Understanding Dyslexia: Advice from an Expert

UNDERSTANDING DYSLEXIA: Advice from an Expert

Greetings!

Children do not come with a handbook, that is for sure.  When we become parents, we are usually left to rely on our upbringing with our parents and/or the advice of friends, family and neighbors that help us put together this puzzle. 

I can only speak for myself, but it feels like whenever I feel caught up on the latest parenting technique, trend or expert opinion, the next curve ball is right around the corner. That is why I thought guest blogger Dr. Rahmanda S. Campbell would bring a wealth of knowledge to the table on one of those curve balls that we do not expect, and yet, when it comes, we have must make ourselves quick experts for the benefit of our children and families. 

Dr. Campbell is an expert on Dyslexia a learning disability that affects many children, is very manageable, but must be discovered early and understood.  She also happens to be a fellow Soror of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.  I invited her to offer her expertise, because while most of us have heard about Dyslexia, we would feel woefully unprepared if it were our child experiencing this common learning disability.

Take it away Soror Campbell!

In Service,

 

Blondell Reynolds Brown

Councilwoman At-Large

DYSLEXIA: A Specific Reading Disability

by Dr. Rahmanda S. Campbell

90% of children with learning disabilities are referred for special education services as a result of reading deficits. 80% of children labeled learning disabled are Dyslexic. Learning to read is a milestone for children that parents eagerly await. Reading is one of the most challenging tasks students will have to master throughout their educational experience. Teaching reading skills to those who struggle to read can be a daunting task. Dyslexia, a language-based learning deficit is the most common cause of reading problems which has consequences that are much broader in reach. Individuals affected by Dyslexia are impacted in various academic areas. Academic areas include oral language development, spelling, reading comprehension, written expression, and mathematics. Dyslexics are prone to academic self-esteem issues, poor self-concept; and in some instances anxiety and depression. Dyslexia is a neurologically-based, often familial disorder which interferes with the acquisition and processing of language. Varying in degrees of severity, it is manifested by difficulties in receptive and expressive language. There are two distinctly different types of Dyslexia. Developmental Dyslexia, results when an individual is unable to attain the language skills of reading, spelling and writing at a rate commensurate with their age and intellectual ability. Acquired Dyslexia is less common and occurs when an individual loses all or a portion of their previously-acquired ability to read as a result of some sort of brain injury. The process of identifying an individual with Dyslexia should involve differential diagnosis, in which all other potential explanations for the child's reading difficulty are ruled out before Dyslexia is ruled in. The end result of a diagnosis is ideally the product of an extensive evaluation process that involves the collection of multiple sources of information, including background, cognitive, behavioral, and psycho-educational. Background information includes obtaining parental feedback regarding the child's pre- and perinatal medical history, childhood health history, acquisition of developmental milestones, past and current social and emotional functioning, acquisition of early literacy and numeracy skills, attentional functioning, and the presence of learning disabilities in other family members. It is very helpful for parents to provide documentation of previous evaluations, school reports cards, achievement tests, and any other information deemed relevant to the child's learning status. Teachers can offer relevant information about a child that is often overlooked. Teachers can provide invaluable insight regarding a child's present level of functioning, the child's attitudes toward learning, the presence or absence of progress during the school year, and the child's social and emotional status. Teachers may be asked to complete rating scales that assess a child in a variety of areas of functioning. This information can be extremely valuable because it often provides a substantially different perspective than what is given by the parents. Teachers can also provide crucial information pertaining to the specific curriculum a child has been exposed to, in addition to any interventions or accommodations that are currently in place.

Obtaining intelligence information can be very helpful in the diagnostic process. This information can support decisions in determining the most optimal interventions. In an effort to ensure that a valid diagnosis of Dyslexia is made, there must be evidence that certain processes underlying reading are deficient as well. There are several cognitive processes that underlie learning and must be considered in a careful diagnostic process. These processes include, but are not limited to auditory processing, visual perception, visual-motor integration, visual-spatial orientation, speed of processing, short-term memory, working memory, sequencing, word retrieval, reasoning, and conceptualization skills. Dyslexia is commonly co-morbid with other learning disabilities. Therefore, it is essential to include broad measures of achievement within the context of an evaluation for Dyslexia. In addition to reading (phonological awareness, conventions of reading, orthographic awareness, word identification, non-word reading, reading fluency, and reading comprehension), the areas of oral language, thinking, reasoning and conceptualization, written language and mathematics should be carefully evaluated. Untreated or poorly remediated Dyslexia results in failure to achieve a level of academic success that is commensurate with one's ability. Considerable research pertaining to how children learn to read has revealed that there is no single best way to teach reading. Rather, a combination of educational methods, selected with knowledge of a child's specific pattern of strengths and weaknesses, is the most effective way to teach children to read. Early identification and treatment are crucial for helping individuals with Dyslexia achieve in school and life. Most people with Dyslexia require specialized training with a multisensory, structured language approach. Many individuals with Dyslexia need one-on-one intensive support so that they can move forward at their own pace. 

Dr. Rahmanda S. Campbell, Founder Educational Diagnostician/Reading Clinician Germantown Psychological Associates Building

BACK TO SCHOOL!  

ARE YOU PREPARED? 

On Monday, students in the School District of Philadelphia go back to school. Each year around this time, parents have to shift into a different gear of anticipating and understanding the challenges that our kids will be experiencing.  One of the most stressful challenges to our kids can be the four letter word: T-E-S-T.

Balancing expectations for excellence along with the anxiety that we all go through when given a timed test can be tough for the most seasoned parent or professional. If we anticipate these problems and start a dialogue we can give our young people tips and pointers for reducing “test stress.” For this advice, I turned to my friend, parenting expert and educator, Dr. Myrna Shure.  Dr. Shure is the author of a book that should be on every parent’s nightstand, “Thinking Parent, Thinking Child.”

Good luck to all of the students and parents who are going back to school.  Remember, whether it is Kindergarten, High School, a Master’s or Doctorate Program, it is OK to be stressed out by tests. Remember, as I have told my daughter often during her elementary and middle school years: focus and learn to schedule what you have to do and then leave time for what you want to do.  Prior, proper planning will always help prevent a poor performance.

Good luck! 

Blondell Reynolds Brown

Councilwoman At-Large

P.S.  Stay tuned for October guest blogger Terry Graboyes, my Girls High classmate!

  

“Test Stress:  What Can You Do?”

An Excerpt from “Thinking Parent, Thinking Child” by Dr. Myrna B. Shure

Dr. Myrna B. Shure

 Is your child afraid of school tests? Some kids are, even as early as age five or six. If you see a fearful pattern beginning to emerge, you'll probably want to ask your child why he's afraid. But most likely you'll hear the perennial, "I don't know."

Stay calm. If you're upset about his anxiety, your child will sense it. But don't dismiss his fear, either, by saying, "You'll do fine." Your child will sense a distinct lack of caring about his feelings. It's also important to avoid showing disappointment in a bad grade. Instead of telling your child how you feel about the grade, let your child express how he feels about it.

What you need to do next is determine why he's afraid and what exactly the problem is. Test anxiety can have several different causes, and you can often find the source of the problem if you go over the test with your child.

Some children don't do well on tests and come to fear them. If this is the case, you can try coaching your child in some specific test-taking strategies, such as those described by Joseph Casbarro in his book Test Anxiety and What You Can Do About It. These include looking over the entire test before starting, eliminating choices in a multiple-choice exam that your child knows for sure are incorrect, answering easy items first, and watching the time.

Another possibility is that your child knew the answers and still failed a test, which makes him afraid to try again. Try to determine if your child read the questions too quickly or failed to understand the directions. Many kids misread directions and questions, often from carelessness. If this is the case with your child, have him practice reading more slowly and carefully.

Some children fear tests even when they don't fail. It may be that your child is afraid of making mistakes. If so, let him know that everybody does. Another possibility is that your child may worry about letting you down. He may feel that too much emphasis is placed on achievement or that he receives praise only when he does well. One parent I know criticized her daughter for getting a 98 on a math test. Instead of focusing on the positive score, she questioned her child about what she got wrong.

As Maurice Elias of Rutgers University tells us, “We must prepare our children for the tests of life, not a life of tests.” And by doing that, they may actually feel less anxious about the tests they have to take. 

Order your copy of "Thinking Parent, Thinking Child" by clicking this link. 

Happy Father's Day!

As the only At-Large woman to serve in Philadelphia City Council since 2000, I am unapologetic about speaking out on behalf of women and girls in Philadelphia.  It is not lost on me however, that young men in Philadelphia are equally as important to the future of the City and the world as our young women. Father’s Day struck me as a terrific opportunity to share thoughts from my friend, Rev. David Brown.  

I admire Rev. Brown because he has raised two amazing daughters, but he is still very much aware that young men throughout Philadelphia need a solid male role model to push them over the finish line; be it high school, technical school, college, graduate school, law school or beyond.  Although nothing is impossible, it is harder to achieve if you do not dream; it is harder to dream if you cannot visualize it.  Having a great father, or a mentor that serves as a father-figure is one important key to young men visualizing everything they can achieve and more.  

I encourage Philadelphia men to accept the challenge to be a mentor to a young man and ensure he becomes the fullest embodiment of his potential.  Join an organization committed to being the change: the Annual Father’s Day Rally, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Concerned Black Men or Kenny Gamble’s “Cradle to Career” program.  Help a young man become the dream.  

Happy Father’s Day everyone!

Blondell Reynolds Brown 

Councilwoman At-Large

 

BE A FATHER BY BEING A MENTOR

By Rev. David W. Brown

Pastor

United Methodist Church

I'm extremely blessed to be the father of two beautiful and aspiring young women. They are college-educated, career-minded and motivated. When they were growing up, I made a point to be at every practice, every rehearsal and every performance. Parent-teacher conferences were as mandatory as making the prom dates happen.

However, as a father of girls, I recognize that I still have an obligation to the countless number of young African American men and boys who simply have no father figure in their lives. Although I've mentored youth all my life as both a pastor and a businessman, I was compelled to deepen my commitment two years ago when I was invited to the White House to talk about my work in the community.

The invitation was extended by the Obama Administration when I was named a "Champion of Change" and, as a result of that honor, I participated in a panel discussion that included four other African American men -- all of whom are doing some tremendous things around the country. But, it seemed to me that while we were doing big things programmatically...but I didn't feel that there was enough personal commitment and contact with the young men to whom our efforts were directed.

So, from there, I connected with a young man who was part of my congregation in West Philly who I've known since he was a toddler. I made the promise to him and his family that I would stay committed to his goal of graduating from high school and going on to college. That was almost two years ago when he was in his sophomore year at W.B. Saul. He's now finishing his junior year and headed to the 12th grade. Despite the problems that our public schools are enduring, and the violence in our communities, we must dedicate ourselves individually and institutionally to the survival and success of our young African American men. That would be the best Father's Day gift any one could ever receive.

Rev. David W. Brown

United Methodist Pastor

How Philadelphia is Leading in Energy Innovation

Greetings Friends!

April 2013 will mark my second Earth Day as Chair of City Council’s Committee on the Environment, so I could not be more thrilled to share a piece by one of Philadelphia’s energy conservation experts—Laurie Actman. Laurie is the Deputy Director of the Energy Efficient Buildings Hub and a true “thought leader” who lives and breathes the subject of the environment and sustainability. 

In this month’s blog she discusses a piece of legislation that I am extremely proud to have.  It required three important but necessary types of work:  hard work, homework and team work.  My office met with a team of professionals and stakeholders on all sides of the issue and ultimately passed a bill that is now being studied by other cities as a model.

In closing, remember to talk to young people in your corner of the world about Earth Day—April 22, 2013.  Encourage them and tell them we can all do our part to care for and protect our planet.

Thank you,

Blondell Reynolds Brown

Councilwoman At-Large

How Philadelphia is leading in energy innovation

By Laurie Actman  

The Philadelphia region is poised to become one of the nation’s leaders in fostering a more energy-efficient building stock. While President Barack Obama's comments in last month' s State of the Union speech highlighted the administration’s commitment to energy efficiency as an important strategy to mitigate climate change, public and private stakeholders in Philadelphia have already joined together to contribute scalable solutions and provide leadership for this challenging problem.

Philadelphia's emergence as a sustainability leader began with the election of Mayor Michael A. Nutter in 2008. During his campaign, Nutter pledged to make Philadelphia the "Greenest City in America," and he followed through with his commitment by creating the city’s first Office of Sustainability and releasing "Greenworks Philadelphia," the city’s first sustainability plan, during his first year in office.

Greenworks contains targets and metrics in 14 major areas including two very important energy efficiency goals: one to reduce the city’s own energy consumption by 30 percent by 2015 and one to reduce energy consumption in all buildings within the city by 10 percent by 2015. Now led by a small but highly capable staff managed by the mayor’s sustainability director, Katherine Gajewski, the Greenworks framework galvanized interest and support from business leaders, neighborhood organizations and city residents and provided the momentum necessary to foster a true partnership approach to measuring progress and success.

The Energy Efficient Buildings Hub (EEB Hub) became an important partner in one of Greenworks' biggest successes--the passage of benchmarking and disclosure legislation by the city of Philadelphia in October 2012. The law made Philadelphia the sixth major U*.S. city to adopt an energy benchmarking and disclosure ordinance for its commercial buildings 50,000 square feet or larger. Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, recognizing the tremendous environmental impact the law could have, was the lead sponsor of the Bill in City Council and she and her staff worked tirelessly to engage diverse stakeholder during the legislative process to ensure that multiple viewpoints were taken into consideration including the building owners and utilities.

Mayor Nutter's signing of the legislation which was passed unanimously by the Philadelphia City Council is the latest indicator that benchmarking and disclosure laws are gaining popularity fast with cities that are seeking to create additional momentum or jump-start energy-efficient building initiatives. One major reason for increased interest among policymakers is the premise that the legislation is providing consumer transparency for the first time publicly about a building’s energy footprint, which could galvanize market demand for more efficient commercial space.

Requiring building owners to comply with the law and enabling consumers to choose commercial space based on energy efficiency attributes are key market drivers that can catalyze interest in energy-efficient building technologies and retrofit activities.

Benchmarking is an important first step toward increasing awareness of the energy performance of a building and motivating energy efficiency improvements. According to the Institute for Market Transformation, an organization dedicated to fostering the growth of benchmarking policies across the U.S., a number of recent studies have indicated that the practice of benchmarking leads to energy savings, including a Building Operations Management survey of hundreds of facility managers who used Portfolio Manager. The survey found that 70 percent used Energy Star to guide energy efficiency upgrade plans and 67 percent used Energy Star to help justify an energy efficiency project.

The EEB Hub served as a technical partner for the mayor’s Office of Sustainability during the process to pass the legislation in Philadelphia and will now serve as a key implementation partner. Creating a partnership with the city’s utilities, especially PECO, was a critical step to fostering high compliance rates among building owners.

In order to catalyze a partnership, the EEB Hub created a Regional Utility Data Access Working Group that convened major stakeholders including the mayor, CEOs of major real estate firms, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, service providers and policymakers to explore the connection between easy data access for building owners and energy efficiency knowledge and investment.

Mayor Nutter's and Councilwoman Brown’s commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency combined with EEB Hub’s partnership with the Office of Sustainability creates a unique opportunity to position Philadelphia as a global leader in the adoption of building technologies and retrofit strategies that create a more efficient, resilient and competitive building stock.

These efforts would not have been successful without the strong partnerships that have been formed between the Hub and local organizations such as the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and the Delaware Valley Green Building Council, real estate leaders such as Liberty Property Trust and Brandywine Realty Trust, the Office of Sustainability, the PUC, PECO, and the participation and support from key national organizations such as IMT, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and the White House Office of Environmental Quality.