(no subject)

[nilchance]

MP says dyslexia is a "cruel fiction" invented to cover up bad teaching. Yeah? How about you get a ladder and jump up my ass, sir.

Can I get some recommendations for good tai chi or yoga DVDs/videos? I'll trade suggestions for epic cat cuteness.




Samwise, our gray tabby who came to the door and claimed us.


Gracie the new addition, being cute. Mauling imminent in 3, 2, 1...


Weejo, my parents' cat, with her ill gotten straw still in her mouth. "O HAI, why you takes mah picture?"


Gratuitous cat snuggling! They clean each other, too.

Comments

[lomer.livejournal.com]

As someone who STILL can't tell you the order of the months, and who wants to CRY when she's asked to multiply things without a calculator, I'd like to say fuck-you-very-much to Mr. Graham Stringer. And he obviously didn't do his fucking homework since dyslexia doesn't effect just reading. I had to go to a special afterschool program to address my dyslexia issues and in the 80s they only really worked on reading. They hadn't made the connections yet to math and sequences and handwriting and spacial awareness. I've worked my ass off to develop spacial awareness and hand eye coordination.

Oh and our mythical ailment isn't always a bad thing either. We're able to see problems in 3D instead of 2D which makes us wonderful people to have on a problem solving team. We'll come up with solutions you don't think about. Learning French is difficult but American Sign Language? While you're struggling to remember the different grammarical sequences we'll be busy making deaf friends because we GET IT.

And dyslexic people? We tend to be smart. Because we felt like morons in school, a lot of us come up with solutions to hide our "stupidity". Personally I memorized the SHAPES of words and I'd guess the word based on the context. I've known other people who would memorize passages in books to prove that they could read too. Despite feeling like an absolute idiot (even today) because someone says "I'll meet you at quarter to 3" and having no idea what that means. Or having to really concentrate to read an analoge watch, or having to ask the embarassing question "what month comes after March?" We're NOT idiots and we weren't taught wrong. Our brains just work differently.

So to Mr. Stringer who complains about the "dyslexia industry" (like there's a lot of money to be made teaching kids how to read using little colored blocks), fuck you, fuck you, fuck you very much.

[laurel-less.livejournal.com]

My favorite example to share is when in High School I spelled bird, bid, and knew something was missing but could not figure out what. At the same time I was in the advanced English class because I learned to read for meaning so I could skip words I did not recognize, so when it came time to discus them in class I could visualize the whole book like a movie in my head.

[lomer.livejournal.com]

I was actually really lucky because they DID figure out I was dyslexic when I was about eight. I had a few years of after school tutoring to work with me on reading and after that I was a fantastic reader. I can read quickly and with great comprehension. Spelling was impossible for me for a long time. I'd go home and cry because I'd spend an hour every night working on ten words and I'd still get a 70% TOPS on my spelling test on Friday. My major issues come with math, sequences, and describing steps to solve problems. I just sort of figured out solutions to problems instead of remembering formulas and things.

[nilchance.livejournal.com]

As someone IN the so-called "dyslexia industry", rock the fuck on. Yes.

[lomer.livejournal.com]

Are you dyslexic or do you teach dyslexic kids?

I absolutely hate it when people say things like "she's not dyslexic, she's lazy." And trust me, I heard a lot of that as a kid. I had a mean southern grandma who was a big believer of "if you don't do well in school its because you're not trying hard enough." Grr, it's the same logic that caused some teachers to force left handed kids to write right handed. It's not WRONG, it's just DIFFERENT.

[laurel-less.livejournal.com]

The one that annoys me the most is "didn't you proof read this?" Yes I did, but if I didn't know how to spell it the first time, I still don't know how to spell it now.
I got through school by developing a very good short term memory for spelling tests and learning to write essays on very complex topic using only small words and a limited vocabulary.

[lomer.livejournal.com]

I HATE the proof read question!

Another issue for me is my handwriting is AWFUL. I went to school before computers became really wide spread so I also got good at writing essays using small words and painstakingly writing them out at a speed MUCH slower then my mental speed. I learned how to type my Freshman year in high school and my Senior year when I had an English teacher who would let me go to the library to type out my essays instead of writing them in class, I discovered I could whip out an A level paper in 20 minutes because I had gotten so used to spending the entire class period concentrating on my HANDWRITING instead of the SUBJECT. Spell check on a computer has also saved me. It opened up all sorts of word choices. I could actually say "omnipotent" in an essay instead of breaking it down into spellable words.

[nilchance.livejournal.com]

I teach dyslexic kids and provide a testing environment for extended time / distraction free test-taking.

OMG, do not even get me started on "she's not disabled, she's lazy". For one thing: invisible disability me has issues with that logic ANYWAY, but I've also seen these "lazy" students WORKING THEIR ASSES OFF to get a passing grade. Argh.

[lomer.livejournal.com]

Thank you!