The E-Book Reader

A side note (I know this is not technically about writing, but, humor me)

5 Reasons to Buy and E-book Reader.  My brother and sister bought one for Dad for Christmas.  I am staying at his house while doing summer courses.  He is away.  I found the e-reader upstairs, yet to be used.  The link below raves about how great they are, but of course you have to try it first.  :)
http://www.sync-blog.com/sync/2011/07/video-five-reasons-to-buy-an-e-book-reader.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Sync-TheTechAndGadgetsBlog+%28sync%3A+the+tech+and+gadgets+blog%29&utm_content=FaceBook

The Case Against Assistive Technology

others who require assistive technologies

·         Physical Impairments & Disabilities:  A physical impairment involves a continuing physically disabling condition or other health impairment which 

requires an adaptation to the student's school environment or curriculum. 

People with these disabilities often must rely upon assertive devices such as wheelchairs, crutches, canes, and artificial limbs to obtain mobility. 

The physical disability may either be congenital or a result of injury, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, amputation, heart disease, pulmonary disease or more. 

Some persons may have hidden (nonvisible) disabilities which include pulmonary disease, respiratory disorders, epilepsy and other limiting conditions.

Examples: Neurological  Musculo-Skeletal   Other Health Impairments

Cerebral Palsy  Muscular Dystrophy   Heart defects Spina Bifida       Lung Defects

·         Hearing Impairment  http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/sight/hearing_impairment.html

Hearing Loss is a sudden or gradual decrease in your ability to hear. Your family and friends may be the first to notice a hearing problem, especially if it has developed gradually, over a period of years. You may not be aware of the extent of your loss until someone else brings it to your attention. It may be difficult for you to accept this news, but it is important to realize that recognizing a hearing loss is the first step toward improving the quality of your life.

Often, higher pitched sounds, such as women and children%u2019s voices or birds singing are the first sounds that begin to "disappear." Then you may notice other signs of hearing loss such as:

- Misunderstanding and/or misinterpreting what others say.

- Difficulty hearing the telephone or television.

- Difficulty hearing speech, especially in the presence of background noise; people seem to be mumbling when they are speaking.

- Difficulty hearing in public gatherings such as concert halls, theaters, or houses of worship where sound sources are far away.

- Straining to hear or keep up with conversations.

- Ringing, roaring, hissing, or buzzing in the ear (tinnitus).

- Vertigo or the sensation that the room is spinning or that a person is spinning.

Hearing Loss can be a source of embarrassment. Adults who experience signs of hearing loss usually develop a variety of ways of coping in difficult listening situations, such as:

- Frequently asking others to repeat themselves or speak louder.

- Agreeing or nodding your head during conversations when you're not sure what's being said.

- Turning your head to one side while listening to sounds or speaker.

- Reading lips so you can try to follow what people are saying.

- Removing you from conversations when it's too difficult to hear.

- Turning up the TV, radio or stereo volume to a level that disturbs others.

- Avoiding social gatherings such as at restaurants or parties where background noise makes it difficult to understand conversation.

You should contact your Health Care Professional when:

- Your Hearing Loss is persistent and unexplained.

- Your Hearing Loss adversely affects your lifestyle.

- Your Hearing Loss is associated with other symptoms such as ear pain or fluid discharge from the ear.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/771342

·         Cognitive Delays & Impairments

1.Mild neurocognitive disorder:

 impairment in cognitive functioning as evidenced by neuropsychological testing or quantified clinical assessment, accompanied by objective evidence of a systemic general medical condition or central nervous system dysfunction.

 2.Postconcussional disorder following a head trauma, impairment in memory or attention with associated symptoms.

Pervasive Developmental Disorders (aka Autism Disorders)

Pervasive Developmental Disorders

Autism is a spectrum disorder and the term autism actually refers to a set of disorders - Pervasive Developmental Disorders - that affect socialization, communication and other behaviours.  The five Pervasive Developmental Disorders are Autistic Disorder, Asperger's Syndrome, Rett's Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and PDD-NOS. 

Autism: Although not all symptoms need to be present, here are some to look out for:

- Lack of interest in toys 
- Spinning objects 
- Placing objects in lines 
- Content with being alone 
- Flapping hands 
- Excitement in unusual situations or with different objects 
- Lack of affection 
- Appear not to be aware of surroundings 
- Does not respond to their name 
- Unusual sleeping patterns 
- Show distress for unexplained reasons 
- If verbal, repetitive language (echolalia) 
- Resisting change in routine (driving a different way home) 
- Displaying outbursts 
- Sensitive to textures (clothing, food, etc.) 
- Show prolonged interest in one object 

*I have recently read (although cannot remember where) that what used to be considered a lack of affection is in fact an overstimulation of affection, and as people with Aspergers and Autism  have an extremely high sensitivity to stimulation, the sign gets misread.

*Asperger's Syndrome and Autism are often used interchangeably, but there are differences in the two.  Asperger's of course falls on the Autism Spectrum but has two distinct differences that makes it stand out from Autisic Disorder (what we refer to as Autism). 

Asperger's Syndrome Individual's with Asperger's Syndrome have 2 characteristics that make them stand out from their autistic peers (although impairments in socialization, communication, presence of stereotypical and repetitive behaviours are the same)

1)     language development in those individuals with Asperger's is normal, and often time is more advance, and

2)     intelligence quotient (IQ) is average or above average. 

Asperger's is the fastest growing diagnosis in Newfoundland Labrador.  Anyone, of any age can be diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome.

Rett's Syndrome, The symptoms of this disorder are easily confused with those of cerebral palsy. The clinical diagnosis specifies a small head and small hands and feet. Stereotypical repetitive hand movements such as mouthing or wringing of the hands are also included as diagnostic signs. Symptoms of the disease include learning disorders and a total inability to socialize. Girls with Rett syndrome are very prone to seizures and gastrointestinal disorders. They typically have no verbal skills, and about 50% of females are ambulatory.

Symptoms of Rett syndrome that are similar to Autism include:
• screaming fits
• panic attacks
• inconsolable crying
• avoidance of eye contact
• lack of social/emotional reciprocity
• general lack of interest
• poor use of nonverbal communication
• delay of linguistic development
• loss of speech.

Symptoms of Rett syndrome that are also present in cerebral palsy include:
• short stature
• severe dementia
• mild learning disability
• hypotonia
• delayed or absent ability to walk
• gait/movement difficulties
• ataxia (unsteady walking)
• abnormally small head
• some forms of spasticity
• wringing of hands
• spasmodic movements of hand or facial muscles
• grinding of teeth.

I am not sure how much writing,  due to cognitive level, someone with this disorder might have.  I will have to explore this some more, so for now, I will not explore any assistive technology.  From my tiny bit of looking on the internet, the assistive technology suggested was for a walker.

Childhood Disintegrative Disorder This is a very rare condition.  Childhood disintegrative disorder is a condition in which children develop normally through age 3 or 4. Then, over a few months, children lose language, motor, social, and other skills that they already learned.

• Sympoms: Delay or lack of spoken language
• Impairment in nonverbal behaviors
• Inability to start or maintain a conversation
• Lack of play
• Loss of bowel and bladder control
• Loss of language or communication skills
• Loss of motor skills
• Loss of social skills
• Problems forming relationships with other children and family members

PDD-NOS.  This is also a very rare condition.  Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified is usually shortened to PDD-NOS, and is a ‘sub threshold’ condition in which some — but not all — features of Autism or another explicitly identified Pervasive Developmental Disorder are identified.

The most common learning disorders.

What are the most common LDs? Of course under the learning disability title, there are many different disabilities.  I will review a few of them.   Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and ADHD. Dyslexia accounts for 80% of all learning disorders, so it by far is the most common learning disability out there.

Dyslexia  Dyslexics have trouble with reading, writing and spelling, and often have very little else out of the ordinary.  Brain imaging in the last few years has brought about new understanding of the disability and as technology in that area quickly increases, we will understand more about dyslexia.  Brain images show that different areas of the brain are used for reading and writing (decoding and encoding) than are used by people without dyslexia. 

Dyslexics can show the following symptoms

·         Difficulty recognizing written words

·         Difficulty rhyming or sequencing syllables

·         Difficulty determining the meaning or main idea of a simple sentence

·         Difficulty encoding (this relates to writing) words – spelling

·         Poor sequencing of letters or numbers

·         Delayed spoken language

·         Difficulty separating the sounds in spoken words

·         Difficulty in expressing thoughts verbally

·         Confusion about right or left handedness

·         Difficulty with handwriting

·         Possible family history of dyslexia

http://www.ldonline.org/article/Dyslexia_and_High_School from LD Online, Dyslexia and High School

Dysgraphia  Dysgraphia is a difficulty writing coherently, if at all, regardless of ability to read. People with dysgraphia often can write, and may have a higher than average IQ, but lack co-ordination, and may find other fine motor tasks such as tying shoes difficult, although it often does not affect all fine motor skills. They can also lack basic spelling skills (having difficulties with p,q,b,d), and often will write the wrong word when trying to formulate thoughts (on paper).

In children, the disorder generally emerges when they are first introduced to writing. They make inappropriately sized and spaced letters, or write wrong or misspelled words despite thorough instruction. Children with the disorder may have other learning disabilities; however, they usually have no social or other academic problems.

Cases of dysgraphia in adults generally occur after some neurological trauma or it might be diagnosed in a person with autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Tourette syndrome or ADHD.

The DSM IV identifies dysgraphia as a “Disorder of Written Expression” as “writing skills (that) ...are substantially below those expected given the person’s ...age, measured intelligence, and age-appropriate education”.

 

TYPES OF DYSGRAPHIA

1)     Dyslexic dysgraphia

With dyslexic dysgraphia, spontaneously written work is illegible, copied work is fairly good, and spelling is bad. Finger tapping speed (a method for identifying fine motor problems) is normal, indicating the deficit does not likely stem from cerebellar damage. A Dyslexic Dysgraphic does not necessarily have dyslexia (dyslexia and dysgraphia appear to be unrelated).

2)     Motor dysgraphia

Dysgraphia is due to deficient fine motor skills, poor dexterity, poor muscle tone, and/or unspecified motor clumsiness. Generally, written work is poor to illegible, even if copied by sight from another document. Letter formation may be acceptable in very short samples of writing, but this requires extreme effort and an unreasonable amount of time to accomplish, and cannot be sustained for a significant length of time. Spelling skills are not impaired. Finger tapping speed results are below normal.

3)     Spatial dysgraphia

Dysgraphia due to a defect in the understanding of space has illegible spontaneously written work, illegible copied work, normal spelling, but normal tapping speed.
Some children may have a combination of any two or all three of these. Symptoms in actuality may vary in presentation from what is listed here.

SYMPTOMS OF DYSGRAPHIA

·         A mixture of upper/lower case letters

·         irregular letter sizes and shapes

·         unfinished letters

·         struggle to use writing as a communications tool

·         odd writing grip

·         many spelling mistakes (sometimes)

·         pain when writing

·         decreased or increased speed of writing and copying

·         talks to self while writing

·         general illegibility.

·         Reluctance or refusal to complete writing tasks.

Many people who are dysgraphic will experience pain while writing. The pain usually starts in the center of the forearm and then spreads along the nervous system to the entire body. This pain can get worse or even appear when a dysgraphic is stressed. Few people who do not have dysgraphia know about this, because many with dysgraphia will not mention it to anyone. This may be because they think pain in normal when writing, or that people won’t believe them.

TREATMENT OF DYSGRAPHIA

·         Treatment for dysgraphia varies and may include treatment for motor disorders to help control writing movements. Other treatments may address impaired memory or other neurological problems.

·         Some physicians recommend that individuals with dysgraphia use computers to avoid the problems of handwriting.

Occupational therapy should be considered to:

·         correct an inefficient pencil grasp

·         strengthen muscle tone

·         improve dexterity

·         evaluate eye-hand coordination.

·         Dysgraphic children should also be evaluated for ambidexterity, which can delay fine motor skills in early childhood.

VISION THERAPY

People who struggle with symptoms of dysgraphia usually benefit from vision therapy. Seventy percent of what a child learns in school is processed through the visual system. Even a minor visual processing problem will interfere with a child or adult performing to their potential and could cause symptoms of dysgraphia.

Symptoms of vision problems include:
• Avoidance of near work
• Frequent loss of place
• Omission, insertion, or rereading of letters and words
•Confusion with similar looking words
• Failure to recognize the same word in the next sentence.

ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  Below is a listing of symptoms.  At least six symptoms must be prevalent for three of more months in more than one environment

The symptoms of ADHD fall into the following two broad categories:

The first is Inattention and can include:
• Failing to pay close attention to details
• Making careless mistakes when doing schoolwork or other activities 
• Trouble keeping attention focused during play or tasks 
• Appearing not to listen when spoken to 
• Failing to follow instructions or finish tasks 
• Avoiding tasks that require a high amount of mental effort and organization
• Frequently losing items required to facilitate tasks or activities
• Excessive distractibility and forgetfulness 
• Procrastination, inability to begin an activity 
• Difficulties with household activities.

 The second category is Hyperactivity-impulsive behavior, including:
• Fidgeting with hands or feet or squirming in seat 
• Leaving seat often, even when inappropriate 
• Running or climbing at inappropriate times 
• Difficulty in quiet play 
• Frequently feeling restless 
• Excessive speech 
• Answering a question before the speaker has finished 
• Failing to await one’s turn 
• Interrupting the activities of others at inappropriate times 
• Impulsive spending, leading to financial difficulties.

What is a learning disability anyway???

What is a learning disability (LD)?   Although no officially agreed upon definition of learning disabilities exist, there are signs to look out for.  I have copied the signs to look out for from the website LD Online (a fantastic website if you have never been there).  www.ldonline.org 

Another great website is the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada.  This site walks the walk in terms of how it has its site laid out.  When visiting the site, you can contrast the colours and increase the font size.  Great for LD people http://www.ldac-acta.ca/en/learn-more/ld-defined.html

Signs of a potential learning disability

Preschool

• Speaks later than most children
• Pronunciation problems
• Slow vocabulary growth, often unable to find the right word
• Difficulty rhyming words
• Trouble learning numbers, alphabet, days of the week, colors, shapes
• Extremely restless and easily distracted
• Trouble interacting with peers
• Difficulty following directions or routines
• Fine motor skills slow to develop

Grades K-4

• Slow to learn the connection between letters and sounds
• Confuses basic words (run, eat, want)
• Makes consistent reading and spelling errors including letter reversals (b/d), inversions (m/w), transpositions (felt/left), and substitutions (house/home)
• Transposes number sequences and confuses arithmetic signs (+, -, x, /, =)
• Slow to remember facts
• Slow to learn new skills, relies heavily on memorization
• Impulsive, difficulty planning
• Unstable pencil grip
• Trouble learning about time
• Poor coordination, unaware of physical surroundings, prone to accidents

Grades 5-8

• Reverses letter sequences (soiled/solid, left/felt)
• Slow to learn prefixes, suffixes, root words, and other spelling strategies
• Avoids reading aloud
• Trouble with word problems
• Difficulty with handwriting
• Awkward, fist-like, or tight pencil grip
• Avoids writing assignments
• Slow or poor recall of facts
• Difficulty making friends
• Trouble understanding body language and facial expressions

High School Students and Adults

• Continues to spell incorrectly, frequently spells the same word differently in a single piece of writing
• Avoids reading and writing tasks
• Trouble summarizing
• Trouble with open-ended questions on tests
• Weak memory skills
• Difficulty adjusting to new settings
• Works slowly
• Poor grasp of abstract concepts
• Either pays too little attention to details or focuses on them too much
• Misreads information