Showing posts with label mason-college. Show all posts

10 April 2013

FAMILY DYSLEXIA STORIES REVEALED!...BUT ARE THEY AUTISTIC CASES? (PART 3)

SOME MATTERS ARISING FROM PART 2

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After reading the last two posts some questions might be bubbling in our minds as follows...

1.Is there any correlation between Dyslexia and Autism? Or is dyslexia common with autism?

2.What about Aspergers, Bipolar, ADD and HD? How are they related or linked to autism?

3.What about those children usually called "physically handicapped"? Are they autistic too?

4.What about memory loss through a blow to the brain or through a car accident or through stroke? Can they be classified as autistic too?

MASON COLLEGE FESTAC

There was the case of a girl,the child of a highly experienced medical doctor and whose mother is a school proprietress.Despite ths best ante-natal care this girl had learning disability right from birth.She had acute inability to process info given to her to any logical conclusion.Even to her it was a very frustrating experience! She was brought to Mason College to repeat her WAEC exams after she failed at the girls-only school she attended for 6 yrs.So what went wrong? How were the problems tackled at Mason College and what was the end result? We shall give more info later.

There was also the case of another boy brought to Mason College after he had a car accident in the U.S.He was in coma for a long period of time and when he came back to life he could no longer recognize most members of his family!Again how was the challenge tackled through our College without special educationists?

We shall come back to these two cases after we might have attempted to answer the questions above by citing other real life experiences mainly extracted from the net. So lets read other stories to know a bit more about autism.That is, we shall move away from Mason College cases temporarily into real life personal stories of other families in a bid to know more of what autism really is.

CASE NO 1

Question by BGDMOM:Correlation between Dyslexia and Autism?

Hi, I have a 5yr. old niece who is being tested for Dyslexia and my brother says that someone mentioned a connection between Autism and Dyslexia. I have worked with special needs preschoolers and a few were Autistic ( one had Aspergers) but I had never heard of this before. She is extremely shy and throws tantrums continuously.Eye contact is an issue with her also. At the preschool that she attends they have been working with her on basic skills but she can't spell her name and only counts to 20 ( if she's in the right mood). Anyone out there have input?

Best Answer by Georgie

While Autism and Dyslexia are both neurological disorders, and they do have some similar symptoms, but they are also very different, but they can co-exist. People with dyslexia have a normal IQ, but they have problems with reading writing and doing maths (Dyscalula), and some may have co-ordination problems (Dyspraxia).

Autism causes social and communication problems, appears to be aloof, socially awkward, react strongly to changes outside of their normal routine, learning difficulties, repetitive behaviours and may have extraordinary knowledge or skills in specific area e.g music.

I would hope that she is given a full assessment by a pediatrician and or a child psychologist, which includes testing for dyslexia, and other disorders in the Autism spectrum, once this is done, they will set up a IEP (Individualized Education Program) and may involve a multi-disciplinary team such as;
Occupational Therapy
Physiotherapy
Psychology
Social Work
Speech Pathology
Who will work with the student, parents and school to gain the best outcomes for the students future.

Youth & Disability support worker

Both my daughter and I have Dyslexia

http://www.dyslexia-testing.com.au/artic…
http://www.neurologychannel.com/autism/s…
http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/autism…
http://www.dyslexia.com/library/symptoms…
http://children.webmd.com/tc/dyslexia-sy…
http://members.tripod.com/mepeppy/whatau…

CASE NO 2

Question by KERZ 11:Is dyslexia common with autism?

Answers

1.YES! Dyslexia and autism are common co-morbidities, they aren't as common as autism/bipolar, or autism/ADD/HD though.I have both, occurred same time 30 years ago. I am visual spatial dyslexic, originally dx with a PDD. In college, dx asperger's but I believe I could really be more HFA than aspie but idk.My son, has both. Dx with PDD.NOS or autistic features at 25 months old. Dx dyslexic at 7.5 years old. (he also has an ADD.NOS dx too).My other son is PDD.NOS, and hyperlexic and my father is asperger's and hyperlexic

Both dyslexics and autistics have a larger more condensed frontal lobe, more likely to think in pictures, have superb phonemic awareness my son scored 27+ years on this in his woodcock johnson IEE supporting an underdevelopment in Wernicke's area and overdevelopment in Broca's area 44 and 45. Please see the current science journal article of A biological basis for dyslexia: a maturing perspective. The echolalia you see in many on the spectrum also supports an advanced Broca's area 44+45. This is also why so many actors come out and say they are on the spectrum, or dyslexic.

Actors on the spectrum: Andy Kauffman, Dan Ackroyd, Darryl Hannah, Woody Allen

Actors who are dyslexic:Tom Cruise, Robin Williams, Orlando Bloom, Billy Bob Thorton

Those given an autistic diagnosis and a dyslexic diagnosis: Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Henry Ford, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Leonardo Da Vinci, Keanu Reeves

.Other Answers

2.It depends, it's less common if the person is a visual learner. My son and I have hyperlexia, that is we are so visual we learned to read and write before speaking. It is considered the mirror-image of dyslexia, that is, we can read (even think in) text just fine, but sometimes hear things in a jumbled way (especially in a crowded room, etc)..Twitch Bunny.

3.read these links please... McmC

- http://www.dyslexia-testing.com.au/wordp…

- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4845300/

Source:Yahoo Answers

BUT STAY TUNED TO MORE REVEALING INFO FROM PART 4!

9 April 2013

SHINNING SOME LIGHT ON AUTISM IN NIGERIA..STORIES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD BY THOSE WHO ARE/WERE INVOLVED.

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AT MASON COLLEGE, FESTAC

There was the case of a girl who could not recognize her name in JS2.The letters B,A,L,L were presented to her to read out as a word and she could not! Her case was a puzzle because she was not our student in JS1 and we were not special educationists.We never advertised ourselves as such either.But God directed us to some articles in AWAKE MAGAZINE which became the saving grace or the master keys from God to us from a zero-knowledge situation .

We then set up a small committee of Language teachers to pickup the gauntlet from there.The net as at then had not become a major role player in education that it has become today.But the AWAKE magazine made us understand that we were dealing with a case called DYSLEXIA by specialists.Following suggestions from the article the proprietor of Mason College and one of the Language teachers visited ABIOLA BOOKSHOP which was on Herbert Macaulay (it used to be the best-stocked bookshop then) .Next we went to UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS BOOKSHOP which was also very well-stocked.At both places we made relevant book purchases for reference by members of the committee.

Next we hired a language therapist from outside the school to interact with the student involved during break periods,after school hours and on Saturdays.The salary we paid the therapist for three months was more than the school fees paid for the term by the girl's parents.But the parents had so much faith in the school and were very cooperative with the school.The father and mother took turns each Saturday to bring her to school without fail.They abandoned all Saturday social activities to stay in the hot sun in their cars probably praying to God for a miracle. And in the end they got one!

One thing that Mason College did not do was interfere with her regular academic lectures.She continued attending classes with her classmates and was never isolated or made to feel there was something wrong with her.It was important she had a normal relationship with them.She had to discuss regularly with them,share jokes, laugh or get involved in various escapades together with them.In the end God shined His light of mercy on all our efforts such that by the time she took the JS3 certificate exam all signs and perhaps the stigma of DYSLEXIA had disappeared!

Today she is a graduate of one of our universities.To crown it all the mother brought her back to the school one day to give thanks after her graduation from the university. It was a very emotional day with tears mixed with smiles and praises to God all around.

But we kept the article from AWAKE magazine and hereby publish it below for reference if need be .We will tell the second story in our next post.

OVERCOMING THE FRUSTRATION OF DYSLEXIA

“WHAT is your telephone number?” asks Julie. The caller replies. But the figures Julie jots down bear little relation to the number given.
My teacher tore up the picture I painted,’ laments Vanessa, adding, I could never remember what she was saying.’
David, In his 70’s, struggle to read simple words that he mastered more than six decades earlier.
Julie, Vanessa, and David have a learning difficulty ---- a frustrating one. It is dyslexia. What causes this condition? How can dyslexics overcome the frustration it provokes?

What is Dyslexia?

One dictionary defines dyslexia as “a disturbance of the ability to read.” Though often viewed as a reading disorder, dyslexia can involve much more.
The English word’s root comes from the Greek dys, meaning “difficulty with,” and lexis, “word”. Dyslexia includes difficulties with words or language. It even involves problems with placing things in their right order, like the days of the week and the letters in a word. Dyslexia, according to Dr. H. T. Chasty of Britain’s Dyslexia institute “is an organizing disability which impairs short term memory, perception and hand skills” Little wonder that those who have dyslexia find it frustrating!

Take the case of David. How did this formerly avid and fluent reader come to need his wife’s help to learn to read all over again? A stroke damaged an area of David’s brain linked to the use of language, and this made his progress in reading agonizingly slow. Yet, longer words gave him less of a problem than shorter ones.

Despite his acquired dyslexia, David’s conversational ability and his sharp intellect never suffered. So complex is the human brain that researchers have yet to comprehend all that is involved in processing the sounds and visual signals it receives.

Julie and Vanessa, on the other hand, had developmental dyslexia, which became apparent as they grew. Researchers generally accept that children who by the age of seven or eight exhibit normal intelligence but display uncharacteristic difficulty in learning to read, write, and spell may be dyslexic. Often. Dyslexic youngsters write a mirror image of the letter they are trying to copy. Imagine the frustration Julie and Vanessa felt when school teachers mistakenly labeled them stupid, slow, and lazy!

In Britain, 1 person in 10 suffers from dyslexia. Failure on the part of others to recognize the problems they face simply adds to their frustration.

What causes Dyslexia?

Poor eyesight frequently causes learning difficulties. Correct the vision defect, and the dyslexia disappears. A small proportion of those who have difficulty learning to read find that they place a thin sheet of colored plastic over the text. Others find this to be of no help.

Some, noting that the condition runs in families, offer a genetic explanation. Indeed, New Scientist magazine recently reported research “exploiting the known association between the genes involved in autoimmune diseases such as migraine and asthma, and those responsible for dyslexia.” Because dyslexics and their relatives are more likely to suffer from autoimmune diseases. Scientists believe the genes for dyslexia occur in the region of the genome that houses these disease genes. But, as behavioral scientist Robert Plomin notes, researchers “have only identified a chromosomal region, not a gene for reading disability.”

The part of the brain that controls posture, balance, and coordination is called the cerebellum. Some scientists claim that it also plays an important role in our thinking and language processing. Interestingly, researchers at Sheffield University in England have developed a dyslexia test that involves balance and coordination. They reason that faults in the cerebellum prompt healthy areas of the brain to compensate. Children generally find little difficulty in maintaining their balance when asked to stand still, one foot in front of the other with arms outstretched, But blindfold them, and the dyslexic children wobble far more, since they rely heavily on sight to help them balance.

Still other researchers point out that the brains of dyslexic children show anatomic differences. Normally, the rear portion of the left side of the brain is slightly larger than the corresponding portion of the right side, whereas in the brain of dyslexic, the left and right halves appear equally developed. Then others claim to have found a distortion of the arrangement of nerve cells in parts of the brain that deal with language.

But regardless of the physical cause of their dyslexia, how can those who have the problem best be helped?

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Dyslexia Action (Photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]

To be continued in our next post

21 March 2013

MENTORS IN NIGERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS MUST HAVE CLEAR OBJECTIVES AND DETAILED DAILY OPERATIONAL NOTES TO USE (2)

WHAT NIGERIAN SECONDARY STUDENTS NEED MOST ARE MENTORS/LIFE COACHES NOT “TEACHERS” (3)

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MENTORS IN NIGERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS MUST HAVE CLEAR OBJECTIVES AND DETAILED DAILY OPERATIONAL NOTES TO USE (2)

...break period during a seminar for mentors at Mason College.....[/caption]

NOTES COMPLETION / HAND WRITING / TEXT BOOK INTEGRITY CHECKS / OTHER ACADEMIC TOOLS CHECKS (WEDNESDAYS)

33.This is one of the most important parts of the mentoring work in the school and mentors are advised to do 3 things always before each Wednesday or the day fixed by management for any of these checks.

(a) Having a record of the maximum number of expected notebooks per student and ensuring that their students have filled and submitted the relevant form previously (subject choices available to ss1 – ss3 form). In fact the mentor should keep a copy of these forms for each of their students in their operational files.

(b) Continually encourage their wards to have tutors sign or initial their notebooks for completion throughout the week before the D-day for checking. But mentors have to watch out for possible trickery by students notebook covered with his own outer casing as evidence that his or her notes are complete.

(c) Continually remind their students about weekly checks and the need to bring all notebooks to school on D-day.

34.Marks awarded or penalties deducted shall of course be related to the actual number of completed notes submitted. Although deductions shall be related logically to those not yet submitted, gross violation of expected rules shall lead to the award of zero to the student concerned. For instance completeness amounting to 25% or more of expected notes shall be treated as gross violation.

35.Mentors are to note that they shall be expected to provide appropriate comments whenever necessary on handwriting and other integrity checks such as on the availability of textbooks or other academic tools. This can be done in line with school calendars or according to random checks on their students but promptly agreed with management. Random checks mean a deviation from the checking of notes for completion. It does not imply that students shall not be informed in advance about what mentors intend to check.

36.All checks for textbooks and other academic tools shall however be expected to take place before the mid-term examinations.

37.Mentors are to please note that some integrity checks are usually included within the calendars prepared by management for each term. They should please work with these calendars in mind except if amended by management.

38.Mentors do have a very challenging job on their hands in relation to what is called the Notebook Integrity Project (NIP). The relevant write-up which converts the project into a tool for mentors and school management is to be found in the section of Eduguide for staff members. This check has to be planned carefully as substitute work for Notes Completion checks but the focus and length of time involved are different. Mentors are therefore advised to read this write-up carefully, because it is one of the most important ever prepared on the issue of notes completion for students anywhere in the world.\

39.Mentors are to note from the NIP that students who have spent more than one year in the school are expected to combine notes of the years gone by with those of their current classes in such a way that all notes of JS 1 – 3 or SS 1 – SS3 classes are bunched together.

NOVEL SUMMARY SCHEME / ORAL ENGLISH / PUBLIC SPEAKING (THURSDAYS)

40.Each student is basically expected to have a wide vocabulary of English words, understand lots of idiomatic expressions and ultimately be in good position to express himself/herself appropriately. It does not matter whether the school is in the private or public domain. In Mason College students are usually launched into orbit by being asked to give words of exhortation at the daily school assembly .

41.For this purpose also, there are write-ups to support mentors. There are write-ups covering public speaking, vocabulary improvement, spellings, idiomatic expressions,famous quotations etc in the students and staff sections of Eduguide. There are also library-related guidelines, and write-up related to modern retrieval and research methods to boost preparation of students and staff for this purpose. Even where public speeches are not required there are also write-ups on the techniques of writing reports which mentors can read and interpret or convert to acceptable levels of understanding for their wards.

42.The Academic Group shall determine the fortnight cycles or turnovers to be used for the Novel Summary Scheme. These shall be done through the calendars usually prepared at the beginning of each term. The operation of this scheme cannot be successful without keeping to the rules guiding the use of the school libraries (at school location as well as at Bookends).

43.The objective of the scheme is to get each student show in the first week of each cycle that he or she actually collected a novel for reading. By the end of the fortnight or even before its end the student must write at least a half page summary of the novel based on certain guidelines of the Novel Summary which were divided into types A, B or C (these shall be specified in future posts)

44.Students shall be expected to seek audience with English Language/Literature tutors to have the type of summary chosen. It is important therefore that mentors and English Language tutors get to know the summary types and activities listed as types A,B and C. These are to be found under the students’ section of the Eduguide.

45. In the second week of the cycle mentors shall ensure that the students have their summaries marked by English Language/Literature tutors.They should also have these scores transferred for their working papers.

46.Mentors are also expected to ensure that their wards prepare well for periods of exhortation during daily school assemblies. It is expected that the Vice-Principal Admin shall comment on student’s performance daily on public exhortations and mentors linked to such students shall be named, praised or called to order for their students' oral deliveries.

47.Students who submit their summaries early are to be encouraged to read more novels for pleasure by mentors, the Academic Group and librarians. Students shall be encouraged with bonus marks where considered necessary by their mentors. Where a student fast-tracks or fast-forward all his/her possible submission dates for a term such student shall definitely be given bonus marks by the mentor in charge.

48.It is to be noted that senior students usually prefer novels from Bookends at 5^th Avenue and that there are approved library rules for the operation and management of this. Mentors shall please ensure that they are aware of these rules.

49.Penalties for late submission or non-submission shall be the same as for assignments.

BEHAVIORAL CHECKS (FRIDAYS)

50.The areas of focus for behavioral checks are:

(a)Regularity (b) Punctuality (c) Appearance (d) Participation in Break Activities

(e) Oral English Expressions (Or use of Pidgin English).

51.Mentors have limited work or decisions to make on these. Most of the statistics in this section shall normally be extracted from Students Admin Records or from scores provided by Admin officials in charge of break periods. Mentors however might disagree with certain scores provided under Appearance and Oral English Expressions and discuss their opinions with the Vice Principal Admin before modifying the scores provided. If ,however, the Admin Department insists on its scores mentors must refrain from.

52..Each of the factors under behavioral checks has a maximum score of 20 and mentors have the simplest job of just adding each score to get the behavioral score for the week.

53.In addition to this, they shall be expected to speak to students on regularity and punctuality as guidance counselors for these two shall always attract the attention and punishment by Management each week.

54.A student who makes an overall pass grade on behavior but failed woefully on punctuality should have the matter either attended to publicly at the assembly or by the Director at 5^th Avenue. The job of the mentors shall therefore be to ultimately reduce the numbers of wards who might become caught in the vicious web of not being punctual to school always.

MATHS / ENGLISH CLINIC STUDY / EXAMINATION / JAMB TECHNIQUES AND SEMINARS / MOTIVATIONAL DISCUSSIONS & FINISHING TECHNIQUES / NOTAZINE WORK / GP EXERCISES.

55.Write-ups on these are being posted on our websites for use of mentors.

CLASSROOM TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR MENTORS / STAFF FOR USE OR FOR REFERENCE

56.Mentors are advised to read or get to know how to use the following tools for their work in the school. They must always remember that the time fixed for checks are usually late in the day and are not the best of time for effective brain or memory work by them or their students. It is also important that clinics and checks are held / conducted in an atmosphere of friendliness that shall make students thankful for what our mentors specifically and the schools generally are doing for them

a.Director’s Overall Review Questions Covering Academic Related as Non- Academic modes in

the school.

b.Students Projects – Summary of how to conduct researches.

c. Review Tests for Red Note Scheme Part 1 and 2.

d. The Notebook integrity Project.

e. Students’ Attitude Checklist.

f. Students’ Problem Inventory for SS 1-3 classes.

g. How to conduct research work for Students' Projects (SS1 –SS3 only).

h. Techniques of Writing.

Good luck