Awareness About Dyslexia
I chose this topic – Awareness About Dyslexia as my term paper because dyslexia caught my attention since I had watched the movie entitled “Every Child Is Special” in one of my major subjects with Mrs. Winona E. Sanque just last year.
As the main character, Ishan, never had a chance to be understood by his family, teachers, classmates, and friends. Being sent to a very exclusive school for boys far away from his home, there he also experienced maltreatment and embarrassments. Until one day, an Art substitute teacher came along to his life and change it as well as to all people around him so to me.
But this desire of mine in knowing more about dyslexia had been finalized when I read an article in Developmental Reading book entitled “On Being Seventeen, Bright, and Unable to Read” by David Raymond. I start to accept and understand them heartfully.
So as I make this term paper I would like to impart my awareness to others as well as they read my researched information I gathered.

I. Definition of Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a term that refers to many reading disabilities thought to be the result of a disorder in the central nervous system. But most of people began to use the term to describe a broad range of reading problems, and even spelling and writing problems.

II. Kinds of Dyslexia
There are several types of dyslexia that can affect the child's ability to spell as well as read.
"Trauma dyslexia" usually occurs after some form of brain trauma or injury to the area of the brain that controls reading and writing. It is very rare to see in today's school-age population.
A second type of dyslexia is referred to as "primary dyslexia." This type of dyslexia is a dysfunction of, rather than damage to, the left side of the brain (cerebral cortex) and does not change with age where the individuals are rarely able to read above a fourth-grade level and may struggle with reading, spelling, and writing as adults. It is passed in family lines through their genes (hereditary) and found more often in boys
A third type of dyslexia is referred to as "secondary" or "developmental dyslexia" and is felt to be caused by hormonal development during the early stages of fetal development. It diminishes as the child matures and also more common in boys.
Dyslexia may affect several different functions. Visual dyslexia is characterized by number and letter reversals and the inability to write symbols in the correct sequence. Auditory dyslexia involves difficulty with sounds of letters or groups of letters. The sounds are perceived as jumbled or not heard correctly. "Dysgraphia" refers to the child's difficulty holding and controlling a pencil so that the correct markings can be made on the paper. Dyspraxia refers to the learning disability term sensor-motor integration and is a widely pervasive motor condition characterized by impairment or immaturity of the organization of movement, with associated problems of language, perception and thought. “Verbal praxis” refers to weaknesses observed in the mechanisms of speech production such that articulation is impaired and expressive language is inhibited. Dyscalculia refers to an impairment of the ability to solve mathematical problems, usually resulting from brain dysfunction where sufferers often have difficulties with time, measurement, and spatial reasoning.
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III. Signs and Symptoms of Dyslexia
Classroom teachers may not be able to determine if a child has dyslexia. They may detect early signs that suggest further assessment by a psychologist or other health professional in order to actually diagnose the disorder. Letter and number reversals are the most common warning sign. Such reversals are fairly common up to the age of 7 or 8 and usually diminish by that time. If they do not, it may be appropriate to test for dyslexia or other learning problems. Difficulty copying from the board or a book can also suggest problems. There may be a general disorganization of written work. A child may not be able to remember content, even if it involves a favorite video or storybook. Problems with spatial relationships can extend beyond the classroom and be observed on the playground. The child may appear to be uncoordinated and have difficulty with organized sports or games. Difficulty with left and right is common, and often dominance for either hand has not been established. In the early grades, music and dance are often used to enhance academic learning. Children with dyslexia can have difficulty moving to the rhythm of the music.
Auditory problems in dyslexia encompass a variety of functions. Commonly, a child may have difficulty remembering or understanding what he hears. Recalling sequences of things or more than one command at a time can be difficult. Parts of words or parts of whole sentences may be missed, and words can come out sounding funny. The wrong word or a similar word may be used instead. Children struggling with this problem may know what they want to say but have trouble finding the actual words to express their thoughts.
Many subtle signs can be observed in children with dyslexia. Children may become withdrawn and appear to be depressed. They may begin to act out, drawing attention away from their learning difficulty. Problems with self-esteem can arise, and peer and sibling interactions can become strained. These children may lose their interest in school-related activities and appear to be unmotivated or lazy. The emotional symptoms and signs are just as important as the academic and require equal attention.
IV. Diagnosis of Dyslexia Dyslexia is a difficult disorder to diagnose. There are many factors the psychologist or other health professional reviews to diagnose the disability. The testing determines the child's functional reading level and compares it to reading potential, which is evaluated by an intelligence test. All aspects of the reading process are examined to pinpoint where the breakdown is occurring. The testing further assesses how a child takes in and processes information and what the child does with the information. The tests determine whether a child learns better by hearing information (auditory), looking at information (visual), or doing something (kinesthetic). They also assess whether a child performs better when allowed to give information (output), by saying something (oral), or by doing something with their hands (tactile-kinesthetic). The tests also evaluate how all of these sensory systems (modalities) work in conjunction with each other. The tests administered are standardized and are considered highly reliable. The child should not feel as if there is something wrong because testing is occurring. Many of the tests use a game-type or puzzle format which can help make the child feel more comfortable. Children should get a good night's sleep prior to the testing and have a good breakfast. If the testing is done in a school setting, the teacher can prepare the child by talking about the person who will come and do special work with the child. With young children, the psychologist may visit the child's classroom before the testing so that the child is familiar with him. Whether or not the testing is done at school, the parent may want to talk to their child about a new person coming to work with them. However, parents should not try to coach the child concerning the testing. It is recommended that parents not be present during the testing. A standard battery of tests can include, but is not limited to, the following:
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III); 2.) Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC); 3.) Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale; 4.) Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery; 5.) Peabody Individual Achievement Tests-Revised (PIAT); 6.) Wechsler Individual Achievement Tests (WIAT); 7.) Kaufman Tests of Education Achievement (KTEA); 8.) Bender Gestalt Test of Visual Motor Perception; 9.) Beery Development Tests of Visual-Motor Integration; 10.) Motor-Free Visual Perception Test; 11.) Visual Aural Digit Span Test (VADS); 12.) Test of Auditory Perception (TAPS); 13.) Test of Visual Perception (TVPS); 14.) Bender Gestalt Test of Visual Motor Perception; 15.) Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised; 16.) Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test; 16.) Test for Auditory Comprehension of Language.

A. Causes of Dyslexia

There are several theories about the causes of dyslexia, but all tend to agree it is a genetic condition passed on through families.
It is estimated that if you have dyslexia, there is 40%-60% chances your child will also develop the condition.
If one identical twin is born with the condition, it is very likely the other twin will also have it.
Certain genes that may contribute to dyslexia have been indentified, but researchers are still unsure exactly how these genes may affect development of the brain.
Phonological processing
The most widely supported theory of how dyslexia affects reading and writing is known as the phonological processing impairment theory. In order to better understand this theory, it is useful to distinguish between how spoken language and written language is understood.
The ability to understand spoken language seems to be a natural capacity of the human brain. This is why children as young as three years old can often speak and understand relatively complicated sentences.
As a result of this natural ability, when we listen to spoken language, we do not register that a word is made up of phonemes (the smallest units of sound that make up words). We only hear the word itself.
For example, when you hear the word "crocodile", you hear it as a seamless whole. You do not have to break up the word into its phonemes and then reassemble them to make sense of it (which in this case, would be the sounds "crok", "er", "dyle").
The same is not true of reading and writing. Both of these skills require the ability to first recognise the letters in a word, then use the letters to identify the phonemes, and assembling them to make sense of the word.
This ability is known as phonological processing. It is thought that people with dyslexia find phonological processing much more difficult than other people.
Dyslexia and the brain
The reason people with dyslexia have problems with phonological processing may be because some areas of their brain function in a different way from in people without the condition.
One body of research looked at three areas that are found in the left hemisphere (half) of the brain. These are known as:
Broca’s area: thought to be involved in producing written words parietotemporal region: thought to be involved in analysing written words occipitotemporal region: thought to be involved in identifying written words
Research has shown activity levels in all three regions of the brain as being much lower in people with dyslexia when they are trying to read. Another body of research has looked at an area of the brain called the cerebellum, which is located at the lower back of the brain. It is thought the cerebellum plays an important role in helping to process language.
The cerebellum is also responsible for coordination, and your ability to estimate how much time has passed. This may explain why many people with dyslexia have problems with coordination and time management.
It should be emphasized that all areas of the brain discussed above are thought to have a high degree of "plasticity". Plasticity is a term that means an area of the brain and its function is not "set in stone", but can be remodeled over time.
It may therefore be possible for people with dyslexia to use appropriate treatment to effectively "rewire" areas of their brain over time and improve their phonological processing ability.

B. Cure of Dyslexia Dyslexia is brought about though inherited traits and it creates neurological anomalies in the brain. There is no absolute cure for this, but the effects of dyslexia can be alleviated by careful management, the use of computer aids, other techniques.

V. Treatment/Training for Dyslexic Before any treatment is started, an evaluation must be done to determine the child's specific area of disability. While there are many theories about successful treatment for dyslexia, there is no actual cure for it. The school will develop a plan with the parent to meet the child's needs. If the child's current school is unprepared to address this condition, the child will need to be transferred to a school, if available in the area, which can appropriately educate the dyslexic child. The plan may be implemented in a Special Education setting or in the regular classroom. An appropriate treatment plan will focus on strengthening the child's weaknesses while utilizing the strengths. A direct approach may include a systematic study of phonics. Techniques designed to help all the senses work together efficiently can also be used. Specific reading approaches that require a child to hear, see, say, and do something (multisensory), such as the Slingerland Method, the Orton-Gillingham Method, or Project READ can be used. Computers are powerful tools for these children and should be utilized as much as possible. The child should be taught compensation and coping skills. Attention should be given to optimum learning conditions and alternative avenues for student performance. In addition to what the school has to offer, there are alternative treatment options available outside the school setting. Although alternative treatments are commonly recommended, there is limited research supporting the effectiveness of these treatments. In addition, many of these treatments are very costly, and it may be easy for frustrated parents to be misled by something that is expensive and sounds attractive.
Perhaps the most important aspect of any treatment plan is attitude. The child will be influenced by the attitudes of the adults around him. Dyslexia should not become an excuse for a child to avoid written work. Because the academic demands on a child with dyslexia may be great and the child may tire easily, work increments should be broken down into appropriate chunks. Frequent breaks should be built into class and homework time. Reinforcement should be given for efforts as well as achievements. Alternatives to traditional written assignments should be explored and utilized. Teachers are learning to deliver information to students in a variety of ways that are not only more interesting but helpful to students who may learn best by different techniques. Interactive technology is providing interesting ways for students to feedback on what they have learned, in contrast to traditional paper-pencil tasks.

VI. Some Famous Dyslexic Personalities There are names of some many talented and accomplished individuals who are dyslexic, or had traits associated with dyslexia or related learning styles like in the field of Science and inventions like Alexander Graham Bell, Michael Faraday, Galileo Galilei, Pierre Curie, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla and Albert Einstein; in acting, film makers and music like Orlando Bloom, Cher, Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, Whoopi Goldberg, Salma Hayek, Keira Knightley, John Lennon, Anthony Hopkins ,Walt Disney and Steven Spielberg; in literature and arts like Pablo Picasso, Leonardo da Vinci, John Irving, William Butler Yeats; and entrepreneurs, leaders, athletes, humanitarians, royal bloods and so many others not mention.

Bibliography:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List of people diagnosed with dyslexia http://medicinenet.com/dyslexia/article.htm http://www.ask.com/question/what-types-of-dyslexia-are-there http://www.understanding-learning-disabilities.com/types-of-dyslexia.html New Colliers Encarta