Dyslexia

1. Dyslexia By: Sydney Lee

2. What is dyslexia • Dyslexia is a learning disorder that is language-based. If a person has this disorder then it likely that they have a difficult time with reading. They may also experience other problems with language skills: pronouncing words, spelling, and writing. If someone has this disorder they usually have to deal with it throughout their life but at different stages it can change. This disability makes it very hard for students to be successful in school or in a normal school environment. In severe forms a student may qualify for extra support, special accommodations and special education. It is unclear as to what exactly causes dyslexia.

3. What is it like to have dyslexia video here

4. History of Dyslexia • Knowledge of dyslexia and the development of treatments for it began in the late 19th century. In 1878, a German physician, Dr. Kussmaul studied a man who was unable to learn to read. The man was of normal intelligence and had received an adequate education. Dr. Kussmaul described his particular problem as ‘reading blindness’. Some years later, the man’s condition was described as ‘dyslexia’, from the Greek meaning ‘difficulty with words’.

5. Signs of dyslexia General •Appears bright, highly intelligent, and articulate but unable to read, write, or spell at grade level. •Labeled lazy, dumb, careless, immature, "not trying hard enough," or "behavior problem." •Isn't "behind enough" or "bad enough" to be helped in the school setting. •High in IQ, yet may not test well academically; tests well orally, but not written. •Feels dumb; has poor self-esteem; hides or covers up weaknesses with ingenious compensatory strategies; easily frustrated and emotional about school reading or testing. •Talented in art, drama, music, sports, mechanics, story-telling, sales, business, designing, building, or engineering. •Seems to "Zone out" or daydream often; gets lost easily or loses track of time. •Difficulty sustaining attention; seems "hyper" or "daydreamer.“ •Learns best through hands-on experience, demonstrations, experimentation, observation, and visual aids.

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7. How is Dyslexia Treated • Treatment for dyslexia consists of using educational tools to enhance the ability to read. Medicines and counseling are usually not used to treat dyslexia. An important part of treatment is educating yourself about the condition. The earlier dyslexia is recognized and addressed, the better. Starting treatment when a child is young can improve reading and may even prevent reading problems in the first years of school.2 But reading will likely not ever be easy for a person with dyslexia.

8. Area of the brain it involves

9. Celebrities with Dyslexia • •Harry Anderson • •Orlando Bloom • •Harry Belafonte • •Charley Boorman • •Tom Cruise • •Danny Glover • •Whoopi Goldberg • •Susan Hampshire • •Jay Leno • •Christopher Lowell • •Keanu Reeves. • •Kiera Knightley • •Oliver Reed. • •Billy Bob Thornton. • •Tom Smothers • •Vince Vaughn • •Henry Winkler • •Loretta Young • •Ann Bancroft, Arctic Explorer. • •Alexander Graham Bell. • •John Britten, Inventor. • •Pierre Curie, Physicist (1903 Nobel Prize). • •Thomas Edison. • •Albert Einstein. • •Michael Faraday. • •Carol Greider, Molecular Biologist, awarded 2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine. • •Jack Horner, Paleontologist. • •Dr. Peter Lovatt, psychologist and dancer. • •Dr. James Lovelock. • •Paul MacCready "Engineer of the Century." • •Archer Martin, Chemist (1952 Nobel Laureate) • •Matthew H. Schneps, Astrophysicist • •John R. Skoyles, Brain Researcher.

10. Random Facts • ■Despite popular belief, dyslexics do not see letters backwards. They often have difficulty naming and writing letters, and in fact, writing letters backwards is something that many kids do when they’re first learning to write, whether they have dyslexia or not. • ■Many individuals with dyslexia have proven to see things three dimensionally, which can effect how they look at words. • ■Often dyslexics are thought to be reading backwards because of what is called the “Recency Effect.” In which they pronounce the word using the most recent sound first, like “tap” for “pat.” • ■Research has shown strong correlations between dyslexia symptoms and deficits in short-term memory and executive functioning. • ■Dr. Glenda Thorne stated, “Dyslexia is not a deficit in the visual processing system; however, it is a language processing problem. The hallmark characteristic of dyslexia is a breakdown in what is called phoneme awareness.” • ■Yale researchers have shown when people with dyslexia try to read the front part of the brain is over-stimulated while crucial portions in the center and back are under-stimulated.

11. Conclusion Unawareness brings uneasiness, a sense of being lost, and one has the tendency to focus on the negative side of the story. Furthermore, if we don't understand how a person functions we can't help him. Why not bring more awareness of the different learning styles and use all our energy on positive matters by focusing our attention on somebody's strengths and uniqueness so they can fully develop in the person they really are. "The universe is not going to see someone like you again in the entire history of creation" - Vartan Gregorian