Technology & Students of Dyslexia - Dissertation Example

Technology & of Dyslexia The paper throws light on the ment that the use of technological means improves the processing speeds in the minds of students diagnosed with dyslexia. Moreover, the paper explores the use of technology designed to help students with dyslexia. The paper also discusses the role of Interactive Metronome (trademark) in this regard. The problem of Dyslexia among students is not a new one at all; the world is facing this disorder for a long period. Over the time, experts have defined the term in different manners as in late 1960s dyslexia was the disorder or disability of a child or student who did not succeed to acquire skills of learning even when exposed to a proper classroom environment. These students were short of intellectual skills related to reading, and writing during their school life (Snowling, pp. 15). The term has redefined or modified after more research work done in this regard. Today, the U.S. National Institute of Health defines dyslexia as a disorder that creates disabilities to learn; these disabilities can obstruct a students capability with regard to reading, writing, speaking, and at times speaking as well. Dyslexia is one of the most commonly found disorders in children that create learning disabilities in children. This disorder goes along with the child all its life. The intensity of being suffered by this order is variable from one dyslexic to other as the disorder goes from mild to severe. Experts (Chivers, pp. 39) recommend that dyslexia should undergo proper treatment as soon as it has detected, as to get the maximum desired output from the treatment process making the life of the child better and beautiful. On the other hand, there is no time limit for dyslexic people to undergo the treatment; dyslexic students can improve their learning skills and intellectual abilities anytime they want. Children having the disorder of dyslexia find it difficult to spell or even read in sound learning atmosphere with sufficient intelligence quotient and enough opportunities to learn. The cause of this disease is due to impairing of the capability of brain in order to comprehend the images it receives from sensing organs into an apprehensible language. The causes of this disorder by any means do not relate to the problem with visual and hearing organs of the children (Chivers, pp. 39). Moreover, dyslexia does not hold any common background with mental retardation, brain damage, or low intelligence quotient in terms of causes. On the other hand, studies have showed that people with dyslexia have an average or above intelligence or intellectual level, that separates this disorder from problems of lower intelligence. The detection or diagnosis of this disorder mostly occurs in the school life of a children or student. However, at the early levels at school the problem goes undiscovered. The dyslexic child attains certain behavioral changes because of dyslexia. The inability to read or spell correctly results in the frustration among dyslexic students. This frustration and stubborn attitude comes up as separate problems and not the causes of dyslexia in front of people closed to the dyslexic student. Researchers have showed that dyslexic students before the detection of this disorder develops significant depression and other attitude problems including ill-confidence and lower self-respect. The dyslexic students do not get any motivation from the place of learning and start developing disapproval for the school. Dyslexia is a very critical issue that requires immediate diagnosis and treatment otherwise it puts a disastrous impact on personality of the children and affects their career in a very negative manner. The treatment of dyslexia depends on many factors; one of the factors that have evolved as most successful means of helping the dyslexic students is technology. With the advancement of technological development, it is possible to minimize the hazards and dangers attached to this disorder at a significant rate (Frank & Livingston, pp. 208). This evolvement of technology has appeared as the miracle for students suffering from lifetime disorder of dyslexia. The students get help from word processing software in order to mitigate the effects of their disability in a very efficient manner. There is computer software that processes the written information or data into speech that the dyslexic students hear. This process is equivalent to the process of reading, the only difference is the fact that the technology or computer does all the perception and interpretation of text into sounds, enabling the dyslexic students to read in order to understand the context of information transmitted to them. Effective utilization of cell phones and other gadgets enable students and other people suffering from dyslexia to seek direction. Therefore, even the travelling is not problem for dyslexic students anymore. Different sound recorders are there to record the sessions and lectures during the whole classroom sessions in order to understand the teacher completely without getting troubled by dyslexia (Frank & Livingston, pp. 195-199). Even the telephones have voice recognition systems that dial the number, do other operation taking command in terms of sound, and act accordingly. Researchers have showed that in terms of academics the Power Point software is also an effective tool for students having dyslexia. Before this technological development, it was hard for dyslexic students to give presentations in front of people that in turn used to result in more lack of confidence and bad grades as well. These presentations allows the student to convey their messages in the forms of images that are pleasant to look, easy to understand, and suit the presenter having dyslexia. Moreover, with the help of technology shopping and billing is no more a headache for people suffering from dyslexia. The online shopping billing, also known as e shopping and e billing has made lives easier for sure. Technology helps students in their professional lives as well, it allows them to store every work detail in their computers and get the information or data they stored in any format they want by transforming the information in one form to another as documents, audio files, etc. Many dyslexic students use a wristwatch that serves as the databank for them in order to work as their task manager. There is a particular school of thought having the opinion that in order to use these technologies both hardware and software, the dyslexic students have to learn the use of these technological wonders as well (Swarbrick & Marshall, pp. 114). This requirement itself is very tedious for dyslexic students. The context is very true in this respect; as there are certain challenges that dyslexic students have to face in order to use technology efficiently. However, at the end, the technology has always served dyslexic students, making their lives better and brighter. Moreover, technology also provides solution to overcome these limitations of learning the technology effectively. Technology is of course one of the means of mitigating the negative effects of dyslexia on students. For different nature of dyslexia, different technologies are available that works for dyslexic students in a specified manner. These technologies have the grounds of both the software and the hardware; however, other forms are even simpler to understand and work with. These devices intend to help the people with dyslexia. One such technology is HELP ReadTM, also known as Hawaii Education Literacy Project (Kurtz, pp. 158-164). The functioning of this program is the fact that this program reads the text fed to it. This text is mostly in form of documents, web pages, etc. Features of this program includes customization of pronunciation, highlight the lines or text under processing or reading, and linking the context to internet. Another program of the kind is TextAssist 3.0, this program have the basic functionality as that of HELP Read plus some additional features as enlargement of text size and read out text from any of the application of the operating system. Significant software in this regard is that of Java Jive, joint production of IBM and Sun Computers that helps students with dyslexia to perform operations using voice commands. It takes voice signals as input instead of mouse or keyboard or any other form of input. One of the major software that helps students with dyslexia in a very efficient and effective manner is Interactive Metronome (Trademark). This software is equally useful for students and professionals in their respective fields of concern. Interactive Metronome (trademark) uses a patterned system of guidance and management based on the voice or auditory signals. This technology also involves different effective practices and drills in order to develop and progress the basic and fundamental skills and abilities mandatory and necessary for learning development and cognitive growth (Swarbrick & Marshall, pp. 61-64). This technology has passed the development stages by mutual endeavor of two persons. One of the persons was a child psychiatrist and the other one was a professional audio engineer. This technology makes effective utilization of mental, cognitive, and physical practices in order to develop the intrinsic capabilities of the brain. This results in restoration and remodeling of brain through an interesting process known as neuroplasticity (Chivers, pp. 39). There are numerous benefits that a dyslexic student can achieve using Interactive Metronome (Trademark). This program holds the credit for showing substantial results not only in children but in elders or adults as well. The proposed audience or the target of this technology that are most likely to get maximum benefits from using this technology is specifically the children or adults suffering from the disorder or disability of dyslexia. Researchers have showed that this technology has resulted in substantial outcomes in people having different physical and mental disabilities. This technology is best suited for dyslexic students who intend to give a boost to their capabilities. This technology gives maximum benefits in a very short span of time. Moreover, this means of helping dyslexia is free of drugs or any other medication totally that lasts in long-term, significant, and appreciable results. The functioning of Interactive Metronome (trademark) is an interesting part as well. This program helps the brain by providing it a kind of training for planning, sequencing, and processing information or data in a more efficient and effective manner. This is achievable by exercising different practices and drills over and again (Swarbrick & Marshall, pp. 114). These exercises or drills are interactive in nature, that increases the interaction between dyslexic student and the computer or any other device it is using. In order to achieve the matching of metronomic beat or impulse by any of the dyslexic students under the comprehensive direction and supervision of guide tones, thirteen distinct movements of hands and feet takes place. The dissimilarity or variation between the response of a dyslexic student or any other person suffering from dyslexia and the beat or impulse whose generation took place by the computer is measurable in fractions of seconds, mainly a millisecond (ms). A low score or a lower value in milliseconds indicates the improvement and development in time and total performance of the individual. The program usually involves either twelve or fifteen sessions with each session having the duration of an hour. This duration makes the program to complete in time span as short as 1 month (Kurtz, pp. 163). Professional who can attain maximum benefit and advantages by proper utilization of Interactive Metronome (trademark) includes musicians. Studies have showed that professional music composers and musicians utilize Interactive Metronome (Trademark). This helps them in maintaining and developing brilliance in terms of sound and fine motor skills. Moreover, the program is very effective in improving the rhythm and approximating the timing. Another very important utilization of Interactive Metronome (trademark) is in terms of sports. Athletes like footballers, basketball players, and golfers use Interactive Metronome (trademark) technology to enhance their athletic abilities. In addition to that, dancers also make effective usage of Interactive Metronome (trademark) in order to improve the timing, appropriate the moves, and enhance their dancing skills and abilities. However, the most significant use of Interactive Metronome (trademark) is its effective utilization by students suffering from dyslexia and other related disorders. The technology helps the students who are suffering from dyslexia, ADHD, Disorders, and disabilities related to integration of senses, mental retardation, disabilities with spectrum and problems with fine motor (Swarbrick & Marshall, pp. 114). There are several areas where Interactive Metronome (trademark) holds a significant position. Interactive Metronome (trademark) aids in developing and sustaining concentration and attention for longer spans of time. It also helps in enhancing the physical patience and stamina of dyslexic students. It also helps in increasing the concentration and attention to separate out the interruption that exists internally and externally. This also assists in managed functioning and controlling the motor. It empowers the capabilities to control and monitor depression and anger. It also helps in revitalizing of memory that in turn results in recollecting all the information stored in memory space (Frank & Livingston, pp. 200-211). Interactive Metronome (trademark) is a great tool for effective language and image processing that helps students with dyslexia to develop a better understanding of the information sent to them. The biggest advantage of Interactive Metronome (trademark) for dyslexic students is the fact that the program increases the reading capabilities of these students and increases the language fluency and efficiency in courses like mathematics. The Interactive Metronome (trademark) is a fully developed and structured program, the goal of this program is to help students, and people with mental disabilities and disorders like dyslexia (Swarbrick & Marshall, pp. 39-47). The main aim or task of this program is to provide a challenge to the patient in order to maintain some specific movements of hands and feet and synchronize these exercises to an approximate automatically generated tone of reference that is audible with the help of earphones. All the patient has to do is to make attempts in such a way that it corresponds with the automatically generated tone using motor exercises repeatedly. During the period of treatment, the patients learn a great deal of new things that they have never experienced. The Interactive Metronome (trademark) service providers administrates and supervise the dyslexic patients, this also includes extra efforts and endeavor to carry out at homes of the students. Interactive Metronome (trademark) is one of the most commonly used programs accessed by the dyslexic students. Experts have regarded as one of the innovative and improved program among many others designed for helping dyslexic people with their disabilities and difficulties. Effective utilization of this program has indicated much betterment in focus and concentration, motor control, and bodys coordination with the mind. An example of Interactive Metronome (Trademark)s success is of the child that has an earphone on and he is listening to the repeated impulses of sounds coming from the device. Because of these repeated beats, the child moves his hands or feet in order to match the rhythm of those impulses. Usually graphical hints or clues also accompany the repeated impulses, as a result the child starts moving its hand or feet or toe in exactly the same rhythm as the automatically generated tone he hears. In this way, the processing speeds of child and responses gradually become fast and rapid using Interactive Metronome (Trademark). Conclusively, the paper has discussed some of the significant aspects of technology and its role in the development of students diagnosed with dyslexia. The paper has identified and analyzed different studies related to the topic; however, it is anticipation that future researches in this regard will allow a more comprehensive and updated understanding of the impact. It is an expectation that the paper will be beneficial for students, teachers, and professionals in better understanding of the topic. Works Cited Chivers, Maria. Dyslexia and Alternative Therapies. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2006. Frank, Robert & Livingston, Kathryn E. The Secret Life of the Dyslexic Child. Rodale, 2002. Kurtz, Lisa A. Understanding Controversial Therapies for Children with Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Other Learning Disabilities. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2008. Margaret J. Snowling. Dyslexia. Wiley-Blackwell, 2000. Swarbrick, Jody & Marshall, Abigail. The Everything Parents Guide to Children with Dyslexia. Everything Books, 2004. Read More