I’d missed Teacher Julie in my prior forays about the Web. Apparently, a teacher who blogs as “Julie” and lives in the Philappines has been posting items about her life as well as special education. Although I’ve not reviewed everything there, I glanced at a few of the entries about Learning Disabilities and found basic-but-not-misleading info. I’ll check back on Teacher Julie periodically.
Sphere: Related ContentMonthly Archive for February, 2007
Rebecca Watson, whose blog Skepchick is one of my favorite skeptic reads, had a post earlier this week in which she made the common mistake of confusing reversal and dyslexia.
I’m slightly dyslexic and mix-up phrases and reverse numbers.
I’m dropping a comment on her blog entry.
Sphere: Related ContentI usually avoid posting knee-jerk reactions, but this is one that provoked it for me. Under the headline, “They told me at school that I was stupid,” Saiqa Chaudhari of the Bolton (UK) News dscribes the case of a student whose reading problems were overlooked until she was 16 years old.
A TEENAGER whose dyslexia went undiagnosed for more than a decade says she is now having to fight to get the specialist support she is entitled to.
Experts only realised Stephanie Grimshaw, aged 17, had the condition last year.
The student, from Kearsley, now attends Bolton Sixth Form College, in Little Lever, but says she is struggling to get the equipment she needs to study effectively.
“It was a relief to find out what the problem was,” said Stephanie.
“I was always told at school that I was stupid, but now I know that I am not.
“I left school with very few qualifications because I wasn’t given any support, and I am still not being given the help I need.”
If you’re in need of a reason to grit your teeth and say, “Grrr,” read Ms. Chaudhari’s story.
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Sphere: Related ContentI’m pretty sure I’ve written about this topic before, but I haven’t successfully located the entry, so I’m revisiting the topic. I thought of the topic while reading a note by Alex Rodriguez in his blog, Yabba Yabba. Mr. Rodriguez commented on research showing that there are changes in the blood flow in children’s brains following training.
Continue reading ‘Brain follows behavior’
Paul Sanchez, the advocate extraordinaire, has accomplished the second wish of his 8 wishes in his campaign to promote awareness of Learning Disabilities. Way to go, guy!
Some individuals with Learning Disabilities explain to me that they sometimes feel isolated and and alone. Although this is probably true for most people, regardless of whether one has LD, people also tell me that learning about others who have “made it” despite their Learning Disabilities helps to mitigate these feelings.
That’s the good side of talking about high-achieving individuals with Learning Disabilities. The bad side is that the press, in my opinion, shines the light on too few individuals and selects almost exclusively those who are celebrated because of extraordinary achievement (e.g., Charles Schwab or Greg Louganis), mistakenly sending the message that everyone can be a celebrity. Worse: Only those who accomplish great things are to be admired.
A realistic accounting would show that there are many more individiuals with Learning Disablities who have managed to achieve well, if not at the level required for celebrity. It is these folks whom we should be celebrating. They have accomplished lots, even if their lives are quiet and essentially normal. There are some personal stories of this sort in a section of Richard Wanderman’s site, LD Resources.
Sphere: Related ContentThe Virginia (US) chapter of the Council for Learning Disabilities announced its spring symposium. It’ll be at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center, Blacksburg, Virginia. I hope to attend. Link to the annoucement.
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In January of 2006, the London (UK) Times carried this headline: “10-minute test helps tell if your child is dyslexic.” Of course, this evoked a “hmmmm?” (said with chin moved down and toward one side and with eyes narrowed) from me. Skeptic flags waving, I read the story by Alexandra Blair, Times Education Correspondent.
The ten-minute test, developed by speech therapists and psychologists, screens young children for language disorders from the age of 3. By testing simple grammatical and pre-reading skills, parents, teachers or assistants can check whether a child is “school-ready” or may need more help.
Continue reading ‘Instant diagnosis of dyslexia’
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Liz exposes bologna
Over on I speak of dreams Liz Ditz very lucidly and realistically exposes some serious lunch meat offered to the public as advice about dyslexia. Readers who do not frequent her blog should add it to their newsreaders, but first just get over there and read this example of what reasonable analysis one can find on blogs: Christy Harrison’s Advice On Dyslexia: (a) Inadequate and (b) Plagiarized from the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Folks, those who advocate for beneficial services for students with Learning Disabilities do not need the kind of bunkum that Liz has exposed. And Liz deserves an “atta girl” for exposing it. Thank you, ma’am.
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