What's it like to be Dyslexic

For my STEAM course - Disease, we were studying mental disorders. In this unit, we learned all about mental disorders and the DSM-5. We focused heavily on the autism spectrum. We learned what it is like to be on the autism spectrum. We read a book called “The Reason I Jump” by Naoki Higashida. In addition, we also learned about different types of brain waves. We learn about what these brain waves control in our body. Delta, Theta, Gamma, Beta, and Alpha are some of the many brain waves. For this Action Project, we were instructed to find a mental disorder and make a simulation of what it’s like to have the mental disorder. We then made a lesson plan and then ran a simulation on the class. I chose a subcategory of a learning specific disorder called dyslexia. The hardest thing to do in my project was to create the simulation. I created a gif that simulates dyslexia. It was hard for me to tell if it worked because I experience dyslexia on daily basis. After making tweaks to the gif I overcame my problem by asking my peers for help. Check out the simulation and lesson plan below. Enjoy!

Misconceptions


According to The Yale Center For Dyslexia and Creativity, there are numerous misconceptions about dyslexia. It was thought that dyslexia could only affect boys/males. This was then later on proven wrong. Another myth is that dyslexics can’t be smart. This is false, Albert Einstein had very bad dyslexia. Albert Einstein developed the general theory of relativity, and one of the two pillars of modern physics. He also had a big influence on the philosophy of science. In one of Rick Riordan’s interviews, who is the author of the series Percy Jackson & the Olympians. He was asked a question about Percy’s intelligence. Percy experiences dyslexia; Rick Riordan's response was “Dyslexic kids are creative, ‘outside-the-box’ thinkers. They have to be because they don’t see or solve problems the same way other kids do. In school, unfortunately, they are sometimes written off as lazy, unmotivated, rude or even stupid. They aren’t. Making Percy dyslexic was my way of honoring the potential of all the kids I’ve known who have those conditions. It’s not a bad thing to be different. Sometimes, it's the mark of being very, very talented.” -Rick Riordan



Brain Waves & Dyslexia Definitions


Gamma waves are a big portion of learning, memory and information processing. According to Dr. Donna, when a group of children was tested for their gamma waves they found that people with learning disabilities had lower amounts of gamma waves. Due to the results, they were able to conclude that brain waves can affect language learning skills. Gamma waves are usually found in lower amounts in dyslexics.

The definition for dyslexia is a “general term for disorders that involve difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but that do not affect general intelligence.” In my opinion dyslexia is a learning, sensory, reading, writing, and motor skills, disability. Although they are disabilities; I think that people with dyslexia are extremely good at something else making up for the disability. According to the DSM-5 the criteria for dyslexia is “problems in acquiring academic skills markedly below age level and manifested in the early school years, lasting for at least 6 months; not attributed to intellectual disabilities, developmental disorders, or neurological or motor disorders.”

Three examples of symptoms associated with dyslexia: 

  • Impairment in reading ( Not being able to read fully and clear) 
  • Impairment in written expression (Not being able to write well or to its age level) 
  • Impairment in mathematics (Not being able to comprehend multi-step math equations properly)






Works Cited

  • "An Interview With Rick." Rick Riordan. Rick Riordan.com, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2017. 
  • "DSM-V Codes." Dyslexia . N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2017. 
  • "Dyslexia Facts and Statistics." Austin Learning Solutions. Austin Learning , n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2017. 
  • "How Brain Waves Affect Children with Learning Disabilities - Gamma Ray." Gemm Learning. Gemm Learning, 10 Apr. 2015. Web. 09 Feb. 2017. 
  • "Myths & Truths About Dyslexia * The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity." The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2017. 
  • "Myths & Truths About Dyslexia * The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity." The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity. The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2017.

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