Dyslexia & Dysgraphia Cena Holifield, Ph.D., CALT, QI The 3-D School, Executive Director William Carey University, Assistant Professor Oral Communication is a Natural Process Reading and Writing are not Natural Processes The lecture today will answer these questions…. • What is Dyslexia? • What is Dysgraphia? • How can these disorders be addressed? Specific Learning Disorders • Dyslexia Dysgraphia Reading Written Expression Specific Learning Disorder • a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations. IDEA, 2004 Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. Students have difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language. Difficulties are often unexpected in relation to cognitive ability and the provision of traditional classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. Dysgraphia • Dysgraphia is a specific learning disability that is a neurological condition causing trouble with written expression. Students struggle with holding a pencil, organizing letters on a line, therefore, handwriting tends to be messy. Many struggle with spelling and putting thoughts on paper. • Dys—difficulty (impaired) • Lexia— words • Dyslexia—difficulty with words ________________________ • Dys – difficulty (impaired) • Graphia – writing by hand • Dysgraphia – difficulty with writing Dysgraphia • Unsure of handedness • Poor or slow handwriting • Messy and unorganized papers • Difficulty copying • Poor fine motor skills • Difficulty with the kinesthetic movements to form letters correctly How Common is Dysgraphia? • Dysgraphia is common in students who have other learning issues: • Dyslexia – affects learning to read, write, and spell • Language disorders – affects learning new words, using correct grammar, and putting thoughts on paper • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – affects attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity • Dyspraxia – affects physical coordination causing fine motor struggles • We already know that when engaged in reading tasks, certain parts of the brain work differently in people who have dyslexia and those who don’t. Brain scans have shown that. Now, a new study shows there are also brain differences between people with dyslexia and those with dysgraphia. • The small study was conducted at the University of Washington. The researchers studied 40 children, grades 4 to 9. The kids were divided into three groups: • 17 had dyslexia (difficulty with reading and spelling) • 14 had dysgraphia (difficulty with handwriting) • 9 were typical language learners • Each child was given a fiber-optic pen that could record writing in real time. Then the kids were asked to do several things: • Look at a letter and then write the next letter in the alphabet • Fill in the missing letter in a word they were shown • Plan a text about astronauts • Rest with no task • While the kids performed the tasks, the researchers scanned their brain activity. They used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to see what parts of the brain are most active at a given time. • The scans showed differences among the three groups of children. The typical language learners had more white matter. (White matter is made up of brain structures whose job it is to connect different parts of the brain and relay information quickly and efficiently.) • The kids with dyslexia and dysgraphia had less white matter. They also had more active functional connections in their gray matter. (That’s where thinking and language processing take place.) This means their brains were working harder to accomplish these literacy tasks than those of the typical language learners. • And the group with dyslexia had different patterns of connections than the group with dysgraphia. Their brains looked (structurally) and worked (functionally) differently. But bear in mind, that’s been shown only for the kids and tasks in the study. The 3-D School Study • 128 students with a diagnosis of dyslexia in grades 2nd – 5th • Approximately 30 students demonstrate the characteristics of dysgraphia • All are also diagnosed with ADHD Approximately 23% Dysgraphia Matthew Effect “To all those who have, more will be given, and they will have abundance; but those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away”. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. Activities for Students with Dysgraphia • Playing with clay and play dough • Keeping lines within mazes • Connecting dots and dashes to complete letter forms • Tracing letters with index finger or eraser end of pencil • Imitating the teacher modeling strokes in letter formation • Skywriting a model on the board • Copying letters from models Let’s talk about handwriting! • A lost art……. Why Cursive is Best • Cursive letters are recommended in most situations because: • it is more fluid • it is less reversible • it has the same starting point • it has a left to right progression • Using MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) researchers are finding that writing by hand is more than just a way to communicate. • The practice helps with: • learning letters and shapes • can improve idea composition and expression, • may aid fine motor-skill development. • Dr. Philippa Gordon (2010) refers the need for young children to have a good pencil grip. • In the February 25, 2010 New York Times, the article “Watch How You Hold That Crayon” talks about how teachers are no longer teaching handwriting and occupational therapists must come into schools to reteach children how to hold their pencil. • It also talked about the need for children to develop those hand muscles. • Cursive is a life long skill that helps children build important neural connections. • They are actually wiring their brains in a way that promotes good motor skills which helps with creativity and expression. • With speed and legibility comes greater freedom to focus on content. Direct Instruction in Handwriting Neuhaus Education Center • Teachers who do not produce letter forms accurately inoculate their own writing forms in their pupils, so small idiosyncrasies in teachers writing become magnified in that of the children’s. Direct Instruction for Cursive Neuhaus Education Center Skywriting Lined paper with arrow at base line Trace and Copy INTERVENTION CAN CHANGE THE BRAIN Brennan 2nd Grade Brennan 2nd Grade August Brennan 3rd Grade Brennan 4th Grade Multisensory Grammar and Written Composition Neuhaus Education Center Multisensory Grammar Neuhaus Education Center Multisensory Grammar Neuhaus Education Center Multisensory Grammar Neuhaus Education Center Multisensory Grammar Neuhaus Education Center Multisensory Grammar Neuhaus Education Center Multisensory Grammar Neuhaus Education Center • Albert Einstein once said "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". Dr. Sally Shaywitz References • Birsh, J. (2005) Multisensory Teaching of Basic Language Skills, Brooks Publishing Co., Baltimore, Maryland. • Carreker, S. (2009) Basic Language Skills, Neuhaus Education Center. • Carreker, S. (2002) Multisensory Grammar and Written Composition, Neuhaus Education Center. • International Dyslexia Association (2016) Just the Facts: understanding dysgraphia, www.interdys.org • Shaywitz, S. (2003). Overcoming Dyslexia; a new and complete science-based program for reading problems at any level, Random House, Inc., New York, New York..