Childhood Dyslexia Book Report

Discussions of dyslexia require a definition of the term, and this is where we can come into some confusion if we are not careful. In fact, the “problem” itself exists in the defining of the word, and thus the labeling of those to whom the definition applies. However, with some knowledge of the etiology of “dyslexia” we can begin to ply our beliefs off the population of “dyslexics” and start to gain some understanding of their experiences with language learning. This is, after all, the intention of this research. Guardiola (2001) also assisted in redirecting the academic focus in this direction, towards the etiology of the term and how its history has shaped current social work, education, neurobiology, and psychology perspectives.

The teacher walked to the front of the room with her book in hand and as she got closer to the front, Paul got lower in his seat. He knew what was coming next; it was time for the class to read the next chapter. The teacher would start reading and then call on different students to read as they moved through the chapter. This scared Paul right down to his toes. He had read in front of the class before, but it was what followed after class that worried him the most. The taunts from the other students like “retard” or “are you stupid or what?” This type of relentless teasing would continue until gym class where he could hold his own ground again. He did not have any problems in gym; class he was good at sports

This means that if a parent has dyslexia, their children will have a greater chance of having the disorder as well. The same essay states that current studies suggest that 15-20% of the U.S. population has a reading disability, and of those 85% have dyslexia. Most of this data is obtained once a child has entered school and reached the age of 9, where reading becomes more vigorous. Most children with dyslexia can learn methods to assist them with their disability and read more fluently, but only if the learning disability is identified, recognized, and treated accurately. Even though dyslexia is a common disorder, obtaining a diagnosis can be difficult because schools are reluctant to spend the money or resources needed to test their

One common condition is Dyslexia. It may be possible to detect symptoms of dyslexia before a child starts school. Possible symptoms include:

In the essay “On Being Seventeen, Bright, and Unable to Read,” David Raymond offers information on him having the experience of dyslexia.  He explains how dyslexia plays a major role in his learning. In a positive and negative way.  Dyslexia doesn’t only stop him with other educational activities but effects his self-confidence. While dyslexia brought Raymond many struggles as a child, it also played a huge role in Raymond’s confidence such as him saying that he wanted to die since he was different to everyone else. David visibly tells us how his dyslexia held him back from every day activities as a child. While reading, he says, “My family began to suspect I was having problems almost from the first day I started school.” This quote makes

Channel 4 Dispatches programme entitled ‘The Dyslexia Myth’¹ was aired in September 2005. The purpose of the documentary was to inform society of the proposed misconceptions and myths of the condition which affects 1 in 5 people. The programme details how the common understanding of the learning impairment is not only false, but how this particular diagnosis makes it harder for children with reading difficulties to receive help. The director of the documentary clearly wants to get across the message that dyslexia is a myth. The documentary has since faced a lot of backlash from the media and families affected by the developmental disorder.

Screening can only suggest that there is a high probability of dyslexia. This however may change as recent research suggests that there is a genetic marker that can be identified in children with dyslexia (Fisher et al 2002). Currently however, a workable programme has yet to materialise. Screening currently considers a wide range of abilities, such as word recognition, writing style and speed, organisational skills and memory.

     Children with dyslexia give many signs to help identify them. Some of the clues include, not knowing whether to use the left or right hand after being reminded repeatedly, leaving out capital letters or losing using them in the wrong places reading a word correctly but does not comprehend, forming letters numbers badly, and forgetting to dot I’s and cross t’s (Make the Connection). They may spell the same word several different ways if they don’t have the visual memory to know what is right or the kinaesthetic memory for it to feel right as they are writing (Information on Dyslexia). These are some clues to look for in writing. Some other indications are late developer, easily distracted, problems with tying shoe laces, problems telling time, short term memory problems, holds pen too tightly, and has problems with sequences. Some examples of sequences that a person with dyslexia might have trouble with include alphabet, months of the year, and nursery rhymes. Some dyslexics are also good at other things that may be traits of having the disease such as, good long term memory, good visual eye, and very

According to the NCLD or National Center for Learning Disabilities, both children and adults with dyslexia possess a neurological disorder that makes their brain see and interpret information in a different way (NCLD, 2014).Dyslexia is a learning disorder that people carry throughout their life and causes difficulties in a number of areas which can include reading, spelling, and writing. Some people with dyslexia can have trouble speaking as well. In the beginning of the book, Mike’s mother shares insight about Mike’s early years as a child. During the time that Mike was a little over two years old his family felt that he had his own language. Although he loved to talk to everyone he met, many people did not understand him. And his parents were not able to tell people what he was saying because they did not understand Mike either. Mike’s family saw him as a normal healthy child with a unique way of communicating. They had no idea that Mike was already displaying signs of a learning disorder that would follow him all his life.

According to the Dyslexia & Learning Disability Centre in Las Vegas, Dyslexia is an ability within the sensory mechanism of the nervous system to perceive the world with a multidimensional view. However it comes with poor word reading, word decoding, oral reading fluency and spelling. Though with appropriate teaching methods, dyslexic individuals can learn successfully throughout their lives. Also, when properly trained and informed, a dyslexic can use their

They also cannot seem to speak effortlessly. It takes them so long to get thoughts out that when telling a story they sometimes forget where they were going with it. They know what they want to say and they know the words they want to use but it takes them so much effort to string them together. (Boston children's hospital, 2005). This causes a dyslexic so much frustration and also embarrassment (Boston children's hospital, 2005). There are different tests that can be done to test for dyslexia. One test that is done is giving a person many words that sounds like real words but are spelled incorrectly. It is hard for dyslexics to pick these words out (Van den Honert, n.d.). Also, tactile localization is another test used and it tests the corpus callosum. The patient is instructed to close their eyes while someone touches their finger and the patient must identify where they were touched and if they make more than two errors this is a sign of dyslexia (Van den Honert, n.d.). When a person is diagnosed with dyslexia they must be aware of the challenges they are going to face. They must be educated about their condition and how it will never go away they just have to try their hardest to overcome it. As a child it creates frustration and embarrassment while in class, or even talking with friends. Unfortunately there is no treatment but, there are strategies and actions taken to help people deal with their dyslexia.

Finding out if one is dyslexic is discovered through testing by a specialist. One of the test involves the person listening to the specialist read a paragraph and being asked to give feedback on what the person heard. Usually this involves admitting that the tested person cannot remember what was read only because there are no complete sentences that register. There are different types of dyslexia, and there are many people who do not understand the disabilities that come with it and the way their mind works with dyslexia. Someone with dyslexia means that they have trouble reading accurately and fluently. They may also have trouble with reading comprehension, spelling, and writing. There are similarities and differences between dyslexics and non-dyslexics including understanding assignments, the usefulness of overlays, and embarrassment with communication with others.

Dyslexia is very generic among both kids and adults, as almost 20% of the American population is diagnosed with dyslexia. Even though dyslexia is something you are born with, symptoms start coming into you when you are in preschool, middle school, or maybe even high school. The symptoms starts showing up gradually, so it is not easy to identify if you have dyslexia. However, if you think you do, it would be best to consult an adult or a doctor. Some of the symptoms that starts showing up if you are born with dyslexia are: struggling with word memorization, difficulties in foreign language classes, forgetting to spell or pronounce a word, or if you are reluctant to read something.

Growing, developing and learning are the facts of life for all children. Each day children are faced with many new concepts and various challenges. Can you imagine how it feels for a child to face not only new challenges life has, but to face these challenges while living with a learning disability? These challenges are met not just when they begin school either. Students suffer from learning disabilities from the moment they begin learning, not when they start school. Learning disabilities are real and they affect millions of people. “One such disability that affects over approximately 15 percent of the total American population is dyslexia” ( Nosek 5).

This strategy usually takes place when the dyslexic child shows an indication of becoming more self-assured at reading aloud. In this step teachers or parents can start to read more quietly, therefore permitting the child to take the lead, or remain quiet. These techniques can be done progressively, allowing the dyslexic building up his/her self-confidence when reading (Reid, 2011, 63).