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Imagine trying to read a sentence when every other word looks like made-up gibberish. It’s exhausting to read the sentence over and over again, trying to put together the meaning. That one troublesome sentence is followed by another… and another… and another… You know it’s not your fault – it’s the text doesn’t make sense. …
Beth Dichter's insight:
Did you know that it is estimated that 1 out of 5 people struggle with dyslexia (and often do not realize it)? This post provides a range of resources that look at dyslexia. The resources are grouped in four areas: * Understanding Dsylexia * Identifying Dyslexia * How to Teach Dyslexic Students * Personalizing Dyslexia The resources include videos and articles/posts as well as a link to a great website at Yale. And if you have a student in your class how is dyslexic they might be interested in learning that the following people were also dyslexic: Albert Einstein, Steven Jobs, Walt Disney, Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg were also dyslexic. 
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Fluency Tutor is an application for Google Chrome which allows educators to assign reading passages to students via their Google Drive accounts.
Beth Dichter's insight:
If you have Chrome installed on computers at your school consider checking out this app called Fluency Tutor. The website states FluencyTutor "is an easy-to-use, time-saving leveled reading and assessment tool that helps busy teachers support struggling readers. Teachers pick reading passages based on content, lexile level or reading age and share with individual students or groups via Google Drive." Students may access material from home or school and can record passages. Text-to-speech, a dictionary, a picture dictionary and translation tools are also available. The teacher dashboard and the student area for interaction is free. If you want to be able to see analytics, track progress, and more there is a charge of $99 per year (for teachers). Tools such as this are great free resources for many students. You might also want to check out Read&Write for Google.
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"As e-readers grow in popularity as convenient alternatives to traditional books, researchers at the Smithsonian have found that convenience may not be their only benefit. The team discovered that when e-readers are set up to display only a few words per line, some people with dyslexia can read more easily, quickly and with greater comprehension."
Beth Dichter's insight:
The end of this press release shares a new website: Read Easy (located at http://readeasy.si.edu/). This website shares links to several articles that share the research ("E-Readers are More Effective than Paper for Some with Dyslexia" and "Shorter Lines Facilitate Reading in Those Who Struggle"). The website also provides a demo of what works and states that the Smithosonian will be offering a "FREE online certification course to support professional reading specialists interested in using mobile e-reader devices to help students with dyslexia in their practice. Certification is only open to professional reading specialists." This course will be available on December 1st. For more information click through to the Read Easy website (link above).
Heather MacDonald's curator insight,
September 23, 2013 11:20 AM
I love these kinds of advances. For those of us who know of people who've struggled with language learning challenges this is a great discovery. Language leaning problems create way too many other personal and social problems for children who then grow to be adults with problems unless they are diagnosed and helped. Way to go Smithsonian researchers! 
LS5043-2014's curator insight,
November 6, 2014 6:34 PM
Important evidence re: usefulness of e-readers to underserved library populations.
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The Autisum Transition Handbook was created by grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Delaware Department of Education "to assist individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families by providing access to the most current and comprehensive information on the transition to adulthood."
Beth Dichter's insight:
This app wonderwheel is developed for students on the autism spectrum by an Apple educator Mark Coppin whom is also the Director of Assistive Technology at the Anne Carlsen Center. The wheel is split into six sections that define common learning expectations. Each of the sections then shows common learning traits, followed by app categories and then the apps (each of which is hot linked at the website). The six categories are: * Behavior * Communication * Social Skills * Need for Sameness or Routine * Sensory Sensitivity * Difficulty with Traditional Learning Methods The link you to the chapter that discusses Assistive Technology. To go directly to the App Wonderwheel use this link http://www.autismhandbook.org/images/4/4c/Appwheel.pdf. It is often difficult to know which apps to choose when we work with students. This resource may help you determine some apps to investigate for students on the autism spectrum.
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© 2012 Some people with autism have difficulty processing intense, multiple sensory experiences at once. "This animation give the viewer a glimpse into sensory overload, and how often our sensory experiences intertwine in everyday life."
Shelby Walters's curator insight,
November 25, 2015 9:52 PM
Sensory overload occurs when one or more of the body's senses experiences over stimulation from the environment. There are many environmental elements that impact an individual. Sensory overload has been used as a means of torture, and is common in the autistic community. |
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"Albert Einstein nailed it–'We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.' That truth will decide whether we develop a 21st-century friendly educational system or continue to tinker at the margins of school."
Beth Dichter's insight:
Do words hold us back? Do they have the potential to keep us in place rather than allowing us to move forward? This post looks at ten words and discusses how each may "influence our behavior and keep us in a box." The ten words are: 1. Lesson 2. Knowledge 3. Rigor 4. Soft Skills 5. High & Low Students 6. 0ff-Task 7. Learning Styles 8. Summer Learning Loss 9. Special Education 10. Brain-Based Learning Below is an example of how one of these words is explained. What do you think of when you hear the word off-task? What does research tell us about six-year olds and their ability to focus on one task? The explanation shares that young students who have more time for play also have higher executive functioning skills, yet in the classroom we ask them to sit and to focus one area. In many schools the amount of time for free play and recess has decreased so we can focus on ELA and math. Learn more about these words and see if you agree with the author. Do you think these words are holding us back?
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"When’s the last time the deficit model of viewing student performance really irked you? Just thinking about it can be quite enraging. Here’s why: Students end up being placed along a bell curve (hope this doesn’t induce a headache) to decipher how on target they are—how close to the “average” learner. And this is deciphered basically by looking at their test scores…then placing them along this line of doom."
Beth Dichter's insight:
The myth of average may be a new concept to you but if you listen to the short video clip by Todd Rose you will get an idea of what this issue is, and there is a link to a TEDx talk in the post (a longer presentation on 'Project Variability and the dangers of “averaging” learners.' Additional resources are also available in this post including a new Universal Design for Learning book that may be found online. For more information click through to the post.
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Beth Dichter's insight:
This infographic looks at how technology shaped education for special needs students (in the U.S.). There are many sections in the infographic including: * A Brief History of Children with Special Education Needs * The Percentage of Students by Disability (ages 6 - 17) * Then, Now and the Future * Devices to Help the Hearing Impaired * Devices to Help the Visually Impaired * iPad Apps * Psychological Effects of the new Technologies * References As educators we need to understand the history of Special Education and the needs of our students. This post presents valuable information for teachers across all grade levels and curriculum.
Shao Lin Lauricella's curator insight,
October 30, 2013 8:26 PM
I find this super helpful. There are many more special needs children today than there were back in the day. Also today there is more use in the technology world and we need to accommodate to both. This is helpful because it teaches teachers who has a special needs students the different technology tools that will help those students specifically.
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Power Up: Common Sense Media's guide to nearly 100 great apps for kids ages 2-17 who have special needs and learning differences.
Beth Dichter's insight:
Common Sense Media has just released a new guide that provides great resources for students with special needs and learning difficulties. Available to download as a pdf or online you will find six categories split into levels of Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. The six categories are: * Communication * Social Interaction * Organization * Reading * Mathematics * Motor Skills Each section has an overview, a look at common challenges, common signs, ways to help, what to look for in an app and links to additional resources, and then a page for each level which suggests apps which also has a Power Tip on each page. This is a great resource for students, teachers and parents. To go directly to the pdf use this link: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/special-needs-full-guide.pdf.
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very worthwhile! Did you know that th earliest sign of dyslexia is difficulty telling right from left? and that the kids will blithely interchange hands, not even knowing that they're doing it?