Michael Sledd writes “The 8 Skills Students Must have for the Future” on Edudemic.com. The original article is from Pearson’s 2014, “The Learning Curve”. These are the strengths of many of the children I work with. As they work so hard on some foundational skills it’s important to remind them that their area of strengths are valued. —
Many of the learners I work with struggle more with writing than they do with reading. Although dyslexia and dysgraphia often coexist, children with motor and spatial dysgraphia, more than dyslexic dysgraphia, need Occupational Therapy. In addition to Orton-Gillingham tutoring, which provides solid instruction in language, Occupational Therapy helps with motor planning and an overall understanding of space in general. A combination approach results in the strongest outcomes for struggling students.
From Dr. RIchard Selznick Blog: “School Struggles, Learning Disablities and Other Kid Stuff” from March 6, 2015.
When children struggle with written expression, “OT,” or Occupational Therapy appears to be the go to recommendation that is often given.
Writing has been shown to be the single most complex skill domain of the academic process. The following quote from “Developmental Variations & Learning Disorders” says it well:
“The transmission of thoughts onto paper calls for a delicate and highly complex process of neurodevelopmental integration. Writing necessitates synchronizing all of the developmental functions (described in part I). Writing is a final common pathway of these functions, a confluence of processes demanding attention, spatial and sequential production, mnemonic facility, language ability and motor skill.”
Motor skills (the skills targeted in OT) are the tip of the iceberg. It’s a good first step. What’s the next step? Most of the time, I am not hearing the next step. I only hear about the child getting, “OT.”
Beyond OT, a child needs much more remediation to address their deficits in writing (which are becoming more and more pervasive with the kids I am seeing).
For some time I have been beating a drum (although I understand no one is really listening), that a child struggling with writing needs to work first at the sentence level and master the skill of writing a good sentence before moving on to more complex operations.
Analogous to reading remediation, a child needs to work at very simplistic levels initially, derive a sense of mastery and then move forward to higher levels of complexity.
Most of the kids that I assess have little ability to understand what goes into writing a sentence or a paragraph, so to have them writing lengthy essays is way beyond them. It’s somewhat like asking someone to lift 25lb weights when they can barely lift 10lbs.
Takeaway Point:
Once your child has a had a good dose of “OT” to address his or her writing, ask, “Now what? What’s next?”
What’s next needs to be the heavy lifting of writing remediation.
If you’re working on taxes and you’ve paid a tutor to help your child learn to read, you might be eligible for the MN Reading Credit. This credit is currently available only for the 2014 tax year. The following is directly from the Department of Revenue form:
Who is Eligible?
You may be able to receive a refundable credit for non-reimbursed expenses you paid to assist your qualifying child with meeting state-required academic standards. To be eligible for this credit, you must meet the following criteria:
The following is a link to the form,
http://www.revenue.state.mn.us/Forms_and_Instructions/m1read_14.pdf
This class is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 9th at Denfeld High School at 6:30 pm.
Does homework your child avoid homework?
Is it a battle every night?
Could something else be going on?
Is their work hard to read?
Or is it easy to read but takes forever?
Is their work full of spelling and punctuation errors?
Do they use both upper and lower case letters interchangeable?
Is their writing ‘scattered’ across the page?
This workshop is designed to give parents basic information to help their children succeed in writing. Dysgraphia, sometimes called disorder of written expression, is a neurology disorder. We will discuss how to detect, assessment, types of remediation, accommodations and technology. Bring a sample of your child’s writing to class.
Go to Duluth Community Ed to sign up
The following the link will take you to a parent’s passionate plea for help for her daughter. She is pleading with her school board to revisit its policies. She praises the child’s teacher who is going above and beyond but unable to give her daughter what she needs.
https://docs.google.com/a/guilford.edu/file/d/0BwodmMudG_2kUDNCaVdjLV9JLVk/edit?pli=1
From Dyslexia Training Institute
These 7 accommodations are a good place to begin when thinking about accommodations.
LDA’s 6th Annual Fall Symposium is scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2014, at Groves Academy in St. Louis Park. The theme this year is: Empowered to Learn & Grow: ADHD, Learning Disabilities and Other Learning-Based Life Barriers
Title: Empowered to Learn & Grow: ADHD, Learning Disabilities and Other Learning-Based Life Barriers
Date: Saturday, November 8, 2014
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Location: Groves Academy, 3200 Highway 100 South, St. Louis Park, MN
Registration: $50 for individuals; $40 for students (student ID required)
8:00-8:30 Registration/Check-in
8:30-9:00 Continental breakfast
9:00-10:30 Keynote Presentation: Information Processing Differences: A Fresh Perspecitve on Learning Disabilities,Dr. Gary Johnson and Dr. Chris Bedford, Clinic for Attention, Learning and Memory
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-11:45 Breakout Session I: Student Panel: Learning Disabilities and ADHD From a Student Perspective; Implementing a Literacy Framework that Works; and Study Skills & School Support at Home
11:45-12:30 Lunch
12:30-1:30 Breakout Session II: Practicing Mindfulness; Developing Successful Programs for 18-21 Year Old Students with a Variety of Disabilities; and Love Without Boundaries: Children and Adolescents with Disabilities and Grief
1:30-1:40 Break
1:40-2:40 Breakout Session III: Self Advocacy and Self Determination: Know Your Rights; Individualizing Instruction and Curriculum Based Assessment; and The Good, the Challenging and the Useful: Raising a Child with ADHD
2:40-3:00 Closing Remarks
PASSED Gathering
Bixby’s Bagel Shop – Mount Royal Shopping Center (Dulluth, MN)
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Noon
Come share your experiences, ask your questions, meet others.
Although this article is about children with Dyslexia, it has good information for parents of children with many different types of learning challenges.
Since discovering that my children have dyslexia, I have been absorbing all of the information about dyslexia that I can possibly find. In the process, I’ve learned so much.
I’d like to help others understand the 1 in 5 kids who have dyslexia as well.
So, without further ado, here are the top 10 things a parent to a child with dyslexia wishes you understood:
Example: “Your dog is LAYING next to you?? What’s he laying? An egg?”
Why this is an issue: Dyslexia is a learning difference in processing language. It is much harder for someone with dyslexia to read, write and spell. Your gift may be in grammar, but someone with dyslexia may be gifted in science or music or inventing new products. Think before you judge, and think before you type that judgment into someone’s comment section. Would you like us to follow you around pointing out your un-athletic abilities or your deficiency in art? Didn’t think so.
Example: “I used XYZ early reading program/book/movie/device with my child, and he was reading full sentences by age 3. You should try that!”
Why this is an issue: Children with dyslexia learn in different ways. While these programs are just fine for non-dyslexics, a child with dyslexia needs a program built around multi-sensory explicit instruction in phonemic awareness. Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, and Barton are some of the methods with proven track records to help children with dyslexia. If you are not in the dyslexia community, it may not be helpful to give advice. We know it’s well meaning, but our children learn differently, and different reading programs match up with different kids.
8. Reading more isn’t the cure.Example: “You should read to your kid at least 20 minutes a day. You know, I read to my kid since he was in the womb, and he caught right on!”
Why this is an issue: Okay, we are not discouraging reading to your child. We think it’s a great thing to do! Please, keep it up! Here’s the thing, though ….we DO actually read to our children as well! Every single day! We have read to them since birth. We have loads of books in our home. We have library cards, and we go weekly.
Reading to our children builds vocabulary, helps them learn about different cultures, and fosters imagination. It will not, however, magically teach them how to decode words. Please don’t assume that dyslexia is caused by a lack of early reading.
Example: “I kept him in from recess because he was lazy and not finishing his work.” or “He is not following directions, I told him to close his book, put up his backpack, and sit on the carpet. He just stayed by the backpack area.”
Why this is an issue: Dyslexia does not solely affect reading. While no two dyslexics are alike, many children with dyslexia struggle with processing speed. This includes processing both written and spoken language. Due to the slower processing speed, it will take them longer to do a worksheet. They may even yawn because so much effort is being put into decoding the words on the page. They are not being lazy. They are using so much brain-power that they are exhausted! Please, don’t hold them in from recess. They are spending their entire day working hard in a written world, and their brains need that break.
Also, multi-step directions may be a problem for many children with dyslexia. They are working hard to process the very first direction, and thus they may literally not hear the last step. They are not ignoring you. Repeat your directions, and most will say “oh!” and get busy doing whatever you said.
6. There are GIFTS that come with dyslexia.Example: “Oh, that must be so hard to be dyslexic. What will he do in life?” This is usually followed by a very sad face.
Why this is an issue: Many people consider their dyslexia to be a gift! Yes, it makes processing language more difficult. However, other areas soar! A large number of people with dyslexia are inventors, scientists, athletes or actors. People with dyslexia tend to be very successful after graduation. As Dr. Sally Shaywitz from Yale often says, “dyslexia is an island of weakness surrounded by a sea of strengths!”
Example: “I can’t allow Johnny extra time on that test. It wouldn’t be fair to the rest of the class.”
Why this is an issue: Accommodations level the playing field for Johnny. They don’t give him an unfair advantage. Think of it like this, would providing a ramp up a set of stairs for a child in a wheelchair be “unfair?” What about a child who needs glasses? Is allowing him to use his glasses in class “unfair?” Just because you can’t see the difference in the brain does not mean it is not there.
Example: “Oh, he’s listening to a book? That’s sweet. What has he actually read though?”
Why this is an issue: Ear reading is our word for audio books. This is important because reading, however you do it, helps to raise vocabulary, introduces you to different cultures, and gives you background knowledge you would not otherwise acquire.
For children with dyslexia, their IQ level is usually much higher than their actual reading level. As technology has advanced, we now have a way for our kids to read, independently, on their actual IQ level. My own son has seen such benefit from audio books via our Learning Ally membership! He listens daily. This allows him to not only build his vocabulary, but to also discuss books with his peers like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Harry Potter, or Freckle Juice. It allows him a way to fit in, and to not feel so different.
Why would anyone want to discourage that?
We do still practice eye reading nightly as well. We work on it. It is equally important.
Example: “Why are you upset? He gets all that help in school now.”
Why this is an issue: When you are the parent to a child with dyslexia, it’s an uphill battle. First, you need to secure a diagnosis. Most schools will evaluate a child for special education services, but not necessarily for dyslexia. A specific diagnosis is important because it helps parents and educators know which type of reading program to provide. If your child does qualify for special education services in school (not all dyslexics meet the qualifications), there is no guarantee that the program provided will be one that is research based specifically for dyslexia. That’s because most schools do not test for dyslexia. And we go round and round.
So, what do parents do? If we can afford it, we hire private dyslexia tutors, who are specialized beyond most reading tutors. See point number 9.
2. Our kids can learn to read. They also do not see backwards.Example: “Your child is dyslexic? That means he can’t read, right? It must be hard since he sees everything backwards.”
Why this is a problem: Our kids can, in fact, learn to read, and some will even read well! They just need to have access to a research based reading program made specifically for dyslexia. Also, kids with dyslexia do not “see” backwards. They see just like everyone else. Sometimes you will see them reverse letters, but that is because many have struggles with left vs right and orthographic processing. It has nothing to do with how they see.
Example: “Slow readers are clearly …well …slow.”
Why is this an issue: The reading circuit in the brain is totally separate from intelligence. If our school system was set up in a way where everyone learned via musicals, then the people who don’t sing well would be considered “slow.” Reading is just one area where some people excel, and some do not. It is not a sign of intelligence. Actually, the majority of people with dyslexia have average to above average IQ levels. All upper level thinking skills are there. Our kids can do grade level work (and sometimes above grade level work), but many will need to acquire the information in some format aside from written text. This is where audiobooks really benefit our children! They are just as smart as all of the other kids in class, and sometimes they are even the smartest child in class. Reading text is not the best way to measure intelligence.
Written by Emily Lapkin
Dyslexia makes reading and other language-based tasks difficult, but it can also affect your child’s social skills. Here are five common social challenges your child with dyslexia may face—and ways you can help.
5 Ways Dyslexia Can Affect Your Child’s Social Life Having dyslexia can sometimes contribute to social issues on top of learning difficulties.
The dyslexia link: Dyslexia can make it hard for your child to understand jokes or sarcasm.
How you can help: Tell jokes or stories at the dinner table to help your child practice responding.
The dyslexia link: Kids with dyslexia can’t always find the words they want to say—especially if they feel strongly about the topic or need to respond quickly.
How you can help: Give your child time to think. Slow down the overall pace of the conversation.
The dyslexia link: Kids with dyslexia might not pick up on body language, facial expressions and other social cues.
How you can help: Watch your child’s favorite shows the volume off. Ask your child to guess how a character is feeling based on his body language.
The dyslexia link: Kids with dyslexia may shy away from texting because they have trouble understanding the abbreviations.
How you can help:Show your child how the abbreviations work. Some are based on spelling (“idk” for “I don’t know”) and others on how letters and numbers sound (“l8r” for “later”).
The dyslexia link: Dyslexia can make it hard to recall specific words or details. This can lead to confusion about what friends said.
How you can help: Play games that can help strengthen memory. Have your child name the different kinds of cars on the street and then say the names back to you a few minutes later.
Not fitting in can take a toll on your child’s self-esteem. But there are many ways you can help your child build confidence, improve working memory, develop strong social skills and avoid hurt feelings.