Dyslesic Senior Member

[Cliff_Chambliss]

OK, how to help a Senior Member with a reading disorder?  They got through the Level 1 section, but then I get a phone call that they looked at the FEMA Courses, Safety, ORM, GES, etc., and said the amount of reading is too much.  "They joined the CAP to do ES and want to get to the hands on stuff and they learn by doing but not reading, and maybe they need to quit CAP".

I have so far pointed them in the direction of various PowerPoint slides and other resources but I am not going to take the tests for them.  So anyone have some ideas for me?  I really don't want to lose a member.

[lordmonar]

As a functional dyslexic myself........I know the fustration.
Well....it is crunch time.......you have to ask yourself "is this member worth the extra effort to get him trained and keep him".
Becasue if the amount of CBT's you just pointed out is "too much reading" you are going to be in the for the long haul.

Here are some things you can do to help him.

Read the material for him.
Do live training for him....i.e. present the GES slides as a lecture and have him look up the references in the regs as you go along.
Don't push "all the training" all at once.

[johnnyb47]

*Snip*
Don't push "all the training" all at once.

:clap:
This is my favorite part of that response.
Look at and or schedule each training module as an individual goal.
If I had been staring at all of the requirements to get started in CAP I may have given up in week 1 myself.

[EMT-83]

Can the member provide insight on what methods of instruction work for him personally? As an adult, he must have some idea.

Learning disabilities are a challenge which normally can be overcome with a little effort by all involved. I've also seen a member try to play the LD card as an excuse not to meet the standard, which didn't work out the way he expected.

[Cliff_Chambliss]

My wife and all three daughters have Dyslexia in varying degrees so its not really new territory for me.  However, the new member is more than a little negative on themselves.  Every discussion seems to come back to the I can't learn from books, I can't learn from classroom, I can't learn from lectures/talks.  I can learn by doing something, why do I have to learn this to be xxxxx(fill in an ES Function).
  It took 5 weeks to get through the Level 1 modules and I have no problem with that.  However, when he began the Is-100 course, there was the phone call that he downloaded all the material and had tried reading it but got confused and then the test kept timing out on him.  Then he started making the comments in the above paragraph. 
  I will work with him 1 on 1 as long as it takes it that is the only answer.  But I really hope there is another solution.

[lordmonar]

Unfoutantely you are where you are.

A lot of our training is informaiton only and  a lot of our requirements are "do the CBT and take the test".

IS-100 is going to be a bear as there is not an easy way to do it in "hands on" learning and no way to do a hands on test.

It is like I said before......you may have to decide that he is not worth the effort.

Of course we MUST (by regulations) make a reasonable effort to accomidate thoses with disabilities......but we never lower our standards.

I think you need to get with your Wing/Group ES officer and ask for help.

Not everyone is the right fit for CAP Emergency Services.   Of course help him as much as you can and encourage him to progress in his training......but bottom line is that we only have so many hours we can give to the organisation and if one member is sucking up a disporoptionate amount of time......you may have to cut your losses.

[mwewing]

However, the new member is more than a little negative on themselves.  Every discussion seems to come back to the I can't learn from books, I can't learn from classroom, I can't learn from lectures/talks.  I can learn by doing something, why do I have to learn this to be xxxxx(fill in an ES Function).

I think there is a larger issue here with the member's attitude. He/She will certainly struggle without a better outlook on the situation. I wouldn't want to waste my time on someone who is unwilling to try because they might fail. However, I will spend every bit of energy I have helping someone who is giving 100% effort. This member needs to respect the skills required for the qualifications they desire, and be willing to meet the expectations of this organization. Without that, no strategy you implement will be effective.

I am not an expert on dyslexia by any means, but I always understood it as difficulty reading and comprehending written material. There are ways to tailor the learning or classroom environment to overcome these obstacles. I would think lecture would be one preferred way to teach someone with dyslexia, but again I am not an expert. I agree that taking the training in increments would be a way to prevent this member from being overwhelmed. 1 class, 1 task, 1 day at a time.

You should start with a very honest discussion about the member's attitude and the effort that will be required for them to succeed. Explain the things you are willing to do, and ask for their input. This will give you an idea of this person's true level of motivation, and help you determine if this process is worth the effort.

[Extremepredjudice]

They have to overcome their own learning disability. It isn't your job.

[EMT-83]

They have to overcome their own learning disability. It isn't your job.

Actually, it is. You have to take reasonable steps to meet the letter, and spirit, of the regulation. Doing this while maintaining performance standards can be like walking a tightrope.

[Private Investigator]

They have to overcome their own learning disability. It isn't your job.

Actually, it is. You have to take reasonable steps to meet the letter, and spirit, of the regulation. Doing this while maintaining performance standards can be like walking a tightrope.

I disagree. They would have to cope. We actually have a lot of people with 'learning disabilities' in CAP. As long as they do not keep using it as an excuse. That person needs to know up front that this is not the boy scouts or little league. He may be thinking he is going to get the GRW, Lt Col and GTL in a few months but he needs to know w/o reading he is going to fall short in his goals. If I was a fortune teller I bet one day when he does not get help or he does not make his goals, he is going to complain to the National Commander and National IG.

[Private Investigator]

OK, how to help a Senior Member with a reading disorder? 

If I was on the Unit Membership Board I would have flagged him and told the Squadron Commander that this person may be a problem in the future.

JMHO, YMMV 

[EMT-83]

Good luck with that attitude when you become the target of an EO complaint. Speaking as someone who's been on the receiving end of that phone call from NHQ, it's not fun. Like I said, follow the letter and spirit of the regulation.

[Cliff_Chambliss]

NO.  As I stated in an earlier post my wife and all three of our daughters have dyslexia in varying degrees.  It has been the attitude of society in general for way too many years that dyslexics are slow learners, lazy, or just stupid.  This is not the case and I absolutely refuse to treat this person in such a fashion and just toss them to the side of the road.  Surely the desire to serve and participate must count for something in this organization.
  I am hoping that someone can provide me with an idea or two of how to make something happen and not on how to turn tail and evade.

.

[arajca]

If the member can not learn the material in any other way than hands on, he will lilkely never learn it because there is no hands on method to teach the ICS knowledge. Without the basic knowledge, you cannot progress to doing ICS. Reasonable accomodation does not include waiving required knowledge. That being said, contact FEMA IS program folks and ask them for materials to help this member. They should have something or some idea that can help. Make sure you explain the issue with the disability.

[mwewing]

NO.  As I stated in an earlier post my wife and all three of our daughters have dyslexia in varying degrees.  It has been the attitude of society in general for way too many years that dyslexics are slow learners, lazy, or just stupid.  This is not the case and I absolutely refuse to treat this person in such a fashion and just toss them to the side of the road.  Surely the desire to serve and participate must count for something in this organization.
  I am hoping that someone can provide me with an idea or two of how to make something happen and not on how to turn tail and evade.

I don't think it is out of line to question the attitude of this member given several of the statements you mentioned. You want recommendations, and the best one I can give you was to make sure that this member's motivation matches your willingness to assist them. If this person cannot get beyond the "I Can't" and the "This/That Doesn't Work" statements, then every effort you make will be time wasted.

I would also recommend that you look for ways to move the training away from written material. This would require you (or someone assigned) to deliver the powerpoint slides and written tasks verbally or with hands on techniques. This should be relatively easy with the online training which can be printed and expanded upon by the presenter. For example, I have used the safety training modules and expanded them to include other stories and activities to satisfy some monthly safety training at my unit.

This also can work for SQTR tasks. As an example, I am working on the MS F/P tasks currently. I am not a pilot and have very little experience with airplanes. The SET I was working with not only discussed the aircraft components, gauges, and pre-flight inspection requirements with me, as need for the tasks. He walked around the aircraft, pointed things out, and demonstrated a complete inspection. At the conclusion of our time together, I demonstrated the same to him, and got several task sign offs. I am not dyslexic, but I still found that method more fun and feel more confident about my understanding of the material.

The OBC might be difficult to complete because of its reading intensive online format. I would suggest taking this issue up the chain for possible accommodations. I would also agree that the IS courses might be difficult to complete as well. Perhaps there is a way to print the material and review it like our internal online training. If he is getting the tests read to him, I would suggest having a testing officer do it, even though its an outside test.

Just some thoughts. I hope they help.

[Walkman]

Just out of curiosity, what does this person do for a living? They must have learned some kind of coping mechanisms to be able to advance in a career.

For example, I've got ADD and three of my sons have ADHD. We put all of them on meds when they were younger to help them get the basic school work done and keep moving forward. My oldest son stopped taking his meds in HS school as he was able to find ways to work through his ADHD without them and it was teaching him to work within his own abilities. I've done that for many years, but I'm looking at getting on meds as my career has changed and I think it might help where I am now.

I know ADHD isn't dyslexia, but the idea of someone being able to learn how to overcome a challenge like this is similar.

Unfortunately, I'm seeing some of the same things my esteemed colleague form MIWG mwewing sees in his attitude. If he has the attitude that he can't do it, then he won't be able to know matter what you do. Please don't take this as being down on those with learning disabilities. It has everything to do with attitude.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I have some indirect experience with this.

My niece is dyslexic.  During her early years in grade school, it was a devil to find teachers who could teach her.

Unfortunately, as she got into high school she suffered a major attitudinal shift and started using her dyslexia as an excuse for simply not wanting to do classwork...she became a "Valley Girl" type who liked passing notes in class better than anything else.  Whenever faculty confronted her with this, she would say "I'm dyslexic.  Leave me alone."  My sister almost pulled her hair out over my niece's attitude.  Needless to say, she didn't graduate, nor has she been terribly successful in the world of employment.

It's a difficult balance dealing with the very real condition of dyslexia and attitudinal issues, but there are many people who have learned to deal with it successfully: Tom Cruise, Ozzy Osbourne, Sir Winston Churchill, General George S. Patton and a host of others.

http://www.dyslexia.com/famous.htm

[Extremepredjudice]

He is using his disability as a crutch. He needs to fix his problem. Not you.

[spaatzmom]

He is using his disability as a crutch. He needs to fix his problem. Not you.

Wow, I sure hope when you finally mature and have a family of your own that none of them suffer from any disabilities, especially those that are not visible.  And if you do, then I really hope that they find a more compassionate person to help them learn how to manage their disabilities than you. 

As far as the ADA goes, they are to have reasonable accommodations made to help them be productive members of society per Federal Law.

[Eclipse]

^ I have to pretty much go with Extreme and Lord on this.

This is not a cadet, this is an adult, who has either learned to cope or he hasn't.  If he has, great, if not, CAP's role is not to "fix" him.

We aren't staffed for it, nor is it even a smidge of the mission.