Category Archives: Dyslexia

What ARE “Learning Disabilities” Anyway?

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:50 — 21.1MB)

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What are “learning disabilities”? In practical life? In the Law? In Public School?

What does it mean for a student to find that she or he has a “learning disability”?  Are these true disabilities? Is this labeling? Is labeling necessary? Are there any such thing at all?

So, a child has problems in school. What kind of problems fit in this category? What can be done?

We will answer those questions today, and more like them next time what happens in private schools, in homeschooling, and what are the most important tips on  how to proceed so that your child can experience a successful life.

Here are the links I promised:

  1. IDEA Act  Government promulgated fact sheet website  https://sites.ed.gov/idea/  LDs are not mental retardation, now Down’s Syndrome, and not remediated by SEL Social and Emotional Learning. These are entirely separate discussions, but you might be misled by a single glance at this website!

Statute and Regulations

  1. Statute language as far as I can tell http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title20/chapter33&edition=prelim  This is USC Chap 33.I remember IDEA being PS 92-142.
  2. Section 504https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ocr/civilrights/resources/factsheets/504.pdfhttps://www.wrightslaw.com/info/sec504.index.htm
  3. Wright’s Law website, explanation of the law  https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/sec504.index.htm
  4.  Home School Legal Defense Fund  https://hslda.org/
  5. How Difficult Can it Be?  F>A>T> City   Recommended video  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9NfoGiLKdA  Available on Vimeo and for sale many places

https://depts.washington.edu/dbpeds/fat-city-workshop-transcript.pdf

fat-city-workshop-transcript.pdf

How Hard Can This Be? By Richard Lavoie. In the author’s workshops, participants wind up frustrated, angry, and in tears — and finally understand …

https://www.kanopy.com/product/how-difficult-can-be-fat-city

How Difficult Can This Be? FAT City – Kanopy

This unique program lets viewers experience the frustration, anxiety, and tension faced by children with learning disabilities. Workshop facilitator Richard …

https://www.proquest.com/docview/2376743723

Richard Lavoie: How Difficult Can This Be? F.A.T. – ProQuest

This unique program lets viewers experience the frustration, anxiety, and tension faced by children with learning disabilities. Workshop facilitator Richard …

How Difficult Can This be? The F.A.T. City Workshop on Vimeo

This is “How Difficult Can This be? The F.A.T. City Workshop” by Reading Partners on Vimeo,and is for sale many places.

Learning Disabilities Association of Texas https://ldatx.org/  Notice, the most important thing they think you need to know is that you may at any time, by law, request an evaluation for your student. Check out what they say. Remember, I said, to do it in writing, certified/return receipt requested. Then, you will get a response.

 

Dr. Pat Sekel Explains Dyslexia

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:55 — 23.1MB)

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Dr. Pat Sekel, our local expert on dyslexia, explains what dyslexia really is. There has been so much misunderstanding, amateur explanation, and pre-scientific explanation hanging around, that very few people have an accurate grasp of what is going on. Dr. Sekel came to our studios back in 2010. During the 1990s, after the invention of the CT scan and the MRI, we gained a lot of knowledge about how the brain works. Education is dragging its feet, but advances have been made. To the extent that we can understand what dyslexia is, then we can have a better chance at helping students who struggle because of it.

WHAT DYSLEXIA IS/NOT

Dyslexia is NOT merely switching letters. Dyslexia is NOT something that children grow out of. Dyslexia is real. Dyslexia does often cause problems with school work.

Dyslexia is genetic. It has been known since the time of Socrates. Therefore, it is not like other ailments that were only newly discovered. It is not like problems that have become common only within the past decade, so that it is reasonable to look for preventions. Dyslexia has been around a long time.

It is now thought that dyslexia is a slow auditory processing. Dr. Sekel will explain. There are ways to train the brain to speed up that processing – somewhat. There are ways to teach reading and spelling that permit the student who has dyslexia to do better. Generally, this consists of teaching rules in a logical way — something that public school adamantly, ignorantly, and hurtfully refuses to do. (Please get a copy of my English Spelling Patterns, written for dyslexics and available on amazon.com.)

NOW THE GOOD NEWS

Dyslexia is often accompanied by a heightened ability to deal with the 3D world. For instance, can you picture a slice of pie on a plate? Can you picture in your mind that same slice of pie upside down, floating in the air, off the plate? Why not? I find that easy. Anyone with dyslexia would. Why can’t you? Maybe for the same reason that I still had typos in my college paper after I proofed it 12 times. LOL

There is a lot more to be said about dyslexia and helping students with dyslexia. The point we make here is 1) this is not a death knell 2) we do know what this problem is and 3) there are people and methods that can help. I let out of the bag that I clearly have dyslexia. I am also PHI BETA KAPPA (meaning a member of the the most prestigious honor society) and did extremely well in school. Your children can too. Just have faith and get the practical ideas/help you need.

Dr. Swank Overcomes Dyslexia, Learning Disabilities with Individualized Approach

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:51 — 27.3MB)

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Dr. Linda Swank argues for the individual approach in overcoming dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Back in 2009, Dr. Swank of the Swank Enrichment Center in Austin on Bee Caves Road shares with us how they help children with academic problems, especially “dyslexia.” With her PhD in speech and language as a grounding, she developed a unique approach to helping children. Rather than rely on statistical testing and labeling, they work individually with the child and parents. The individualized approach avoids the labeling. It avoids the varieties of definitional problems that “dyslexia” presents. It avoids the denominationalism that special educators and doctors and therapists find themselves in. It addresses the presenting academic problems. Many have overcome their problems with the center’s approach.

While her methods may be controversial, I would say the proof is in the pudding. Her method is much in contrast to what the public schools do and much in contrast to what the College of Education at The University of Texas now teaches about dyslexia. However, the Swank Center has been in Austin for decades and has helped many children and worried parents. There is little value, in my view, in building a “dyslexia orthodoxy.” Rather, helping individual children is out aim. Differing approaches should be very much welcomed, in my view, in order that more children might be helped, after finding the right approach for them.

COMING TOPICS

Please note that this is a rerun, and announces that next week we will have a doctor/researcher to address the controversial aspects of immunizations. That episode will NOT air next week. That doctor/researcher was Andrew Wakefield and may be accessed by searching the website or the list of podcasts on the podcast host. If you find a search page full of old or false news that he was discredited, and nothing on a reversal of same, then doubt your search engine. He was a dramatically respected world class researcher before he ran aground of pharmaceutical companies’ profiteering. The center he founded in Austin lives on, as does he, entirely exonerated, if bewildered at the persecution. Listen to our interview of him, and consider for yourself if he seems like a decent level headed scientist… or something else.

We do hope to soon run an episode on the labeling issue that Dr. Swank brings up. Let us know if you want an explanation of the statistical analyses that Dr. Swank brings up.

GET IN TOUCH

We really enjoyed having Dr. Swank and she evidently really enjoyed being with us. Notice that heartfelt agreement at the end. It is unfortante that we haven’t heard from her since. Don’t be like that! Let us hear from you. What issues do you want addressed? Please leave your comments and requests. Most of all, sign up, letting us know that you are a Lioness, part of our tribe. Let us pray for you. Contribute to the cause!

Swank Enrichment Center