Homeschooling and Dyslexia: Part 2: What Dyslexia Isn't

Hi friends and welcome to my little corner of the web!

Thanks for stopping in 

 for part 2  of my series on homeschooling with dyslexia 

during National Dyslexia Awareness Month.

Part 1,   Awareness, Research and Myth Busting, is here.

You might wish to begin there if you have not already.

 Knowledge  is key around the symptoms of the 

learning difference that dyslexia is.

From day to day and from individual to individual, 

dyslexia manifests itself differently.
That is, of course, one of the most frustrating and 
challenging aspects  of dyslexia......the diagnosis....
As well as moving forward with  suitable-for-your-child
intervention and ongoing remediation using 
tools that enahnce not frustrate.

In this post, I'll share what dyslexia is not.

I'm not an expert in  the field.
 Though I did earn a Master's Degree in the
Diagnosis and Remediation of Reading Disabilities,
and taught for many years,
I feel I have gained most of my knowledge in this area
 homeschooling my son, who is
honestly a brilliant, kind and creative child.
I have read extensively on the subject so as to help my child succeed.
Perhaps through this series
you might gain a  little insight you've been searching for, too.

What dyslexia is not~

1. Dyslexia is not  the reading and writing of letters  backwards.

 Writing letters backwards is something that many kids do when they’re first learning to write,  whether they have dyslexia or not.  Even among educators--including university faculty, special education teachers, and speech therapists—70 percent believe that reversing the order of letters is a defining feature of dyslexia. Rather, dyslexia is marked by, among other things,  difficulties in the processing of written language.

2. Dyslexia  does not occur in any one type of learner, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic background IQ level.
Rather, dyslexic symptoms manifest themselves in all people in every walk of life. In fact, conservative estimates suggest that 5 to 10 % of the entire population may be dyslexic.

3. Dyslexia is not accompanied by behavioral and attention issues.

Dyslexia is a severe reading problem of neurological origin. There are no physical, 

medical, or psychological conditions which account for the language processing deficits.

Of course, if a dyslexic child is inattentive in class, I maintain that this is due to

his inability to focus on the concept being taught due 

to the limitations placed on him because of the dyslexia.

Sort of the chicken or the egg syndrome?
Why is it that so many dyslexics also have ADD??
Hmmmmm
However, you might find interesting that dyslexia is a registered disability under the Chronically Sick & Disabled Persons’
 Act of 1970, Education Act of 1993 and the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995.

4. Dyslexia is not a condition which affects "slow learners."

In fact, dyslexia indications are found within students of average and above average

intelligence. 

5. Dyslexia is not caused by "bad" or neglectful parenting.

No indeed.....The  dyslexic person uses his right brain hemisphere instead of his left to process language, thus requiring the use of different neural pathways ( "detours" if you will ) than the non dyslexic person.

Additionally, dyslexia is thought to be genetic and occurring in families. 

6. Dyslexia is not "curable."

Dyslexia is not a disease. There is no "cure." However, with appropriate and early diagnosis and suitable remediation, intervention, patience, love, encouragement, support from teachers, family and other individuals in roles of guidance, dyslexics can thrive in school and beyond, even achieving high levels of success. 

Don't forget that fellows such as Pierre Curie, Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell and good ole Tom Jefferson were dyslexics......

I wouldn't go so far as to say that my son wears his dyslexia as a badge of honor. BUT he is no longer as uncomfortable about it when situations arise and it is apparent that he has a language issue. He is in fact,  thrilled to be in the company of such accomplished individuals. He's also pretty happy to hear that Captain Jack Sparrow ( Johnny Depp) and Mork from Ork ( Robin Williams) are dyslexic as well. But chagrined to find that his favorite Founding Father, John Adams, by all accounts,  was not. Ah well. Can't win 'em all.

Don't get me wrong. Many days I feel as if we are moving backwards. However, patience and perpetual support are vital---for child and for Mom.

Part 3, coming soon, will have as its focus,

resources that may help a teacher / homeschooler
 who is educating a child with dyslexia.

Thank you so very much for stopping in!! Your visits are important to me and very appreciated!

 Friends, as always,  

thank you for stopping over and 

spending some of your precious time 

here at my home on the web!

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Until next time,

~Chris

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