Dyslexia & rocket science sml
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Transcript of Dyslexia & rocket science sml
Some things never change….
It really is
ROCKET SCIENCE!
Fred was born in December 1997. He was born with major complications including Neo-Natal Thyroid Toxicosious. We were medivac’d to CONUS & told the outlook was grim. We prayed & persevered, always refusing to accept the status quo. We sought out specialists & Fred grew up chasing banana rats, hunting iguanas, land crabs and feral chickens while watching the migrating humming birds & monarch butterflies who populated our back yard garden. Fred spent many mornings climbing banyan trees or marveling at sea shells or star fish and picking up Sea Cucumbers in the tidal pools that surrounded the base.
Initially, Fred was mis diagnosed with Oral Apraxia and we were told
he would never speak. Intensive SLP therapy has proven this diagnosis to be incorrect.
Later on, after an exhaustive study @ Nationwide Children's to discern what Fred's true obstacles are; we embarked upon crafting a support web with Dr. Maria Wilkes & the UA School District in consultation with Suzanne Wilcox of Hope Educational Consulting LLC. & other
professionals to overcome obstacles that lay before us.
It was while in UA we learned how far we had come and how far we had to go. We got a bit of help from our friends at OSU’s Nisonger Center and Dr. Dorothy Morrison @ OSU Center for Literacy & Learning when we partnered with the school to learn about how Fred learns.
We discovered that the obvious & typical focal point of understanding & comprehension that the rest of the world was engaged in,,,,
Are Not Always the Same Focal Point of Understanding or
Comprehension that Fred has Fred works from whole to part – NOT part to whole. He has to grasp the picture of where you are going AHEAD of time. Pre-Teaching in a kinesthetic layering environment helps him understand the relations of the part to whole. Dr. Sally Shaywitz writes in her book “Over Coming Dyslexia” "A dyslexic students route to learning is through meaning; meaning provides a framework for remembering. More than for others he must fully understand a topic; rote memory does not work well for him. Focus on concepts & real life examples and experiences and provide opportunities for practice. This top down big picture approach teaches IDEAS first, establish categories for different groups of facts, and point out connections with in and between categories.
Dr. Shaywitz continues: “Look for opportunities for hands on experiences, encourage visualization of concepts and facts mentioned in the classroom. Keep in mind though that it may take longer to acquire, knowledge gained thru meaning is much more enduring than that obtained thru route memorization."
CLARIFICATION OF DIRECTIONS SEMANTICS
12:15 or QUARTER PAST The fact is our guy doesn’t consistently see one fluid motion or the relationship when being taught a new
concept, idea or task. He is also anti Ovis aries; please don’t expect him to follow along just because his peers are. Everything needs to be presented in a BIG picture then broken down into steps & objectives, each step taught and repeated, over and over in the same way
using the same words in multiple environments. It is only then after confidence is achieved, will self
directed application of the process occur across multiple settings.
CLARIFICATION OF DIRECTIONS Would you please explain to me why…
If you know our family, you know this phrase as it is key in teaching respectful self advocacy. Often times however Fred won’t ask his teachers “why” as he is acutely aware that historically adults are not keen on being questioned as to why. In doing so he may also call unwanted attention to himself. Because school is a teaching environment we ask that YOU as the educator always express clear details of the project or task as well as specific outcome expectations and not use vague inferences. “Write a paragraph” is vague – Write a 5 line paragraph; using “__” word; telling me about your weekend with proper spelling and punctuation may be the “expectation” but needs to be stated each and every time. EXTREME BONUS points come
about if you can also include a real life purpose or application for the task. Write about yourself or your weekend is REALLY teaching how to write an
“elevator speech” & opens the door for broad, real world, life long application.
– one more thing about directions
• “Think of me like a Mars Rover” Fred quote 2011 – Specific Instructions – Each step – CHECK YOUR DATA
• Tell it how far to go • Go to the Left or to the Right • What if there is a Rock?
– Take a Shovel, Scoop it Up, Put it in a bag, Store it Away
• With out Directions it lands and sits there without knowing what to do……
He is a creature of learned routine. By having a plan or a schedule and staying on those paths; Fred gains self confidence needed to self navigate and independently manage his day. This repetition of routine is also effective in assisting with accurate recall of information. By encouraging him to learn to use a visual schedule, he will come to rely on it and depend on it. Changing Fred's routine is like upsetting the apple cart. Should a change in routine be necessary it helps to minimize the affect of surprise and give him advance warning. Teaching him the life skill of “Plan your work, work your plan” and coupling it with a schedule that he can comprehend will not only provide an anchor of security on what can often be a rocky teenage path but also teach good self management skills to be a successful adult.
We can all agree that there are different types of comprehension - Visual Comprehension; Oral Comprehension, Auditory Comprehension; Reading Comprehension. It is through multifaceted contextual development of our comprehension skills that subjective interpretation and relation to our environment is shaped. It is imperatively important to Fred that he learn HOW to read. This is coupled with the next step of READING to LEARN. Ben Foss accurately depicts what the lack of this reading comprehension life skill is like when he states “Reading text is like a bad cell phone connection” for a dyslexic. It is frustrating. It is defeating & dangerous. It is important to provide Fred with contextual reading materials @ HIS reading level so as to “clear up his cell phone connection” allowing him the opportunity to learn how to Read TO Learn just like typical children.
Fred has gained a broad vernacular due to his home environment and life experiences. This has created a substantial comprehension gap between his “Listening Level” & his “Reading Level”. Efforts must be made to bridge this gap by seeking out relevant classroom material to keep him engaged as a motivated & willing learner.
If we were to look @ memory we could use the concepts of working or immediate memory, short-term memory, and
long-term memory. Meaningful information is typically moved up the chain from immediate to short-term into long-term memory stores. Because of his learning style Fred has varying difficulties with all three of these memory types. Additionally he has a delayed recall or delayed retrieval of information. To interrupt his thought process with well
intended assistance actually slows this process. The more meaningful content is to his individual needs, the greater the chances that it will be moved into functional memory
storage in the brain.
Tools • Kurzweil 3000 “Team Fred 2010-11” spent SIX MONTHS securing this tool
for Fred. It is a priceless asset – but only if you use it. In order for Fred to reach that goal of an independent learner we must continue to strive NOW to create those habits that he will carry for a life time. Kurzweil will be with Fred long after this teaching season has passed as it can be carried on into college and the work place. – CLASSROOM WORK needs to be uploaded – HOMEWORK needs to be uploaded – STUDY MATERIALS need to be uploaded – READING ASSIGNMENTS need to be uploaded – NOTES can be taken – CRITICAL THINKING can be organized – REPORTS can be written There is an incredulous amount of work that CAN be done. Your
partnering with us on this learning adventure is paramount to the success of this year.
Fred thinks big
A recent study showed that by the 6th grade 50% of students KNEW if they wanted to go to college or not. Fred wants to go to an Ivy League School. Our job is to prepare him to have a fighting chance to get there & finish.
Fred likes to blend in and fly below the radar. While YOU may not know it, during an impromptu social autopsy with the home team (which may occur 2+ weeks later) there are often questions or re-teaching or exploring social story options of what could be done
differently or better. This is why the initial face to face
communication with Fred’s mom @ the start of the school year is so vital. It gives the home team (which is bigger than just Freds mom) a proactive foundation & clear visual picture of what the classroom, teaching &
subject matter look like so as not to misinterpret or improperly
direct.
Good INFO
http://www.interdys.org/ewebeditpro5/upl
oad/KPS12-1-10.pdf Shaywitz, S. E. (2003). Overcoming
dyslexia: A new and complete science-based program for reading problems at any level. New York: Knopf.
http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/23/human-factor-a-bridge-from-dyslexia/
http://dyslexiavictoria.wordpress.com/2010/09/25/how-a-teacher-can-help-a-dyslexic-student-learn-effectively-in-the-classroom/
Life skill analogies www.napoleonhill.org Pictorial thinkers: www.grandin.com Educational Advocate
www,hopeforlearning.com
Thank you! For allowing me to share with you our insight into Fred. We have been blessed by many people through the years whom we have partnered with. Educators who have patiently sculpted deep long lasting life impressions on my son. It is through him and other determined learners like him; that these generous educators gifts and talents will undoubtedly go on to touch others. Thank you in advance for striving to be one of those people who leave a portion of their legacy with Fred.
Regards~ Freds mom