Learning Disabilities: Fiber-optic pen helps see inside brains of children

Todd Richards demonstrates the pen and pad device while inside the fMRI. 

Credit: Center on (for) Human Development and Disability

For less than $100, University of Washington researchers have designed a computer-interfaced drawing pad that helps scientists see inside the brains of children with learning disabilities while they read and write.

The device and research using it to study the brain patterns of children will be presented June 18 at the Organization for Human Brain Mapping meeting in Seattle.

A paper describing the tool, developed by the UW's Center on (for) Human Development and Disability, was published this spring in Sensors, an online open-access journal.

Thomas Lewis

"Scientists needed a tool that allows them to see in real time what a person is writing while the scanning is going on in the brain," said Thomas Lewis, director of the center's Instrument Development Laboratory.

"We knew that fiber optics were an appropriate tool. The question was, how can you use a fiber-optic device to track handwriting?"

To create the system, Lewis and fellow engineers Frederick Reitz and Kelvin Wu hollowed out a ballpoint pen and inserted two optical fibers that connect to a light-tight box in an adjacent control room where the pen's movement is recorded.

They also created a simple wooden square pad to hold a piece of paper printed with continuously varying colour gradients.

The custom pen and pad allow researchers to record handwriting during functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, to assess behaviour and brain function at the same time.

Other researchers have developed fMRI-compatible writing devices, but "I think it does something similar for a tenth of the cost," Reitz said of the UW system.

By using supplies already found in most labs (such as a computer), the rest of the supplies – pen, fiber optics, wooden pad and printed paper – cost less than $100.

The device connects to a computer with software that records every aspect of the handwriting, from stroke order to speed, hesitations and liftoffs.

Understanding how these physical patterns correlate with a child's brain patterns can help scientists understand the neural connections involved.

Researchers studied 11- and 14-year-olds with either dyslexia or dysgraphia, a handwriting and letter-processing disorder, as well as children without learning disabilities.

Subjects looked at printed directions on a screen while their heads were inside the fMRI scanner. The pen and pad were on a foam pad on their laps.

Subjects were given four-minute blocks of reading and writing tasks. Then they were asked to simply think about writing an essay (they later wrote the essay when not using the fMRI).

Just thinking about writing caused many of the same brain responses as actual writing would.

"If you picture yourself writing a letter, there's a part of the brain that lights up as if you're writing the letter," said Todd Richards, professor of radiology and principal investigator of the UW Integrated Brain Imaging Center.

"When you imagine yourself writing, it's almost as if you're actually writing, minus the motion problems."

Richards and his staff are just starting to analyze the data they've collected from about three dozen subjects, but they have already found some surprising results.

"There are certain centers and neural pathways that we didn't necessarily expect" to be activated, Richards said. "There are language pathways that are very well known. Then there are other motor pathways that allow you to move your hands. But how it all connects to the hand and motion is still being understood."

Besides learning disorders, the inexpensive pen and pad also could help researchers study diseases in adults, especially conditions that cause motor control problems, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease.

"There are several diseases where you cannot move your hand in a smooth way or you're completely paralyzed," Richards said.

"The beauty is it's all getting recorded with every stroke, and this device would help us to study these neurological diseases."

UK LD Shock: Early death link to learning disabilities 'shocking'

UK People with learning disabilities die on average 16 years earlier than they should, due to NHS failings, according to official research.

The UK Department of Health, which commissioned the work, says this is unacceptable.

The deaths occur due to delays or problems investigating, diagnosing and treating illnesses.

The charity Mencap estimates 1,200 people with learning disabilities under NHS care die needlessly each year.

Avoidable deaths
The Bristol University researchers who carried out the work looked at all deaths over a two-year period at five primary care trust areas in the south-west of England.

This revealed that people with learning disabilities were more likely to have a premature death than those in the general population.

Women with learning disabilities died on average 20 years earlier than other women. Men with learning disabilities died 13 years sooner.

Dr Pauline Heslop

One of the researchers, Dr Pauline Heslop, said: "These are shocking findings and must serve as a wake-up call to all of us that action is urgently required.

"This report highlights the unacceptable situation in which people with learning disabilities are dying, on average, more than 16 years sooner than anyone else.

"The cause of their premature deaths appears to be because the NHS is not being provided equitably to everyone based on need."

Basing its statistics on the new research, the charity Mencap believes the failure to properly understand the health needs of people with learning disabilities results in 1,238 people in England dying needlessly each year.

Jan Tregelles

Mencap's acting chief executive Jan Tregelles, said: "A scandal of avoidable deaths on the scale of [that at the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Trust] takes place every year for people with a learning disability in the NHS.

"These deaths, caused by poor care and delays in diagnosis and treatment, highlight the scale of discrimination faced by disabled patients in the NHS."

The Bristol University academics have made several recommendations, including:

• the creation of a review body to investigate the deaths of people with learning disabilities
• a named health professional to co-ordinate the care of those with multiple health needs
• improved guidelines on when a "do not resuscitate" order should be used

In a statement, the UK's (lack of) Care And Support Minister, Norman Lamb, said: "This important and sobering report highlights, yet again, the inequalities that people with learning disabilities face with regard to their health and care.

"It is just not acceptable that people with learning difficulties have such a high risk of dying prematurely.

"The findings from this report will feed into the work going on to address the issues identified from the Winterbourne abuse scandal and the Francis report into the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Trust scandal"

Closer Personal Relationships Could Help Teens Overcome Learning Disabilities

In addition to struggling in school, many learning disabled children are known to face social and emotional challenges including depression, anxiety, and isolation.

Often beginning early in childhood, they become more pronounced during adolescence, an emotionally turbulent time.

For these youngsters, more positive relationships with the significant adults in their lives -- including parents and teachers -- can improve learning and "socioemotional" experiences, says Dr. Michal Al-Yagon of Tel Aviv University's Jaime and Joan Constantiner School of Education.

In a recent study published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, she reported that teens with learning disabilities were less likely to have secure attachment relationships to their mothers and teachers compared to peers without learning disabilities.

The absence of such close and supportive relationships had an adverse effect on the teens' social and emotional functioning, contributing to behavioral problems including isolation, depression, and aggression.

"We found that more secure child-adult attachments may act as a protective factor during this developmental period, whereas insecure attachments are a risk factor" for social and emotional issues, Dr. Al-Yagon says.

These results could help researchers design more effective interventions for children and adolescents with learning disabilities. Helping to strengthen their relationships with parents and teachers may decrease their emotional and behavioural problems.

The power of attachment
Attachment theory, which describes long-term relationship dynamics, seeks to explain how parental involvement, availability, and support can shape a child's social and emotional development. Insecure attachments are damaging to a child, hindering future relationships with peers, romantic partners, and family members.

For this study, Dr. Al-Yagon measured the socioemotional state and the security of attachments to parents and teachers for 181 adolescents with learning disabilities and 188 with typical development, all between the ages of 15-17.

Participants completed a series of questionnaires regarding their attachment to their mother and father, perceived teacher availability and rejection, loneliness, experience of positive and negative emotions and behavioral problems.

Adolescents with learning disabilities were discovered to have less secure attachments with significant adult figures compared to their non-disabled peers, which had a direct impact on their socioemotional state.

Within the disabled group, those who had more secure attachments to their mother and father, or who considered their teacher caring and available, exhibited fewer negative emotions, feelings of loneliness, and behaviour problems -- all of which can interfere with learning.

Building closer relationships

These findings can help guide clinicians in developing effective treatment strategies, says Dr. Al-Yagon.

Examples include family intervention techniques that focus on creating more secure attachments between parents and children, or school workshops to help teachers understand the needs of their learning disabled students and make more of an effort to include them in classroom activities.

While social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties cannot be entirely avoided, Dr. Al-Yagon believes that a little effort, care, and attention can go a long way toward helping learning disabled children and teens feel happier and more secure.

"Parents and teachers should be aware not just of academic difficulties, but also of socioemotional difficulties -- and work to treat them. They should not avoid or ignore issues such as depression or aggression, which are another dimension of the original problem," she advises.

New Apps for Autism and/or Asperger’s

Over the past several weeks and months, we have received a number of requests for apps to help children and adults on the autism spectrum

So, we thought that this week’s article might be a good vehicle for providing our readers with an answer to these many requests.

What is new in the world of apps for autism /Asperger’s? We hope you will find a few new resources here to tap into for yourself or for the person in your life challenged with an autism-spectrum disorder.

Please tell us what you think of these apps when you have had an opportunity to try them. We would love to receive your valuable input!

New Apps for Autism/Asperger’s
Autism Apps for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad---FREE (Updated: Jan 10, 2013)
Educational Autism Apps is simply a comprehensive list of apps that are being used with and by people diagnosed with autism, Down syndrome and other special needs.

It also includes links to any available information that can be found for each app. The Apps are also separated into over 30 categories, and the descriptions are all searchable, so any type of app is easy to find and download.

CLICK HERE

Autism Apps from Autism Speaks (for Android & Apple)
Long list of autism apps that provides app titles, platform compatibilities, prices, content categories and online app access (click links), an excellent online resource from a most reputable organization.

CLICK HERE

MySocius Model by BehaviorApp - MySocius is an iPhone and iPad app designed for parents who want to help their child with autism communicate.

This app uses evidence based, Naturalistic Teaching Procedures that “embeds teaching within the activities of everyday life.” Naturalistic Teaching Procedures have proved to be effective in clinical practice.

Price: $24.99 (Expensive, but for what it claims to provide, only you can decide if it's worth the price.)

CLICK HERE

Autism Apps List from the TCI Tech Review Blog

Short list of Apple-compatible autism apps from last half of 2012 to January 2013.

Individual reviews provide pricing, summaries, iTunes access links and more.

(All have prices that are from $1.99 to $99.00)

CLICK HERE

For more information on sensory-appealing reading tools:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers

Learning Disability Liaison Nurses: Transforming NHS patient care for now

Specialist learning disability liaison nurse Jainab Desai is making meticulous checks of the complex arrangements to receive a tricky patient with learning disabilities, with staff of the day surgery unit at Royal Bolton hospital.

She has worked for weeks with staff, family and carers of the profoundly disabled and terrified woman (who needs a vascular procedure).

This is to make sure that the patient will not freak at the entrance to the operating theatre, forcing the cancellation of the operation.

At any time Desai could be co-ordinating the care of up to six people with learning disabilities at Royal Bolton hospital.

This is set to rise as researchers predict that the numbers of people with learning disabilities in the UK will increase by 14% between 2001 and 2021.

They are also 58 times more likely to die aged under 50, often of preventable causes.

The fight to get specialists such as Desai into integrated posts in acute settings has been hard won. She was already in post in 2007 when Mencap's explosive report Death By Indifference, highlighted the cases of six people with learning disabilities believed to have died unnecessarily as a result of receiving worse healthcare than people without learning disabilities. She was a rare breed at the time.

Sir Jonathan Michael's report, Healthcare for All (2008) added fuel to Mencap's campaign by identifying gaps between the law, policy and the delivery of effective services for people with learning disabilities.
Since then progress has been made – 79% of acute settings have a nurse appointed to this kind of role – but there is concern that these roles will be sacrificed in the scramble to reorganise the NHS against a background of service cuts.

Mencap's report earlier this year (74 Deaths And Counting), reveals continued institutional discrimination in the NHS towards people with a learning disability.

The Royal College of Nursing's nursing advisor for learning disabilities, Ann Norman, already knows of cuts to at least four UK's consultant nurse roles (of around 35).

An RCN survey of 500 disability nurses in May showed that three out of four were experiencing cuts in services. Reports from primary care echo this. Norman says: "We are having to run to keep up, to protect frontline services."


How learning disability liaison nurses are transforming patient care | Healthcare Network | Guardian Professional

Dyslexia: Learning Difficulties examined

Learning difficulty, although sometimes called a learning disorder or learning disability, is a classification that includes several disorders, in which a person has difficulty learning in an expected or typical manner.

Learning difficulties;

• are rarely simple, there is normally additional complexity associated with the condition,
• can be isolating and reduces confidence and self esteem,
• can make life problematic for a person to learn as quickly or, more relevantly, in the same way, as others.
• are not indicative of cognition or intelligence level, only indicative of the need for alternative ways in which to learn.
• cannot be 'fixed' or 'cured', only managed,
• make people face unique challenges that last their entire lifetime.

Interventions may be used to help the individual learn or develop strategies that will foster their future success.

The causes of learning difficulties are not always well understood and not always apparent but selectively, some are;

• Common Causes of Learning Difficulties
• How Psychotherapy Can Help with Learning Difficulties
• Learning Difficulties in the DSM

Common Causes of Learning Difficulties
Learning difficulties range from mild, through varying degrees of complexity, to severe but, given support and understanding, people with learning difficulties can and do, lead very normal lives.

Many people with learning difficulties go on to hold very intellectually demanding positions and function at a very high level in our progressive societies.

Some causes of neurological impairments include:

• Accident in baby or childhood - may be caused by malnutrition, head injury or toxic exposure

• Heredity or Genetics - Certain conditions may run in the family

• Poverty - may be a result of a lack of parental reinforcement or affordability of support from specific medical or academic sources

• Problems during pregnancy and/or birth - may result from fetal exposure to alcohol or drugs, oxygen deprivation, anomalies developed in the brain, low birth weight, injury or illness or premature or prolonged labour

One major factor for many people who face learning difficulties is that they are unable to express their feelings easily in words and their actions may have to speak for them.

Their behaviour and moods may change and their inability to express themselves may result in depression, sadness, anxiety and other mental health issues, which are generally treated separately from the underlying condition.

A more 'holistic' view is always more beneficial to the management of your health and welfare and is particularly important in managing learning difficulties.

Can Psychotherapy Help with Learning Difficulties
A diagnosis of any learning difficulty may be potentially devastating to a person and their family.

Both the person who faces learning difficulties and their family members will need to learn coping skills for the difficulty as well as emotionally.

Stress associated with learning difficulties can accumulate which may make the coping process even more difficult and the selection of coping strategies inappropriate.

Learning difficulties are most often present over an entire lifetime, so learning effective and appropriate methods of coping are essential to successful management.

Psychotherapy and the teaching of behavioural strategies or techniques, often work best for individuals who struggle with learning difficulties.

For children, play therapy may be helpful if the therapist uses it to teach interaction techniques. Children and adults may also do well in therapy and most will benefit from joining a mutual support group.

The Role of Primitive Reflexes in Learning Disabilities - YouTube

Learn about the role of primitive reflexes in learning disabilities. To learn more about treating primitive reflexes through a simple movement program, go to www.BrainFitnessStrategies.com.

The long version of this video, "Get Ready for School", can be purchased at www.RMTSupport.org.

Related posts from Dyslexiax.com :

1. Us and Our Education – Documentary exploring Learning disabilities in School and Work
2. The Future of Learning Disabilities: A Virtual Town Hall Meeting
3. Learning Disabilities / Home Environments Impact Learning Abilities / Educational Video
4. Learning Disabilities
5. Learning Disabilities Debunked (Part I)

The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism & Special Needs: Touch

Fox TV's new Kiefer Sutherland series Touch premieres in two days, on Wednesday January 25th. We're intrigued, and watchful.

The series revolves around a non-verbal child, Jake, who understands numerical patterns other people can't perceive -- and his father Martin's attempts to understand not only what Jake is trying to communicate, but Jake himself.

From the series description at Fox.com:

Blending science, spirituality and emotion, the series will follow seemingly unrelated people all over the world whose lives affect each other in ways seen and unseen, known and unknown. At the story’s center is MARTIN BOHM (Kiefer Sutherland), a widower and single father, haunted by an inability to connect to his emotionally challenged 11-year-old son, JAKE (David Mazouz). Caring, intelligent and thoughtful, Martin has tried everything to reach his son. But Jake never speaks, shows little emotion, and never allows himself to be touched by anyone, including Martin. Jake is obsessed with numbers—writing long strings of them in his ever-present notebooks—and with discarded cell phones.

Some folks are already skeptical. Alyssa Rosenberg at ThinkProgress is critical of series co-creator Kring for "inventing a magical alternative to autism," and Ellen Seidman at Parents.com says:

I like it in concept because it’s a TV program about a kid with special needs, which isn’t very common (understatement alert). I don’t like it concept because I’m concerned it’s going to take the focus away from the amazing reality of our kids—something many people still don’t get. And, count on it, some people are going to think kids with autism actually can do this, feeding into the stereotype of savant abilities.

Matt Web Mitovitch of TV line reports that series star Sutherland believes Touch will highlight the potential of those with autism, and the need for the rest of society to try to better understand autistics:

“The Danny Glover [professor] character is interesting,” says Sutherland. “He believes that we have misdiagnosed a group of people that actually are at a much more advanced form of communication, but because we don’t understand it we’ve diagnosed them with what we can best understand.”

That exploration of what autism is and could be was born of the fact that [series co-creator] Kring has a son who lives with the condition; as such, he’s taking care to see that Touch‘s fictional aspects are founded in scientific fact.

Autism is no longer mentioned on Fox's official Touch site, but Fox secured an autism and special education expert, Joanne Lara, as technical consultant on the pilot. Joanne also advised on the role of Jake, the eleven-year-old protagonist. We spoke with Joanne last week; here's the part of our conversation that centered on the series' special needs themes.

Two Steps Forward One Step Back

You know what I am talking about. Any parent raising a special needs child knows about the setbacks.

The kick in the stomach, racing heart, internal restlessness, sleepless nights re-evaluating and reassessing the situation until you can’t think straight.

That fear that grips you and makes you doubt yourself as a parent, yup, welcome to special needs parenting setbacks.

If there is one thing I can tell you with absolute confidence it is this, there will be setbacks, many setbacks.

There will be those days that out of no where you are struck with the enormity of it all, the days that you just break down and need a good cry.

I remember the days that I measured progress and setbacks in hours. Days that drained me both mentally and physically.

With time and with my childs acquirement of calming and coping skills the hours turned into weeks then turned into months and dare I say, with fingers crossed and pajamas inside out , now years.

I can catch my breath, I can go to the store without a knot in my stomach and a cell phone on loud
clenched in my hands.

Its been a long road of two steps forward and one step back. Smooth sailing you are thinking, not quite, the fear and insecurity I believe will say with me for many years to come.

The panic and constant state of anxiety parents of special needs children experience almost become a part of you. It consumes you.

The nature of the beast becomes embedded in our brains and we know that with so many variables to triggers that we can never completely let our guard down.

Read more of this article here: Two Steps Forward One Step Back Still Gets You Ahead

How Do Students with learning Disabilities Learn?

In this insightful interview, Associate Professor, The Pennsylvania State University, Altoona College, Barbara Hong defines what a learning disability is, and tells us what elements we should start looking for, when analyzing educational websites to ensure children with learning disabilities are integrated in the educational process.

VOCAs: Assistive Technology for People with Speech Impairments

“More important than the right to speech is the right to speak.” The world renowned British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking knows this exactly to be true.

Having been robbed of his ability to speak to a motor neuron disease, Stephen Hawking had to struggle with crude communication systems just to be able to tell his wants and needs…until he discovered VOCAs.

If it had not been for VOCAs, Stephen Hawking’s insights into the nature of space and time would not have been known.

This assistive technology has allowed him to communicate, write and publish his works, and give lectures to live audiences around the world in spite of losing his ability to speak.

In this post we will explore what VOCAs are and how these instruments give people an ability that most of us take for granted.

What are VOCAs?
VOCAs refer to voice output communication aids. These are electronic devices used by people who are either unable to speak or whose speech is difficult to understand.

VOCAs are used for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The term refers to different communication methods used by people who are unable to speak, have difficulty speaking, or have restrictions in understanding spoken or written communication.

Who uses VOCAs?
VOCAs are used by people who have limited or absent speech to communicate with the people around them. These include people who suffer from neurological disorders, such as autism, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy.

VOCAs are also used to help an individual regain his ability to speak that might have been lost due to stroke, brain damage, or a motor neuron disease. An example of a motor neuron disease is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, which Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with.

Are there different types of VOCAs?
Just as there are different types of people who use VOCAs, there are also different types of VOCAs. These vary in all shapes, sizes, and complexity.

Dedicated Communication Devices vs. Communication Software Programs

VOCAs may be dedicated communication devices or laptop computers with specialized software installed.

Dedicated communication devices are designed primarily for communication, while computer based VOCAs are typically programmed to include additional features, such as an environmental control system.

An environmental control system allows the VOCA user to independently turn on electronic devices, such as the lights or television, via remote control.

Speech
Some VOCAs use digitized speech or a recorded natural speech of a person for voice output. Frequently used words, phrases, or sentences are recorded and stored into the device by somebody else other than the VOCA user. The VOCA user then pushes a button or turns a switch to play the message.

A VOCA with digitized speech can only say what someone has already recorded into it. However, they are easier to program than the VOCAs that use synthesized speech.

VOCAs that use synthesized speech make use of a speech synthesizer to produce artificial speech. These VOCAs use text to speech systems. This type of device is more flexible because users are not dependent on pre-recorded messages on their device. The speech synthesizer can say any combination of words, phrases, or sentences that the user chooses.

Representation of Messages
VOCAs may use text-based or symbol-based programs to represent messages on the device. Symbol-based VOCAs use pictures or symbols to represent messages which are supplied through symbol organizational systems. This type of device is typically used by individuals whose literacy level makes it difficult for them to use text-based VOCAs.

Text-based VOCAs typically have a keyboard for entering messages. They often feature a “word prediction” facility which helps reduce the number of keystrokes a user has to make. It also functions as a support tool for people whose spelling is not consistently reliable.

How are VOCAs accessed and controlled?

VOCAs can be adjusted according to its user’s needs.

Buttons
Some people that use VOCAs have fine motor skills and they are able to press buttons on the devices. Adjusting the sensitivity of buttons and keyguards can help VOCA users that may have limited motor skills. Keyguards are plates that sit above the buttons of a VOCA device or a keyboard. They help the user to press the right key with more precision.
Switches

People that have limited fine motor skills input messages to a VOCA device through visual scanning. This technique is used by Stephen Hawking. Professor Hawking uses a switch to move through the letters on an onscreen grid. He then presses the switch to select the letter that he wants.

Other Access Methods used in VOCAs
Other access methods include:

• a standard mouse;
• mouse that can be controlled by the head;
• joysticks; and
• rollerballs.

Conclusion
It is truly hard to imagine living a life of silence, where your thoughts and dreams stay locked within you. VOCAs have given people with communication problems the freedom to express themselves and live life fully.

Dancing Giraffe: Internet-based Disability Community

Warning…in January 2012, a Giraffe will be dancing in Essex, England, UK!

What is Dancing Giraffe? - An innovative internet community site: providing 'joined up' communication to people with disabilities and their carers.

Nothing like Dancing Giraffe currently exists. This website aims to not only support and inform, but to challenge, inspire and empower disabled people.

It will include engaging editorial and comprehensive content, up-to-date reference and signposting together with user forums and social media.

How do they know so much about what disabled people want and need? Within the Dancing Giraffe, a number of the team are disabled, so they are providing a site that they've always wanted to have and use themselves!

Mission Statement

The aim of Dancing Giraffe is to provide a platform to inspire, inform and represent the disabled community.

Through this internet portal, Dancing Giraffe will offer support and advice for people with disabilities, their carer/s, professionals, organisations and the media.

It will bring together comprehensive information and data about services and facilities available and will present them in one easy to access place. Dancing Giraffe will also provide a forum for all disabled people to discuss and compare access issues and solutions.

Dancing Giraffe is a Community Interest Company. This means they operate under a charitable status and are a 'not-for-profit' group.

Dyslexia: The Truth about: Learning Disorders!

Although learning disabilities occur in very young children, the disorders are usually not recognized until the child reaches school age. This is because learning disabilities are usually identified by school teachers and psychologists through testing of intelligence, academics and processes of learning.

Learning disabilities, until now, have been believed to be lifelong conditions. In some people, several overlapping disabilities may be apparent. Other people may have a single, isolated learning problem that has little impact on their lives.

Types of Learning Disabilities
In the United States and Canada, the term learning disability is used to refer to psychological and neurological conditions that affect a person’s communicative capacities and potential to be taught effectively.

The term includes such conditions as: Dysgraphia, which is a neurological condition characterized by distorted and incorrect handwriting, and Dyslexia, a reading disorder.

Dyscalculia is a neurological condition characterized by a problem with learning fundamentals and one or more of the basic numerical skills.

Often people with this condition can understand very complex mathematical concepts and principles but have difficulty processing formulas and even basic addition and subtraction.

Verbal Dyspraxia is a neurological condition characterized by marked difficulty in the use of speech sounds, which may be the result of a delay in the normal development of the speech production area of the brain.

Dyspraxia is a neurological condition characterized by a marked difficulty in carrying out routine tasks involving balance, fine-motor control, and kinesthetic coordination.

Developmental aphasia is a loss or impairment of the ability to produce and/or comprehend language, due to brain dysfunction or damage.

LD or ADHD
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often studied in connection with learning disabilities, but it is not actually included in the standard definitions of learning disabilities.

An individual with ADHD may struggle with learning, but he or she can often learn adequately once successfully treated for the ADHD.

A person can have ADHD but not learning disabilities or have learning disabilities without having ADHD.

Some believe the conditions can co-occur, however their etiologies, and true presentation are very different.

Children with learning disabilities tend to avoid tasks which are difficult for them and they are often said to “lack attention” while their behavior is actually “task avoidance”.

Someone with a learning disability does not necessarily have low or high intelligence, nor any deficit in their innate ability to learn.

It simply means this individual has an impairment in their learning ability due to a processing disorder such as auditory processing or visual processing that may be detrimental to mainstream teaching methods.

The most common treatments for learning disabilities are special education, tutoring, medication (for attention and concentration) and psychological services (behavioural).

These treatments are directed towards compensating for disabilities and weaknesses while trying to increase ability.

Read More at Brain Balance

Dyslexia and Teacher Training: Kelvin Hopkins

Here's a fact you probably don't know... one in 10 of us has some form of dyslexia.

Luton MP, Kelvin Hopkins, highlighted the fact during his debate in Westminster Hall over concerns that children with dyslexia could be losing out.

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Dyslexia looks at the problems dyslexic people face.

Mr Hopkins, its vice chairman, is campaigning for better training for teachers. Set up in 2007, it lists among its members Brian Binley, the MP for Northampton South and Matthew Hancock (West Suffolk).

Mr Hopkins told MPs that one in 10 of the population experiences some form of dyslexia.

'Hidden' condition
"The condition stays with people for life. Some people can accommodate it to an extent, others find it more difficult. "Like colour blindness, it is a condition that is hidden and sometimes not even recognised."

Start Quote
Many thousands of children across the whole ability range are not getting the help they need and are not even being diagnosed, because of the lack of specific training for teachers”

Kelvin Hopkins MP (Lab) Luton North "Many thousands of children across the whole ability range are not getting the help they need and are not even being diagnosed, because of the lack of specific training for teachers," he said.

It was a problem, he added, that was not only distressing for the children and youngsters involved but ultimately it was damaging the economy, as many would drop out of education.

The last government commissioned a report on education and dyslexia by Sir Jim Rose, a former director of OFSTED.

He proposed that initial teacher training should include dyslexia and special learning difficulties and that 4,000 specialist teachers should be created to support dyslexia sufferers.

"That is quite a tall order but that is what he recommended," said Mr Hopkins. "If we are going to approach and attack the problem seriously, we need to follow that recommendation."

The review also wants schools to work more positively with the parents of children who have dyslexia. Mr Hopkins and other MPs who spoke in the debate had stories about people they knew whose conditions had not been picked up while at school.

"Dyslexic children have just as much a right to a good education as all other children," Mr Hopkins told the chamber.

Government review
The Schools Minister Sarah Tether replied that 78,000 pupils receive support for a specific learning difficulty, including dyslexia and dyspraxia.

The government, she said, was in the process of reviewing the provision for children with special needs and would publish its recommendations in the new year.



One in 10 of the population experiences some form of dyslexia
But she said that already her department had introduced a new phonics screening check for children in year 1, which, she hoped, would pick up children struggling with early literacy because of dyslexia.

Teachers were being encouraged to "improve and extend their knowledge and expertise when working with pupils with special educational needs" (although there was no mention of any extra money to help them train).

"We are absolutely committed to reforming the support for children with special educational needs and disability and we will say much more in the new year," she promised.

Mr Hopkins and his committee will be watching very closely, as will the British Dyslexia Association.

It has just launched a petition on the Downing Street website calling for all teachers to be trained in recognising and dealing with the difficulties faced by those with dyslexia.

Equal Futures newsletter

Netbuddytips's Channel - YouTube

Welcome to Netbuddy

Over 1,000 tips from people with first-hand experience of learning disability. Brushing teeth, challenging behaviour, bed-wetting, constipation ... there's a tip for that!

Netbuddy is an award-winning site for swapping practical tips and information on all aspects of supporting people with learning disabilities.

University of Michigan website: Dyslexia and Reading Problems

What is dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a complex language problem. It has to do with the way the brain works, not with vision.

It involves not being able to break a word down into the sounds that make it up, and not being able to write and think about the sounds in a word. Kids with dyslexia have brains that work differently to process language.

They have problems translating language to thought (in listening or reading) and thought to language (in writing or speaking).

How common is dyslexia?
Dyslexia is the most common learning disability (LD); 80 percent of students with LDs have dyslexia [1]. It affects more boys than girls [2].

Why is early diagnosis and treatment so important?
When dyslexia is not found and treated early on, it tends to snowball. As kids get more and more behind in school, they may become more and more frustrated, feeling like a failure.

Often, self-esteem problems lead to bad behavior and other problems. When dyslexia is not noticed or not treated, it can cause adult literacy problems. By identifying dyslexia early, your child will get the help they need to reach their potential.

• Get more facts about how reading and learning disabilities affect literacy, education, jobs and earnings from the National Institute for Literacy .

What if I suspect my child might have a reading disability?
If you suspect your child may have dyslexia, do not wait! Have your child evaluated. Your child should not have to fail for a couple years before being able to getting the right kind of help. You and your child's teachers can help your child overcome reading difficulties.

Read more on the University of Michigan: Dyslexia website

When will we understand Autism Spectrum Disorders? | UK Royal Society

It is agonising for a parent, troubling for a clinician, and puzzling for a researcher when a young child seems oblivious to people, is fixated on spinning objects, and shows no sign of communicating.

An adult who finds their own inner states opaque, consistently misjudges social situations, and is helpless in the face of any change from preferred routine, is no less of a mystery. When will we understand autism spectrum disorders?

This talk presents a cognitive neuroscience perspective on what might be some of the obstacles standing in the way of major scientific breakthroughs in the science of autism.

What we do know, and what we need to know, about individuals with autism spectrum disorders will be discussed.

Francesca Happé is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the MRC SGDP Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London. Her research centres on autism spectrum conditions.

As well as cognitive methods, her research involves functional imaging studies, exploration of acquired brain lesions and, most recently, behaviour genetic methods.

She is the author of numerous research papers, and a book on autism for general readers. She won the Telegraph’s Young Science Writer award, and has taken part in many documentaries, as well as being the subject of a Channel 4 programme for schools. S

he was a Royal Institution 'Scientists for the New Century’ Lecturer, and has received the British Psychological Society Spearman Medal, King’s College London Supervisory Excellence Award, and the Experimental Psychology Society Prize.

Admission free – no ticket or advance booking required. Doors open at 5.45pm and seats will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.

This event will be broadcast live on the web at royalsociety.org/live and available to view on demand within 48 hours of delivery.

Visit our video archive at royalsociety.tv

This Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Award and Lecture is awarded annually to support the promotion of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to any area of science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM).

The recipient of the award is expected to spend a proportion of the grant on implementing a project to raise the profile of women in STEM in their host institution and/or field of expertise in the UK. The award is supported by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.

The DysCovery Centre: Prof Amanda Kirby

The Dyscovery Centre  was set up over 13 years ago in response to a lack of co-ordination between health and education providing services for children and adults with developmental disorders.

During this time it has developed into a specialist and high quality service providing clinical services, undertaking research,providing consultancy services and training at all levels from awareness raising  courses to Masters degree level.

The inter-disciplinary team helps individuals with living and learning difficulties, such as Developmental Co-ordination Disorder, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome.

The team is led by Professor Amanda Kirby.All members of the clinical team are State Registered, qualified, experienced in learning difficulties, and adhere to professional standards and Codes of Practice.

The clinical team helps people of all ages, and takes referrals from statutory and voluntary bodies as well as directly from individuals.

The benefits of using the Dyscovery Centre include:

• Assessment by appropriate team members after consultation and information gathering, tailored to the individual.
• One-stop shop: Providing a co-ordinated approach in one place and time.
• Active research centre- up to date with latest research in the field of developmental disorders.
• Professionals who have experience working with schools, parents and adults.
• Ability to look at whole child/person. 
• Access to specialised resources and supporting information. 

The Dyscovery Centre has now moved to its permanent home on the Caerleon Campus. 

Their new address is, The Dyscovery Centre, Felthorpe House, Caerleon Campus, Lodge Road, Caerleon, Newport, NP18 3QR. 

Their telephone number has remained the same: 01633 432330
Their email address is: Amanda.kirby@newport.ac.uk
Website: www.dyscovery.org

 

Learning Difficulties: The Essay Map - Read, Write, Think

Expository writing is an increasingly important skill for elementary, middle, and high school students to master.

This interactive graphic organiser helps students develop an outline that includes an introductory statement, main ideas they want to discuss or describe, supporting details, and a conclusion that summarises the main ideas.

The tool offers multiple ways to navigate information including a graphic in the upper right-hand corner that allows students to move around the map without having to work in a linear fashion. The finished map can be saved, e-mailed, or printed.

Read more about this Essay Writing Tool here at ReadWriteThink