Dyslexia

Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a difficulty in learning to read, speak, or write. It is a difference in brain organization that is present at birth & results in a struggle when trying to learn, remember, or express information. It is a learning disability that alters the way the brain processes written material. The effects of the disorder vary from person to person. In fact, the only common trait among people with dyslexia is that they read at levels significantly lower than typical for people of their age and intelligence.
Experts say it occurs in up to 15% of the general population. Although dyslexia continues through life, it is very possible to learn to deal effectively with dyslexia & accomplish high levels of success.
The most universal problems are:
• weak recognition of numbers, letters & words
• difficulty remembering numbers & letters in sequence
• poor manipulation of numbers & letters
• poor spelling
To suspect a diagnosis of dyslexia, a cluster of symptoms must be evidenced - not just one symptom. Symptoms may appear different in childhood or in adolescence & adulthood.
Dyslexia can result in a severe loss of self-esteem, limited friendships, & failure in school & career.
These effects can be prevented by:
• early diagnosis
• special remediation using multisensory techniques
• teaching of coping skills
Dyslexia Is ...
• not a sign of poor intelligence
• not the result of laziness or of not caring
• not a disease
• cannot be cured with pills or diets
• not an eye problem
• not outgrown


but... dyslexics can learn how to learn
the good news is that with appropriate education, understanding, & time, many dyslexics learn to read & write & to develop their special abilities & talents. Many successful people: scientists, artists, athletes & world leaders have dyslexia.
• Dyslexia is difficulty with language. For people with dyslexia, intelligence is not the problem. The problem is language.
• People with dyslexia may struggle with reading, spelling, understanding language they hear, or expressing themselves clearly in speaking or in writing.
• An unexpected gap exists between their potential for learning and their school achievement.
Typical responses when people find out that they or someone they know is dyslexic include dismay and anxiety – like the feelings people have when they find out they have a serious disease. Dyslexia is not a disease, but it is a lifelong problem that presents challenges that need to be overcome daily. The good news is that with proper diagnosis, appropriate education, hard work and support from family, friends, teachers and others, people who are dyslexic can lead successful and productive lives.
The first step in helping a person with dyslexia is to give emotional support and understanding. That’s one reason why you’re here right now – to find out how you can give that support. And that’s why we have this website – to help you with information and support.












The Left Hemisphere of the Brain - is it the right side?
Simply explained: A dyslectic uses the brain's right side instead of the left to read and spell.
In a human brain, the left-hemisphere is programmed to do the things you need for reading: to match a letter with its sound, or to handle information that comes into your brain in strings, like the sounds in a word - one after the other. It separates a word into individual sounds and so helps understand grammar and syntax.
The right hemisphere is different. It deals in areas and space and patterns. It doesn't understand parts of speech, or keep track of letter order in spelling. It "reads" a word as a drawing that it has been taught has a meaning (as a sketch, not a line up of sounds). So if it sees the shape "HOUSE," it knows that it's a place where somebody lives. But the person is just as apt to speak out home or residence (or igloo or tepee) instead of house. You can see that if the left side is leaves the reading to the right side, the result can be a totally different sound.
Corpus Callosum - A Bridge of Nerve cells in the brain.
It has long been thought that there were two contributing factors in the brain of a dyslectic. One is an underutilized left-hemisphere, and the other is a problem involving a central bridge of tissue in the brain called the Corpus Callosum.
The Corpus Callosum is a bridge of nerve cells over which information signals from one side of the brain reaches the other. Everything you see or hear goes to both sides, but each side has it own specialty. The Corpus Callosum not only transfers information, but also helps decide which is the appropriate side, and sends it there.
Recent research using the latest brain scanning techniques has now proven both suppositions: dyslectics do not use the Angular Gyrus in the left hemisphere when they read - and oddities in the construction of the Corpus Callosum are correlated with poor reading.
Obviously, a weak Corpus Callosum may not correctly deliver language tasks to the left where they belong. Further, it may transmit slowly, so some information arrives out of sync with the rest.
Also, the language areas in the dyslectic brain tend to be smaller than they are in a standard brain. This combination of a slow Corpus Callosum, an over eager right-hemisphere and an undersized left language area, is the recipe for dyslexia.
Suspecting Dyslexia ?
To suspect a diagnosis of dyslexia, a cluster of symptoms must be evidenced - not just one symptom.
• Dyslexia is difficulty with language. For people with dyslexia, intelligence is not the problem. The problem is language.
• People with dyslexia may struggle with reading, spelling, understanding language they hear, or expressing themselves clearly in speaking or in writing.
• An unexpected gap exists between their potential for learning and their school achievement.
Causes of Dyslexia
• results from differences within the organization of the brain. See What causes it?
• tends to run in families - dyslexics are born with the difference
• the exact cause may still be unknown
Diagnostic Tests
Tests for dyslexia look for just the telltale signs: overuse of the right-hemisphere and a poorly operating Corpus Callosum. First, of course, you have to be sure you are looking at a real reading problem, so you want a reading score of some kind and a rough-and-ready IQ score. If there is a big discrepancy between potential and production, that's an important clue.
Second, you want to see whether the right hemisphere of the brain is doing the reading. This is easily accomplished by having a student read a group of words that have been misspelled (but which if pronounced as written, would sound like real words. Example: fut, brade, blone, or peze. (Foot, braid, blown, or peas, in case your own left side needs jogging!). These words are called misspelled homophones.
Third, you want to test the state of the corpus callosum. This test is called Tactile Localization. It is easy to do and is explained under Diagnostic Tests.
Last, you will want a writing sample done from dictation. Check for bizarre spelling, omission of small words and punctuation, misplaced apostrophes, reversed letters and other odd mistakes.
If your student is intelligent, reads at about half the level he should, makes mistakes on the misspelled homophones test, writes as though some of the words originated in Outer Mongolia and makes 15% or more mistakes on the tactile localization test, you've most likely got a dyslectic child

To suspect a diagnosis of dyslexia, a cluster of symptoms must be evidenced - not just one symptom. Dyslexia is difficulty with language. For people with dyslexia, intelligence is not the problem. The problem is language.
An unexpected gap exists between their potential for learning and their school achievement.
Below are listed some of the common Symptoms found in Dyslectics (10-15% of the population)
The following difficulties may be associated with dyslexia. To verify that an individual is dyslexic, he/she should be tested by a qualified doctor.
Common Symptoms in Preschool Children
• May talk later than most children
• Fine motor skills may develop more slowly (like tying shoes)
• May have difficulty expressing self
• May have difficulty pronouncing words
• May be unable to recall the right word
• May have inability to follow directions
• May have left-right confusion
• May have difficulty learning alphabet, words of songs
• May have difficulty learning rhymes
• May have trouble interacting with peers
• May be unable to follow multi-step directions or routines
• Often has difficulty separating sounds in words and blending sounds to make words
• May have difficulty telling and/or retelling a story in the correct sequence
Caution: it is developmentally normal for children to have some of the above symptoms and to reverse letters and words when they first learn to write. This normally disappears by 2nd grade.
Common Symptoms at Kindergarten level
• Has difficulty decoding single words (reading single words in isolation)
• May be slow to learn the connection between letters and sounds
• May confuse small words - at - to, said - and, does - goes
• Makes consistent reading and spelling errors including:
o Inversions - m and w, u and n
o Substitutions - house and home
o Letter reversals - d for b as in, dog for bog
o Word reversals - top for pot
o Transpositions - felt and left
• May transpose number sequences and confuse arithmetic signs (+ - x / =)
• May have trouble remembering facts
• May be slow to learn new skills; relies heavily on memorizing without understanding
• May be impulsive and prone to accidents
• May have difficulty planning
• Often uses an awkward pencil grip (fist, thumb hooked over fingers, etc.)
• May have trouble learning to tell time
• May have poor fine motor coordination
Caution: To verify that an individual is dyslexic, he/she should be tested by a qualified doctor.
Common Symptoms at Junior School level
• Is usually reading below class level
• May reverse letter sequences - soiled for solid, left for felt
• May be slow to discern and to learn prefixes, suffixes, root words, and other reading and spelling strategies
• May have difficulty spelling, spells same word differently on the same page
• May avoid reading aloud
• May have trouble with word problems in math
• May write with difficulty with illegible handwriting; pencil grip is awkward, fist-like or tight
• May avoid writing
• May have slow or poor recall of facts
• May have difficulty with comprehension
• May have difficulty making friends
• May not understand body language and facial expressions of others
• May have trouble with non-literal language (idioms, jokes, proverbs, slang)
• May forget to hand in homework or to bring in homework
• May have difficulty with planning and time management
Caution: To verify that an individual is dyslexic, he/she should be tested by a qualified doctor.
Common Symptoms at Senior School level
• May read very slowly with many inaccuracies
• Continues to spell incorrectly, frequently spells the same word differently in a single piece of writing
• May procrastinate reading and writing tasks
• May avoid writing
• May have trouble summarizing and outlining
• May have trouble answering open-ended questions on tests
• May have poor memory skills
• May not adjust well to new settings or to change
• May work slowly
• May have poor grasp of abstract concepts
• May pay too little attention to details or focus too much on them
• May misread information
• Difficulty remembering names of people and places
• Hesitant speech
• Difficulty finding appropriate words
• Difficulty organizing ideas to write a letter or paper
• Inability to recall numbers in proper sequences (as in phone numbers)
• May not complete assignments; may complete them and not hand them in
• May have an inadequate vocabulary
• May have an inadequate store of knowledge from previous reading
• May have difficulty with planning and time management
Caution: To verify that an individual is dyslexic, he/she should be tested by a qualified doctor.
Common Symptoms in Adults
• May hide their reading problems; many subterfuges
• May spell poorly; relies on others
• Avoids writing; may not be able to write
• Often very competent in oral language
• Relies on memory; may have excellent memories
• Often has good “people” skills
• Often is spatially talented; engineers, architects, designers, artists and craftspeople, mathematicians, physicists, physicians (esp. orthopads, surgeons), dentists
• May be very good at “reading” people (intuitive)
• In jobs is often working well below their intellectual capacity
• May have difficulty with planning and organization
• May have difficulty with time; often too early, late or forgets appointments. Relies on digital watches; cannot tell analog time
• Often entrepreneurs; may have lost one or more businesses they started
• Difficulty remembering names of people and places
• Hesitant speech
• Difficulty finding appropriate words
• Difficulty organizing ideas to write a letter or paper
• Inability to recall numbers in proper sequences (as in phone numbers)
• Lowered self-esteem due to past frustrations and failures
• Poor ability to find way around and trouble finding car in parking lot OR excellent ability to find way around
Caution: To verify that an individual is dyslexic, he/she should be tested by a qualified doctor.

READING AND IQ
If your pupil is in school and is reading badly, you can probably get a reading level from the school. If he is an adult and reading badly enough to want to go through tutoring, you probably don't have to do a reading test, unless you want a nice before-and-after showing for your efforts.
For an I.Q. test, a child in real trouble in school may already already have had one. If not, you're entitled to ask for it. You don't need an exact score, just an indication that the student is at least average or above in intelligence. If he is somewhat slow, his reading problems may be due to something other than dyslexia.
Here are two basic diagnostic test-
Misspelled Homophones and Tactile Localization.
1. MISSPELLED HOMOPHONES TEST
Tell your pupil that some of the "words" he sees in the following bunch actually sound like real words, although they would be spelled differently. Have him look down a column - without reading them aloud - and have him point to any he thinks would be real words. When he points to one, then have him pronounce what he thinks it would be. You do this because otherwise you may miss some of his mistakes. For instance, if he looks at "sed" and says that would be a real word, you will think he has it right. But if he tells you that it would say "seed" you know it is a mistake. Then go on to the next column until he has done them all. He should be able to do this without more than one mistake.
zam lep crope bete mord
sed rool peze frire blone
baik calp hib masp thoe
vust praid blut kern crasp
He should identify sed and baik (said and bake) in the first column, rool and praid (rule and prayed) in the second, peze (peas) in the third, bete and frire (beat and fryer) in the fourth, and blone and thoe (blown and though) in the last column. This is a killer test for dyslectics.
2. TACTILE LOCALIZATION TEST
This is a test for the Corpus Callosum. If you touch someone lightly on the inside of his fingers with his hand behind his back (where he can't see what you do), and then you ask him to show you on the other hand where he was touched, that information has to goes through the Corpus Callosum.
The Corpus Callosum is fully matured by about ten years old, so no adult should make more than one or two mistakes on this.
Here is how you do the test:
Have a child's paint brush ready for light touching. Imagine the finger broken into three sections called "pads" separated by the joints. The three sections are the fleshy parts of the finger. You will touch either the far pad (fingerprint area) or the near pad next to his palm (never the middle one.)
Have your friend hold out both his hands, palms up, fingers spread out, one in front of him and one behind. Explain that you will be touching the fingers on the hand behind him where he can't see it. He is to point with his thumb on his front hand to where you touched him. Hold out your own hand, touch one of your fingers, and ask him where he would point on his own hand. Do this with several spots on both the inside and the outside joints of your fingers until you know he has the idea and never tries to touch that middle joint. Warn him that when you have touched the hand behind him, he is NOT to wiggle those fingers at all.
Touch him twice on each location on each finger, skipping around, of course, making a total of 16 touches, four to a finger, on each hand. Make sure your touches are light and quick! Make a diagram of the hands, and mark the spots where you touched him. If he identified it right, mark a 0 and mark a X to the wrong spots. If he makes three or more errors, his Corpus Callosum is not transferring information from one hemisphere to the other quickly and accurately.
If you find someone with reading problems who is intelligent, makes mistakes on the Misspelled Homophones and blows the Tactile Localization test, you are as sure as you are going to get in this world that you are looking at dyslexia.\


SUGGESTIONS TO PARENTS
• many students who learn differently struggle with homework
• assist your child in a positive way with homework
• reward your child's progress
• use lots of praise
• display your child's work
• acknowledge your child's difficulties
• help provide your child with other activities that focus on his or her strengths and gifts
• provide structure at home
• help your child become a self-advocate with teachers
HELPING WITH HOMEWORK
• It helps if you (as the parent) are aware of the type and amount of homework your child has. Teachers appreciate hearing from parents who have questions about homework - if you find your child is spending too much time on homework, ask the teacher how much time is expected. Often a teacher will tell parents to limit the homework to a given time, rather than have the child while away hours every evening..
o help your child set up a homework environment
o provide a suitable place for homework - quiet and away from TV
o some children, however, work better with a low radio
o some children work better while chewing gum
o provide good lighting
o develop a homework schedule that is relatively easy to stick to
o talk to your child about the homework assignment
o go over your child's work to see if it is complete - and to answer questions
o make sure your child has the appropriate tools:
 pencils
 pencil sharpener
 desk (or table top)
 computer, if appropriate
• Most important: avoid making homework a punishment for your child.
• If your child is struggling with reading, writing, math, and is exceptionally frustrated, consider requesting extra help:
o Contact your child's teacher
o Check into what is available from the school
o Have your child tested for Dyslexia