How do/will you assess How do/will you assess your students?your students?

History of DyslexiaHistory of DyslexiaGerman neurologist, Adolph Kussmaul German neurologist, Adolph Kussmaul

coined the term ‘alexia’ or ‘word coined the term ‘alexia’ or ‘word blindness’ around 1878.blindness’ around 1878.

Rudolf Berlin in 1887, coined the term Rudolf Berlin in 1887, coined the term “dyslexia”  where the theories of reading “dyslexia”  where the theories of reading disabilities being linked to brain disabilities being linked to brain dysfunctionality were accepted. dysfunctionality were accepted.

PET and MRI developed in the 1980-PET and MRI developed in the 1980-1990 -process neural signals and 1990 -process neural signals and identify distinct patterns in both normal identify distinct patterns in both normal and affected conditions.and affected conditions.

Dyslexia is a disorder in children who, Dyslexia is a disorder in children who, despite conventional classroom despite conventional classroom

experience, fail to attain the language experience, fail to attain the language skills of reading, writing, and spelling skills of reading, writing, and spelling commensurate with their intellectual commensurate with their intellectual

abilities.abilities.The World Federation The World Federation

of Neurologists, 1968of Neurologists, 1968

U.S. National Institutes of Health U.S. National Institutes of Health defines it as a defines it as a learning disabilitylearning disability that can hinder a person's ability  that can hinder a person's ability to read, to read,

write, spell, and write, spell, and

sometimes speak. sometimes speak.

““As a high school student, many As a high school student, many of my teachers labeled me of my teachers labeled me dumb….I could barely read my dumb….I could barely read my textbooks”…..textbooks”…..

Muhammad AliMuhammad AliFamous boxerFamous boxer

The most common cause for The most common cause for dyslexia - genes – the child has dyslexia - genes – the child has inherited the genetic material inherited the genetic material

from one or both of the parents from one or both of the parents which have affected how that which have affected how that child’s brain was built during child’s brain was built during

fetal development.fetal development.

Less commonLess common

are headare head

injuries whereinjuries where

the cause isthe cause is

acquired brainacquired brain

damage.damage.

TYPES OFTYPES OF

Trauma DyslexiaTrauma Dyslexia

Primary DyslexiaPrimary Dyslexia

Secondary or developmental typeSecondary or developmental type

Visual dyslexiaVisual dyslexia

Phonological Phonological (auditory) dyslexia(auditory) dyslexia

Directional ConfusionDirectional Confusion

Sequencing DifficultiesSequencing Difficulties

Difficulties with Little WordsDifficulties with Little Words

Bizarre Reading Bizarre Reading

and and

SpellingSpelling

Difficulties with HandwritingDifficulties with Handwriting

Understanding DyslexiaUnderstanding DyslexiaDyslexic people hear and see Dyslexic people hear and see

normally but have difficulty normally but have difficulty remembering what they hear and remembering what they hear and see. This is called processing see. This is called processing information. information.

Brain scan experiments have Brain scan experiments have shown that dyslexic people use shown that dyslexic people use different areas of the brain to different areas of the brain to process information. process information.

We all absorb information in We all absorb information in different ways. Some people learn different ways. Some people learn best through listening, some by best through listening, some by seeing and others by doing. seeing and others by doing.

There are also combinations of There are also combinations of these. Understanding how you these. Understanding how you absorb and process information is absorb and process information is useful in the workplace or during useful in the workplace or during study.study.

Diagnosis (Dubuc, 2002)Diagnosis (Dubuc, 2002)

Reading evaluation Reading evaluation Speech, language, and Speech, language, and

auditory evaluationsauditory evaluations Psychological Psychological

evaluationsevaluations

Dyslexic Child & Stress (Hammond J. & Dyslexic Child & Stress (Hammond J. & Hercules F., 2000)Hercules F., 2000)

PhysicalPhysical Sleep problems, headaches, Sleep problems, headaches, sweating, shaking, fatiguesweating, shaking, fatigue

BodyBody exhaustion, indigestion, nauseaexhaustion, indigestion, nausea

EmotionsEmotions Irritable, frightened, apathetic, Irritable, frightened, apathetic, angry, depressed, anxiousangry, depressed, anxious

FeelingsFeelings panic, worthless, frustrated, panic, worthless, frustrated, lowered self esteem, lowered self esteem, overwhelmed, out of control, overwhelmed, out of control, boredomboredom

CognitiveCognitive rigidity, difficulty in rigidity, difficulty in concentrating, concentrating, forgetfulnessforgetfulness

ThinkingThinking making decisions and making decisions and setting prioritiessetting priorities

BehaviourBehaviour withdrawal, avoidance, withdrawal, avoidance, pretend nothing wrong, pretend nothing wrong, eatingeating

ActionAction ddisturbances, excessive isturbances, excessive drinking or smoking, drinking or smoking, hostilityhostility

Treatment (Dubuc,2002)Treatment (Dubuc,2002)

Educational interventionsEducational interventionsDirect InstructionsDirect InstructionsIndirect InstructionsIndirect InstructionsComponent Skill Component Skill

InstructionsInstructions

Diagnostic Criteria: DSM-IV-TR (2000)Diagnostic Criteria: DSM-IV-TR (2000)

315.2 Disorder of Written Expression 315.2 Disorder of Written Expression

A. writing skills, as measured by A. writing skills, as measured by individually administered individually administered standardized test (or functional standardized test (or functional assessments of writing skills), are assessments of writing skills), are substantially below those expected substantially below those expected given the person's chronological age, given the person's chronological age, measured intelligence, and age-measured intelligence, and age-appropriate education.appropriate education.

B. the disturbance in criterion a B. the disturbance in criterion a significantly interferes with academic significantly interferes with academic achievement or activities of daily living achievement or activities of daily living that require the composition of written that require the composition of written texts (e.g., writing grammatically correct texts (e.g., writing grammatically correct sentences and organized paragraphs). sentences and organized paragraphs).

c. if a sensory deficit is present, the c. if a sensory deficit is present, the difficulties in writing skills are in excess difficulties in writing skills are in excess of those usually associated with it.of those usually associated with it.

(IDEA 2004) Elements to determine (IDEA 2004) Elements to determine that a child has the impairment of that a child has the impairment of specific learning disability :specific learning disability :

Classroom achievement delayClassroom achievement delay Significant discrepancy between Significant discrepancy between

ability and achievementability and achievement Information processing deficits Information processing deficits

consistent with the classroom consistent with the classroom achievement delayachievement delay

Elimination of exclusionary factorsElimination of exclusionary factors

Think about it!Think about it!

"The lack of understanding of "The lack of understanding of specific language impairment specific language impairment contrasts markedly with the contrasts markedly with the broader understanding and broader understanding and

acceptance of similar acceptance of similar disabilities such as dyslexia,"disabilities such as dyslexia,"

(Henry, L. 2011)(Henry, L. 2011)

Students' reading Students' reading problems may hide or problems may hide or

tend to negate their tend to negate their strengths in the eyes of strengths in the eyes of

educators.educators.

(Mortimore, 2003)(Mortimore, 2003)

Moats and Foorman (2003) Moats and Foorman (2003) state teachers' knowledge state teachers' knowledge about reading instruction about reading instruction and structured language and structured language concepts is predictive of concepts is predictive of

their teaching their teaching competence in reading for competence in reading for

students with dyslexia. students with dyslexia.

Wadlington and Wadlington (2005) Wadlington and Wadlington (2005) found that numerous groups of found that numerous groups of

educators have significant educators have significant misconceptions about dyslexia, misconceptions about dyslexia,

often feel inadequate to work with often feel inadequate to work with students with dyslexia, and students with dyslexia, and

sincerely want to know more about sincerely want to know more about how to provide effective instruction how to provide effective instruction

to students with dyslexia. to students with dyslexia.

Curriculum Curriculum (Tanner & Tanner, 2006)(Tanner & Tanner, 2006)

content and skills (goals and content and skills (goals and objectives) objectives)

the strategies to be used to the strategies to be used to deliver the content and skills deliver the content and skills (methods and materials) (methods and materials)

assessment of the goals and assessment of the goals and objectivesobjectives

An overloaded curriculum An overloaded curriculum leads to more homework leads to more homework and independent work, and independent work, making it difficult, if not making it difficult, if not

impossible, for many impossible, for many children, especially students children, especially students

with dyslexia, to cope. with dyslexia, to cope. (Tanner & Tanner, 2006)(Tanner & Tanner, 2006)

A Dyslexic’s Point of View…A Dyslexic’s Point of View…

““It's like my computer crashing It's like my computer crashing with too much information!” with too much information!”

““I know what I want to say, but I I know what I want to say, but I can never find the right words.”can never find the right words.”

““I see things from a different I see things from a different perspective.”perspective.”

““I have all the right ideas, but I I have all the right ideas, but I can't get them down on paper.” can't get them down on paper.”

““Speaking out in front of other Speaking out in front of other people makes me stumblepeople makes me stumbleand forget what I was trying to and forget what I was trying to say.”say.”

““I find a series of instructions I find a series of instructions difficult to follow but if difficult to follow but if I have time to make notes or a I have time to make notes or a written list I can do the job.”written list I can do the job.”

Teaching StrategiesTeaching Strategies

DoDoPraise wherever/whenever Praise wherever/whenever

possiblepossibleEncourageEncourageFind something they are good Find something they are good

atatGive less homeworkGive less homeworkMark on oral responses where Mark on oral responses where

possiblepossible

Make sure they understand Make sure they understand and remember instructionsand remember instructions

Give them plenty of time to Give them plenty of time to copy instructionscopy instructions

Have expectations of Have expectations of successsuccess

Seat them at the front of the Seat them at the front of the class, closer to the teacherclass, closer to the teacher

Don’tDon’tMake them read aloud in publicMake them read aloud in publicRidicule or employ sarcasmRidicule or employ sarcasmCorrect all mistakes in written Correct all mistakes in written

work – it is too discouragingwork – it is too discouragingGive lists of spelling words to Give lists of spelling words to

learn, no more than 3 and learn, no more than 3 and related words eg plate and cakerelated words eg plate and cake

Make them write out work Make them write out work againagain

Compare them to other Compare them to other studentsstudents

Make them change their Make them change their writing eg printing is easier writing eg printing is easier than cursive for themthan cursive for them

For TeachersFor TeachersA person with dyslexia tires more A person with dyslexia tires more

quickly than others – greater quickly than others – greater concentration is requiredconcentration is required

They are often disorganised and may They are often disorganised and may also be clumsy and forgetful, despite also be clumsy and forgetful, despite trying hardtrying hard

Use wooden or plastic letters to teach Use wooden or plastic letters to teach them the feel and shape of lettersthem the feel and shape of letters

Use pictures and memory Use pictures and memory booksbooks

Give as much practice as Give as much practice as possible in reading, writing and possible in reading, writing and spelling as dyslexics need more spelling as dyslexics need more practice than most childrenpractice than most children

Talk about letters, words and Talk about letters, words and stories to create interest in stories to create interest in words and bookswords and books

Dyslexic teenager, Adam Dray, once Dyslexic teenager, Adam Dray, once said,said,

““If somebody were to ask me If somebody were to ask me what it’s like being dyslexic, I what it’s like being dyslexic, I would be unable to answer would be unable to answer

because I have always been because I have always been dyslexic, and so I have no dyslexic, and so I have no

basis on which to make a fair basis on which to make a fair comparison.” comparison.”

There are many successful dyslexic people in the kinds of professions, which are often considered to be

inappropriate, or ‘too difficult’ if you are dyslexic. Writing, acting, politics,

science, law, teaching and business are examples of professions in which

dyslexic people have established themselves successfully.

-In the Mind’s Eye (West T G., 1997)

..

Thank you.Thank you.