The Blame Game

In talking to the mother of one of my clients, I was struck by the level of blame she had placed…..on herself.

Dyslexia is inherited. That’s a fact I am aware of,  but had never taken in the implications of.  My child is severely dyslexic.  For me, that meant I needed to work harder, and to find help, and to support him, and to inform his teachers about his condition, on an ongoing basis.  But never had the idea that I was to blame crossed my mind.

I guess I had decided that the dyslexia had come from my husband’s side of the family.  As a severely AD/HD kid growing up in an era where that “didn’t exist”, my husband was just the “bad” kid with an undiagnosed vision problem.  The glasses didn’t help his AD/HD in older years. ..but he was so far behind he had a ready excuse, and teachers just passed him through school.  It seemed reasonable to toss the dyslexia issue his way too.

The fact that my spelling is dodgy, I couldn’t figure out an analog clock for years, I can still get lost in shopping mall when I can’t orient myself on the sun….oh and did I mention my mother inverting words as she helped me study for my certification?? Hmmmm. …time to rethink where this is coming from!

But blame??   No  — that won’t help anyone.  It’s not my child’s fault. It’s not my fault.  It is NOT the teachers fault.

Dyslexia is a difference in learning that must be addressed…by all of us. ..working together.

So here’s a tissue.   Blow your nose, dry your eyes, curb your anger and please forgive yourself/spouse/parents/teachers/etc  so we can move on to something more positive.

Helping people with dyslexia learn in a manner in which they can.

Supporting all people to recognize their intelligence in ways that don’t involve just reading and writing.

Allowing teachers to see ways that they can be part of the solution.

And forgiving everyone for “not catching this sooner”.

Together we can end The Blame Game.

 

Dys….calculia?

One of the many difficult realities of dyslexia is that it is often accompanied by a number of related conditions.    When we’re talking about dyslexia, often people need to know what exactly it is… And how do you know if a child -if your child – has it….and finally how to help them overcome their difficulties.

I am comfortable that Orton Gillingham based tutoring is the right method to explicitly and systematically teach reading and spelling.  Penmanship can still be an issue..especially with older children – so keyboarding skills can be promoted.

But then there’s math.  It’s amazing how many teachers are “not good” at math.  But then it’s likely equally amazing how many teachers are dyslexic.

In doing much reading on line and in discussions with parents I believe that as much as the process of math itself can be the issue….the language of math can often be the true block to learning.

I encourage resource teachers to compile lists of words or phrase that indicate which function will be used in a math  problem.   A cheat sheet of columns indicating that “sum”, “total”, “altogether” etc are suggesting an addition problem, can at least get kids started.   Follow up can then be assistance with decoding words or phrases and discussing their meaning with respect to setting up the equation.

Other solutions are making math VAK/T using systems like Math U See …which like the OG system is explicit systematic, sequential and uses stories and visuals to make the learning stick.

 

What other systems have tutors had success with?   And what solutions have been found for math language issues? I’d love to hear from you.

Dys..calculia. …just another difference in the way we learn.

Accommodations vs Adaptations

The idea of accommodations is often a foreign one to parents and it gets confused with an adaptation which is not the same idea.

An adaptation would be put in place if a child could not learn the material that all the other children are learning.  This may be a reality for some students.  For dyslexic students however, the idea of accommodation is simply a change that allows them a chance to learn all the material, or to give them a chance to prove what they have learned.

More importantly for all involved though, an accommodation should be a quick, cheap, and non-disruptive way to integrate a child fully into the classroom. For example, if it makes it easier to track written words, a teacher can print assignments or tests on blue paper – not a huge ask — just stick one blue page on the top of the pile before printing. Even printing in a different font is not too much — if its okay for all the students to read that same font — print 25 copies in that particular font. Sitting up at the front of the class, for example, might be an easy fix to hearing more clearly, being less distracted or allowing the teacher to more clearly see when  a student is not understanding a topic.  Not taking tests with the other students could cause a self-esteem issue – -so this might take some creativity– where could the student go to take an oral test for example — – the hallway? – – the back of the class with headphones and a quiet voice?   —  there are many possibilities.  Taking spelling tests that are never marked — as long as the other kids don’t see this and point it out —  might be a big change for some teachers.  It might require the termination of a  “share your test with another student” method of marking and the implementation of teacher only marking. Parents need to come the table with ideas for solutions. The child themselves may have opinions to offer that make a minor change with a huge impact. Don’t leave it up to the teacher – -and don’t expect generic accommodations to be appropriate.

Which brings me to my second point, accommodations should be tailored to each child and explained to them -and- their class in that manner…..This is something, just for Jane, so that she can have a chance to do well in school.
I like the analogy of “should everyone in the class wear glasses just because John needs them to see?” Children of any age know that’s a silly suggestion. So introduce the use of an iPad,  different colour sheets, or a number line on their desk in the same manner…. It’s not a privilege, it’s not cheating, it’s an accommodation that not everyone needs….that would be just as silly.

And finally, many accommodations for dyslexic students will not be a “forever” accommodation. If the student is working with a dedicated tutor using a proper reading, spelling, writing or math program, there should be a time when they are on track to let go of many of the previous accommodations.   They will read and comprehend what they are reading – at grade level or above.  Math problems – written word or pictorial – will make sense. In general a systematically taught program will create a student who is no longer struggling to “decode” and “making sense of” school, they will be more equipped to  learn and apply their knowledge.

Accommodations are in place only as required, to allow the student to participate in the global learning of a classroom and to fully express their knowledge and understanding of that learning…..Because most dyslexic students do not actually have a learning disability they have a learning difference, and once that is learned, well that is the ultimate accommodation.

Word Blindness – just a Loose Wire?

Historically, one of the doctors describing dyslexia used the term Word Blindness.  If you fully understand the nuances of the disorder, this seems to be a quick and accurate description.  Unfortunately, the idea of blindness has lead to misunderstanding that dyslexia is a vision problem that needs to be corrected to allow for improved reading skills.

A recent line of research has been defining an area of the brain termed the Visual Word Form Area that could shed some light onto how dyslexics could appear “blind to words”.

This region is thought to be involved in word recognition and processing and is located in the same region as other language related areas of the brain. A 2010 study out of Switzerland showed that the expected connectivity of this VWFA region is not as good as it should be, and such that it doesn’t efficiently get the message through to other areas where language is processed……like a loose wire.

The inability to decode language automatically is associated with this poor set of brain connections.  The loose wire idea could explain why sometimes dyslexics appear to recognize a word or spell it correctly, yet later in the same document its not recognized or spelled correctly.

Further studies were conducted with a stroke patient who lost function in this VWFA region entirely. They showed that there are in fact alternate pathways created to assist with word processing. Of course the subject could only recognize short and/or familiar words, but it indicated that our brains do have a back up plan.

Luckily, there is nothing to indicate this VWFArea is actually damaged in dyslexic people – maybe just not hooked up correctly. So, with the brains ability to create new connections, the “wires” between language areas of the brain could be “tightened” and reading could be improved (accuracy).

Reading and writing may never be automatic (fluent) depending on the severity of the condition– but it does seem clearer that dyslexia does not cause blindness to words, its just a few “loose wires” that are causing some of the problems.

Teachers and Curriculum

It is difficult to tell a teacher who has poured their heart and soul into an ELA curriculum, that their dyslexic student will not be able to participate.

Recently I meet with teachers of a client who were very excited about a spelling and vocabulary curriculum that would be presented to students in a colorful group-directed manner.

It had all the makings of a fun interactive program.  It would allow kids to explore words they hadn’t seen or tried to use before, and to work with a group of peers to learn what these words could mean and why they should be grouped together…..like self discovery of spelling rules and root words.

But for a dyslexic student, this is like asking them to play with characters from a foreign language (Russian letters by an English student) and ask them to sort the words based on meaning and similarity of sound.  It just can’t work without some background teaching.

The English language can seem complex and complicated and it has a deep orthography, but there are rules.

Only a small percentage of our words cannot be adequately explained using systematic spelling rules…and the dyslexic student needs to learn those rules.

Each and every one of them.  Taught specifically and systematically.

AFTER they are made aware that all these symbols they are playing with are letters with one or more sounds associated with them…over 40 sounds from 26 letters….then they can begin to decode the language.

But not one of the sounds can be taken for granted.  Not one of the rules can be assumed to be learned by exposure or repetition. Each rule needs to be taught.  Each and every one of them.  And practiced and practiced and maybe even written on a “cheat sheet” for reference, until confidence is built and meaning and logic is associated with these spelling rules.

English is a very complex and complicated language.  There is no quick fix.  But it can been taught, it has been taught and for those wonderful tutors who creatively keep their student’s attention – it will continue to be taught.  Because dyslexic students are not stupid – they simply learn differently.

And to those enthusiastic teachers — I know you are trying — parents need to appreciate that.  It is difficult for any one person to know and to do everything….for every student who learns differently.   Please don’t be discouraged— there are dyslexia consultants and specialists that can help with adaptations…seek them out!

And in the mean time, congratulate yourself for continuing to search for new and engaging curriculum.  Your students are definitely worth it!

The Long and Short of Dyslexic Memory

Results of a recent study show there is a memorization issue in dyslexics that is more related to difficulties with ordering  (sequence) than what we traditionally think of for memorization (items).   So, for example, if a tray of random household items was presented to a person with dyslexia, they would be as capable of remembering the items as a person without dyslexia.  But,  if you put those items in a particular order, this is where their recall would not be as accurate.

Why is this distinction important?  How does this become an issue with learning?

For language:

The order of the letters in a word are important (dog  vs god) , but equally important can be the order of the words in a sentence (“Put the ones column at the side of the page” vs  “Put the column ones at the side of the page”).

 For mathematics:

The order of operations can change the result of an equation.

 For work:

A series of instructions or task often need to  be completed in a particular order to ensure the job is done correctly.

 The list goes on.

Studies like these are important in trying to explain how a person, who is not intellectually impaired, can appear “so stupid” as they mix up tasks that have just been explained to them.   This is a short-term memory issue and can be overcome by work- arounds on the job or in the classroom, but it  also makes the case for allowing sequenced reference material to be available to a dyslexic person until such time as this new learning can be committed to long-term memory.  Using a logical explanation of events, a dyslexic person can commit these seemingly random series to memory in a manner that makes it less likely to “flip around” during recall.

Learning methods such as Times Tales for children can allow the memorization of times tables in a single day without tears or frustration.  Unfortunately learning to read and spell the English language will take a much longer series of instruction to obtain mastery of.

 

Reference:  Short-term memory for order but not for item information is impaired in developmental dyslexia.  Hachmann WM¹, Bogaerts L, Szmalec A, Woumans E, Duyck W, Job R. Ann Dyslexia. 2014 Jul;64(2):121-36.