Ask the learning disabled student.

[Ice_Wolf]

What is dysgraphia, SmileyDeath?

[SmileyDeath]

*Originally posted by Ice Wolf *
**What is dysgraphia, SmileyDeath? **

Dysgrpahia is a difficulty in writing of the physical nature.
Some symptom’s are:
Bad or hard to read handwriting
Inabilty to write for long periods of the time
Easy spelling mistakes
Very slow writing
Trouble listening and copying down work from board.

I basically write illegibly, with bad spellibg sometimes. One of the annoying things is that I could spell the word easily aloud.

[SmileyDeath]

And what astro said really pissed me off. LD’s are neurological dsiorders.
While it is true that some people who have LD’s can be lazy in school, that’s not the case for most of us who are really struggling.

[Ice_Wolf]

Your post just blew me away for a minute, there. While I have no learning disabilities myself, from what you describe I’m now wondering just how many of my class peers over the years (this is 2 to 3 decades ago now – God, I’m gettin’ old!) had something similar to what you’ve described. In a school system that could barely start recognising dyslexia, let alone anything else.

Please forgive me if I’m asking what seems to be some pretty basic stuff here, I’m new to the subject. What’s an IEP? How does that affect/help you?

[SmileyDeath]

*Originally posted by Ice Wolf *
**Your post just blew me away for a minute, there. While I have no learning disabilities myself, from what you describe I’m now wondering just how many of my class peers over the years (this is 2 to 3 decades ago now – God, I’m gettin’ old!) had something similar to what you’ve described. In a school system that could barely start recognising dyslexia, let alone anything else.

Please forgive me if I’m asking what seems to be some pretty basic stuff here, I’m new to the subject. What’s an IEP? How does that affect/help you? **

Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are plans implemented by the school of individual learning disabled students. It tells what areas they have trouble in, the kind of help to be given to the students so they can get a better education experince.
Here are some current canadian laws regarding it:

1. Right to attend school
   The right to attend school means simply that the child has the right to be physically present at school and that it is the duty of the school authorities to accommodate the child. The right has nothing to do with the kind or quality of the education.
2. Right of each student to an individualized education plan (IEP) based on identified need
   It is not sufficient to simply give each student the right to go to school if the student cannot participate fully in the “normal” school program because of having special needs. If anything, the right to an “appropriate” education means that special needs students should have an IEP based on their identified need so that they can have an equal opportunity to fully achieve their potential.
3. Right to early identification and education intervention: appropriate testing and evaluation
   The above statement of educational rights implies that exceptional learning needs should be addressed during a child’s earliest years, with an emphasis on prevention. This entails appropriate testing and evaluation done at that stage.
4. Right to a written education plan
   There should be a written IEP which identifies a student’s special needs and the means by which these needs are to be met. The plan and placement of a student in a special program should be with the consultation and approval of the child (depending on age and capacity) and the child’s parent or guardian.

Link(for rest of it)Canadian LD laws

I couldn’t find any relavant links for NZ LD laws.
I’d like to say that our new premier has cut back on our special education, so now kids in kindergarten are going to get screwed when they start having to get IEP’s and extra help.

[Ice_Wolf]

SPELD NZ is the organisation in my country that helps children with learning disabilities. ADHD.org.nz has links to the relevant legislation in New Zealand if you’re interested, SmileyDeath. Things have changed, thankfully, since I was a nipper.

[Primaflora]

Eep, Smiley Death if you had dyslexia, you’d know, sunshine. Ah just reread what you wrote. Was that a funny? No, missing social cues and misreading social cues is more likely to be Aspergers or ADHD.

Wolfie, I probably had dysgraphia as a kid although my son’s is more severe than mine ever was. It’s much easier for this generation as the most effective remediation is buy them a keyboard and teach them to type. I won’t have a bar of any teacher who insists P the E learns to write. BTDT, didn’t work and it’s better he gets on with typing or dictating his written output so that he doesn’t get frustrated while learning nothing.

Being able to spell verbally or having spelling difficulties is not universal to dysgraphia.

[Wearia]

Crappy writing is a disability now? Woohoo! I wonder how far I can free-load this…

I’m just kidding people, put the pitchforks down!
Question for the OP:
Do you ever use your disability as an excuse?
Are you ashamed of your disability?

[Primaflora]

Wearia, it’s really not all that funny because most people dealing with it have heard it before. Dysgraphia is not just untidy handwriting – it’s a difficulty where the hand doesn’t interpret what the brain is telling it properly.

[Wearia]

I apologize if I have offended you Primaflora
Additionally thats pretty much what I have. I can’t write a clean tidy sentence to save my life. I can’t leave notes for people unless I write in big letters. So I do understand where your coming from .

[Primaflora]

Wearia

S’OK I’m not offended, just tired after a long year and looking at re-integrating my kid back into school next year, knowing that the dysgraphia will be a BFD.

My handwriting’s shocking but my son’s dysgraphia is on a whole other level altogether. He literally cannot remember how to shape letters. He’s got no automatic recall of how to make his hand make a letter or numeral and years of OT made no difference. Have you been assessed by an OT? Is it a possibility for you through your school system?

[SmileyDeath]

*Originally posted by Wearia *

Do you ever use your disability as an excuse?
Are you ashamed of your disability? **

1. Nope.
2. I guess. Most people think I’m a idiot because I get the naswers written down for me, ones that I tell them to write.

[SmileyDeath]

*Originally posted by Primaflora *
**Eep, Smiley Death if you had dyslexia, you’d know, sunshine. Ah just reread what you wrote. Was that a funny? No, missing social cues and misreading social cues is more likely to be Aspergers or ADHD.
**

I’m confused. What does that have to do with the discussion?

[SmileyDeath]

Well, goodnight everybody. yawn

[mnemosyne]

Primaflora Re: dyslexia
I think SmileyDeath was commenting that dyslexia would possibly have an effect when it came to the question of what did learning disabilities have to do with being on this messageboard…he was not commenting that he had dyslexia himself.

[Primaflora]

Yeah, I realised that on rereading.

I was trying to point out to Smiley Death that missing social cues on the board is not dyslexia – dyslexia would be the inability to read the words, not pick up how people are reacting.

Smiley Death, why on earth are you using a scribe and not a laptop?

[SmileyDeath]

*Originally posted by Primaflora *
**Yeah, I realised that on rereading.

I was trying to point out to Smiley Death that missing social cues on the board is not dyslexia – dyslexia would be the inability to read the words, not pick up how people are reacting.

Smiley Death, why on earth are you using a scribe and not a laptop? **

I can’t afford a laptop.

[Primaflora]

so your school system will fund a scribe but not a laptop? Has anyone looked into getting you an alphasmart? They’re cheaper than laptops. What does your district offer?

[SmileyDeath]

I’m going to look into it.

[Merejane]

I would just like to encourage you to get an Alphasmart. My 10-year-old son has dysgraphia, and he uses an Alphasmart. He loves it. I think it’s cool too, and may buy one for myself.