More Stories - This page is written by dyslexic adults who want to share their past school experiences. By telling your story, you will help those who don't understand what it's like to be in a class with a teacher who doesn't always understand you. Or tell us about that teacher that made a difference by understanding how to help you. There are many people who don't quite understand that their role in a dyslexic's life can either help it flourish or help destroy it. Maybe by reading the stories of other dyslexic adults who were helped by a teacher who made a difference, or tormented by that teacher who held negative views about dyslexia, we'll be able to assist more teachers on learning new ways that help dyslexic students. If you would like to tell us your story, simply click the contact me button and email me your story. I will post it on the "More Stories" page.
Comment Section : A section to list your comments regarding this site. I am receiving many emails from teachers, parents, and others with stories that mirror my own. I would like to offer this space for others to view their opinions. This section will be edited to remove names and such as to not recognize any one person.
Updates
This week has been an interesting week of more learning for myself that I would like to share with you.. I will tell you about the information that my two dyslexic daughters shared with me this week. For the past couple weeks we have been discussing note cards that you use to study terms and definitions. A few weeks ago my oldest daughter had watched me make a card for her then scribble the word out and re-spell it underneath. She had handed me a new card and asked me to re-do it. I was irritated because I had so many more to do. She then explained that the scribble was part of the picture that she would make when studying that term. If, on a test, the scribble wasn't there she couldn't identify the word. She explained it as being the same as if I had the word with several of it's letters missing. I would recognize it but probably couldn't be certain to which word it now was. We continued the conversation more this week. Both my girls stated that it is difficult to change the "picture " that they have made of a hand written note or term to a typed word that is on a test. My oldest explained that she tries to be very neat with the writing of terms or otherwise something about the word's characteristics stick in her mind. My second daughter explained further. She began to realize recently, while studing for a religion test, that she knew the words that she needed to know not by the letters of that word but instead by the card that was long and narrow, one that was the short fat one , the one with the big "R" ect.. Once she understood this she was forced to start over to try somehow to focus on the word not it's surroundings. Another plug for multisensory teaching is when this same daughter told me she got all her vocabulary words correct by identifying something in the word that was different then the rest. An example she used was two oo's in one word. When asked why, she stated " I haven't heard the word enough orally to identify it with a picture that connects the word. To me it is just a bunch of letters that I don't know how to pronounce so I remember it by it's characteristics just like a person!"
My mind is so unlike my children's minds. Sometimes I am just amazed at how they learn in comparison to me. I think I learn by osmosis, it just sort of filters in and I know it. My kids and others like them don't seem to do this. I hope this helps other see the enormous need for education for teachers on this. To me this is not something that you might just observe in your class and just catch on to it. You first must be made aware of the processing involved.
A second story for you is about one of my daughter's college professors. As some of you may know my daughter attended a private university several hours away from our home this past semester. She did very well overall, but struggled a lot with an advanced Anatomy/Physiology class. We decided to have her come home for this semester to take these classes at our local community college. That way she and I could stay on top of the struggles as they occured and together we could figure out strategizes. In her Anatomy class she is doing wonderful with very little help from me. She has occasionally complained about missing a question or two that was in a short answer format. She couldn't figure out what they were asking her, but later found out, that had it been explained what they were asking, she knew the answer all along.
In her Physiology class things are extremely difficult for her to understand visually. We have had a few "melt downs" with her voicing her frustrations on having to take tests that are difficult for her to determine what is being asked. She does opt for the accomodation of taking her tests outside the classroom for less distractions, but states the option to have them read her the test orally is useless as she can read it fine. She just can't always understand what they are asking her. When she attended the university, last semester, I asked about someone simply re-stating the questions to her. An example would be if they asked ------ is the largest bone in the body, they could ask her, what is the largest bone in the body? I was told that they would only read her the questions as they were written with no changes to be made. This professor that she has now has stated not only will he read her the test and explain questions in different ways, but he will allow her to draw out essay questions and receive credit as long as it is apparent that she understands the material. I am so thankful for those teachers and professors who take the time to understand my kids so that they too can learn, not just the select few. Thank you.
The No Child Left Behind changes
Recently I heard that the No Child Left Behind committee is considering changes. They may allow schools that have one subgroup of students, such as children with learning differences not to have to meet the bench marks of improved test scores to avoid repercussions to that school.
Do I worry about my dyslexic child passing those standardized tests? You bet I do, but even more I worry that the schools will now disregard her ability to pass those tests. Why would they put their increased efforts in changes for our kids when it may be the other groups of students that may count the most? Our children truly will be the children left behind if this occurs.
Now is the time for parents to insist that all teachers become educated regarding dyslexia. Without total education of ALL teachers our children's chances for success will diminish as the focus will be on those who need to pass the testing for each school, not on those who may not count.
Ironically, our dyslexic children should be held accountable to passing these tests. There will never be a day that I will tell or believe that any of my dyslexic children are less capable then my child who is not dyslexic. That said, I hold them to the same high standards as my other child. Yes, my dyslexic children do complain that it's not fair sometimes, but nonetheless they have the skills as every other child to obtain the knowledge needed to pass those tests. The difference for success lies in the education of the system to realize that all children don't show their knowledge in the same ways. If a student can prove that he or she understands the material in alternative ways it should be allowed. My daughter's professor puts this into perspective. If my daughter chooses to draw out an essay question, that's allowed, but her points are determined exactly like those who choose to write it out. This means that if portions of those essay questions aren't easily identified through her drawing, the points are not hers. This way nothing is "dumbed" down for her, and she must prove herself, as much as the person next to her, that she has mastered the material.
I welcome your comments. mmmasko@therighttolearn.com
