Richard Wanderman
Saturday, June 26th, 2004
I’m a successful adult with a learning disability (dyslexia). Part of the reason for my success is that I use a variety of tools, including computers, to organize my life and express my ideas. In fact, if I didn’t write with a computer, I wouldn’t be able to share this web site with you because I wouldn’t be able to record, work with, and share my ideas in writing. And I wouldn’t know from personal experience how doing these things with a computer changes the thinking and writing process for people like me.
I had a hard time with school. Most of my memories of school are nightmarish. If I carried the learning disabilities seed (my genetics), then school did a great job of watering and fertilizing it. School made the experience of having a learning disability worse than it would have been otherwise.
Much of my success has come outside of school. I believe strongly in extracurricular, hands-on experience. I’ve been an artist, a potter, a rock climber, a car mechanic, a teacher, a software developer, and more. All of these experiences have helped me see the difference between my learning disability and my intelligence.
I’m interested in changing the experience of having a learning disability in and out of school.
I still remember your great workshop at Landmark College’s conference – it was so vivid and so engaging! I now live in santa Fe, NM, which is quite backward and uninformed about LD, assistive tech, the works – and have been trying to make tiny steps of progress for the past 5 years. currently, I’m looking for some math software that apparently uses music (sort of rap) and movement to help visual-kinesthetic learners . Any ideas?
Thanks, Joey
Joey,
Wow, great, I have nice memories of my time at Landmark. Ah, Santa Fe… my older stepdaughter went to St. John’s College there and loved it. I enjoyed the town when I was there for her graduation.
I’m not sure about the math software but it sounds like a terrific idea. Let us know if/when you find it and we’ll post about it here. Or, better yet, write us a review.
Wow!I just watched a video about disabilities and technology and you made a powerful comment about being able to express you rintelligence because of computers. I have a project due and I was wondering if you knew of an effective reading software for students who experience reading difficulties. Thank You!
Brenda: wow, me in a video? Yikes.
It is my opinion that if a student can’t read they need audio support all through their experience with a computer, not just while reading a book on screen. Because of this, I recommend Macintosh computers where the entire system speaks: menus, dialog boxes, all text everywhere. Mac OS X is the greatest thing for text accessibility yet. You should check it out if you haven’t seen it speak.
This is not the most popular recommendation but it’s the way I feel. The most popular recommendation is Kurzweil but I think can be overkill for many situations and it only reads text in files, not the entire computer.
I wonder if you have access to or can direct me to drivers for running MacVision with a Canon Xap shot. I acquired both and a suitable Mac (SE/30) inspired by your description. At this time documentation and software are hard to come by. Thank you.
Rattan, I’m sorry to say I have no clue. Here’s what google turned up, maybe this will be helpful:
http://www.driverguide.com/boards/apple/
Thanks for your article “How Computer Change the Writing Process for People with Learning Disabilities. Our son is 18 and we soon begin studies at our local college. His is dygraphic and has visual/spatial deficits. He has used a computer or laptop since second grade. Although he can keyboard well taking notes in class and the whole writing process you speak of has been difficult. Receiving “reasonable accommodations” via his 504 plan was like pulling teeth………but he did succeed and will move on to college.
How well were you accommodated in college? How much of your disability did you reveal to professors? How were you received by them?
We have met with the Learning Access department on campus, but it seems like he will need to educate each professor he meets. Any tips on college?
Thanks,
Beth
Richard
I was pawing through my old year book from Forman and saw your picture and I googled you thought I would say hello and also ask if you knew what Tim Shaw was up to?
Carl, great to hear from you. I’ve not heard from Tim and Leigh in a while. Last I heard they were living in Rochester and working at The Norman Howard School.
And they are still there Thanks for the info. You ever get to Maine??? would love to catch up
Yea, Richard, I still have a hard time at school…and I’m a teacher. I’m working on edtech approaches in Special Education, and meeting a lot of organizational headaches along the way. I have trouble with focus, and teaching math with a math learning disability? It’s an interesting perspective. Organization? I work at it, but sometimes get overwhelmed. So, I’m just glad that I have my students to console me, even when I flub up… They know we’re all in the same boat, so it makes it easier for all of us to understand we’re fighting a systemic problem. Anyhow, have to check back in every now and then. Take care. Oh yea, please check the website for new updates on my fun activities.
Richard: Thanks for the link to your site and comments. Staying organized and moving forward takes constant work and it’s not easy but in my experience it’s worthwhile. I continue to learn about myself from my own messy experiences and attempt to change behaviors that get in the way of feeling good about myself. All of this at the ripe old age of 57. Just think of how self realized I’ll be at 65!
Glad to hear you’re still on the path Richard.
I just came across your blog while looking for resources for my almost 10 y.o. son who is very smart but has significant learning disabilities–dysgraphia, dyslexia, problems with organization and planning. Any specific recommendations for kids his age? He is on his dad’s Macbook constantly (playing Runescape, which really helped his typing skills this summer as he was recovering from open-heart surgery.) We bought him a netbook that he is taking to school–but I am wondering if we should bite the bullet and get him his own Mac. Glad to hear how well you have done–gives me hope for the future for my son. He is really smart and creative, but at the stage of really hating school.
Bebe: I can’t say what type of computer to get but if he likes using Macs and can find his way around the Mac OS that has meaning. A computer or any other tool is only useful if it is used. If he uses a Mac more than a PC because he likes it, it’s cool, or whatever, that’s a good reason to go with that computer.
Of course, helping him learn the discipline necessary to sort out how much school work to get done before the games come out is another story. Not that games are all bad, but school work has to get done too.
At ten he’s got lots of time to catch up on basic skills and grow into himself so hang in there and enjoy the good parts of his childhood.