trade, at least that would secure my future'. For what she did with my sisters hair, I would gladly say she has indeed secured her future with a trade and skill she is very good with.

However, I couldn't but hear the faint silent whisper, of loud regret she felt for not furthering her education to a level that would have made her comfortable and confident in expressing her views in a social sense and even building a progressive business and expanding.

Was her issue with the difficulty she felt learning at school a result of dyslexia?
Does she even know what that word is?
Has she ever heard of such a word and what could it have meant for her;
In her days at school while she was struggling to comprehend what she was being thought.

In a culture where the very bright are praised, "credit given where credit is due" and every one else is stigmatized with the notion of failure and unwillingness to self help, without any notion and understanding of dyslexia by the teachers and parents, who form the supporting structure. How does one, swim against such high tied and make it to the other end.

Dey-help is a new charity organisation, which aims to help bring awareness and educate students, parents, teachers and others in such situations; organisations with stakeholder interest in the development of the most valuable resource a country can have. In case you are wondering what that resources is, it is education.

Attached below is a link to a questionnaire, which is to help establish the real issue on the ground and develop tools to facilitate the change needed. I would be grateful if you the reader could fill the questionnaire and also forward it to as many friends, colleges and family members as possible, we need the communities support to make this a success.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGMxUXpvSE1mSU1HWlFfNy1md0xNZmc6MQ

The Common Signs of Dyslexia in Adults

A list of check points to indicate if an adult is dyslexic.

Teenagers / Students

The difficulties noted below are often associated with dyslexia if they are unexpected for the individual's age, educational level, or cognitive abilities. A qualified diagnostician can test a person to determine if he or she is truly dyslexic.

• May read very slowly with many inaccuracies.
• Continues to spell incorrectly, frequently spells the same word differently in a single piece of writing.
• May avoid reading and writing tasks.
• May have trouble summarizing and outlining.
• May have trouble answering open-ended questions on tests.
• May have difficulty learning a foreign language.
• May have poor memory skills.
• May work slowly.
• May pay too little attention to details or focus too much on them.
• May misread information.
• May have an inadequate vocabulary.
• May have an inadequate store of knowledge from previous reading.
• May have difficulty with planning, organizing and managing time, materials and tasks.

Adults

• May hide reading problems.
• May spell poorly; relies on others to correct spelling.
• Avoids writing; may not be able to write.
• Often very competent in oral language.
• Relies on memory; may have an excellent memory.
• Often has good "people" skills.
• Often is spatially talented; professions include, but are not limited, to engineers, architects, designers, artists and craftspeople, mathematicians, physicists, physicians (esp. surgeons and orthopedists), and dentists.
• May be very good at "reading" people (intuitive).
• In jobs is often working well below their intellectual capacity.
• May have difficulty with planning, organization and management of time, materials and tasks.
• Often entrepreneurs.

The Common Signs of Dyslexia in Children

A list of check points the could indicate your child is Dyslexic.

If a child has several of these indications, further investigation should be made. The child may be dyslexic, or there may be other reasons. This is not a checklist.

1. Persisting factors.

There are many persisting factors in dyslexia, which can appear from an early age. They will still be noticeable when the dyslexic child leaves school.
These include:

• Obvious 'good' and 'bad' days, for no apparent reason,
• Confusion between directional words, e.g. up/down, in/out,
• Difficulty with sequence, e.g. coloured bead sequence, later with days of the week or numbers,

A family history of dyslexia/reading difficulties.

2. Pre-school.

• Has persistent jumbled phrases, e.g. 'cobbler's club' for 'toddler's club'
• Use of substitute words e.g. 'lampshade' for 'lamppost'.
• Inability to remember the label for known objects, e.g. 'table, chair'.
• Difficulty learning nursery rhymes and rhyming words, e.g. 'cat, mat, sat'.
• Later than expected speech development.

Pre-School Non-language indicators.

• May have walked early but did not crawl - was a 'bottom shuffler' or 'tummy wriggler'.
• Persistent difficulties in getting dressed efficiently and putting shoes on the correct feet.
• Enjoys being read to but shows no interest in letters or words.
• Is often accused of not listening or paying attention.
• Excessive tripping, bumping into things and falling over.
• Difficulty with catching, kicking or throwing a ball; with hopping and/or skipping.
• Difficulty with clapping a simple rhythm.

3. Primary school age.

• Has particular difficulty with reading and spelling.
• Puts letters and figures the wrong way round.
• Has difficulty remembering tables, alphabet, formulae etc.
• Leaves letters out of words or puts them in the wrong order.
• Still occasionally confuses 'b' and 'd' and words such as 'no/on'.
• Still needs to use fingers or marks on paper to make simple calculations.
• Poor concentration.
• Has problems understanding what he/she has read.
• Takes longer than average to do written work.
• Problems processing language at speed.

Primary school age non-language indicators:

• Has difficulty with tying shoe laces, tie, dressing.
• Has difficulty telling left from right, order of days of the week, months of the year etc.
• Surprises you because in other ways he/she is bright and alert.
• Has a poor sense of direction and still confuses left and right.
• Lacks confidence and has a poor self image.

4. 12 or over.

As for primary schools, plus:

• Still reads inaccurately.
• Still has difficulties in spelling.
• Needs to have instructions and telephone numbers repeated.
• Gets 'tied up' using long words, e.g. 'preliminary', 'philosophical'.
• Confuses places, times, dates.
• Has difficulty with planning and writing essays.
• Has difficulty processing complex language or long series of instructions at speed.

12 or over non-language indicators:

• Has poor confidence and self-esteem.
• Has areas of strength as well as weakness.

Copyright & Source: http://www.bda-dyslexia.org.uk/

Dyslexia

Dyslexia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    

Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read,^[1] and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid naming. Dyslexia is separate and distinct from reading difficulties resulting from other causes, such as a non-neurological deficiency with vision or hearing, or from poor or inadequate reading instruction^] It is believed that dyslexia can affect between 5 and 10 percent of a given population although there have been no studies to indicate an accurate percentage.
There are three proposed cognitive subtypes of dyslexia: auditory, visual and attentional.

Reading disabilities, or dyslexia, is the most common learning disability, although in research literature it is considered to be a receptive language-based learning disability. Researchers at MIT found that people with dyslexia exhibited impaired voice-recognition abilities.

Accomplished adult dyslexics may be able to read with good comprehension, but they tend to read more slowly than non-dyslexics and may perform more poorly at nonsense word reading (a measure of phonological awareness) and spelling. Dyslexia is not an intellectual disability, since dyslexia and IQ are not interrelated, as a result of cognition developing independently.