Center
for Disabilities and Development
Nationally
designated as Iowa’s University Center for Excellence on Disabilities
Center for Disabilities and Development 877-686-0031 (toll-free, voice)
CenterLines@uiowa.edu 866-686-0032 (toll-free, TTY)
http://www.uihealthcare.com/cdd 319-353-6900 (local)
______________________________________
Summer 2004
CenterLines
Front and Center with useful news for families!
______________________________________
In this issue:
When
Reading is Hard: Understanding Dyslexia
______________________________________
When Reading Is Hard:
Understanding Dyslexia
What is Dyslexia?
Talking
and listening come naturally to most children.
However, reading must be taught, and some kids have a lot of trouble
learning to read. We use the term
“dyslexia” when a child has severe problems in reading, despite good reasoning
skills and good instruction. Research
has shown that
• As many as 15-20% of children have some
type of reading disorder.
• Dyslexia is a brain disorder that often
runs in families.
• The left side of the brain works
differently in children with dyslexia.
Dyslexia
is a disorder of language processing that involves a problem in linking
phonemes (speech sounds) with graphemes (letter patterns). This results in poor word recognition. Comprehension is affected because so much
time and effort are required just to figure out the words.
Not
all kids read the same way. Some kids
can recognize words fairly well but get confused when linking up words with
meaning or remembering what they’ve read.
Only a few kids with reading disabilities have mainly visual
problems. Contrary to popular belief,
most kids with dyslexia can “see” the words on a page. They just can’t name or decode the words. Reversals in reading or writing (such as
confusing “b” and “d”) are common, especially in young children. These errors are usually related to problems
in recalling a verbal code and linking it to written letters.
Diagnosing Reading Problems
Early
signs of dyslexia include problems in
• Speech and language
• Memory
• Naming
• Rhyming
• Breaking up words into separate sounds
• Learning to connect letters and sounds
Specific
problems in reading and spelling become more obvious as kids grow older. These problems are more than you would
expect for a child’s age, ability, and schooling. Dyslexia can also affect a child’s ability to express ideas in
writing. When this writing problem is
severe, it’s called “dysgraphia.”
When
evaluating dyslexia, it’s important to know if a child has good reasoning and
comprehension skills. If not, they may
not understand what they’ve read. Also,
we want to know about a child’s visual and verbal memory. When memory is weak, sight words and reading
content are hard to remember. If
visual-motor problems are present, a child may write more slowly or make more
mistakes. A child’s overall cognitive
profile thus plays a major role in deciding what help is needed for each
child.
What Can Be Done To Help?
For
most kids with dyslexia, the staff at the Center for Disabilities and
Development (CDD) suggest using a phonics program (such as the Orton-Gillingham
method). This helps kids “break the
code” of reading and writing. Kids with
dyslexia learn best when teaching includes both remediation to build up weak
skills and compensation to bypass weak areas and use stronger skills.
More
information about dyslexia may be found in the book, Overcoming Dyslexia, by
Sally Shaywitz, M. D. This book is
available from the Disability Resource Library (DRL) at the CDD. You can call the DRL at 800-272-7713 (toll-free)
or 319-356-1345 (local). You can also
get information from the International Dyslexia Association by calling
410-296-0232 or visiting their web site at
www.interdys.org.
Scott
Lindgren, Ph.D.
Professor
of Pediatrics
Judy
Jordan, M.S.
Educational
Consultant
As
children count the number of days until summer vacation, health care
professionals look at summer safety issues. Here are a few things to remember
as the summer season begins.
Sunburn can be painful and even cause scarring. We now know that
serious sunburns in childhood and adolescence increase the risk for skin cancer
later in life. Be sure to use a sun block of 15 or above and re-apply as
necessary according to package instructions. You can buy special sun block just
for faces that doesn’t sting the eyes. Be sure to wear hats with bills and
protective clothing if you know you will be in the sun for a long time. You can
also buy summer clothing that has sunscreen protection right in the material.
Spring
and summer bring growing plants like poison
ivy. It is important to learn to recognize and avoid poison ivy. Almost
everyone has some reaction to it. Your reaction can get worse the more you are
exposed. Most people think that poison ivy is only a woodland plant, and that it
grows along the edges of woods and in tree lines. However, poison ivy can be
found in your backyard, usually along fences and in bushes. You are exposed
when you brush against the plant. Dogs or cats that rub against the plant can
get the oil on their fur, so you can get poison ivy from your pets. You can
also have a reaction to it if it is burned. If you think you’ve been in contact
with poison ivy, remove your clothing and wash it immediately, including work
gloves and shoes. Poison ivy will continue to spread if the oil stays on your
clothing. Wash your hands and any exposed skin with soap and water. If you have
a lot of poison ivy growing near your home or if you have a strong reaction to
it, you may want to buy special poison ivy soap and keep it on hand. If you do
have a strong reaction, talk to your doctor about treatment.
Summer
is also the season for bugs, and there are some you want to avoid like Iowa
deer ticks, which carry Lyme
disease. There are diseases associated with brown and spotted ticks as well.
Wear long sleeves, socks, and hats when you walk through the woods. Use insect
repellant that works on ticks. If you have been in the woods or fields with
tall grass, be sure to check your skin for ticks as soon as you get home. If
you have picked up any they may not have attached yet. Remove an embedded tick
by slowly pulling it out with tweezers. This will keep the tick’s head from
remaining under the skin. Wash your skin with soap and water and keep watch on
the bite for a bulls-eye rash. If a rash develops, contact your doctor.
Hungry
mosquitoes can carry West Nile,
encephalitis, or Bird Flu viruses. Call your children inside at dusk to avoid
the time when mosquitoes are most active. Be sure to use insect repellant.
Remove any sources of standing water from your yard. There are a variety of
foggers and devices that work to eliminate mosquitoes. If you live near a water
source, there are pellets or tablets you can buy to float in the water to help
eliminate mosquitoes at the source.
Bee stings can be painful but they can also cause severe allergic
reactions. To avoid stings, try not to wear heavy perfume when outside. Bees
are also attracted to sweetened foods or beverages. Watch for them landing on
food or plates and check opened cans of soda for a bee hiding inside. Insect
repellent does not work on insects like bees and wasps. If you have a severe
reaction to a bee sting, check with your doctor about getting an EpiPen. The
medicine in these devices reverses the allergic reaction. You should make sure
that the EpiPen has not expired and you should carry one with you at all times.
It doesn’t do you any good at home. Once you’ve used the EpiPen, get immediate
medical treatment.
EpiPen: a device that automatically injects epinephrine into the
muscle for temporary, emergency treatment of an allergic reaction.
Anaphlaxis: Anaphylactic reaction or shock is a severe allergic
reaction. Symptoms can include problems with breathing, swelling of the throat,
hives, sudden drop in blood pressure, and fainting.
Drowning or water related injuries could be a danger during the
summer months. Be careful when swimming or boating. Young children must be
supervised around water at all times. Even a child’s pool in the backyard is a
hazard to your toddler. City pools with lifeguards on duty are safer than the
local pond, stream, or lake. When at the pool obey the rules. Don’t run on
slippery surfaces or dive in no-diving zones. If you are swimming at a pond or
lake, don’t dive into shallow or murky water. You could easily receive a head
or spine injury by hitting the bottom or landing on something hidden by the
water. These injuries can result in permanent paralysis or brain injury.
You
and your children should wear safety
helmets and other protective equipment when you are out bicycling,
skateboarding, or roller blading. A helmet can make the difference between a
skinned knee and permanent brain damage. Kneepads and elbow pads can prevent
painful breaks or other injuries when you fall. When you are out bicycling in the
warm spring weather be careful of cars. Drivers haven’t had to share the road
in the winter months and may not be as alert to cyclists.
Susan
VanWye
Pediatric
Nurse Practitioner
Summer
is just around the corner. Days are getting longer and warmer, while kids are
waiting fot the end of school. Before too long, every parent will probably hear
those dreaded words – I’m bored! You can ward off boredom by enrolling your son
or daughter in camp.
Summer
camp can be a fun, inexpensive way to entertain kids of all ages and all
abilities. Some camps are general while others are focused on specific areas of
interest like sports, music, or art. Some camps are geared toward specific
issues like cancer or diabetes. Some are coed; others are for boys or girls
only. Kids can go to day camp or stay overnight.
You
may be interested in summer camp for your child but not know where to look.
Here are some suggestions to help you find the right camp. First, contact your
parent/educator coordinator with your local area education agency. These folks
should keep a list of camps available to your child with special needs. Next,
check with your local recreation center or YMCA to see if they offer summer
programs for kids.
You
can also go on the Internet to find out about summer camps. Try the American
Camping Association at
http://www.acacamps.org/. Go to “Find a Camp,” then select
“Special Needs/Special Clientele.” You can then choose from a number of options
to find a camp.
Also
try the National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities at
www.nichcy.org/pubs/genresc/camps.htm. They offer a 5-page list you can print,
with general and disability camp information. They also list other camp
resources and websites. Both websites have up-to-date information for 2004.
Here’s
to a summer of happy, healthy, bored-proof kids!
CenterLines for families, the newsletter of the Center for Disabilities
and Development at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, is published
three times a year. It provides families with current information on child and
adult development, issues affecting people with disabilities, and CDD resources
available to them and their families. The newsletter is available in print, and
also online at http://www.uihealthcare.com/cdd ‘ Centerlines for Families.
Newsletter staff
Editors
Amy Mikelson
Elayne Sexsmith
Graphics editor
Lori Popp
Editorial board
Joni Bosch
Barbara Nidey
For correspondence relating to the newsletter, or to request
permission to reproduce information from it, please contact:
Barb
Nidey
Center for Disabilities and Development
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
100 Hawkins Drive
Iowa City, IA 52242-1011
The role of the information in
this newsletter is not to provide diagnosis or treatment of any illness or
condition. We strongly encourage you to discuss the information you find here
with your health care and other service providers.