Simulation Workshop
Experience Dyslexia®
A Learning Disabilities Simulation Workshop
NCBIDA 2012
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO HAVE DYSLEXIA?
Experience Dyslexia®, developed by the NCB IDA, is a learning disabilities simulation workshop. The Los Angeles County Branch of IDA is pleased to present this workshop to area schools and organizations. The simulation is a hands-on experience that lets participants experience some of the challenges and frustrations that people with this language-based learning disability face each day. The simulation provides a lively, thought-provoking experience for teachers, parents, and anyone interested in better understanding the lives of individuals with dyslexia.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING A SIMULATION?
The workshop, lead by facilitators from the Los Angeles County IDA, consists of six learning stations that simulate different language-related learning tasks encountered in the classroom or workplace. Station leaders guide participants through each 8-minute activity, followed by a brief discussion. When all participants have completed the six stations, participants will gather for a general debriefing led by the facilitators. The entire workshop lasts one-and-a half to two hours, depending on discussion time.
THE LEARNING STATIONS
- Beginning Reading
Participants read and comment on a “nonsense” book.
- Auditory Figure-Ground
Participants “go on a field trip” while contending with background noise. - Visual-Motor Writing
Participants write and trace while looking at the reflection of their paper in a mirror. - Letter-Word Identification
Participants read text, which lacks proper spacing. - Copying and Writing
Participants write and trace using their non-dominant hand. - Auditory Discrimination
Participants listen to a tape recording of a teacher administering a spelling test and are asked to spell the words they hear.
PROVEN EFFICACY
A 2008 study published in Literacy Research and Instruction, Volume 47, No. 4, 2008, using materials from the simulation clearly showed that participation increased awareness of dyslexia among teachers-in-training.
I found it extremely eye-opening to put myself in the shoes of a dyslexic learner. I thought I had an idea what students with dyslexia felt, but I really didn’t. I was frustrated when doing the tasks and can only imagine what a student with dyslexia must feel every day. – a simulation participant
CONTACT INFORMATION
To schedule a workshop for your school or organization, please contact The Los Angeles Branch of IDA at (818) 506-8866 or info@dyslexiala.org
Experience Dyslexia® is available as a reusable kit for purchase from the Northern California IDA at http://www.dyslexia-ncbida.org/simulations.html
