Dysnomia...now there's a mouthful!

Being the daughter of a dyslexic and the mom of two dyslexics, I've always struggled with what to do when my kids or Mom are struggling with finding a word. It's like they can remember every other word to describe what they are trying to say, but not the word they mean. Here's an example of how it goes....my son was telling me a story about something he saw on the way home from school and he couldn't remember the word for bus, but he remembered that it was yellow and big. It carries the kids to and from school and it's a vehicle. I felt like I was playing a word game, which I don't mind because I love word games, but I always feel bad for him when he has a moment of suffering from dysnomia...yes, it has a name. Actually, it's a disorder and it has a medical classification. As usual, my attitude has been...call it what you want just tell me how to help my kids and my mom, while we are it.

I went to a workshop recently at Woodland Hall Academy, the school my children attend, and thankfully the principal provided some answers and shared some tips on how to help someone who has dysnomia.

My oldest son seems to suffer the most from dysnomia. He has a very difficult time remembering names and recalling words. When he reads, I can give him a word he doesn't know, but he can't remember it the next time he sees it in a following sentence. It can be frustrating for both of us but the workshop I attended provided strategies and ways to keep us both from getting frustrated. Here's a few that we have found useful...

1. Don't play the rhyming game. In other words, don't say it rhymes with a word. People with dysnomia aren't good at rhyming.

2. Give the person time, don't get frustrated with them when they can't come up with the word.

3. Sometimes it's best just to give them the word. This reduces the frustration and provides the opportunity to focus on the content of what they are saying.

4. When reading and they can't remember the word, just give it to them and focus on the story.

At this point, I'm grateful for the tips and hope they help others. I'm also so grateful that my children are at a school they love and, most importantly, they love learning!!!

Normal and New

Normal...have you ever contemplated that word? I have and I'm happy to say that a few people have recently used the term to describe my kids. Although the issues our boys are dealing with are mild compared to what others face, I was sad when I found out they would be dealing with lifelong challenges. Fortunately, we didn't stick our heads in the sand. We didn't wait for them to out grow any of it. I am so grateful for the early intervention we did and all the help we have had and continue to have along the way. So, whatever normal means, I'm happy to hear it as a term to describe the boys. I know it's a silly, silly thing, but the most important part about it is the progress they have made. For that, I am truly grateful!

On a different note, I wanted to share a great article entitled "Dyslexia: What Teachers Need to Know". I recently saw it in the "Instructor" magazine produced by Scholastic. As a teacher educator, I often subscribe to such magazines and just like the public schools, I've never seen mention of the "D" word, dyslexia. My favorite part about the article was the positive slant, particularly that "dyslexics are strong learners". Oh so true! It's amazing what Marshall can repeat. He is like a sponge, but he does have to share that knowledge with others. I also found the half page of Quick Facts About Dyslexia a great way to hit on the important aspects of dyslexia.

The article was well written and included some excellent resources. I'm not sure which website resource I like the best, but I was pretty impressed with the Kids Health site which included a way to listen to the content on the page.

The International Dyslexia Association http://interdys.org/

LD Online http://www.ldonline.org/article/Dyslexia_Basics

Kids Health http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/learning_problem/dyslexia.html

Dyslexic Teaching Today http://dyslexia-teacher.co.uk/

I hope you enjoy these resources and share them with others!!!! Thanks for reading!

It's a dyslexic thing...the time issue!

Recently one of Marshall's teachers asked me when he was having surgery. She said that he had asked her to pray for him. I was a little surprised because he just had oral surgery three weeks ago. When I told her that, we had a good laugh because this was just another example of the time issue with which dyslexics often struggle.

At one of the Woodland Hall parent seminars, we learned that dyslexics often get confused with time. I was happy to learn this because one time I thought Marshall was lying to me or being a little smarty pants. Turns out he was just confused on time. He said he had brushed his teeth when I knew he hadn't. Now that I think about it, he had brushed his teeth....the day before.

A Difference not a Disability

So what is this thing called dyslexia anyway. My mom has it so I have heard a lot about it over the years but, like most people, I just thought it was a reading problem where the person saw letters backwards. Actually, dyslexia is a processing issue and neurological in nature. So, my boys' brains are wired a little differently, but once we get the information in their little brains, it sticks. Fortunately, the school my boys attend has a great slogan to help students and others understand how successful people with dyslexia can be and that slogan is "where dyslexia becomes a learning difference not a learning disability". What a great way to think about it!

The International Dyslexia Association has some great facts sheets about dsylexia. Oh the things we are learning about dyslexia!!!!

Starting Early

We have two beautiful boys and we've known they have had issues since they were very young...babies We had no idea what the issues were just that they had developmental issues of some sort. The journey has been long, but I'm happy to say we are fortunate to be in Tallahasse and have access to wonderful resources, which I will share more about latter. For the time being, I'm happy to say that the boys are drug free. To get started, I'd love to hear from others who are moms and dads of dyslexic children so we can share the joys, challenges and resources for helping our children reach their full potential.