Dyslexia and creativity...

"It is important for us to stop seeing dyslexia as a learning disability and start seeing it as an alternative way of perceiving and processing the world, with benefits as well as drawbacks, and with the potential to contribute creative approaches to our world’s problems." (Lydia K.)

With this a blog entry by Lydia K., an MIT student, concludes.  This entry is Ms. K's final paper for her Science Journalism class.  It is a beautifully written paper which sheds light on the truth behind Dyslexia; unveiling the facts and potentials behind a learning difficulty, that she, an I personally, believe should be viewed as a learning DIFFERENCE.  She quotes in her paper:

According to Brook and Fernette Eide, authors of The Dyslexic Advantage, the cognitive flexibility associated with dyslexia can manifest itself in noteworthy talents. “Dyslexic brains are organized in a way that maximizes strength in making big picture connections at the expense of weaknesses in processing fine details,” says Fernette Eide. These talents include improved spatial reasoning, enhanced ability to view events from multiple perspectives and draw analogies, and a tendency to remember facts as experiences and stories rather than as abstractions. (Lydia K.)

The paper/blog entry is well researched and her writing style is very accessible and easy to comprehend.  I invite you to read this full paper, and follow the links provided by Ms. K for extra information.  It is important, however, not assume generalizations when reading such an article nor undermine the very real struggle people with dyslexia face.  Creativity and/or exceptional talents have often been associated with learning differences and some developmental delays/disorders (such as Autism Spectrum Disorder), but this is not always the case.  It is wise for us to take each child as an individual case.  This paper, however, provides the very important message that Dyslexia should be seen as a difference in perception and experience, rather than an unmanageable obstacle. 

***A very special thank you to a wonderful reader, Ms. Hanadi, for sharing this article with me.  This is exactly why I created this blog, as a place to share and exchange ideas.

Dys-tinguishing the difference

Have you ever wondered why your child might be having difficulties with some parts of school and not all? Or why is s/he soo clumsy?

Have you heard the term "Learning Differences" or "Learning Difficulty/disability" and you weren't sure what it meant?

Very often parents come up to me and say "I know my child is smart, but why is s/he struggling in school?".  There could be a number of reasons, one of which could be the existence of a learning difficulty.

Here is a breakdown of the difficulties we most commonly see with our youngsters:

Dyspraxia:
Dyspraxia, also known as developmental co-ordination disorder, is a disability that affects movement and co-ordination. It is thought to be caused by a disruption in the way messages from the brain are transmitted to the body.

Dyspraxia is characterized by difficulty in planning smooth, co-ordinated movements. This leads to:

• clumsiness
• lack of co-ordination
• problems with language, perception and thought

Dyslexia:
Dyslexia is a common type of learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in the reading and spelling of words.

Dyslexia should be recognized as a spectrum disorder, with symptoms ranging from very mild to very severe. In particular, people with dyslexia have difficulties with:

• phonological awareness
• verbal memory
• verbal processing speed

The above definitions were taken from: http://www.nhs.uk/Pages/HomePage.aspx

Dysgraphia:
Dysgraphia is defined as a difficulty in automatically remembering and mastering the sequence of muscle motor movements needed in writing letters or numbers. This difficulty is out of harmony with the person's intelligence, regular teaching instruction, and (in most cases) the use of the pencil in non-learning tasks. It is neurologically based and exists in varying degrees, ranging from mild to moderate. It can be diagnosed, and it can be overcome if appropriate remedial strategies are taught well and conscientiously carried out. An adequate remedial program generally works if applied on a daily basis. In many situations, it is relatively easy to plan appropriate compensations to be used as needed.

Dysgraphia can be seen in:

• Letter inconsistencies.
• Mixture of upper/lower case letters or print/cursive letters.
• Irregular letter sizes and shapes.
• Unfinished letters.
• Struggle to use writing as a communications tool. 

This definition was taken from: http://www.dyslexia-ca.org/c-dysgdef.php

Dyscalculia:

Dyscalculia is a specific learning disability (or difficulty) in mathematics. It was originally defined by the Czechoslovakia researcher Kosc, as a difficulty in mathematics as a result of impairment to particular parts of the brain involved in mathematical cognition, but without a general difficulty in cognitive function. This is the same definition that researchers in cognitive neuroscience use today.

What all definitions have in common is :

• A presence of difficulties in mathematics
• Some degree of specificity (ie. lack of across the board academic difficulties)
• The assumption that these are caused in some way by brain dysfunction 

This definition was taken from: http://www.aboutdyscalculia.org/dyscalculiamain.html

Learning Difference... my interview

As the new poll on the left is suggesting, I am trying to find out if there is a high demand for Arabic translation of all posts.  Please do place your votes, and here is an arabic post.  This is an interview I had done with AlQabas Newspaper in February, which focused on Learning Differences and the uses of Play Therapy.  Follow the link below for the complete article... اختصاصية العلاج السلوكي والتربوي للأطفال زينة الزبن

صعوبات التعلم هي في الحقيقة اختلافات فيه

إعداد د. خلود البارون


ينصح الأهل من يلاحظون المشاكل النفسية في الطفل وصعوبات التعلم باللجوء إلى الاستشارة النفسية والتربوية، ليتعلموا الطريقة المثلى والأفضل في التعامل مع مناطق ضعف الطفل، وكيفية تقوية التأخر أو الضعف وتعليم الطفل الطرق السليمة للتعبير عن النفس والمشاعر. وغالبا ما يجب أيضا استشارة طبيب أطفال واختصاصي تغذية، ليعمل هذا الفريق يدا واحدة لمساعدة الأهل في التعامل مع الطفل بطريقة ناجحة وفعالة بشكل يضمن وصوله الى   أفضل ما يمكن 

صعوبات التعلم من الأمور التي تؤرق الآباء وتضع عقبات أمام اكتساب الأطفال مهارات عملية وعلمية واجتماعية. وبالرغم من الصعوبة التي ترافق التحصيل العلمي لمن يعانون من صعوبات التعلم، وخاصة من يعانون من الديسليكسيا وفرط النشاط ونقص الانتباه وغيرها، فإن زينة الزبن المتخصصة في العلاج السلوكي والتربوي للأطفال، لا تعتبرها معضلة بلا حل لوجود أدوات تمكن هؤلاء الأطفال من التغلب على مشاكلهم، فهي غالبا ما ترجع الى وجود فروق فردية طبيعية بين الأطفال، مما ساهم في تغير مسمى «صعوبات التعلم» إلى مصطلح جديد أقرب إلى الواقع، وهو اختلافات التعلم 

حول الاختلافات بين الأطفال أوضحت الأخصائية زينة الزبن قائلة:- مثلما لا ينطق الأطفال في الوقت ذاته، ولا يكتسبون المهارات أو اللغة أو التعلم في توقيت واحد، فإن قدرتهم على التعلم تتباين أيضا. فمن دون وجود حالة مرضية أو صعوبة في أحد الحواس، فالحل غالبا ما يكمن في إعطاء الطفل الوقت والدعم مثل التمارين اللغوية أو المهارات، حتى يصل إلى اكتساب الخبرات بشكل طبيعي. فوجود اختلافات او صعوبات في التعلم لا يدل على عدم تمكن الطالب من التعلم بحسب النظام الدراسي، لكنه يشير الى حاجته للأدوات المناسبة حتى يتمكن من إتمام تحصيله العلمي بنجاح.والجدير بالذكر، أن تشخيص صعوبات في التعلم بحسب المعايير العالمية لا يجري قبل بلوغ الطفل عامه السابع. لكن يمكن البدء في تقييم مناطق الضعف والقوة للطفل من عامه الثالث، فيخضع لاختبارات تكتشف الضعف وتقيمه، فتفحص صحة السمع والبصر ومعدل تطور القدرات اللغوية والذهنية والحركية، وذلك لتشخيص صعوبات النطق والتطور اللغوي وأي تأخر تطوري. لكن لا يمكن تشخيص الطفل مبكرا، بل تعتبر كسمات شخصية ويهدف إلى تطويرها وتحسينها.كل طفل مختلف تختلف الطريقة المناسبة لتعليم الأطفال، مما أدى إلى تنوع أساليب التعليم ما بين الاستثارة السمعية والبصرية والحركية. فالبعض يستقبل المعلومات ويتعلم من خلال البصر وآخرون من خلال السمع، والأخير من خلال اللعب والتفاعل. وتابعت الزبن:- للأسف يركز النظام المدرسي لدينا على التعليم السمعي مع قليل من الاستثارة البصرية وأقل قدر من الحركة. فالمدارس عموما تركز على تلقي الطالب المعلومة وهو في حالة سكون وجلوس تام على المقعد. وعليه، فان الأطفال الذين يتعلمون من خلال التلقي السمعي والبصري لا يعانون صعوبة، بيد ان الأطفال الذين يتعلمون من خلال التعليم التفاعلي والحركي واللعب، سيعانون من بطء الفهم وتشتت الانتباه، فيكرهون الدراسة وأداء الواجبات والحفظ. وهؤلاء يحتاجون الى تلقي الدرس بطرق تعليمية أخرى مثل الصور والحركة والتجارب. وبالمنوال نفسه، يجب على الوالدين تعليم الطفل المهارات السلوكية من خلال المعلومات الشفهية (الأوامر)

والبصرية (الصور والمواقف) والحركية (اللعب والتجربة والتفاعل)، ليكتسبوا الخبرات بالطريقة التي تناسبهم

Follow this (link) for the completed article.

The 3 EXs... Express, Explain, Explore

This post is dedicated to teachers, and to mamas and papas who are teachers at home.  I had previously given this as part of a larger presentation in a special needs school in Kuwait.  The pointers are simple and straightforward. This was initially written for teaching kids with learning differences/difficulties, but it can be used with all students.  

I call this "The 3 EXs" presentation...

EXPRESS

•   Use a steady yet soft voice.  Children pay attention when the adult is firm, not agitated.
•  Take time to express what you want the child to do, then guide them in doing it. 
•   Express encouragement regularly.  Create a classroom rewards system.
•  Encourage children to express their feelings.
•   I encourage you to express your own feelings. 

EXPLAIN

•   Explain the lesson using as many senses as you can.
•  Explain classroom rules and expectations.  Repeat and keep visual reminders.
•  If and when the child misbehaves, explain what was done wrong and why it is wrong.
• This should always be followed by how the child can do the “appropriate” or target behavior correctly.

EXPLORE

•  Find ways to use different forms of teaching.  Your voice is not your only asset.
•  Use your own knowledge to find out what the child’s learning style may be.  This will be a great advantage for you.
• Help the child use multi-sensory ways to explore his/her surrounding.
• When a child is stuck, or refusing to participate, take time at the end of class to explore with the child what the problem is.  A child is more likely to tell you when he/she is alone.