A story in the Dallas Fort Worth Star-Telegram recounts efforts by some folks to help individuals in the community understand what it is like to have a Learning Disability. They describe two simulations they use. They require that an individual
- Listen “to one person talk, while others to the side were barking at her, creating a distraction” or
- “Trace a picture of a star looking only at a mirror image.”
I am a little skeptical about the effectiveness of these simulations; they seem to be predicated on engendering some sudden insight, and the evidence for their benefits is anecdotal. However, I’m intrigued.
I’d like to create a collection of simulations. Please submit your favorites.
Link to the story.
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Hi John, the northern California branch IDA has a simulation they use a lot, here is a link:
http://www.interdys.org/servlet/viewbranch?branch_id=5
“Perhaps we are best known for presenting the dyslexia simulation, “Put Yourself in the Shoes of a Dyslexic,” which is a hands-on dyslexia simulation designed to increase understanding of the difficulties and frustrations dyslexics encounter daily. Participants simulate a beginning reading problem; an auditory figure-ground discrimination problem; a visual-motor and writing task problem; a fine motor problem on a written task; a visual perception and processing problem; and a hearing problem. The simulation leads to greater empathy and understanding of the problems and gives insight into working effectively with these individuals. The Northern California Branch provides simulations locally, or you may purchase a simulation kit by contacting our branch.”
It does seem to help teachers understand the kids’ struggles, especially in high school, but as you say the evidence is anecdotal.
I have 2 activities to share. I use hats and various craft items to demonstrate the issue of attention. I have students decorate a hat with all types of items dangling in their face (pipe cleaners, feathers, bells) that simply hang from their hat with tape. Then I lecture for usually about an hour on something very dry and boring. I then have them reflect on the experience. Usually students end up with headaches and are very frustrated within just an hour.We then talk about attention and its relationship to learning.
The second one I use to talk about the error of assuming dyslexia is only reversals. I take 3 overheads and put them up backwards. The first is a first grade passage, the second a middle school and the last an advance algebra passage. We then talk about the errors of the public opinion that LD means reads backwards and also talk about how the demands of text for students with a learning disability in reading decoding increase over time. This activity allows for lots of discussion about early intervention and detection.
Lisa Dieker - University of Central Florida
Thanks, Liz and Lisa, for the references to these resources. We should evaluate them.
I’d like to see them evaluated on the same bases as we would evaluate interventions for students with LD. Do these simulations produce verifiable improvements in participants; outcomes? Do people who get the simulationjs have better perspeectives and Ld? Do they help parents and teachers seek better outomes for studetns? That is, to me, the gold standard.
Stepping back from the gold standard (better outcomes for kids), do advocates understand that there are differences among us? Might some of us fail?
JohnL