Dyslexic Experience

The BDA Dyslexia Friendly Schools Pack for Teachers (2009) provides an overall guide of what dyslexia is and how a dyslexia friendly school should be delivering education to the dyslexic learner. The writers begin with a definition of dyslexia stating that “dyslexia is a learning difference, a combination of strengths and weaknesses”. This is an informative definition as opposed to the recommendation of Norwich et al (2005) that exemplary schools should promote an inclusive school system whereby dyslexia is considered but not in isolation. The BDA (2009) state that importance ought to be

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 driving forces behind SB 866 include persons from both public and private sectors. Individuals testified to the Interim Committee on Dyslexia and Related Disorders in what dyslexic students need to be successful academically. Testimony was heard from educators at the college level, parents of dyslexic students, doctors familiar with dyslexia and related disorders, medical researchers, members of professional dyslexia organizations, and state officers (Texas Legislature Online, 2011). Each spoke of their experiences with individuals with dyslexia and related learning disorders, medically, personally, and academically and each was chosen for their research and knowledge as it pertains to this very specific field (T. Flanders, personal communication, August 30, 2011). Absent from the agenda were teachers and dyslexia therapists within the public school system (Texas Legislature Online, 2011).

Still, to this day, dyslexia presents challenges because I read slowly and sometimes mix up words and letter order. I don’t like to read because it’s frustrating, but I do it because I enjoy acquiring new knowledge and so I can make something of myself. In spite of dyslexia, I’ve excelled in high school, while participating in a rigorous academic program. It has taught me perseverance which will help me reach my goals. Instead of staying up late at night thinking about the existence of dog, I contemplate making a positive impact on

The challenges and barriers identified for teachers are directed at meeting the individual needs of their students. The lack of time and the need for more expertise in the area are a matter of concern for students with dyslexia. Lack of teacher training and expertise creates difficulties when considering the importance of teachers to be able to create Individualised Learning Programs which will effectively accommodate these learning difficulties.

I have not had the opportunity yet to work with students that have dyslexia, because as you mentioned they are in early grade level as kindergarten, and the times that I had ask or point out a difficulty

Mary Emma Campbell, freshman human development and family life education major with a concentration in child life said, “This ended up being much more difficult than I expected, it gave me a glimpse of what dyslexic students deal with daily.”

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

Dyslexia is a lifelong struggle with constant challenges with reading and speaking. About five to ten percent of the United States population deals with the learning disorder dyslexia (Van den Honert, n.d.). It is a neurological condition that is mainly caused by genetics but there are some rare cases in which it is acquired. Dyslexia interrupts the normal processes of reading and speaking (Van den Honert, n.d.). All of which are used in daily life and this makes life and school so much harder for dyslexics. They must learn to live with the condition for their entire life and there is not really a treatment for it. With the constant struggle and reminder of their

Learner X has been diagnosed with moderate learning difficulties, poor short-term working memory and dyslexia. Learner X also suffers from classroom anxiety as has been reported in his Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). School X has recognised the needs to Learner X and has certain measures in place to ensure Learner X has the same access to education as the other pupils. One of these measures is extra-allowed time during any form of examination or assessment, in addition to the use of a ‘C-PEN’. This is a ‘scanning pen that displays a word definition and reads text aloud to support dyslexic children and adults with reading difficulties’. As Learner X has his GCES’s coming up in the summer, provisions are being put in place for a possible

After watching this enlightening documentary on dyslexia and actually hearing about it from people who have first hand experience with this learning disability, I feel like I am walking away with a better sense of understanding of it what is and how to address it in my classroom.

Although our school works hard to currently address the needs of our Dyslexic children with a degree of success with relation to academic progress (as monitored through quantitative assessments carried out by the Learning Support Team and also through the continual tracking and assessment), there are currently several older children in the school, now approaching the transition to secondary education, who have experienced feelings of low self-esteem and reluctance to read or write throughout their schooling. One child in particular feels he is continually frustrated and has been reduced to tears in class.

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).

Since all Dyslexic children differ from each other and learn differently it is crucial that parents and teachers incorporate all of their senses into the learning process as their visual or auditory processing may be impaired. Lawrence states that a child may pass a hearing or vision test quite easily, yet they may not be able to process this information into their memory. This shows how simple exercises can have a long lasting positive effect on the child in these early school years.

Dyslexia is more prevalent in society than this author even knew prior to conducting this research. According to Austin Learning Solutions, 1 in 10 Americans are dyslexic in some capacity. Public opinion about dyslexia has perhaps kept many from seeking help, as 80% of Americans associate dyslexia with some form of retardation. (Austin, 2015) However negatively our society might look at dyslexics, no particular community is less vulnerable to dyslexia than any other. Learning Inside-Out found that the ratio of dyslexic to non-dyslexic persons among diverse ethnic and socioeconomic communities is nearly the same. (Learning) Similarly, men and women are equally as vulnerable, with a 1.5:1 ratio (m:w) as of 2009. (Fletcher, 2009) Currently, the genetic factor in developmental dyslexia is unequivocal according to the International Dyslexia Association, who estimate that 33% of children born to a dyslexic parent will present symptoms as they begin language learning. (IDA, 2015) Given these statistics, it would seem that the “exceptional learner” can hardly be marginalized for much longer. They (we) are too great in number to still be considered the minority of learners. Our society has also been propelled forward by many famous dyslexics, including Albert Einstein, whose work re-conceptualized our modern view of the cosmos. (Austin, 2015) We should also acknowledge the work of Leonardo DaVinci, Galileo, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas