Dyslexia/Reading & Learning Disabilities

Listening to Dyslexia: “Heard, But Not Seen”

by | Mar 14, 2012 |

Recently I wrote a piece about defining dyslexia ( www.shutdownlearner.com/blog ), frustrated by the constant refrain heard by parents, “Well, we really don’t know what it (dyslexia) is.”   What is puzzling to parents is the statement that they often hear, “I don’t see it with your child in the classroom.” 

Diagnostically, one does not “see” dyslexia. The only way that I know to identify dyslexia is to listen to it, not see it.
 
Take Sari, age 17, a child I recently evaluated who was never diagnosed with dyslexia. 
 
When I listened to Sari read I was struck how strained her reading sounded.  Larger words such as, conspicuous, philanthropist, mechanic,  represented hurdles in the text that she had to jump over. Every time she hit one of these “low frequency” words, she slowed down her reading to a crawl and either read the word correctly by laboring through or substituting some sort of nonsense word that altered the text. Either way, the reading was very tough sledding for Sari. She derived little meaning from what she read.
 
The problem is her teachers have never really heard her read. From early elementary school the majority of reading activities are done silently. Sari was never diagnosed with dyslexia because no one was listening for the signs and symptoms.  
 
Unless children read words (real words and pseudowords) in isolation followed by context oral reading, no one would know Sari had a reading disability. She was simply smart enough (and well behaved enough) to fake it.
 
Let me leave you with this: If I ask you what’s “5 + 3” do you have to think about it or figure it out? 
 
My guess is, no.
 
Now try and read these words:   
 
·         mechanic
·         thrumblit (a made up word)
·         Riconsetti (a name)
 
By middle school, adequate readers can read these words as easily as adding “5 + 3” – automatically and effortlessly.
 
With dyslexia, these words are a chore, resulting in much reading resistance.
 
To “diagnose dyslexia” listen to the strained reading. 
 
It’s not something that you will see, but hear.

 

Deconstructing Dyslexia

by | Mar 7, 2012 |

Probably a week does not go by where I haven’t heard something like the following from a bleary eyed parent: “The school is telling us that no one really knows what dyslexia is and if anyone really does it has to be a medically diagnosed.” 

 
We have talked about this before in different ways, but I thought that “deconstructing dyslexia” would be helpful. 
 
The definition that follows from NICHD is very useful:
 
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin.
 
OK…so far so good. This tells that the disorder is likely to have been passed down. 99% of the time in my work I find one or the other parent saying something, like “Yep, I was just like that as a kid.”
 
It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and / or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.  
 
What??? Where is all of the [b/d],  [was/saw] reversal business everybody always talks about? You mean that has nothing to do with it? Accurate and or fluent word recognition? I don’t know too many medical doctors testing that stuff.  
 
These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction.
 
You mean they aren’t even mentioning IQ? Why do the schools still hold to the sanctity of the IQ score?
 
 Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge
 
Well, if you read  a word like “prickopinny” for “porcupine” it certainly will affect comprehension, won’t it?   Also, if you don’t read much, as dyslexic people usually don’t, then vocabulary and comprehension will suffer.
 
Now, doesn’t that make sense?
 
 
 

 

40 Informative Sites to Learn About Effective Special Education Teaching Methods

by | Nov 15, 2011 |

I was recently contacted by Mr. Matt Holden who writes articles for:  www.mastersinspecialeducation.org/  a website dedicated to providing students with the information and tools needed in order to pursue their Masters in Special Education.

Mr. Holden wrote this very informative piece that I think many parents and teachers alike would find very interesting.
 
The link to his article is: 
 

www.mastersinspecialeducation.org/40-informative-sites-to-learn-about-effective-special-education-teaching-methods.html

I strongly encourage you to check it out and spread the word around about the article.

It’s loaded with great information

 

 

“Dear Mrs. Smith: The Work Is Simply Too Hard For Him: He Can’t Read the Story”

by | Oct 28, 2011 |

So many of the kids that I see are given work on a daily basis that they can’t handle. No amount of trying harder or paying attention better will matter. When it comes to reading one of the best ways to test out whether a child is in over his head, is simply to listen to the child read. For me, listening to a child read a passage out loud is a type of x-ray.

 
Every once in a while, to determine whether the work your child is getting is too difficult, ask him to read a paragraph or two from the text, story or worksheet they are being asked to manage independently.
 
How does the reading sound? Is it relatively smooth or is it strained and labored? Were most of the words read fairly effortlessly or were there nonsensical substitution words (e.g., “pricopinny” for porcupine). If there are more than a few of these words substituted in a paragraph, the material is simply too hard. No medication or increased motivation will overcome these weaknesses. 
 
If the work is too difficult, let your child’s teacher know that your child cannot do the work he is being asked to manage.
 
Please feel free to copy this note for the teacher and put in your own specifics:
 
 
Dear Mrs. __________:
 
Last night (James) attempted to do his reading. Pretty quickly it became apparent that he was getting frustrated. I asked him to read a part of the story to me, and it was clear that the material was well above his level.
 
I would appreciate it if you could take him off to the side of the room apart from the other children to listen to his reading the story to you. I presume you will see what I mean. The work is simply too hard for him – he can’t read the story.
               
Please advise.   Thank you for your concern.
 
Approach the problem positively with the teacher (at least initially). The old expression, “You get more flies with honey, than vinegar.” applies.
 
 
(**In future posts we will talk about a few specific strategies that can be very helpful.)
 

 

 

“The House Looks Fine: What’s the Problem?”

by | Apr 23, 2011 |

Many times parents (moms) sense that something is wrong with their child and want to have the child evaluated in school. Once the mom raises the issue, often she hears a version of the following, “Well, she’s getting good grades – what’s the problem?”  The mom walks away thinking that she was being unduly concerned as the request for testing is denied, and she is given the impression that she is over-worrying.

Time goes by. The mom continues to see the child struggle and may seek an outside assessment. More often than not in a situation like this, what I find are “cracks in the foundation” that help to explain some of the struggling and validate the mom’s concerns.
 
These cracks are like the ones in your house. Sure the house looks fine, but the foundation may be a little shaky. 
 
With a child the shaky foundation doesn’t necessarily mean that the child is “disabled,” but it also doesn’t mean that the child is fine. The good grades may be masking some of the issues of concern (the foundation).
 
A child can get good grades for all kinds of reasons. For example, you can probably get a B in most classes in elementary school if you don’t give the teacher a hard time, hand in your homework, and exhibit other teacher pleasing behaviors.    Many children (especially the girls) have that figured this out. This approach is a good strategy for not drawing any undue negative attention to yourself. (Boys are notorious for not figuring this out.)
 
Listen to your “mother gut.” When you think there are concerns, they are usually there. The school may not act on your concerns, but if you are able to do so you should try and have someone check out the foundation. 
 
Ignoring the cracks is never a good policy, whether it is your house or your child. 
 
Cracks widen over time. Problems magnify.
 
There is no gain in taking no action.

 

Two Roads

by | Mar 11, 2011 |

You know what Robert Frost said, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood…”
 
Lately I’ve been explaining issues of struggling children in the metaphor of two roads.
 
About 50 – 60% of the population has a relatively smooth ride when it comes to school. Sure, there are some pebbles, rocks and a few potholes in the road, but in terms of the big items – academic and social functioning – the kids on this road get a relatively smooth ride. 
                                                                                   
Then there are the other kids. These kids travel down a bumpy road filled with potholes.   For a whole host of co-mingling variables it’s not an easy ride for them
 
Children are not car engines.  They aren’t broken.  There’s no fixing.
 
What we can do is make their bumpy road a little smoother.
 
Smoothing the road a bit can take many forms. A lot of it is turning down the heat and curbing all the yelling around and teeth gnashing related to school. 
 
Maybe tonight instead of all the homework stress, play a game of Uno. Maybe your child likes drawing or building a Lego model. If your kid is older, have her play some music for you that she’s been listening to on her IPod (that you have no idea about). How about you go for a walk together?
 
 Let the child take the lead. 
 
One rule, though – you’re not allowed to bring up school during that time.
 
You’re just trying to smooth the road a bit, one pot hole at a time.

 

Brief Tip #3: Getting Clear on Dyslexia

by | Feb 24, 2011 |

Ask anyone you know what they  think of dyslexia and they will invariably answer by stating, “Isn’t that when you read upside down and backwards.” 
 
Well, I have assessed thousands of kids I believe are “dyslexic” and have yet to meet one reading upside down and backwards.
 
To clear up any confusion, stay with this researched based definition: 
 
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin.   It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge   (NICHD).
 
Notice, there’s no mention of “upside down and backwards” in the definition.
 
Work hard to shake this notion out of your tree!
 
 
 

Brief Tip #2: Get Clear On Your Focus With Reading Remediation

by | Feb 21, 2011 |

Know What You Are Targeting

There are essentially two types of reading problems.

In the first type, the child has trouble decoding words and reading fluently. In the second, the child can read fluently, but has difficulty understanding what is read.

If you are seeking remediation through tutoring, get clear on what you are targeting; don’t scattershot your remediation.

Is the tutoring to be decoding/fluency epmhasis or comprehension-emphasis?

Be laser focused in  your approach.

Brief Shut-Down Learner Tip #1: Trust Your Gut

by | Feb 16, 2011 | ,

Brief Shut-Down Learner Tip #1: Trust Your Gut

Listen Up, moms!

If you believe your child is having difficulty, listen to yourself. Don’t fall for statements such as, “You know how boys are,” or “She’ll grow out of it.”

Act on your feelings even if your child has been shown to be ineligible for school services.

Consult with a trustworthy, competent person to have your feelings and perceptions about your child checked out.

In my experience, it is exceedingly rare that a mom think something is going on and there is nothing there.

(Now the dads are another story!)
 

BRDD: Boy Reading Deficit Disorder

by | Feb 5, 2011 |

You’re a 12 year old boy.  Let’s say you have three hours (or more) to kill.  Which would you rather do, entertain your superhero fantasies, kill a gazillion bad guys, and perhaps save the world, or read a book? While I haven’t conducted this research study, I would predict that of a sample of say 1000 twelve year old boys, 999 would choose saving the world (on video of course).  

While I was a boy (in the log cabin era), I entertained my superhero fantasies by playing outside. (I was always Batman.) There wasn’t all that much going on inside, except when we got involved with very deep comic book reading sessions – Batman, Superman, Legion of Superheroes, that sort of thing. Of course, most children do go through a superhero phase. In fact, there was recently research conducted to see which comic book universe each state prefers (look at the source here). That just shows how many people love comic books!

 

I’m not sure what life would have been like had video games been available to us.  I think that even reading comics would have been something seen as too slow and not having enough juice to hold our very fragile attention spans.
Boys of the modern era have a very tough time of it slogging through a book.  Their sense of slowly letting a book unfold over time is becoming increasingly foreign to their experience –   “Wait, it could take me three or more weeks to finish this story? No chance.”  
 

I know that the usual answer is you have to find the subject matter that will engage their interests and they will connect to reading.  I’m not so sure.  The distractions are running rampant around their poor brains.
 

One solution is to start early if you can with a quiet time in the house that becomes sacred down time – no electronic interferences whatsoever (this means adults too).   Steering your child to choose among some Newbery award winning books bit.ly/167jAMas part of the ritual may excite some dormant part of his psyche. 
 

If this time becomes a part of the household ritual, then going off and saving the world, at least for that hour to an hour and a half, is something that will have to be put on hold.  You may find one way of staving off BRDD.

 

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