NCBIDA's Revised Simulation Invites You to Experience Dyslexia®
by Leslie Woodward

NCBIDA is pleased to announce that it has revised its popular dyslexia simulation and reissued it under the new name Experience Dyslexia® — A Learning Disabilities Simulation. The six-station simulation is a hands-on experience that lets participants experience some of the challenges and frustrations faced by people with this language-based learning disability. The updated simulation, formerly known as "Put Yourself in the Shoes of a Person with Dyslexia," provides a lively, thought-provoking activity for teachers, parents, or anyone interested in better understanding the lives of individuals with dyslexia.

Revisions to the kit include:

• Updated fact sheets in the facilitator's packet
• New station names
• Clear description of how each task relates to dyslexia
• Rewrite of Station 2 so that it is more in keeping with a classroom experience

How the simulation works:

Participants rotate among six learning stations that simulate language-related tasks that may be encountered in the classroom and workplace. Station leaders guide participants through each 10-minute station.

• Station 1: Learn to Read simulates a beginning reading problem
• Station 2: Listen to Me simulates an auditory figure-ground problem
• Station 3: Write with Mirrors simulates a visual-motor and writing problem
• Station 4: Name That Letter simulates a letter-word identification problem
• Station 5: Write or Left simulates a copying and writing problem
• Station 6: Hear and Spell simulates an auditory discrimination problem

The simulation has been shown to be an effective teaching tool. A 2008 study from researchers at Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU) using materials from the NCBIDA simulation clearly showed that participation increased awareness of dyslexia among teachers-in-training. See a review of the study.

Experience Dyslexia® is available as a reusable kit for purchase, allowing your school or organization to lead its own simulations, or as a workshop led by NCBIDA volunteers. Click here for more information.