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The third in a series of five articles with specific special needs resources

As planned and promised, we are continuing our series of articles containing helpful links to websites for specific special needs. This week, the websites presented are for dyscalculia and dyspraxia, two different disabilities that some consider as two other forms of dyslexia.

Before we present the best websites for these two learning challenges, however, we first want to provide good definitions for these learning issues.

What Is Dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia refers to a wide range of lifelong learning disabilities involving math. There is no single type of math disability. Dyscalculia can vary from person to person. It can also affect people differently at different stages of life. Using alternate learning methods, people with dyscalculia can achieve success. Currently, statistics vary regarding the incidence of this particular learning disability.
(Source: National Center for Learning Disabilities---NCLD: Please see website link to follow below here.)

What Is Dyspraxia?

Dyspraxia is a neurological disorder throughout the brain that results in life-long impaired motor, memory, judgment, processing, and other cognitive skills. Dyspraxia also impacts the immune and central nervous systems. Each dyspraxic person has different abilities and weaknesses as dyspraxia often comes with a variety of comorbidities. One in ten persons in the U.S. suffers from dyspraxia.
(Source: Dyspraxia Foundation USA: Please see website link to follow below here.)

BEST Websites for Dyscalculia

National Center for Learning Disabilities---Dyscalculia
http://www.ncld.org/types-learning-disabilities/dyscalculia/what-is-dyscalculia

about dyscalculia
http://aboutdyscalculia.org/resources.html

Dyscalculia.org-Math Tools
http://www.dyscalculia.org/math-tools

Apps to Help Students with Dyscalculia and Math Difficulties---by Darla Hatton and Kaila Hatton (via NCLD)
http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities/assistive-technology-education/apps-students-ld-dyscalculia-math-difficulties

The British Dyslexia Association---Dyscalculia Primer & Resource Guide
http://www.oecd.org/edu/ceri/dyscalculiaprimerandresourceguide.htm

BEST Websites for Dyspraxia

Dyspraxia Foundation USA
http://www.dyspraxiausa.org/

Six Helpful Dyspraxia Resources---from the National Center for Learning Disabilities
http://www.ncld.org/types-learning-disabilities/dyspraxia/helpful-motor-skills-development-resources

Blog: occupationaltherapyforchildren.over-blog.com
http://occupationaltherapyforchildren.over-blog.com/article-dyspraxia-87698021.html

Dyspraxia (Children) – Symptoms (from NHS in the UK)
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Dyspraxia-(childhood)/Pages/Symptoms.aspx

BRAIN.HE (Best Resources for Achievement and Intervention re Neurodiversity in Higher Education)
http://www.brainhe.com/students/types/dyspraxia.html

For information on customizable reading tools:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of: Brennan Innovators, LLC

As many of you may know, we are all about finding resources and connecting parents and teachers with information they need most to help children and teens with reading challenges. Because of the requests and questions we have received recently about summer programs for LD (and more specifically dyslexia), we thought it would be of interest to our readers to publish an article this week with resources and information on this topic.

So, here is our list to help you choose a good summer program or to locate specific resources for your child or student with dyslexia (and other LD). As always, we hope you find the list of links beneficial to a challenged reader you wish to help.

Summer Programs & Resources for Dyslexia-2013

Dyslexia Summer Camps (Listed by State)
These learning programs that specialize in dyslexia understand the way your child thinks and learns and they teach accordingly. They will teach your child educational skills that will help them during the regular school year. Many of these programs teach dyslexic children or teens by using a multi-sensory approach to learning.
http://www.dyslexiclikeme.org/schools-2/summer-camps/

Dyslexia Summer Programs (Provided by the The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity)
A partial listing of summer programs on the East Coast is provided here to help parents begin the process of finding a situation that best suits their child with dyslexia.
http://dyslexia.yale.edu/PAR_summerprograms.html

FREE Help for Dyslexic Students---by Kyle Redford (The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity)
The Children's Dyslexia Centers currently have 50 Centers in 13 states. Centers provide tutoring at no charge to children from early elementary through high school who have been diagnosed as dyslexic
Visit this link to find a location near you.
http://dyslexia.yale.edu/childrensdyslexiacenters.html

Rocky Mountain Branch of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA-RMB)
This branch of The International Dyslexia Association provides a forum where parents, educators, individuals with dyslexia and researchers share their knowledge about a disorder that affects up to 20 percent of the U.S. population. The IDA-RMB provides workshops and resources to increase public awareness of dyslexia.
http://www.dyslexia-rmbida.org/

Tips for Choosing a Summer Camp for Your LD Child---by Ann Cathcart
Article with great tips to help you choose a good summer camp for your child with learning challenges!
http://www.ldonline.org/article/6124/

For information on customizable reading tools:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of: http://www.specialneeds.com/children-and-parents/dyslexia/film-raises-dyslexia-awareness-sundance

As mentioned in last week’s blog article, we have been attending and presenting seminars at several educational conferences over the past several weeks. Last week was no exception, as we visited and briefly presented for a third time at the Patrick Henry Downtown Academy’s Parent Symposium here in St. Louis.

Just like attendees at the previous educational conferences, interested parents and teachers at the school expressed their concerns about struggling readers, asking questions about various reading challenges that included dyslexia. Some of the young students from the school were also present. These parents and teachers (and even some of the students) told us what it’s really like for some students who struggle to read just like conference attendees over the past several weeks had mentioned. The following are some of the reading symptoms described:

1. Eyes get tired when reading for just for a few minutes.
2. Florescent lights in the classroom seem to cause a glare and make it hard to focus, much less read and understand what is read.
3. Can’t focus on the line to be read. Eyes are all over the page.
4. My child loses his place all the time when he tries to read.
5. My daughter says that the letters on the page look like they are moving or waving.

With these symptoms described to us more than a few times, we shared information about the importance of comprehensive eye exams and the value of using our Reading Focus Cards (Patent 7,565,759). At the same time, we also provided literature that included tips and strategies to help challenged readers of all ages.

Finally, we thought this might be a good time to provide these parents and teachers as well as our readers here some new resources for symptoms like those listed. The descriptions above could be possible indications of dyslexia. However, dyslexia is a reading challenge for which accommodations are not provided in student IEPs (in most states). In fact, an IEP is not even provided for students with a singular diagnosis of dyslexia (again, in most states). At the same time, dyslexia is a reading challenge that can significantly impact one's self-esteem and overall success in life. As a result, we wanted to provide the following new resources we hope will be helpful to many:

New Resources for Dyslexia and Other Reading Challenges

Teaching Resources (from TES)
(Last updated on April 19, 2013)
Over 600,672 free teaching resources for dyslexia and other learning challenges to use in your classroom and school today. TES Teaching Resources is where teachers share and download free lesson plans, classroom resources, revision guides and curriculum worksheets. Whether you are looking for SEN teaching strategies and approaches, VCOP activities, or secondary classroom activities, you can choose from 1000s of teacher resources, download them for free and adapt them to suit your classroom activities.
http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resources/

Supporting Spelling (from TES)
(Last updated on October 11, 2012)
TES provides a selection of strategies and ideas to help your students improve their spelling. The range of free resources includes lesson plans and worksheets on mnemonics, spelling guides, games and strategies helpful for supporting pupils with dyslexia and moderate learning difficulties.
http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6258399

Understanding Dyslexia: Infographic---Visual diagram describing dyslexia from the WeAreTeachers Blog (Published April 03, 2013)
http://www.weareteachers.com/community/blogs/weareteachersblog/blog-wat/2013/04/03/understanding-dyslexia-infographic

Top Tips to Start Supporting Students with Dyslexia (from TES)
This colorful diagram provides teachers and parents with strategies to use immediately with children and teens challenged with dyslexia.
http://pinterest.com/pin/80150068341286459/

OpenDyslexic---A new, open-sourced font created by Abelardo Gonzalez to increase readability for readers with dyslexia. The typeface includes regular, bold, italic, and bold-italic styles. It is being updated continually and improved based on input from dyslexic users. There are no restrictions on using OpenDyslexic outside of attribution.
http://opendyslexic.org/

Reading with COLOR---What a Difference It Can Make!
(Published March 10, 2013)
http://www.focusandread.com/blog/post/3537480

For information on customizable reading tools:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of: Brennan Innovators, LLC at http://www.focusandread.com/blog

Did you know that over 68% of America's 4th, 8th and 12th graders are not reading at grade level?(Source: National Center for Education Statistics) Yes, this current statistic indicates that we actually have a “reading crisis” in our country today. Why is this?

If you are a parent or teacher, there is a very good chance that when you were growing up, you engaged in different play activities from what children engage in today. You enjoyed more physical activities such as running, jumping, bike riding, playing hop-scotch, building make-shift tents or forts and much more. Those activities not only provided physical activity and healthy exercise, but they also helped you develop good, vision-related skills---proper balance, good eye-hand coordination, appropriate tracking of an object, peripheral vision skills, left-to-right discrimination and eye progression and more.

Today, children often do not have the same opportunities to develop these skills, certainly not to the level required for the building of good reading skills. Where you may have played dodge ball in the street at age 10, today’s 10 year-old boys and girls are often spending long periods of free time in a very different way. Television viewing and playing video games are at the top of their list of “activities” today. When this is the case, not only do youth obesity rates increase, but the vision skills needed for appropriate development of good reading skills may not properly develop.

Current statistics show that the average child in the U.S. spends 1,480 minutes per week watching television (more than 24 hours per week). Even more disturbing, when asked to choose between watching TV and spending time with their fathers, 54% of 4-6 year-olds preferred watching television. As a group, children under age eight spend an average of 25 minutes per day playing video games. (Sources: Statistic Brain, 2012 and Media Statistics - Children’s Use of TV, Internet, and Video Games by Dr. Brent Conrad, Clinical Psychologist for TechAddiction)

So, if you have a young child, seriously consider finding appropriate ways to increase the amount of time your child spends engaged in good, physical activity. Frequent walks to the park or just kicking a ball in the backyard are great, yet simple promoters of good balance, peripheral vision skills and much more.

If your child is of school age and actually experiencing reading challenges, there are options that can help in addition to encouraging increased physical activity. First, rule out the possibility that a vision-related reading challenge is causing the issues experienced. To do this, consider making an appointment with a developmental optometrist who is the preferred medical professional for evaluation, diagnosis and treatment for these vision-related reading challenges (visit http://covd.org/ to locate such a medical professional in your area).

You might also want to check out helpful resources such as http://helpforstrugglingreaders.blogspot.com/2012/05/strategies-tools-apps-more-for.html and other articles here that can offer good tips, strategies and resources (apps, etc.) to help struggling readers.

In the meantime, please also keep in mind that reading to your child no matter the age will also enhance his development and attitudes toward reading and literacy in general. It will do much to develop your relationship with your child, too! What a great plan of “action” that is!

Happy reading, everyone!

Sources: Statistic Brain (2012) http://www.statisticbrain.com/television-watching-statistics/ and Media Statistics - Children’s Use of TV, Internet, and Video Games by Dr. Brent Conrad, Clinical Psychologist for TechAddiction --- http://www.techaddiction.ca/media-statistics.html

For information on customizable reading tools:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Jan. 29, 2013 ONLY! iPad Mini GIVEAWAY by Smart Apps for Kids http://www.smartappsforkids.com/2013/01/celebrate-our-second-birthday.html

Photo courtesy of: Liberty Books Blog at http://libertybook.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/parents-and-children-prefer-reading-print-books-together-over-e-books-study-finds/

This past week before the Thanksgiving Holiday, we at Brennan Innovators received a call from our area’s Special School District. A representative from the district inquired as to area services for students with dyslexia, namely whom we recommend for dyslexia "testing", diagnosis and treatment.

We should not have been surprised to receive such an inquiry, but it continues to be a concern that this critical referral information is not readily available to every staff member in the district that is the primary provider of special needs services in our region. This further shows the growing need within our schools to appropriately address the reading struggles of ALL students, including those with vision-related challenges like dyslexia.

This one phone call was very telling and caused us to prepare our next blog article here about the much-needed information about support services for children (and adults) with dyslexia---wherever they may live.

Initial Support Services for Dyslexia

Website for the College of Optometrists in Vision Development---Basic information, research and resources to help with the understanding of vision-related reading/learning challenges
http://covd.org/

Locator Tool---Online tool to help locate the appropriate medical professional in your area for evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of vision-related reading/learning challenges
From the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD)
https://covdwp.memberpoint.com/WebPortal/BuyersGuide/ProfessionalSearch.aspx

Support Groups for Dyslexia

Dyslexia Support Groups
Access to various online support groups for dyslexia
http://dyslexia.supportgroups.com/

DailyStrength Dyslexia Support Group
Online forum that supports persons challenged with dyslexia
http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Dyslexia/support-group

Supportive Media for Dyslexia (Books, Apps and More)

Online Bookstore for Dyslexia---Books about dyslexia and related materials offered at a discount (Sponsored by the International Dyslexia Association)
http://www.interdys.org/OnlineBookstore.htm

FREE Dyslexia Newsletter---This bi-monthly World of Dyslexia Newsletter is received by over 40,000 people. It keeps readers up-to-date with the latest news and research in the field of dyslexia.
http://www.dyslexia-teacher.com/t23.html

The Seven Causes of Reading Difficulty for Dyslexics---Most children and teens with dyslexia experience difficulties with reading. David Morgan’s article here outlines seven causes of reading difficulty.
http://www.dyslexia-parent.com/mag64.html

Other Supportive Resources for Dyslexia

IDA Reading Literacy & Learning Conferences---Information about upcoming conferences
http://www.interdys.org/AnnualConferenceUpcoming.htm

U.S. Branch Locations of the International Dyslexia Association--by State
https://ww2.eventrebels.com/er/Chapter/OnlineChapterByState.jsp?Token=FYLJ8BKH4PXMYSGQBT6Y9USH3J

British Global Partner Offices of the International Dyslexia Association (2)
http://www.interdys.org/GlobalPartnersBritain.htm

Irish Global Partner Office of the International Dyslexia Association (1)
http://www.interdys.org/GlobalPartnersIreland.htm

Australian Global Partner Office of the International Dyslexia Association (1)
http://www.interdys.org/GlobalPartnersAustralia.htm

Link to Other Global Partner Locations of the IDA
http://www.interdys.org/GlobalPartnersList.htm

For more information:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of: https://twitter.com/DyslexiaSupport