SAMMIESMISSION.COM

Would you support a NJ Dyslexia Handbook?

2012-01-04T18:30:48Z

The Departments of Education in 4 states have issued Dyslexia Resource Handbooks: Texas, Mississippi, Washington and South Dakota. Check them out...

Texas
http://www.region10.org/dyslexia/Documents/DyslexiaHandbook11-10-2010.pdf

Mississippi
http://www.mde.k12.ms.us/acad/id/curriculum/laer/dyslexia.html

Washington
http://www.k12.wa.us/Reading/pubdocs/DyslexiaResourceGuide.pdf

South Dakota
http://doe.sd.gov/oess/documents/SPED_DyslexiaGuide.pdf

ODNJ Meeting Minutes 12.05.11

2012-01-04T18:29:57Z

ODNJ Meeting Minutes; December 5, 2011

I. In Attendance: AK, CE (Burlington County); DL, SC (Camden County); LB (Ocean County); JM (Hunterdon County); KS, EB, MS (Mercer County); JS, DT (Monmouth County)

II. Mission Statement

This item was tabled due to time constraints and will be addressed at the next meeting.

III. Updates

1. Social Media and PR

a. Domain name, Website, Blog, Facebook

DL reported domain fees to be $10 per year and web site hosting fees will cost approximately $75 per year. She will try to secure 'www.overcomingdyslexiaNJ.org'. It was agreed that an individual website will be developed for the group with a link to the sammiesmission blog. DL will provide sample designs at an upcoming meeting.

b. Postcards

LB printed sample cards for distribution. MS and AK will investigate reduced cost or donated printing services.

c. Yahoo Group

This will be the preferred method of email communication among group organizers. MS will send out invites to all requesting to join.

d. Press Release

LB is taking the lead on press releases. She has a listing of media sources from Learning Ally... please check in with her to identify local outlets in your county to receive a press release. Also consider sending a "letter to the editor" to your local paper.

e. Community Organizations

JM contacted and will follow up with (former Masonic Learning Centers) Childrens Dyslexia Centers of NJ to discuss possible outreach to their contact lists. She is also reaching out to Nemours.org- Bright Start.

2. Lobbying our Legislators for Change

a. Task Force Public Meeting with Learning Ally

EB reported that Learniing Ally will be hosting a open meeting for parents to share stories with a representative group from the NJ Task Force in January. Date TBA.

b. "Personal Dyslexia Stories" Preparation

Members spent time sharing their composed stories and giving feedback.

c. Contact your local legislators

Members are asked to contact your local legislators to introduce yourself as a constituent, share your personal dyslexia story, convince them they should "care" and introduce them to ODNJ. Let them know they will be hearing more from us! Check in

at Facebook for more tips on this topic!

IV. Next Meeting

Monday January 23, 2012
11:30 am - 1 pm
Lawrence Township Library
2751 Brunswick Pike (aka, Business Rte 1), Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

Dyslexia toolkit for teachers: would you like to see this in NJ?

2011-12-01T14:13:02Z

Scottish Government Announces Additional Funding For Dyslexia Teaching

Source: Scottish Government
Published Monday, 21 November, 2011 - 14:48

Dyslexia Scotland is to receive grant funding of £40,000 to bolster its existing dyslexia toolkit for teachers.

Education Secretary Michael Russell made the announcement today following a meeting at the Scottish Parliament to discuss how best to help teachers develop skills to assist all of Scotland's pupils.

The online toolkit is a comprehensive teachers resource for the assessment of literacy difficulties and dyslexia. The additional funding will be used to update the material on how to support pupils with dyslexia, to make it more accessible for teachers and to support local implementation.

Mr Russell said:

"The Scottish Government is working to improve the life chances of all Scotland's children and young people. If we are going to realise that ambition, learners need to receive support to overcome any barriers they may have to realising their potential. Clearly, our teachers play a crucial role in delivering this and I'm determined they have access to resources for professional development which enable them to meet the needs of all their pupils.

"Every child deserves an education which unlocks their potential and this additional funding will help teachers make that happen. Clearly resources like the Dyslexia Toolkit, coupled with the creativity and commitment of our schools and teachers can transform a child's life chances. "

Sir Jackie Stewart said:

"Both Dyslexia Scotland and myself as President are very grateful to the Scottish Government for its commitment to support the expansion of the Assessing Dyslexia toolkit. By extending the reach of the online toolkit so that it guides teachers to not only identify but also support young people with dyslexia, it will hopefully enable more of Scotland's teachers to provide greater assistance to young people with dyslexia than has perhaps ever existed before".

The Dyslexia toolkit was launched by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning and Sir Jackie Stewart OBE in June 2010. The Scottish Government provided Dyslexia Scotland with £39,000 in 2009/10 to develop the toolkit and a further £10,000 in 2010/11 to run a series of seminars across Scotland to raise awareness and understanding of the new resource.

The additional funding was announced following a meeting at the Scottish Parliament attended by the First Minister Alex Salmond, the Minister for Children and Young People Angela Constance, representatives of the Universities involved in Initial Teacher Education in Scotland, Graham Donaldson author of Teaching Scotland's Future, Sir Jackie Stewart President of Dyslexia Scotland and other representatives of Dyslexia Scotland.

The Universities involved in Initial Teacher Education (in Scotland) include: University of Edinburgh; University of Strathclyde; University of Stirling; The Open University; University of Dundee; University of the West of Scotland; University of Aberdeen and the University of Glasgow.

Dyslexia Scotland have also published 'Dyslexia and Us: A collection of personal stories' on October 31, 2011.

Sir Jackie Stewart OBE, the former world champion racing driver, was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 38.

MEETING DEC 5TH: OVERCOMING DYSLEXIA IN NJ

2011-11-30T16:51:43Z

"Overcoming Dyslexia in NJ" MEETING on Monday, December 5th from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Lawrence Township Library, Room 3.

Address: 2751 Us Highway 1, Lawrence Township, NJ 08648

We are meeting to discuss the development of personal "dyslexia" stories and how to best share them throughout the state. We will also formally introduce our "mission statement".

Head over and "Like" our Facebook page and let us know you'll be attending!

https://www.facebook.com/overcomingdyslexiaNJ

Overcoming Dyslexia NJ: A New Model of Grass Roots Power and Persuasion

2011-11-21T15:04:37Z

Learning Ally jumped at a chance to meet the founding members of Overcoming Dyslexia in NJ -- a grassroots movement driven by New Jersey families who want to change the state of limited access to educational interventions for kids with learning disabilities within our public schools and communities.

CLICK HERE to read their blog entry.

ODNJ Meeting Minutes 11.14.11

2011-11-16T16:10:38Z

ODNJ Meeting Minutes; November 14, 2011

I. In Attendance: KHM, AK, CE (Burlington County); DL (Camden County); LB (Ocean County); JM (Hunterdon County); KS, DC (Mercer County); DS (Learning Ally)

II. Mission and Focus Discussion

1. NJ Reading Disabilities Task Force

a. Assemblyman Matt Milam (D-1st), Assemblyman Nelson Albano

(D-1st), Marilyn Di-Tullio-Cerino (NJEA), Dr. Deborah Ciapanna (Spec Ed

Director), Dr. Marilyn Gonyo (NJ LDA), Dr. Gordon Sherman (NJ IDA),

Ocean City BA Mike Datillo, Beth Ravelli (Parent), Mary Jane Kurabinski

(NJ DOE), Karen Kimberlin (NJ SLHA) and Jane Peltonen (Reading

Specialist).

We hope to get the opportunity to share our stories with the Task Force in December. AK and KHM will keep us updated on possible open meeting dates of the Task Force.

2. Dyslexia Awareness in NJ

a. Facebook Page (58 likes), Blog (www.sammiesmission.com)/website,

Press/Media, Promotional materials (T-shirts, stickers, postcards, etc)

All members are asked to network and spread the word about ODNJ.

DL will continue to administer the Facebook Page and blog. All members are asked to contribute content, etc. DL will investigate costs for website and domain name fees. DL will create a standard promotional card for distribution.

LB will write a short article for use in local newspapers. DS will contact LB with photos from today's meeting and press database information.

JM will contact NJ IDA and Masonic Learning Centers to introduce ODNJ.

3. Lobbying our Legislators for Change

We ask that families spend time developing a direct, concise draft of your story...

focusing on the struggle to get your child identified and into appropriate intervention programs in public school settings. We will review these at the next meeting.

AK will contact Learning Ally and NCLD staff for legislative lobbying ideas.

III. Develop ODNJ Mission Statement

LB will write a draft mission statement and revise with help of KHM, JM and DC.

IV. Next Meeting

Monday December 5, 2011

11:30 am - 1 pm

Lawrence Township Library, Rm 3

2751 Brunswick Pike (aka, Business Rte 1), Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

Enact State Literacy Laws

2011-11-15T18:05:55Z

Model Language for State Law on LITERACY in GENERAL EDUCATION

A fundamental civil right in our country is the right to a free, appropriate public education. Achievement by each individual of college and/or career readiness, through public education, is critical to the individual and the country. The largest barrier to all students reaching their educational potential is failure to become literate—to read for knowledge, write, use technology proficiently and think critically about what is read. Literacy failure is most often associated with poverty, limited English proficiency, learning disabilities, dyslexia and/or poor reading instruction, but extensive research funded through our National Institutes of Health and other agencies shows that most literacy failure is unnecessary: It can be prevented or ameliorated through schooling.

All students can make important and unique contributions to our society. Many successful entrepreneurs, innovators, and cultural and community leaders have overcome obstacles to become literate. Conversely, millions of at-risk students are not being served well by public education and, thus, are unable to reach their potential. Almost all of these students represent educational challenges that can be overcome, and if unaddressed, lead to functional illiteracy, dropping out of high school, and to the widely understood consequences of a cycle of literacy failure: frustration, delinquency, crime, underemployment, and/or social dependency.

The documented costs of these social consequences represent extraordinary hardships to each and every state. On the other hand, a significant but far smaller investment in rigorous training for teachers-of-reading, effective reading instruction, early identification through screening and assessment, and appropriate support services leads to a more fulfilled, educated, productive citizenry that directly affects the overall growth of a state’s communities, regions, workforce, gross state product, the nation’s GDP, and ability to compete in the globalization of the 21st century. A state’s goal is to create a generation of educated citizens, prepared to tackle and fulfill the requirements of the 21st century’s work force.

This website will provide the resources to help guide those looking to make real change in children’s lives by working to create strong literacy laws in each and every state. This site is for families, teachers, school administrators, government officials and others that recognize the growing problem of illiteracy in our nation. Strong laws create strong schools and strong children. Weak and non-existent laws foster broken schools and yield children unprepared to compete in the 21st century world. Together we can rebuild America’s educational promise to its students and reclaim our position as a top competitor in the world of reading, math and science proficiency.

http://state-literacy-law.org/content/model-language-state-law-literacy-general-education

Early Screening A Must

2011-11-07T16:45:29Z

The Use of a Dynamic Screening of Phonological Awareness to Predict Risk for Reading Disabilities in Kindergarten Children

Abstract: This study examined the usefulness and predictive validity of a dynamic screening of phonological awareness in two samples of kindergarten children. In one sample (n = 90), the predictive validity of the dynamic assessment was compared to a static version of the same screening measure. In the second sample (n = 96), the dynamic screening measure was compared to a commonly used screening tool, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills Initial Sound Fluency. Results showed that the dynamic screening measure uniquely predicted end-of-year reading achievement and outcomes in both samples. These results provide preliminary support for the usefulness of a dynamic screening measure of phonological awareness for kindergarten students.

from the Journal of Learning Disabilities

MEETING Nov 14th: Overcoming Dyslexia in NJ

2011-11-07T15:56:21Z

"Overcoming Dyslexia in NJ" MEETING on Monday, November 14th from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Lawrence Township Library, Room 4.

Address: 2751 Us Highway 1, Lawrence Township, NJ 08648

We are meeting to discuss the goals of our group and to brainstorm ways to reach more parents in NJ.

Head over and "Like" our Facebook page and let us know you'll be attending!

https://www.facebook.com/overcomingdyslexiaNJ

PARENTS EDUCATION NETWORK

2011-11-07T13:16:12Z

http://www.parentseducationnetwork.org/

Who we are

Parents Education Network is a coalition of parents collaborating with educators, students and the community to empower and bring academic success to students with learning and attention difficulties.

Our story

We are a grassroots organization with national impact, founded in 2003 by a group of parents whose children have learning and attention difficulties, and who individually struggled to find the information, services, and expertise to help their children succeed academically. They did not want other parents to experience the isolation and frustration they encountered. They came to believe strongly that parents and educators must work collaboratively to help LD children understand their strengths and individual learning styles.

What we believe

The child suffers if the parent-school relationship is adversarial instead of collaborative.

Understanding learning and attention difficulties, as experienced in the classroom and at home, is the key to a good partnership between the school, parents and students.

Parents can't teach educators; parents must teach other parents, and educators other educators.

A strength-based approach at school and home is most effective in helping students reach their full potential.

What we want to achieve

Ignite an education revolution across the country that will acknowledge, appreciate and effectively teach all students, including those with learning and attention difficulties by:

Increasing awareness, knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the strenghts and challenges facing students with learning and attention difficulties through education and collaboration of parents, students, teachers and the community.
Promoting a strength-based, research-driven approach that benefits all students, in the classroom and at home.
Empowering students with learning and attention difficulties to reach their full potential.

Parents Education Network (PEN), 281A Sixteenth Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94118

Phone: (415) 751-2237

Types of Dyslexia

2011-10-31T16:46:11Z

http://www.macalester.edu/academics/psychology/whathap/ubnrp/dyslexia/index.html

It has been difficult to isolate distinguishing features that would categorize specific dyslexia as a single condition. SLDs have many subtypes with a variety of breakdowns, as suggested by Carlson (1998). He suggested two major distinctions of people as follows:

Developmental SLDs: are caused by biological anomalies, usually genetic, in the brain at various levels (i.e. morphological or synaptic) from prenatal through childhood development.
Acquired SLDs: are caused by brain trauma that may occur prenatally or later, which leads to similar behavioral characteristics of developmental SLDs.

As mentioned previously, we will focus on dyslexia, which is a general term for reading disorders with many subgroups (i.e. surface, phonological, word-form or spelling, and direct). As a quick note, dysgraphia, writing disorders, has similar subgroups (i.e. surface, phonological, and direct). Basically, writing involves reading with an output expression using visual imagery and phonetics, as well as memory of letter sequence and muscle motor. The dyslexia subgroups can be understood as follows:

Surface : person can read words phonetically but has problems with whole word recognition (i.e. yacht ---> yatchet).
Phonological : person can read familiar words by using whole word method but has difficulty "sounding out" words that are new or letter-to-sound decoding problems.
Spelling : person can read individual letters that lead to reading words if given enough time but has problems recognizing the word as a whole and phonetically (i.e. men ---> h-e-n).
Direct : person can read aloud without comprehension that is similar to speech comprehension aphasias like anomia.

Since all dyslexics do not possess the same symptoms, Ingram (1964) suggested dividing dyslexia into three categories,

visuospatial difficulties
speech sound difficulties
correlating difficulties

Persons with visuo-spatial difficulties cannot recognize groups of letters. They may tend to guess words by shape and not by context. People with this form of dyslexia may also confuse reversible letters, transpose letters in syllables and syllables in words and words in phrases. They have trouble reproducing letters in writing and may confuse letter, syllable and word order. They may also read words backwards.

Those with speech sound difficulties have problems in understanding spoken language. Difficulty arises in breaking words into syllables and in forming sentences. Those who have problems correlating are unable to find the appropriate speech sounds for individual letter or sounds in writing (this is seen more commonly with monosyllabic words). Researchers began to standardize the concept of dyslexia as case studies and investigations increased. The divisions below are listed according to the researcher of dyslexia. (Snowling Margaret, 1972)

Boder's- Reading-Spelling Pattern Dysfunction

Boder developed a diagnostic screening tool for developmental dyslexia from which she divided into three subtypes:

Dysphonetic- This is the largest of the three divisions. This is viewed as a disability in associating symbols with sounds. The misspellings typical of this disorder are phonetically inaccurate. The misreadings are substitutions based on small clues, and are also semantic.
Dyseidetic- In this group there are deficits in vision and memory of letters and word shapes. The person is unable to develop a sight vocabulary. However they have the ability to acquire adequate phonetic skills.
Alexic or mixed dyseidetic and dysphonetic- This subtypecombines the deficit of the first two groups. This person may have disability in both sight vocabulary and phonetic skills. People with this form of dyslexia are usually unable to read or spell.

Johnson & Myklebust's- Visual and Auditory

Johnson and Myklebust(1967) standardized reading tests as well as tests for reading diagnosis. They also identified subtypes of dyslexia.

Visual Dyslexia- Those with visual dyslexia usually cannot learn words as a whole component. The person has problems with visual discrimination, memory synthesis and sequencing of words. Reversal of words or letters when reading, writing and spelling is common.
Auditory Dyslexia- Auditory dyslexics cannot link the auditory equivalent of a word to the visual component.

Bateman's-Visual learners, Auditory learners, Visual and Auditory deficits.

Bateson (1968) identified three categories based on the Illinois test of Psycho linguistic Abilities. They are:

good visual memory but poor auditory memory
good auditory memory but poor visual memory
poor visual and auditory memory. In this case reading disability is severe and difficult to remedy deficits.

Smith's Three Patterns based on WISC and WAIS tests. In 1970 Smith used the Weschler intelligence test and the WISC to draw some conclusions. Smith's inferences were similar to Border's. He detailed three pattern dyslexics:

those who have strong spatial ability also score lower in symbol manipulation and sequencing.
those who had problems in spatial organization and perceptual organization also have visual-motor coordination deficits.
those who have deficits characteristic of pattern i and ii.

Mattis, French and Rapin-Language Disorder group, Articulary and Dyscoordination Group and a Visualspatial Verceptual Disorder group.

Mattis French and Rapin conducted a study of 113 children to investigate the cause of dyslexia. They tested all of children on IQ, vision, hearing and academic exposure. They divided the children into three groups: (I) those with brain damage who could read, (II) those with brain damage who were dyslexic and (III) those without brain damage who were dyslexic. Interestingly enough they found a similarity between those with developmental dyslexia and those with brain-damage dyslexia. On the basis of these results and a battery of neuropsychological examinations, they divided dyslexia into three syndromes.

Syndrome I Language Disorder- This syndrome is characterized with anomia, comprehension deficits, confused imitative speech and speech- sound discrimination. Vision and motor coordination is normal.
Syndrome II Articulatory and Graphomotor Dyscoordination- Children with this syndrome have gross and fine motor coordination disorders. They have poor speech and graphomotor coordination.
Syndrome III: Visuospatial Perceptual Disorder- These children score 10 points more on verbal IQ than performance IQ. Their visuospatial perception is very poor, as is their ability to store and retrieve visual stimuli. (Macdonald Critchely, 1990)

Possible traits for dyslexia

2011-10-29T05:14:52Z

Most dyslexics will exhibit about 10 of the following traits and behaviors. These characteristics can vary from day-to-day or minute-to-minute. The most consistent thing about dyslexics is their inconsistency.

Appears bright, highly intelligent, and articulate but unable to read, write, or spell at grade level.
Labeled lazy, dumb, careless, immature, "not trying hard enough," or "behavior problem."
Isn't "behind enough" or "bad enough" to be helped in the school setting.
High in IQ, yet may not test well academically; tests well orally, but not written.
Feels dumb; has poor self-esteem; hides or covers up weaknesses with ingenious compensatory strategies; easily frustrated and emotional about school reading or testing.
Talented in art, drama, music, sports, mechanics, story-telling, sales, business, designing, building, or engineering.
Seems to "zone out" or daydream often; gets lost easily or loses track of time.
Difficulty sustaining attention; seems "hyper" or "daydreamer."
Learns best through hands-on experience, demonstrations, experimentation, observation, and visual aids.

Vision, Reading, and Spelling

Complains of dizziness, headaches or stomach aches while reading.
Confused by letters, numbers, words, sequences, or verbal explanations.
Reading or writing shows repetitions, additions, transpositions, omissions, substitutions, and reversals in letters, numbers and/or words.
Complains of feeling or seeing non-existent movement while reading, writing, or copying.
Seems to have difficulty with vision, yet eye exams don't reveal a problem.
Extremely keen sighted and observant, or lacks depth perception and peripheral vision.
Reads and rereads with little comprehension.
Spells phonetically and inconsistently.

Hearing and Speech

Has extended hearing; hears things not said or apparent to others; easily distracted by sounds.
Difficulty putting thoughts into words; speaks in halting phrases; leaves sentences incomplete; stutters under stress; mispronounces long words, or transposes phrases, words, and syllables when speaking.

Writing and Motor Skills

Trouble with writing or copying; pencil grip is unusual; handwriting varies or is illegible.
Clumsy, uncoordinated, poor at ball or team sports; difficulties with fine and/or gross motor skills and tasks; prone to motion-sickness.
Can be ambidextrous, and often confuses left/right, over/under.

Math and Time Management

Has difficulty telling time, managing time, learning sequenced information or tasks, or being on time.
Computing math shows dependence on finger counting and other tricks; knows answers, but can't do it on paper.
Can count, but has difficulty counting objects and dealing with money.
Can do arithmetic, but fails word problems; cannot grasp algebra or higher math.

Memory and Cognition

Excellent long-term memory for experiences, locations, and faces.
Poor memory for sequences, facts and information that has not been experienced.
Thinks primarily with images and feeling, not sounds or words (little internal dialogue).

Behavior, Health, Development and Personality

Extremely disorderly or compulsively orderly.
Can be class clown, trouble-maker, or too quiet.
Had unusually early or late developmental stages (talking, crawling, walking, tying shoes).
Prone to ear infections; sensitive to foods, additives, and chemical products.
Can be an extra deep or light sleeper; bedwetting beyond appropriate age.
Unusually high or low tolerance for pain.
Strong sense of justice; emotionally sensitive; strives for perfection.
Mistakes and symptoms increase dramatically with confusion, time pressure, emotional stress, or poor health.

Grassroots Movement: Overcoming Dyslexia in NJ

2011-10-28T18:11:49Z

Parents are joining forces in NJ to support the mission of Beth Ravelli and her daughter, Samantha!

Overcoming Dyslexia in NJ is a grassroots movement driven by NJ families concerned with the limited access to educational interventions for learning disabilities within our public schools and communities. Help us spread the word!

We are so thankful for the time, energy and passion that the Ravelli Family has dedicated to helping write and pass the "NJ Reading Disabilities Task Force" legislation. As the Task Force moves forward to investigate the needs of students with learning disabilities in our public school systems, we want them to know that there are thousands of NJ families supporting them and anxiously awaiting change.

You can visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/overcomingdyslexiaNJ and/or follow our blogs here.

Movie

2011-10-27T12:27:14Z

	We’ve had some amazing help with all the screenings and we couldn’t have done it without them. Beth Ravelli reached out to us right away when she heard about these screenings, and within minutes of talking to her, Ocean City officials were calling the office to get the ball rolling! Thank you, Beth, for all of your hard work on this event, and for that, we give you the title of Honorary Crew Member of the Month. Aimee spoke with Beth about her connection to dyslexia and the film, and gained some real insight into the importance of advocacy.
Aimee: How are you connected to dyslexia? Beth: Well, I knew when my daughter, Samantha was really young… I didn’t know what it was. I just knew something wasn’t… right. I don’t even want to say the word “right” because ... you just learn differently. I knew it when she was very young, at like three, but everybody kept telling me I was crazy. The honest to God truth is when Sam was diagnosed, I was just like every person: “Pfft, what’s so hard about that? Reversed letters. That’s not a problem. We’ll deal with that.”
	Aimee: But it never is that simple, is it? Beth: After trying different schools, and programs, my family eventually made the decision for Sam and I to move to Ocean City to get her the help she needed. I chose Ocean City was because they had The Wilson Program implemented it the longest, I knew it was somebody more experienced and I knew with Sam’s severity she’d need somebody very experienced in what they were teaching.
Aimee: What happened that made you connect with Harvey and Dislecksia: The Movie? I found Harvey by actually going on the website um youtube, I use to go on the website to try to learn. And then the next thing I know, I think I wrote you an email. And you respond to us like, ‘Oh wow these are legitimate people. These people are really going to do something, you know.’ I was like thrilled.
	Aimee: Now, you and your daughter, Sammi, recently got a bill passed in the State of NJ that formed the NJ Reading Disabilities Task Force. How did that come about? The reason people tell me that this got any notoriety, or that dyslexia was noticed and stuff was that there was this little girl who was standing up alone saying “I’m dyslexic, will you help me?” Sam and I would travel to Trenton all the time and she would testify in front of the Education Committee because once she realized she could read she wanted to help other kids. So she would go up there all by herself and testify.
She’d sit at the desk with the Assemblymen and the Senator in front of all these people, I remember one time she got a standing ovation with like a standing room only because she was just a little girl. You know, 9 year old child sitting here saying “please teach me to read.” And it would hit the headlines all over the place, you know? So we had to do that like 7 times before we could get the law passed. Here is a link for more information on the NJ Reading Disabilities Task Force. Beth and Aimee chatted a lot more, so stay tuned on the website for additional commentary from this wonderful advocate. Looking forward to seeing everyone in Ocean City!	Sam with past Dislecksia Donor of the Month, Andy Kavulich

Let them hear our voices

2011-10-26T20:37:38Z

ED’s Teacher Network Evaluates the Role of the Educator

The teacher is the single most important in-school factor in the successful development of a child’s learning, Secretary Duncan has often said, as he emphasizes the critical role of ED employees in supporting teachers. Accordingly, several former teachers here at ED have discussed how to make this goal more meaningful and attainable. After a brown bag lunch with Jo Anderson, special adviser to the secretary on teaching, and hearing the Teaching Ambassador Fellows of 2010–11 talk about teachers influencing policy, the ED Teacher Network developed organically.

Vicki Myers and Rachel Stofocik from ED’s Office of Special Education Programs, as well as Laurie Calvert and Lisa Vasquez from the Office of Communications and Outreach, decided to begin meeting with other current and former teachers in the Department to consider what the group can do to help ED more intimately understand the complexity of a teacher’s role. With the help of David Miller, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, the group has been organizing discussions regarding topical issues of interest to teachers.

The goals of the ED Teacher Network are to advocate for teachers so that policies are put in place that serve teachers and students, to be a resource for staff within the Department working on any programs or issues that affect teachers, and to provide networking time and space for teachers to gather. Recently, the Teacher Network decided on a theme for the year: teaching effectiveness.

As an initial step, they have begun asking former teachers at the Department to collect stories from their own networks of teachers about what barriers hinder teaching effectiveness, as well as factors they feel have enhanced their ability to help students learn. These barriers may include anything from poor working conditions to ineffective leadership. Enhancers might include effective professional development, job coaches, or supportive leadership, among other factors. The hope is to collect as many stories as possible, analyze them for common themes, synthesize the results, and present them to the secretary.

The members of the network believe, given their past experiences, that more can be done to listen to teachers’ voices. To this end, the network is encouraging former teachers (or even ED employees who have teacher friends) to collect the stories of their experiences. Even if potential members cannot attend a meeting, all are encouraged to send any member of the network opinions or ideas via email. The network also has formed a book club that currently is reading and discussing the new Steven Brill book, Class Warfare. In addition, it is pre-populating an ED Teacher Network Group on Idea Engine to create a space for discussion and sharing beyond the monthly meetings. The group is also interested in developing a resource guide for ED employees that identifies former or current teachers at the Department who may be available to assist whenever any POC needs a teacher’s input or advice.

The ED Teacher Network is open to any current parents working at the Department. If you are interested, please contact Vicki Myers at vicki.myers@ed.gov.

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Please Read

2011-10-25T18:53:56Z

I received this today from a listserve that I am on--Many professionals on this listserve are active IDA (International Dyslexia Association) members and are also a part of the growing movement to address "literacy" issues in the US. We are not alone!

This specific request is for teachers (sorry, Beth--I misinformed you thinking it was for parents). I think parents can call as well...

I am sending it for a few reasons:
--to make us (Task Force) aware of efforts similar to ours
--to give us some ideas--might we want to reach out to NJ teachers?
--to share with teachers and ask them to respond

Harvey Hubbell We Love You..... Dislecksia The Movie

2011-09-14T12:30:16Z

Director's Statement

Growing up, I was the apple of my mom's eye. I had a spring in my step and not a care in the world. Then I went to school. In 1966, when I was six years old in first grade, at Hawley Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, I remember my teachers having a private meeting about me. “He can barely write his first name,” said Mrs. B. “I noticed he doesn’t know how to hold his pencil,” said Mrs. W. They didn’t know I was listening, or maybe they did and didn’t care. But I did hear them.

That was only the beginning of when I started to feel a little inadequate to my fellow classmates. On my report card, one teacher noted, “You’ll find Harvey an alert, cooperative, interesting, bright, happy child who contributes much orally to the class. He does exceptionally well on a one to one basis, but is completely lost in group instruction.” My mother knew I was smart, but most teachers did not see that, and my mother worried a lot.

My parents had me tested to find out what was wrong. In second grade, they found out I was dyslexic. Little was known back then about what to do with a dyslexic. Testing continued on me, year after year. Testing never ends when you are dyslexic. I learned to read outside of the school system through a series of one-on-one tutors. In 1977, I graduated from Newtown High School. My class rank was 275 out of 325 students. Perhaps I should add that I just barely graduated. Of course, the teachers had passed me along to get rid of me, but I had few skills to survive in the real world.

During one of my attempts to go to college, it was confirmed that I was not college material. My English professor excused me from class permanently when he learned that correct spelling and grammar didn’t exist in my writing. My ideas were not judged, but my lack of structure in writing was. “Those skills should have been learned prior to entering college classes! You may be excused now, Mr. Hubbell,” he grumped.

Years later, it became apparent to me that I was born at the wrong time to get help with dyslexia in school. It wasn’t until 1975, a few years before I graduated from high school, that the first laws were passed to identify students with learning disabilities and to support their rights to education. It was too late for me. At sixteen years old I was already considered damaged goods. I felt that my teachers and others did not understand me. If I had been born later, maybe I would not have had to go through all of the pain and struggles that I experienced in school. Instead, I would close my eyes and daydream. I'd bury my face in my arms on the desk and invent movies.

Being a visual thinker, I gravitated toward the film industry. For years I worked on any TV show, feature film or commercial that would have me. Sometimes I worked for just food, shelter and even clothing. Eventually, through hard work and determination, I started telling my own stories through movies. It turned out that people liked them, and I got some awards. So I made more films and got more awards, some of which turned out to be Emmys.

In 2003, my crew and I decided it was time to make a film about dyslexia and show how things had changed since I was in grade school. We were anxious to get answers to all of the questions swirling through my head. What are educators doing today? How do students with dyslexia get treated in school now? Since nearly one in seven students has a form of dyslexia, teachers must have new ways of teaching, and the world must be a better place…right?

Our movie started in New York City interviewing people on the streets and asking the simple question, “What is dyslexia?” Quickly we learned that most people have no idea what it is. Some even thought it was a sexually transmitted disease; others thought it was a condition where people do not sleep. Public awareness on the subject was low. It didn't take long to discover that the same apathy on the subject was the norm within multitudes of school systems. Although many are making changes to help dyslexics, too many aren't doing anything at all. There are even school systems that are in legal battles with parents who want their dyslexic children educated. Instead of paying for teachers to learn new methods to teach dyslexics, schools are using their funds to oppose parents and advocate that they are doing “enough.”

Ever since I met Editor/Producer Eric Gardner I knew I wanted to work with him. Eric is one of the best filmmakers that I know. In his spare time, when he is not working on the TV show Survivor, I roped him into shooting and writing with me. Research on the topic started in depth with longtime writer, fellow dyslexic and Fulbright Scholar, Jeremy Brecker. We wanted to find the best of the best in the field of dyslexia, but would they talk to us? So we researched and interviewed experts in their field. My schtick was carrying around a plastic brain, telling them that I was dyslexic and that I had to make this film.

Eventually, either for their amusement or their sympathy, they gave me their support. Together, we built an advisory board. We talked to the people at the IDA (International Dyslexia Association), including their past and future presidents. We met with educators and brain scientists, both traditional and maverick (including one who used to be a monk), who were studying how students learn to read. We also found schools on the cutting edge that were operating specifically for dyslexic students, like the Foreman School and Kildonan Schools. Furthermore, we met moms and dads, advocates for their dyslexic children, challenging public school systems to do more.

We met with the brilliant people at the Haskins Laboratory at Yale University who are studying the science of the spoken and written word. Georgetown Imaging was on our "to do list," as they are brain scanners, who of course had to check out my dyslexic brain and explain what they knew about dyslexia. We learned of important scholars in the field of dyslexia such as Dr. Gordon Sherman and the late Roger Saunders. The experts introduced us to Peter Wright, Wrightslaw Special Education advocate, who is teaching parents how to advocate for their children and get the Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) that they deserve. And sadly, we learned that not so much had changed since I was in high school.

It is my mission to raise awareness on the topic, and to help dyslexics to get the education they need by offering the movie as a tool for advocates who work to get laws changed. Why is it that some of the most brilliant people in history including Einstein, Thomas Edison, Beethoven, Leonardo Da Vinci, Charles Schwab, Walt Disney and Picasso are thought to be dyslexic? We recognize them for their brilliant ideas, and they were lucky; they somehow found a way to get their ideas out. Yet many of today’s dyslexics never make it to success. Right now in America, one in five adults are functionally illiterate. That's 60 million people - equal to the entire population of California and Texas combined. Eighty-five percent of the prison population in our country reads below a sixth grade level.

Dyslexics may feel insecure about themselves because of poor reading or writing skills. How many Einsteins have we squashed? Within our rapidly changing times, it’s time for the world to recognize cerebral diversity and allow dyslexic people their rightful place in society, instead of ridiculing them for their weaknesses.

Harvey Hubbell V

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The Mission

Dislecksia: The Movie will be a comic documentary, but it has a serious purpose. It will give viewers a better understanding of the condition itself, the problems it makes for individuals and families, and the programs that are needed to deal with it. It will help dyslexics and their families get the assistance they need. It will give them hope — as well as a crash course in how to laugh at their own condition.

While estimates vary somewhat, reading disability is a massive problem. An in-depth study by Yale University concluded that dyslexia affects one out of every five children. A survey by the US Department of Education found that nearly 38 percent of fourth graders had not achieved even basic or rudimentary skills in reading. An estimated four-fifths of all learning disabilities are reading disabilities.

The individual, social, and financial costs are almost beyond calculation. Kids who don't learn to read face frustration, humiliation, and battering of their self-esteem. Many adopt counter-productive responses, from getting sick when they have to read out loud to becoming "class clown" to hide their embarrassment. They drop out of high school at double the rate of other kids. With limited reading skills, poor education, and damaged self-image, many dyslexics are set up for a life of frustrated hopes and limited opportunities. They are blocked from utilizing their talents to realize their aspirations.

The costs to society are equally devastating. The ability to read is a prerequisite for contribution to society both as a worker and as a citizen. Yet our communities and workforce are filled with adults who cannot read — a recent study estimated one million non-readers in the New York City workforce alone. Many are talented people whose potential contribution to society is lost because of their disability. A disproportionate number of those with reading disabilities fill our juvenile detention facilities and prisons.

The good news is that these tragic outcomes can be almost completely forestalled. As the many highly successful dyslexics demonstrate, even those with severe dyslexia can learn to function at high levels that take advantage of their full range of talents.

If they receive the right kind of help early enough, all dyslexics can improve their reading and most can learn to read with competence. Yet most dyslexics are not identified until third grade at the earliest. Only a small proportion — less than one-third — receive treatment. Often the treatment they receive is inappropriate and/or inadequate.

If treatment is delayed, the brain becomes less malleable for rerouting neural circuits and treatment therefore becomes more difficult. Children who don’t learn how to read fall further behind their peers because they miss out on additional reading practice. For many, the pain and shame of failure instill an aversion to even trying.

These consequences are unnecessary. They can all be corrected by means of changes in public knowledge about and attitudes toward dyslexia. Indeed, many experts in the field of dyslexia believe that changing public awareness of what dyslexia is and what can be done about it is the key to eliminating this unnecessary scourge. If those at risk for dyslexia could be identified, diagnosed, and provided the special instruction they need, the “problem” of dyslexia could be largely eliminated.

The mission of Dislecksia: The Movie is to provide a critical tool for creating that public awareness. It will educate a wide public on what dyslexia is — not a sign of stupidity as so many believe, but of a need to learn in a different way. It will tell parents of dyslexics what they can do to ensure that their children are properly diagnosed and given the kind of instruction they need. It will help schools understand what they need to do to identify those at risk for dyslexia and to provide the instruction that will allow them to learn. It will help educators gain support from parents and the community to provide what dyslexic kids need. And it will help dyslexics themselves understand that they have the potential to learn successfully, but that they have to learn in a different way.

Almost everyone in America has a dyslexic in their family, has friends and colleagues who are dyslexic, or is dyslexic themselves. I hope that after seeing this movie, every one of them will say, “Now I know why Tommy can't read — and I know what to do about it."

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The Project

I've assembled a team to produce Dislecksia: The Movie that I believe can do justice to the serious mission of the project while creating a show that people will watch just for the fun of it.

Dislecksia: The Movie will be produced by Captured Time Productions, a creative team of documentary makers with its own production facility in Litchfield, Connecticut. Founded by my wife Andie Haas Hubbell and myself in 1992, Captured Time has won more than 50 awards at major film and video festivals.

Producer/Director
As the producer & director, I’ll draw on my past experience making “documentaries with a difference.” My Electronic Road Film, for example, portrayed a trip I took across the country discovering the diversity — and sometimes downright wackiness — of my fellow citizens. Telluride IndieFest Director Michael Carr called it “The best ‘grassroots’ depiction of current American values.” It won an Emmy for “Outstanding Entertainment Program.” My Loop Dreams provided a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a low-budget feature movie. It won Emmys for "Outstanding Entertainment Program", "Individual Achievement for Directing", and "Program Writing" as well as the New York Festivals’ Gold World Medal for Comedy.

Co-Producer
The co-producer will be my wife Andie Haas Hubbell. She has won five Emmy awards for documentaries like The Roots of Roe (on the history of abortion and contraception law in the US) and Global Village or Global Pillage? (on responses to globalization). She’s recruited such stars as Sharon Stone, Brooke Shields, Drew Barrymore, Katharine Hepburn, Jason Robards, Peter Coyote, Edward Asner, Ellen Burstyn, James Whitmore, Joanne Woodward, and Ann Archer to appear in her programs. Many of her programs have been broadcast on public television. In 2001 the Connecticut Film Commission named her “Connecticut Filmmaker of the Year.”

Writer
The writer will be Jeremy Brecher, PhD. He’s an historian and the author of a dozen books — as well as a fellow dyslexic. He serves as Humanities Scholar in Residence at Connecticut Public Television and Radio and has been Fulbright Research Scholar at the University of Otago. He has scripted and/or helped produce twenty documentaries. He is the winner of several Emmy awards, two Edgar Dale Screenwriting Awards, and the Silver Gavel Award of the American Bar Association. He has worked with the Hubbells for more than 15 years and shared with them the New York Festivals’ Gold World Medal for Comedy.

Editor/Producer
Eric Gardner, our lead Editor and one of our Producers, has been working in the film and video world for 25 years. He has edited shows such as The Real World and currently edits Survivor. Eric was the Director-Producer-Editor for his independent feature Under The Influence, which stars Peter Greene (Pulp Fiction, Usual Suspects, The Mask) and won several awards including the Grand Jury Prize at Big Bear Lake International Film Festival.

Dislecksia: The Movie will be guided by the best available expertise in the field. Some of America’s leading dyslexia researchers and educators have agreed to review this proposal. I hope and expect that many of them will agree to become formal advisors for the project.

Dislecksia: The Movie will be distributed by broadcast and cable TV, videocassette, DVD, and streaming video on the web. Every effort will be made to connect viewers to organizations and resources that can be helpful to dyslexics and their families. The movie will be accompanied by a Viewers Guide and a website that will provide additional information and references to the many excellent materials on dyslexia that are available in print and on the web.

See How Hard it is to read when your dyslexic

2011-09-13T12:14:05Z

Some examples of how a dyslexic might see text from Helen Irlen's book Reading by the Colors.

These are some of the problems a dyslexic has to cope with. In a regular sight test they are not detected. It would seem that the person has no specific problems. S/he might need spectacles, but these do not correct the above problems.

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What is DYSLEXIA?
It is difficulty in learning to read printed or written text, despitenormalor superior intelligence and conventional instruction, and independent of intellectual, cultural and emotional aspects.

Dyslexia is a learning disability whose first symptoms are:

difficulty in learning to read,
later erratic spelling,
lack of facility in manipulating written as opposed to spoken language.

The term dyslexia refers to a spectrum of problems:

some can read but not write,
others can write but not read,
most are somewhere between these extremes,
although some can neither read nor write.