Empowering Learning Solutions

Inclusive Instructional Design

Dyslexia

The Cost of Ignoring Dyslexia

The cost of ignoring dyslexia with teenager tearing up paper with the word education

The Societal Costs of Dyslexia

The following is a guest post written by a high school senior with dyslexia. In spite of taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses throughout high school, she felt that a high school diploma was not worth the remaining few months of struggle. She was prepared to drop out of school 2 months before graduation thinking that since she had a job as a waitress, she did not need a diploma or college education.  After working with her to organize her workload and advocate for herself with teachers, she decided to stay in school and graduate with honors. As a class assignment, she researched the societal costs and benefits of dyslexia as part of a business plan to create an EdTech company to help dyslexic learners.

The Cost of Not Responding

  • 1 in 5 people, that’s 20% of the population, is believed to have dyslexia (Kropp, 2020). 
  • The school dropout rate for students with dyslexia is 35%, twice the national average. (Al-Lamki, 2012)
  • 85% of young people in jail have learning disabilities and between 48-60% of the prison population in Texas alone has dyslexia (Dyslexia Untied, n.d.)
  • It costs on average $214,620 per year to incarcerate a youth (Justice Policy Institute, 2020).
  • The rate of suicide among students with learning disabilities is 3 times higher than ‘typical’ students. (Daniel, et. al, 2006)
  • 89% of suicide notes exhibit dyslexic spelling patterns (McBride and Siegel, 1997).
  • Only 3% of the population believe dyslexia is a positive trait and 73% of workers hide dyslexia from their employer (Made by Dyslexia, n.d.; Conlan, 2021).

The Bright Side for Business

  • 35% of self-made millionaires in the United States and 20% in the UK have dyslexia. Entrepreneurs in the US are 3 times more likely and in the UK are 2 times more likely to have dyslexia than the average citizen. (Conlan, 2021).
  • Dynamic reasoning, interconnected reasoning, and spatial knowledge and visualization are strengths of the dyslexic brain (Eide & Eide, 2011)
  • In the 4th Industrial Revolution, the skills of dyslexics are more in demand than reading, writing, and data entry, while their enhanced creative reasoning, problem solving and social skills will help employees with dyslexia bridge the skills gaps in a way that linear thinkers cannot (Conlan, 2021).
  • 98% say teachers need more training in how to identify and support students with dyslexia (Made by Dyslexia, n.d.; Conlan, 2021).
  • Dyslexia was only recognized as a disability in California on August 24, 2017 [CA Education Code Section 56335] (California Legislative Information Code Section, 2017).
  • States like California estimate that economic losses due to dyslexia will cost the state $12 billion dollars this year and $1 trillion over the working lifetime of today’s students. By contrast, an investment of $880 million in early screening, teacher training, and intervention will give an 800% return on investment as the life impacts mentioned above are avoided (Kropp, 2020).

References

  • Al-Lamki, L. (2012). Dyslexia: Its impact on the individual, parents and society. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, (12)3, pp. 269-72. doi:10.12816/0003139
  • Dyslexia Untied. (n.d.). Why we should all care about dyslexia. https://dyslexia-untied.com/why-we-should-all-care-about-dyslexia-the-societal-impacts-of-dyslexia/
  • Eide, B., & Eide, F. (2011). The Dyslexic Advantage: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain. New York: Hudson Street Press.
  • California Legislative Information Code Section. (2017). ARTICLE 2.5. Eligibility criteria for special education and related services on the basis of language and speech disorder or specific learning disabilities [56333 – 56338]. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=EDC&sectionNum=56335#:~:text=56335.,services%20to%20pupils%20with%20dyslexia.
  • Conlan, R. (2021, Jan. 11). The secret upside of dyslexia: Not a disability but a superpower. https://youtu.be/AMrUxxmMz8g
  • Justice Policy Institute (2020). Policy brief 2020 Sticker shock: The Cost of youth incarceration. http://www.justicepolicy.org/research/12928
  • Kropp, M. (2020). The $1T impact of ignoring dyslexia. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/1t-impact-ignoring-dyslexia-matthew-kropp/
  • McBride, H.E., & Siegel, L.S. (1997). Learning disabilities and adolescent suicide. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 30(6):652-659. doi: 10.1177/002221949703000609.
  • Daniel, S. S., Walsh, A. K., Goldston, D. B., Arnold, E. M., Reboussin, B. A., & Wood, F. B. (2006). Suicidality, school dropout and reading problems among adolescents. Journal of Learning Disabilities, (39)6: pp 507-514.

Signs of Dyslexia

Signs of Dyslexia in the Classroom Decorative

What does Dyslexia look like in the classroom?

Can you spot the 1 in 5 students (or adults) with dyslexia? Maybe. Some signs of dyslexia are more well-known than others.

10 Typical Signs of Dyslexia

  1. Do not seem to grasp that words come apart into individual sounds
  2. Difficulty learning and remembering the letters and sounds of the alphabet
  3. Seems unable to recognize letters in their own names
  4. Trouble rhyming, recognizing rhyming patterns (bat, cat, rat)  or learning nursery rhymes
  5. Repeats or omits short words like and, but, or
  6. Mispronouncing familiar words, perceived as using ‘baby talk’ or has a speech delay
  7. Reading father as “dad” or seeing an adult dog in an illustration and saying “puppy”
  8. Family history of reading or spelling problems
  9. Disappears when it is time to read, rarely reads for pleasure
  10. Becomes tired and frustrated or gets headaches when reading

Although we typically think of reading and spelling challenges as characteristic of dyslexia, it affects other areas of life, as well.

15 Less Familiar Signs of Dyslexia

  1. Has difficulty with directionality; confuses left and right
  2. Lacks a sense of urgency compared to peers
  3. Slower to respond in conversation than peers, seems to need additional time to process
  4. Has difficulty taking notes and copying accurately and quickly from the board
  5. Messy handwriting
  6. Has low self-esteem and negative self-talk, often in spite of high achievement
  7. Poor short term and long term memory, particularly for single-mode input (auditory, visual)
  8. Uses vague language like “stuff” or “things” and avoids saying words that might be mispronounced
  9. Pauses, hesitates, or uses “um” when speaking and gestures to skip over words when reading
  10. Seems to need extra time to process and retrieve facts and information due to a disorganized mental filing cabinet
  11. Confuses words with similar sounds such as volcano/tornado or patients/patience
  12. Needs additional time to finish tests but demonstrates understanding with extra time
  13. Grades do not reflect understanding or ability
  14. Difficulty remembering math facts and names of people or places
  15. Disorganized supplies, belongings, and backpack

15 Less Celebrated Characteristics of Dyslexia

  1. Insatiable curiosity, always asking why
  2. Great imagination, conceptualization, reasoning, visualization, and problem solving skills
  3. Enjoys puzzles, building models and finding unique solutions
  4. Able to get the gist of things or see the big picture that others do not see
  5. Quick to understand new concepts, especially when learning is accomplished through meaning not rote memorization
  6. Surprising maturity in speaking with older children or adults
  7. Creative, divergent thinker, and high level conceptualizer with original thoughts and insights
  8. Excellent visual-spatial skills and spatial reasoning in careers as inventors, interior designers, architects, and engineers
  9. Excels in visual arts, photography, and performance arts
  10. Interested in more conceptual studies such as philosophy, social studies, or neuroscience
  11. Excellent writing when the focus is on content and not writing skills
  12. Exceptional empathy, warmth, and compassion
  13. Highly articulate when expressing feelings or ideas they are passionate about
  14. Resiliency
  15. Social and moral compass

Do you recognize the students with dyslexia hiding behind these personalities?

  1. The Pot Stirrer who creates drama to focus your attention on someone else?
  2. The Bully who lacks confidence and self-worth and picks on others instead?
  3. The Class Clown who distracts others and makes them laugh to hide from being labeled as dumb?
  4. The Silent Child who is shy, withdrawn, rarely participates and hides in plain sight?
  5. The Smart Aleck who is sarcastic, argumentative, and confrontational to focus attention on behavior and not academic skills?
  6. The Social Butterfly who talks with anyone and everyone but avoids answering questions or reading aloud?
  7. The Lazy/Unmotivated One who appears to not care or not try but is paddling harder than anyone under the surface?
  8. The Rocket Scientist who studies physics and engineering for fun, but struggles to comprehend content presented in a written format?

15 Simple Strategies to Implement TODAY

  1. Turn on closed captioning for every video!
  2. Use consistent, easy to read sans-serif fonts (like Arial, Calibri, or Open-Sans)
  3. Unclutter documents and classroom webpages
  4. All extra time on tests and assignments without drawing attention to students
  5. Minimize visual distractions in the classroom and on websites (try Mercury Reader Chrome extension)
  6. Provide a calm, quiet and welcoming space in the classroom to work
  7. Allow older students to record lectures or provide links to archived videos from class
  8. Provide copies of notes or slides in advance
  9. Provide response options such as video or audio rather than writing.
  10. Encourage using dictation software and Immersive Reader on Microsoft products
  11. Provide links to audio books as an alternative to reading
  12. Encourage typing or using a tablet instead of writing
  13. Address and respond to negative self-talk
  14. Acknowledge effort and celebrate hard work even if there are mistakes
  15. Use the word ‘dyslexia’!

Validate the specific challenges that result from dyslexia and celebrate the hard work people with dyslexia invest every day.

What is Dyslexia?

Definition of Dyslexia

Dyslexia is neurobiological in origin. It is a genetic condition characterized by differences in the brain neurology that accounts for language processing.  The International Dyslexia Association defines dyslexia in this way:

“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.” (IDA, 2002)

Adopted by the IDA Board of Directors, Nov. 12, 2002.

Many state education codes, including New Jersey, Ohio and Utah, have adopted this definition. Learn more about how consensus was reached on this definition: Definition Consensus Project.

To quote Dr. Sally Shaywitz, a noted expert in the field of dyslexia:

Dyslexic children and adults struggle to read fluently, spell words correctly and learn a second language, among other challenges. But these difficulties have no connection to their overall intelligence. In fact, dyslexia is an unexpected difficulty in reading in an individual who has the intelligence to be a much better reader. While people with dyslexia are slow readers, they often, paradoxically, are very fast and creative thinkers with strong reasoning abilities.

(Shaywitz, Overcoming Dyslexia, pp. 13-24)

What is Dyslexia NOT?

Simply put, a dyslexia diagnosis indicates difficulty in reading, spelling, and/or comprehension in otherwise intelligent children and adults. The diagnosis is not the result of vision difficulties, lower IQ, lack of appropriate education, or cultural factors.  While there’s no “cure” for dyslexia, its difficulties can be remediated as children and adults develop strategies and compensation mechanisms to deal with their challenges. In fact, many dyslexics are highly creative and successful in their chosen fields.

Dyslexia Diagnosis

The signs of dyslexia are often present in early childhood, however, the signs might not be recognized until students are already behind their peers in reading and spelling.  The term ‘stealth dyslexia’ refers to those identified in high school, college, or adulthood.  These older adults have flown under the radar of traditional diagnosis and gotten by based upon high reading comprehension and other coping mechanisms.  Many school districts are hesitant to intervene with young children, citing a normal bell-curve distribution of reading age and ability level.

Dyslexia Statistics

The prevalence of dyslexia in the research literature ranges from 5-10% of the population, to the more recently accepted numbers of 1 in 5, or 20% of the population.  According to the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, founded by Drs. Sally and Bennett Shaywitz, dyslexia is the most common learning disability, accounting for 80-90% of cases.

Dyslexia Remediation

The Orton-Gillingham Method has proven highly effective at teaching students the background phonological concepts necessary for reading and spelling success. You can read more about the Orton-Gillingham appraoch at the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE).

Dyslexia Assets and Advantages

A key finding of recent research is that dyslexia need not be a limiting factor in college and careers.  The Dyslexic Advantage, by Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide, gives considerable hope and encouragement to students and parents alike.  As my former Headmaster, Earl Oremus at Marburn Academy, once said, “They’ve found the cure for dyslexia…graduation.”

References:

  • Eide, B. L. & Eide, F. F. (2011). The dyslexic advantage: Unlocking the hidden potential of the dyslexic brain. New York: Hudson Street Press.
  • International Dyslexia Association. (2002). Definition of Dyslexia. Retrieved from https://dyslexiaida.org/definition-of-dyslexia/
  • Shaywitz, S. E. (2005). Overcoming dyslexia: A new and complete science-based program for reading problems at any level. New York: Vintage Books.
  • Yale Center for Dyslexia  & Creativity. (2019). What is dyslexia? Retrieved from http://dyslexia.yale.edu/dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia/

Engineer to Educator

Ripple Effect of Teachers on Society
Copyright 2020 by The Ripple Effect of a Teacher. www.ditchthetextbook.com

STEM Pioneer to STEM Educator

I love engineering. So why leave engineering for education?

It’s easy to make a buck.  It’s a lot harder to make a difference.

Tom Brokaw

Long before STEM and STEAM were acronyms, few young girls were pursuing engineering as careers.  Influential teachers in my life gave me the confidence to earn two degrees in engineering.  Jerry Martin, my 6th grade math teacher at Ridgeview Junior High School first showed me that I had a talent and interest in mathematics. Thirty years later, he inspired me to use that experience to share my love of math and science with the next generation of future engineers.

In the 20 years since changing careers, I have been influential in the lives of countless children.  I have an MEd in mathematics and science education with a reading endorsement and gifted education minor.

Before attending graduate school, I assisted in two classrooms where the teachers were using random spelling lists and grouping students by level.  Children begged to move out of the lowest spelling group because of the stigma.  I wish I had known about Orton Gillingham’s diagnostic, prescriptive, systematic approach back then.  Not only would it have helped these students with spelling, but with their self-esteem as well.

After graduation I joined the staff at Marburn Academy, in Columbus, Ohio.  Marburn Academy is a private school for students with dyslexia and dyscalculia.  All teachers utilized the Orton-Gillingham methodology for individual tutoring and whole-class instruction.  The Consortium of Literacy Educators (COLE), an Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE) accredited trainer, provided my training and supervised practicum.

My Dyslexia Story

Let me share a bit about “John”, who arrived at Marburn Academy as a defiant sixth-grader.  Expecting to play football in the public school, he was angry with his parents for sending him to a private school without sports (at that time).  However, he knew that middle school was full of hard knocks and bullying for an intelligent, popular athlete unable to demonstrate his true intelligence and creativity.

John soon realized that we had literacy remediation tools that work, and the competition was on.  Through our writing fluency program, he made astounding progress at getting his thoughts into writing. As his typing and writing abilities soared, he badgered me to print him new graphs to plot his progress.  He left us in 8th grade to attend a top high school where he excelled in academics and football.  Now a proud mechanical engineer, his creativity, inventiveness, and superior math/science skills helped him to design aircraft engines upon college graduation.

Not all students with dyslexia will be able to attend private school for intensive instruction and achieve this type of academic success.  It is my goal is to share resources on dyslexia with teachers, students, and their families.  Many adults, now realizing that they are dyslexic, will find the information useful as well.  My students make me laugh and break my heart at times, but I am grateful daily for the opportunity to help make their lives a bit easier.

Many former students still keep in touch, and seeing where they are today inspires me to continue research into learning challenges and the pursuit of solutions.

My Roles in Education

I have been a classroom teacher, a private tutor and dyslexia advocate, and a university professor. I am now an instructional designer showing teachers how to Design for Dyslexia. These roles allow me to serve individual students and their families, but also to educate and provide resources for teachers worldwide.

I teach Physical Science in the STEM Integrated PreK-6 Classroom in the STEM Instructional Leader Program at Johns Hopkins University School of Education (JHU). This course allows me to combine my experience as an Engineer, a chemistry and physics classroom teacher, and as a special education teacher. JHU has an institutional focus on meeting the individual needs of ALL students, throughout their lives. STEM equity is a major focus in my course and we consider how students’ individual needs are influenced by learning challenges and gaps, cultural differences, educational inequities, and technology access and literacy, among other influences.

Getting educational research into the hands of front-line educators is an ongoing challenge. My goals are to empower educators to design inclusive instruction and help all learners understand and advocate for their own needs.