Dyslexia By:Jessi Ritucci

What is Dyslexia? Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that involves a lack of coordination between sight and sound, and makes it harder for a child to read or write.

What causes Dyslexia? Anatomical and brain imagery studies show differences in the way the brain of a dyslexic person develops and functions. Dyslexia also may run in families; dyslexic parents are likely to have children who are dyslexic.

Signs of Dyslexia (before school) Difficulty learning nursery rhymes Often accused of not listening or not paying attention Poor understanding of prepositions Difficulty with 2 or more instructions at one time Difficulty keeping simple rhythm Finds phonological difficulty with the selection of “the odd one out” EXAMPLE: cat; mat; pig; fat Obvious “good” and “bad” days for no apparent reason

Signs of Dyslexia (once school starts) Difficulty learning the alphabet Difficulty sequencing or forming letters and numbers Difficulty isolating and sequencing sounds EXAMPLE: k-a-t Difficulty with sequence and memory for words Slow with reading, writing, and spelling Not reading quickly enough to comprehend

Other Signs of Dyslexia Poor ability to finish work on time Poor pencil grip / messy handwriting Poor attention Poor sense of time or space Poor organization skills Difficulties with arithmetic and mathematics

How does Dyslexia affect the child’s reading ability? Words may look jumbled, making it difficult to read or remember what they read They may fail to see or hear similarities/differences in letters and words They may be unable to sound out the pronunciation of unfamiliar words They may have problems comprehending rapid instruction or remembering the sequence of things

How does Dyslexia affect the child’s writing ability?

Example:

How widespread is Dyslexia? About 14% of the school population nationwide has a condition that qualifies them for special education. Half of all special ed. students have a learning disability. About 85% of those LD students have a primary learning disability in reading/language processing. Many more (15-20%) have symptoms of dyslexia. *Keep in mind that there are also many children all over the world who have dyslexia and it has not yet been discovered or diagnosed.

Fact: A child who has dyslexia might start out doing fine in school, but it will become a struggle later on, especially when reading becomes an important part of schoolwork. It is important for a parent to communicate with their child’s teacher to find out if the child is struggling in any areas.

Fact: Discovering a learning disability is the first step toward getting help that will make it easier for the child to learn.

Fact: Most children with dyslexia have average or above-average intelligence, and work very hard to overcome their learning disability.

What does it mean to be Intelligent? Definition: to have the ability to understand, to learn, and to use what you learn and understand. There are so many ways to be intelligent. Examples: -Someone can be intelligent at building and fixing things -Or, intelligent with words -Or, intelligent with mathematics and solving problems -Or, athletes are intelligent with the way they understand how to move their bodies through space and how to learn new gross motor skills -Or, intelligent with music or art

What if you’re bored in school? School should not be boring Most of the time, when kids are bored in school, it is either because they are having trouble with their attention or because they don’t fully understand what is going on Many kids say they don’t concentrate because they are bored, but they may be bored because they can’t concentrate. It is important to know the difference. If the child is having difficulty paying attention, they should be tested for a learning disability.

What if you get embarrassed about getting help at school? Nobody likes to feel embarrassed or be called names. But if you need help, you need help. It doesn’t make sense to refuse help because it’s too embarrassing.

What do Leonardo de Vinci, Michelangelo, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Cher, Will Smith, Keira Knightly, Orlando Bloom, and Patrick Dempsey all have in common? They all had(or have) dyslexia, yet are acknowledged to be among the most creative and successful people in their fields.

My Story: (The beginning) It took until the end of 4th grade for my struggling to be recognized; I had trouble with reading. I took a psychometrist’s test, which is a test that measures IQ’s, behavioral development, motor development, reading, language, and math skills to determine why I may was struggling. I found out that I had 2 different learning disabilities, one being minor dyslexia. I was given medication to take daily, mainly for my attention problems (which was associated more with my A.D.D—not so much the dyslexia). I was always embarrassed in school and felt “dumb”. I would ride the bus after school to my tutors house, but told my friends that I was babysitting.

My Story: (Today) I have now found many ways to deal with my disabilities. I am no longer taking the medication because I have come up with strategies that work for me to stay focused; (different strategies work for different people). I have much more confidence in myself and my school grades have become increasingly better throughout the years. **FACT: Dyslexia is not something that goes away on its own or that a person outgrows, but people can work around their disability with a lot of effort and extra work.