A SIMULATION: Walk in the Shoes of a Student with Dyslexia

You will have the opportunity to participate in activities that demonstrate to you some of the issues experienced by a person with dyslexia. We will use Rick Lavoie’s video, How Difficult Can This Be? along with actual activities you will experience. It is a hands-on experience that allows you to put yourself in the shoes of a person who struggles with reading and/or writng. The activities are similar to those encountered in the classroom and workplace.

Einstein has said that “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life Einstein believing it’s stupid.” Come to understand your students so they can avoid believing they’re stupid.

Why do a simulation like this?

Our goal is to give you a hands-on experience to increase your awareness of the difficulties and frustrations individuals with dyslexia encounter every day. By increasing your consciousness of occurrences that may make life difficult for these individuals, we hope you will gain greater understanding and empathy.

More than 52% of the individuals identified under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) are in the category of a specific learning disability. More than 80% of these students have their disability in the area of reading and language, including oral and written expression. Ongoing longitudinal studies conducted under the direction of the National Institutes of Health confirm that one of every five to ten students has some degree of reading disability or dyslexia. The stations in our simulation simulate reading and visual-motor/writing tasks as similar tasks might be experienced by a person with dyslexia.