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Good article about dyslexia


LizzyBee
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I stumbled across this article by Sally Shaywitz (author of Overcoming Dyslexia) about dyslexia. A couple of months ago, we talked about how dyslexia can be definitively diagnosed from a medical standpoint by using a working MRI. The article mentions this and has some pictures that demonstrate the neural differences between dyslexic and non-dyslexic people.

 

http://knol.google.com/k/dyslexia#

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:hurray:

 

Elizabeth, have I told you lately that you absolutely rock?

 

Great article! I remember the dyslexia diagnosis conversation. The Shaywitz model of dyslexia is the one with which I am most familiar. This article is like a perfect little abstract of her book, Overcoming Dyslexia. The info on brain imaging was especially interesting.

 

I was wondering what you thought about this passage:

 

 

I found this interesting because I believe that here in CA, MRIs are not currently the diagnostic standard to receive a dyslexia dx, but you were saying where you are, MRIs are required?

 

I also noticed at the top that Shaywitz also referred to the "specific reading disability" label. Dh received that diagnosis at his last eval. Interesting....

 

Thank you!

 

What I have been told is that a working MRI is required in order to get public schools to recognize and provide services for dyslexia. Otherwise, the dx is "specific reading disability" and most schools here do not offer OG curriculum to remediate a reading disability. I think it's really just one more way to deny services.

 

I am excited about the research on the brain and how it works even though there is still much to learn. I have told my kids from the beginning that dyslexia is not a disorder or disability; it's simply means their brains are wired a little differently, they learn and think differently, but different is not wrong. A while back, I read that there is emerging evidence that dyslexia is hard-wired by 4-5 months of pregnancy. I hope this will lead to greater respect for different ways of learning and lead us away from the idea that the traditional way of learning and teaching is the "correct" way.

Edited by LizzyBee
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:hurray:

 

Elizabeth, have I told you lately that you absolutely rock?

 

Great article! I remember the dyslexia diagnosis conversation. The Shaywitz model of dyslexia is the one with which I am most familiar. This article is like a perfect little abstract of her book, Overcoming Dyslexia. The info on brain imaging was especially interesting.

 

I was wondering what you thought about this passage:

 

 

I found this interesting because I believe that here in CA, MRIs are not currently the diagnostic standard to receive a dyslexia dx, but you were saying where you are, MRIs are required?

 

I also noticed at the top that Shaywitz also referred to the "specific reading disability" label. Dh received that diagnosis at his last eval. Interesting....

I agree! I would love to see a brain scan of my little guy sometime compared to a "normal" reader. I also really wish we had a brain scan from before we started all this intervention to compare as we progress through what we're doing. I know that Shaywitz wrote in the article that dyslexia won't go away, but I have also read other studies about programs like LiPS and Fastforwords making changes to the brain imaging scans of young children. I just recently read something on another thread over at Heart of Reading that Orton-Gillingham programs can make changes within the brain too. I doubt that the typical methods to help problems readers in schools (that are often not started until after third grade) would make those brain changes, but I hope that other types of intervention might.

 

I believe in brain neuro-plasticity based on other things that I have read, but it's not completely clear to me where Shaywitz's studies stand in that regard. Studies with people who have suffered from stroke show the brain can make new connections, but I would think that the brains of adult dyslexic might be much more difficult to change than a child.

 

The brain is fascinating.

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Thank you!

 

What I have been told is that a working MRI is required in order to get public schools to recognize and provide services for dyslexia. Otherwise, the dx is "specific reading disability" and most schools here do not offer OG curriculum to remediate a reading disability. I think it's really just one more way to deny services.

 

I totally agree. They don't even test for dyslexia in the public schools here at all now. That way, they don't have to do anything about it.:glare:

 

I am excited about the research on the brain and how it works even though there is still much to learn. I have told my kids from the beginning that dyslexia is not a disorder or disability; it's simply means their brains are wired a little differently, they learn and think differently, but different is not wrong. A while back, I read that there is emerging evidence that dyslexia is hard-wired by 4-5 months of pregnancy. I hope this will lead to greater respect for different ways of learning and lead us away from the idea that the traditional way of learning and teaching is the "correct" way.

 

The info about MRI's was so interesting to me, too. I've been holding my breath, hoping against hope that my two youngest don't end up dyslexic, but DD4 is beginning to show some signs that make me wonder. At least I'm ready.

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