Tennessee Federation News page 3

Someone once said that if you ever become involved in tutoring a dyslexic child, you will be hooked forever. I suppose it is in meeting the challenge and understanding a new way of learning that one's curiosity is aroused, and the desire to know more becomes consuming.

Specialists in the field have been concerned about what to call this difficulty in learning for over 100 years. A German neurologist first coined it, "dyslexia" in 1887, using a Greek derivation meaning difficulty with words in those with normal and above IQ's. Later, when other bright patients had difficulty in math computation, "dyscalculia" was coined. In Europe, it soon became known as "strephosymbolia" for scrambled symbols, either alphabetic or mathematic.

In the early 1900's, the World Federation of Neurologists continued by referring to it as "word blindness". Here, in our country, Dr. Sam Orton, a neurologist, began his study of dyslexia and developed a multisensory teaching method which is still in use today.

In 1968, The World Federation of Neurologists met in Dallas, Texas, to decide on what to call it. It was decided to call it "specific learning disability". As you readers know, it was after that, in the 1970's, in this country, when the Bill for the Handicapped, Public Law 94-142, was passed but not funded. It listed over one hundred handicapping conditions including the specific learning disability, dyslexia with subcategories of dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and the attention and memory deficit disorders (ADD and ADHD)

Thanks to the great work at Beth-Israel Hospital in Boston in the use of MRI diagnostic techniques, and further studies at Johns Hopkins Medical University in Baltimore, we are learning more each day about this perceptual disorder that affects so many (1 out of 5 in each classroom estimated).

Charles Schwab and his wife, Helen, gave $40,000,000 to help in the research of dyslexia. Mr. Schwab and his son are both dyslexic. I was in San Francisco in 1998 for the opening of the Schwab Library for Learning Disabilities, a state-of-the-art facility across from city hall on the bay.

As your outgoing Learning Disabilities Chairman, I urge you to include public awareness programs in your busy schedules of doing good in your community. I conclude with this beautiful thought from the Learning Disabilities Association in Pittsburgh, PA.:

"Let no child be demeaned nor have his wonder diminished because of our ignorance. Let no child be deprived because of our lack of resources. Let no child doubt himself, let no child doubt his mind because we lack commitment."
-------Mary Sue Leach, Janusette Delphian Club, District 8, Paris, TN

The GFWC Bellevue Woman’s Club continues to expend its promotion of educational opportunities for community students. At a recent dinner meeting, hosted by Ms. Vivian Butturini, the speaker was Ms. Therese McLean, head of the nursing program at Nashville State Technical Community College (NSTCC). Ms. McLean is piloting a new program at NSTCC, in conjunction with Tennessee State University, to train new registered nurses. In the Nashville area alone, a shortage of 5,000 nurses is projected by 2010. This new program, which includes one year of training at NSTCC and one year at TSU, is being funded by Hospital Corporation of America, NSTCC and TSU. It will produce Associate Degree graduates who will be eligible for the RN Licensure examination.

GFWC Bellevue Woman’s Club has long offered post secondary scholarships to graduating high school students, and last year to older students returning to the educational process for career training. These scholarships are funded by the annual craft fair in Bellevue. As a result of Ms. McLean’s presentation, the BWC decided to incorporate the nursing program into its scholarship eligibility and applications have been supplied to NSTCC. We look forward to assisting in this new and vital program.