Hi Kriston, writing back because I found this really interesting passage about letter reversals in 'Dreamers Discoverers & Dynamos' while I was re-reading some bits about add and capd.
I don't want to turn you off pursuing the ld angle, but I found this very very interesting, especially considering your other ds is so gifted.
I think you've said you read the book, so my apologies if you've seen this before.
pg 211
"Letter Reversals
All children reverse some letters and numbers when they first learn how to use these symbols. If reversals persist and interfere with a child's ability to read, they are seen as symptoms of a learning disability called dyslexia.
Few Edison-trait children actually qualify as dyslexic, but many continue to reverse letters much longer than their classmates do. Some will stop reversing letters when they learn to write in cursive. Some may continue to reverse the printed letters b and d occasionally all their lives.
If letter reversal is inconsequential, there is no reason to regard it as an impairment. In fact, another way to understand letter reversal is as the natural expression of a fluid-thinking mind. Edison-trait children conceptualize imaginatively and pictorially. Their minds are an animated motion picture of thought. Letter reversal is, in effect your child's mental act of resistance to giving up some of there fluidity. There is a strong relationship between visual ability and spatial intelligence. Your child's spatial intelligence tells her not to limit the meaning of a given symbol to one direction only. Functionally, this limits future possibility....
Consider the mental agility of a an inventive genius like Leonardo Da Vinci, who wrote his scientific notes backward.'
There is a bit more after that about architects and astronauts, and the advantage of being less oriented to our traditional framework of up-down-left-right being the 'only' way.
I wonder if 'not knowing' he is writing things backwards just means it doesn't hinder him from understanding his writing when he reads it back, he has just as easy a time reading back as forwards...?
I think my ds is definitely a person who will continue to reverse b and d his whole life, some of the time.
Also, as I reread your initial post about not wanting to look at early readers..ds was similar. His writing was what I called 'crazy writing', maybe there were lots of reversals but I didn't notice that in particular, all parts were just wacky.
Reading for him was looking at pictures and being read to. HE LOVES any books with tons of pictures. Words...not so much. You might check out Calvin & Hobbes or other things like that for your ds, let's see...
Captain Underpants.
Frannie K. Stein, Little girl mad scientist.
You have probably run the gamut on types of books offered to your ds, but I figured I'd throw that out if you have not approached from that angle (yet).
Ds was reading about 2-3 levels above grade as of last year, it was just a roundabout way to get there; book picks are still a problem. He is *very* picky!
For instance, 'how to eat fried worms', read about half. Wimpy Kid books, tons of pictures, reads them over and over. Manga usually works,too. (They are written back to front, so that is definitely doubly appealing...)
Last edited by chris1234; 02/06/09 05:39 AM.
