Vocabulary Words Will be the Death of ME!!

So, I have not written in some time.  My life has been a little chaotic the past few months but I plan to start back now!  I have only 3 classes left until I am finished with my MBA and my goal of working on a non-profit organization advocating the awareness of Dyslexia is still my goal.  And my frustration with the lack of knowledge and diagnosis is rising each day I spend working with Isaac.  He gets a huge list of vocabulary words at the beginning of each week.  These are printed in small font and have many words on one page.  It took me a few weeks to realize he was having some major issues with the font.  See, the typewriter 'a' is something that he has problems with.  He see's the typewriter 'a' as the letter 'e'.  Again, he didn't tell me that was the reason because he really thought that it was the letter 'e'.  When he couldn't read the word Sad, I knew something was wrong.  And the crazy thing is that kids with dyslexia are very inconsistent in their reading.  One time he can get the word, the next time he can't.  But see Isaac saw the word Sad as Sed.  After tears filled his eyes, my heart broke.  He gets so frustrated and emotional.....yet another symptom. His word list today has 'br' and 'dr' words.  Are you kidding me?  he confuses "b's" with "d's" all the time.  He told me just tonight that when he writes those letters he has to stop and really think about it and still mixes them up.  Then he asked me "why do I do that?  why am I so dumb at reading and writing?"  :(  And most teachers and reading specialists are not educated on Dyslexia, and this really makes me sad.  So, this is what I am doing...spreading AWARENESS!!  I'm not crazy, I know Isaac is dyslexic.  His school tests may not say that on his IEP, but I know that is his problem.  So the question is how do we fix it??

Here is a list of common characteristics and most will have at least 3-4 of these...I will add Isaac's name to the ones he has and let me know if you think he has it or not!!

37 Common Characteristics of Dyslexia

Most dyslexics will exhibit about 10 of the following traits and behaviors. These characteristics can vary from day-to-day or minute-to-minute. The most consistent thing about dyslexics is their inconsistency. General Appears bright, highly intelligent, and articulate but unable to read, write, or spell at grade level.  -Isaac Labeled lazy, dumb, careless, immature, "not trying hard enough," or "behavior problem."  -Isaac Isn't "behind enough" or "bad enough" to be helped in the school setting.  -Isaac (that was a fight for the IEP) High in IQ, yet may not test well academically; tests well orally, but not written. -Isaac Feels dumb; has poor self-esteem; hides or covers up weaknesses with ingenious compensatory strategies; easily frustrated and emotional about school reading or testing.  -Isaac (he tells me he is dumb all the time while reading, it is so sad!) Talented in art, drama, music, sports, mechanics, story-telling, sales, business, designing, building, or engineering. -Isaac (sports for sure!) Seems to "Zone out" or daydream often; gets lost easily or loses track of time. -Isaac Difficulty sustaining attention; seems "hyper" or "daydreamer." -Isaac (he is hyper) Learns best through hands-on experience, demonstrations, experimentation, observation, and visual aids. -Isaac Vision, Reading, and Spelling Complains of dizziness, headaches or stomach aches while reading. - Isaac (stomach ache) Confused by letters, numbers, words, sequences, or verbal explanations. -Isaac Reading or writing shows repetitions, additions, transpositions, omissions, substitutions, and reversals in letters, numbers and/or words. -Isaac (reversals is bad for him with letters) Complains of feeling or seeing non-existent movement while reading, writing, or copying. -Isaac Seems to have difficulty with vision, yet eye exams don't reveal a problem. Isaac (his eyes are always fine when the exams are done, yet has a hard time seeing the words) Extremely keen sighted and observant, or lacks depth perception and peripheral vision. Reads and rereads with little comprehension. -Isaac Spells phonetically and inconsistently. Isaac  (this one is huge!!) Hearing and Speach Has extended hearing; hears things not said or apparent to others; easily distracted by sounds.  Difficulty putting thoughts into words; speaks in halting phrases; leaves sentences incomplete; stutters under stress; mispronounces long words, or transposes phrases, words, and syllables when speaking. -Isaac Writing and Motor Skills Trouble with writing or copying; pencil grip is unusual; handwriting varies or is illegible. -Isaac (soooo him!) Clumsy, uncoordinated, poor at ball or team sports; difficulties with fine and/or gross motor skills and tasks; prone to motion-sickness. Can be ambidextrous, and often confuses left/right, over/under. -Isaac (writes with left, but can with right, eats with left but can with right, throws with right, bats right, carries a football and kicks with left.) Math and Time Management Has difficulty telling time, managing time, learning sequenced information or tasks, or being on time. -Isaac Computing math shows dependence on finger counting and other tricks; knows answers, but can't do it on paper. -Isaac (he does a lot in his head) Can count, but has difficulty counting objects and dealing with money. -Isaac (awful dealing with money) Can do arithmetic, but fails word problems; cannot grasp algebra or higher math. -Isaac (word problems are a nightmare for him, unless you read it to him) Memory and Cognition Excellent long-term memory for experiences, locations, and faces. Poor memory for sequences, facts and information that has not been experienced. -Isaac Thinks primarily with images and feeling, not sounds or words (little internal dialogue). -Isaac Behavior, Health, Development and Personality Extremely disorderly or compulsively orderly. -Isaac (disorderly) Can be class clown, trouble-maker, or too quiet.  Had unusually early or late developmental stages (talking, crawling, walking, tying shoes). Isaac (late talking, early crawling and walking) Prone to ear infections; sensitive to foods, additives, and chemical products. -Isaac (lactose intolerant) Can be an extra deep or light sleeper; bedwetting beyond appropriate age . Unusually high or low tolerance for pain. -Isaac (low) Strong sense of justice; emotionally sensitive; strives for perfection. -Isaac (emotionally sensitive, strives for perfection with sports) Mistakes and symptoms increase dramatically with confusion, time pressure, emotional stress, or poor health. -Isaac So, you tell me do you think Isaac may very well be dyslexic??  He has 31 of the 37...some more extreme than others. © 1992 by Ronald D. Davis (Used with Permission)