Dyslexia

RUNNING HEAD: Dyslexia = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Dyslexia = Liberty University Ashley Schettler Denise Vaughan

= Dyslexia (say: dis-** lek **-see-uh)  = Dyslexia is a learning problem some kids have. Dyslexia makes it tough to read and spell. The problem is inside the brain, but it doesn't mean the person is dumb. Plenty of smart and talented people struggle with dyslexia. 

media type="youtube" key="l_qGJ9svUbM" height="293" width="480"   // Defined As: // // The Federation of Neurologists // defined dyslexia as “a disorder in children who despite conventional classroom experience, fail to attain the language skills of reading, writing, and spelling commensurate with their intellectual abilities”. // The U.S. National Institutes of Health // defines it as “a learning disability that can hinder a person’s ability to read, write, spell, and sometimes speak”. Dyslexia is a brain malfunctioning when processing written material.

Want to understand a dyslexic better?...Watch this… 

media type="youtube" key="HDUfVCo6ito" height="385" width="480" 3 Different types:



 1. // "Trauma dyslexia": // Usually occurs after some form of brain trauma or injury to the area of the brain that controls reading and writing. It is rarely seen in today's school-age population. 2. // "Primary dyslexa": // This type of dyslexia is a dysfunction of, rather than damage to, the left side of the brain (cerebral cortex) and does not change with age. Individuals with this type are rarely able to read above a fourth-grade level and may struggle with reading, spelling, and writing as adults. Primary dyslexia is passed in family lines through their genes (hereditary). It is found more often in boys than in girls. 3. "Secondary" or "Developmental dyslexia" and is felt to be caused by hormonal development during the early stages of fetal development. Developmental dyslexia diminishes as the child matures. It is also more common in boys.  Their Brain

** Ectopias ** are present, which are small bunches of nerve cells and bundles of tangled nerve fibers located in the first layer of the cortical areas. > Imagine a microscopic jellyfish with tangled tentacles ** Assymetries ** between the two hemispheres
 * Differences in the Thalamus- ** smaller neurons in certain cell clusters (nuclei)
 * Planum temporale **, an auditory region part of the language network, is the same size in both sides of dyslexic brains. In other words, dyslexic brains are more symmetrical.

The Front Area of a Dyslexics Brain has //MORE// activity than a Normal Persons. **



*In an article posted by Rutgers University it states that there is hope for children who struggle with dyslexia. Children who struggle with dyslexia can learn how to use the part of the brain that deals with reading skills. //Overcoming Dyslexia// states how this is possible, "After attending eight weeks of special language training, showing the children how to differentiate sounds and letters. Showing them how to slow down and exaggerate".

<span style="color: #7000ff; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Neuroscience mixed with Education Stated in an article by //Science// by JD//,// reading is essential in modern societies, but many children have dyslexia, a difficulty in learning to read. Dyslexia often arises from impaired phonological awareness, the auditory analysis of spoken language that relates the sounds of language to print. Behavioral remediation, especially at a young age, is effective for many, but not all, children. Neuroimaging in children with dyslexia has revealed reduced engagement of the left temporo-parietal cortex for phonological processing of print, altered white-matter connectivity, and functional plasticity associated with effective intervention. Behavioral and brain measures identify infants and young children at risk for dyslexia, and preventive intervention is often effective. A combination of evidence-based teaching practices and cognitive neuroscience measures could prevent dyslexia from occurring in the majority of children who would otherwise develop dyslexia.
 * Difficulty In the Classroom**

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Children who are dyslexic have particular difficulty learning how to spell. Letters may blur before their eyes, they may have difficulty in keeping their attention focused on the printed word and they may lose their place easily when reading.” “Children with dyslexia have a very poor short-term memory for speech information and they find it difficult to make associations in their memory between auditory information and visual information.” --This causes massive frustration for the dyslexic person. Their rising frustration also builds the want to quit therefore they need to be encouraged as much as possible. “They find being taught reading and spelling by phonics tricky because this takes speech sounds and relates them to visual images. They may also have difficulty in grasping the way sounds come together to make words, in breaking words down into sounds and in understanding the way sounds can be manipulated within words.” “Such children can also have problems in visually tracking printed lines of words. Instead of moving smoothly along the sentence, their eyes jump about and they have to refocus on the print more frequently. As a result, reading involves much more effort.” --This will often cause confusion which results in speech and comprehension problems. “Children having trouble with blurred letters may use tinted acetate sheets or tinted glasses to read with.”


 * Symptoms**
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Difficulty copying from the board
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Disorganized work
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Unable to remember or understand content, even if it involves a favorite video or storybook
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Recalling sequences of things or more than one command at a time can be difficult. Parts of words or parts of whole sentences may be missed, and words can come out sounding funny. The wrong word or a similar word may be used instead.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Children may become withdrawn and appear to be depressed. They may begin to __act out,__ drawing attention away from their learning difficulty. Problems with self-esteem can arise, and peer and sibling interactions can become strained. These children may lose their interest in school-related activities and appear to be unmotivated or lazy. The emotional symptoms and signs are just as important as the academic and require equal attention.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Reads slowly and painfully
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Experiences decoding errors, especially with the order of letters


 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Shows wide disparity between listening comprehension and reading comprehension of some text
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Has trouble with spelling
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">May have difficulty with handwriting
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Exhibits difficulty recalling known words
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Has difficulty with written language
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">May experience difficulty with math computations
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Decoding real words is better than nonsense words


 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Substitutes one small sight word for another: a, I, he, the, there, was

<span style="color: #f231c0; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 13pt; text-align: center;">Testing for Dyslexia <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The testing determines the child's functional reading level and compares it to reading potential, which is evaluated by an //intelligence test//. Also could be evaluated by a game type or puzzle format. Determines how the child learns best. Either hearing information (**auditory**), looking at information (**visual**), or doing something (**kinesthetic**). They also assess whether a child performs better when allowed to give information (**output**), by saying something (**oral**), or by doing something with their hands (**tactile-kinesthetic**). The tests also evaluate how all of these sensory systems (**modalities**) work in conjunction with each other.

<span style="color: #339933; display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 13pt; text-align: center;">
 * Recommended-Child get a good night’s sleep and eat a good breakfast. Parents are preffered to NOT be present for testing.

Preferred Method of Teaching // Differentiated Instruction //

<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;"> They create individual education programs (IEPs) based on student needs and align goals and objectives with grade-level curriculum and state standards as much as possible.  No Child Left Behind Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act - 2004, general educators are now being asked to, //design materials and activities that can meet the needs of all students initially, rather than make modifications after the fact// (van Garderen & Whitaker, 2006).  Sometimes all students will be working on the same assignment with different assessment criteria. Sometimes students will be working on different assignments that focus on the same concept.  Teachers may observe or interview their students to determine their interests (books, talking, technology), learning styles (auditory, visual, tactile/kinesthetic), and learning preferences (large group, small group, individual).  Teachers differentiate instruction by building on student strengths, providing options in content material and assessments, and aligning instructional strategies with student learning styles (Schlechty, 1997; Smutny, 2003).  // Differentiated instruction must give all students challenge and incentive to apply themselves in new ways // (Smutny, 2003). Therefore, teachers need to incorporate a variety of teaching techniques that provide students with a variety of opportunities to engage in the learning process.

**<span style="color: #ff3f00; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;">The Reading Process **

<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;"> To understand dyslexia, it helps to understand reading. Reading is a real workout for your brain. __You need to do the following steps — and all at once:__ Understand the way speech sounds make up words. Focus on printed marks (letters and words). Connect speech sounds to letters. Blend letter sounds smoothly into words. Control eye movements across the page. Build Images and ideas Compare new ideas with what is already known. Store the ideas in memory

Provide a quiet area for activities like reading, answering comprehension questions <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center;"> Use books on tape Use books with large print and big spaces between lines Provide a copy of lecture notes Don’t count spelling on history, science or other similar tests Allow alternative forms for book reports Allow the use of a laptop or other computer for in-class essays Use multi-sensory teaching methods Teach students to use logic rather than rote memory Present material in small units Encourage a daily routine to help develop the child’s own self-reliance and responsibilities **Video Games** <span style="color: #008cff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">--- Recent research by the American Psychological Association, has found a new technique to improve a child's learning through a disguised video game. Treatment is usually long, slow, and strenuous for children battling with this language-based learning disability. The video game is called "Fast ForWord". The game provides "intensive, highly individualized cross-training across a large number attention, processing, cognitive, linguistic and reading skills, all of which are vital for academic success". The study was found successful when looking at an MRI, where it "activated multiple brain regions during phonological processing".
 * Strategies **

**<span style="color: #b2a1c7; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Summary ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Dyslexia is a leraning disability found in three forms: // Trauma dyslexia, Primary dyslexa, and // Developmental dyslexia. The frontal part of the brain of a dyslexic person is used more than a person’s with a normal brain. Dyslexia often arises from impaired phonological awareness, the auditory analysis of spoken language that relates the sounds of language to print. This often causes stress and discouragement of a young child and will cause them to want to give up. Attention and encouragment are key in the development of a dyslexic child. Most symptoms include the following: disorganized work, trouble spelling, difficulty copying from the chalkboard, reads slowly and painfully, etc.. When they are tested, the testing determines the child's functional reading level and compares it to reading potential. Testing also provides the information of what learning style the child has. “Fast ForWord” video game helps the child learn with their illness. Other ways of teaching include books on tape, multi-sensory teaching methods, and providing a copy of lecture notes. The most important thing to remember is everyone can learn at their own pace.

5 Final Exam Questions:

1. Dyslexia is.... a) a learning disability b) stunted growth in height c) the inability to sit still in class and loss of hearing

2. Dyslexia symptoms are all of the following EXCEPT a) difficulty reading b) difficulty copying from the board c) inability to tell colors apart d) acting out or becoming depressed

3. A dyslexics brain is different than that of a normal persons. True or False

4. A good strategy for a dyslexic learner is... a) punish them when they are being too slow b) make them copy all their notes from the board c) use multi-sensory teaching methods

5. There are two types of dyslexia. True or False

<span style="display: block; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">References

Allen, C. (2003). Overcoming Dyslexia: New Hope for a Cure. //Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences//, 1.

American Psychological Association. (2004). Undoing Dyslexia via Video Games. //American Psychological Association//, 1. Bailet, L. L. (2009, May). //Dyslexia//. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from Kids Health: http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/learning_problem/dyslexia.html#

Classroom Strategies. (2009). //Dyslexia//. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from Classroom Strategies: http://www.classroomstrategies.com/dyslexia/

JD, G. (2009). Dyslexia: a new synergy between education and cognitive neuroscience. //Science//, 280-3. LDA Education Committee. (2005). //DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION//. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from Learning Disabilities Association of America: http://www.ldanatl.org/news/DIFFERENTIATED_INSTRUCTION.asp

LDA of California and UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute. (2002). //LD: Signs, Symptoms & Strategies//. Retrieved March 2010, 2010, from Learning Disabilities Association of America: http://www.ldanatl.org/aboutld/parents/ld_basics/dyslexia.asp

Midgley, S. (2010). Words don't come easy; Learning how to spell is a tough challenge for youngsters with dyslexia, says Simon Midgley.(Features). //The Times//, 5.

Perlstein, D. (2008, February 18). //Dyslexia//. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from MediceneNet: http://www.medicinenet.com/dyslexia/page5.htm

Sherman, G. (2009). //Structural Brain Differences in Kids with Dyslexia//. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from GreatSchools: http://www.greatschools.org/LD/reading-dyslexia/structural-brain-differences-in- Kids- with-dyslexia.gs?content=775&page=1

Presentation Handout:

**DYSLEXIA**  They create individual education programs (IEPs) based on student needs and align goals and objectives with grade-level curriculum and state standards as much as possible.  No Child Left Behind Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act - 2004, general educators are now being asked to, //design materials and activities that can meet the needs of all students initially, rather than make modifications after the fact// (van Garderen & Whitaker, 2006).  Sometimes all students will be working on the same assignment with different assessment criteria. Sometimes students will be working on different assignments that focus on the same concept.  Teachers may observe or interview their students to determine their interests (books, talking, technology), learning styles (auditory, visual, tactile/kinesthetic), and learning preferences (large group, small group, individual).
 * Definition:** is a learning problem some kids have. Dyslexia makes it tough to read and spell. The problem is inside the brain, but it doesn't mean the person is dumb. Plenty of smart and talented people struggle with dyslexia
 * Differentiated Instruction**

 Teachers differentiate instruction by building on student strengths, providing options in content material and assessments, and aligning instructional strategies with student learning styles (Schlechty, 1997; Smutny, 2003).  //Differentiated instruction must give all students challenge and incentive to apply themselves in new ways// (Smutny, 2003). Therefore, teachers need to incorporate a variety of teaching techniques that provide students with a variety of opportunities to engage in the learning process.

**Classroom Strategies** -Difficulty copying from the board -Homework- important to check that the child correctly writes down exactly what is required. -Make a daily check list and encourage a daily routine to help develop the child’s own self-reliance and responsibilities.

-Reading is structured so that it is done slowly -Spelling should be topic based, not just random words
 * Encourage good organizational skills (folder and dividers)
 * Break tasks down into small easily remembered pieces of information.
 * Seat the child fairly near the class teacher so that the teacher is available

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