English 101 Final

HIV and South Africa

    In the early 1980's the world became aware of an epidemic; this epidemic was nothing that had ever been seen before. Unlike the infamous bubonic plague of the 14^th century, this virus takes longer to be fatal, has very few outward signs (until the later stages), and is not carried by rats. The epidemic in question in is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). HIV is a retrovirus that attacks T cells in the human immune system and can lead to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). There are two subtypes of HIV, HIV-1 and HIV-2; HIV-2 is primarily attributed to being in Africa, while the rest of the world primarily has HIV-1. HIV is believed to have been around since the 1930's with at least one fatality in the 1950's. There is a high concentration of the HIV-2 strain in Africa with approximately 5.5 million people infected. The virus is continuing to spread throughout South Africa at an alarming rate, and it needs to be slowed. The number of infected people has been attributed to different reasons including: lack of education, cultural beliefs, and improper or non-use of protection during sexual intercourse. There are several different organizations in place whose goals are to aid in the education of South Africans about HIV, how the virus is spread and the steps needed to prevent spreading the virus to others. These same organizations strive to provide medical care for those who have already tested HIV positive. Even with the amount of HIV in South Africa there is still a stigma related to being HIV positive, which has led to a lack of willingness to discuss a positive status, leading to further spread of the virus.

    In the early years of the epidemic, 1983-1987, HIV was limited to certain groups of people, mainly homosexuals, blood transfusion recipients, intravenous drug users and hemophiliacs. Not until 1989 did studies confirm that the virus had entered into the heterosexual community (Karim). Once the virus entered into the heterosexual community the number of infected quickly surpassed the number infected in the homosexual community. After the realization was made that HIV was transmitted by blood transfusions, the South African government put into place a protocol to screen donated blood for the markers associated with the virus. Putting forth this protocol did not slow the overall spread of the virus, but has slowed the spread through blood transfusions. HIV is spread through the transfer of bodily fluids; this not only includes blood, but also seminal fluid, vaginal discharge, and breast milk. There has been no documentation of the virus being spread through urine and saliva, or tears. This shows that the chances of someone encountering the virus without performing some type of knowingly risky activity highly unlikely.

    HIV affects 1 in 5 South African adults, ages 15-49, affectively mostly young females and older males (HIV and AIDS statistics for South Africa). This possibly represents the culture of South Africans, believing that older men should marry younger women in order to guarantee the continuation of their bloodlines. As late as 2003, approximately 23% of all pregnant women in South Africa tested positive for HIV, this means there is a large number of South African children born with HIV or acquire HIV during or shortly after birth (HIV and AIDS statistics for South Africa). Since HIV can be transferred through breast milk, children with HIV positive mothers, even those that manage to go through the 9 month gestation period without contracting the virus, have a greater risk of acquiring the virus during the time of their lives that they breastfeed (HIV and AIDS statistics for South Africa). With the growing number of younger women being infected by the virus, it is safe to assume that there will be a growing number of small children with the virus, leading to an exponential growth of the infection rate once these children become sexually active.

    Early in the epidemic a lack of education about the virus and the various ways of contracting the virus, led to its rapid spread. Currently there are several organizations set into place to properly educate the people of South Africa on how to prevent contracting the virus. Even with these organizations in place, there is still an ignorance of the virus in more rural areas of South Africa. It has been observed that subjects who are educated, both on a purely academic level as well as directly about HIV have a better chance of not contracting the virus, and if they already have already tested positive for the virus they are more apt to take, the precautions needed to prevent the spreading of the virus to others. In contrast, the subjects of South Africa that have only been educated about the virus still tend not to use protection during sexual intercourse (HIV and AIDS statistics for South Africa). In recent years, there has been an onslaught of media related public service announcements bringing to light the prevention and the facts about HIV. While for the most part this publicity has helped, it has also hurt in some ways. With HIV being a very prevalent virus in South Africa, the carriers are generally accepted by society and not treated differently. There are a surprising number of individuals in South Africa who, although they have been told about how to avoid contracting the virus, go to an extreme and will refuse to eat meals with or sleep in the same room as someone who is HIV positive. There are groups that believe that the infected should be ashamed of their HIV status, regardless of how they contracted the disease, and consider them to be "dirty" (Hutchinson, Mahlaela and Yukick).

    The spread of HIV through sexual contact is still a common occurrence in South Africa, regardless of the mass media public service announcements. Like most countries, females who try to initiate condom use during sexual intercourse are generally ridiculed. It has been shown that if condoms are more readily available to the public, females are more likely to use them. For most men, neither the knowledge of how the virus is spread nor the availability of condoms seems to influence their use of condoms with every sexual partner. Studies have shown that women are more likely than men to openly discuss a positive HIV result, with friends, family and potential sexual partners (Hutchinson, Mahlaela and Yukick). This leads to the thought that women are more conscious about the virus, or that they are merely more concerned with protecting themselves than men are.

    The mass media attempts that were mentioned earlier are noble, in their attempts to educate the people of South Africa. Although their intentions are good, and the media has put forth a great effort at publicizing HIV, they have also made HIV positive subjects feel ostracized. With an increase in knowledge also comes an increase in fear, leading some to treat HIV positive subjects like second-class citizens by refusing to eat meals with them or even sleep in the same from with them (Hutchinson, Mahlaela and Yukick). There needs to be more effort to debunk the myths of how HIV is spread and be more matter of fact about the virus. This can be done by revamping the current public service announcements, to include the truths about HIV and directly discussing the myths that have been perpetrated by previous public service announcements, and those that are passed down as truths in families and throughout the community. A step that could be taken is having open forum discussions in public areas with question and answer sessions, led by someone who is properly educated about HIV and knows the myths that are considered truths in the particular communities in which they are holding these sessions.

    It has been shown that the subjects in South Africa with at least some secondary education seem to have a smaller chance of contracting HIV(Karim). With this in mind, it is reasonable to assume that, using the organizations that are already in place, the funding to make public school mandatory could be found. By requiring and providing education starting at an early age, possibly 5-6 years of age, there is a greater chance of properly educating citizens about the risks and preventative measures associated with HIV. At early ages, children are more likely to grasp new ideas and be able to put those ideas into practice. Even if the children of South Africa are not required to go to school for a full 13 years like the children of the United States, there will still be many opportunities to stress the seriousness of HIV. When being taught to young children and young adults, the discussions regarding HIV should be tactful and to the point, because it is harder to grasp concepts when they are presented in an off-handed fashion. Since there is a large population, who is already infected or still at risk for being infected, and are considered to be past the age of attending school, some form of education should also be provided to them. This program should be similar to the G.E.D. program of the United States, but geared towards the education needs of the people in South Africa. Regardless of the age of the person being taught, it is extremely important to have curriculum focused on teaching the proper ways to protect themselves and others in regards to HIV.

    Along with better education, there is a need for more readily available healthcare for those infected, and those who wish to remain HIV negative. When school is required for children, HIV screening should be the first thing required before entrance. Not to say that HIV positive children should be segregated from HIV negative children, or that they should be kept from school, but being aware of the HIV status of Children in a learning facility aids in how the child would be dealt with if by chance they are injured while at said learning facility. In addition, a child being aware of their HIV status would aid in leading discussions with the HIV positive and HIV negative children, since they would be required to put into practice some of the techniques they would be taught on how to prevent the spread of the virus. Screening should also be provided to all adults, with the option of keeping the results private since there is still a stigma related to being HIV positive (Hutchinson, Mahlaela and Yukick). With any positive result, the patient should be given the option to attend classes on how to cope with having the virus, the appropriate treatment for HIV and how to protect their children, spouses, and sexual partners. Any pregnant woman should be screened for HIV in order to have the option to take the appropriate anti-anti-retrovirals during their pregnancy to prevent the spread of HIV to their unborn child. Along with the ante partum anti-anti-retrovirals, HIV positive mothers should also be provided artificial milk for their child after the child is born, to further protect the child from the possibility of contracting the virus from its mother's breast milk. Retroviral should be provided for all HIV positive subjects after they have been properly tested. Providing anti-anti-retrovirals for the HIV positive subjects of South Africa is not enough, there also needs to be a more readily available supply of condoms and dental dams. Studies have shown that women are more likely to insist on the use of protection if they have it readily accessible (HIV and AIDS statistics for South Africa). With these forms of protection, there also needs to be provided instruction on the proper use of these items, be it in a pamphlet or in a classroom type setting. Removing the taboo from the use of these means of protection could go a long way in preventing the spread of HIV.

HIV is a serious concern for the people of South Africa, but by lifting the taboo, and brining to light the truths about the virus, the spread of the disease can be slowed further. It is necessary to not only provide better medical care for those infected with the virus but also educate the infected and uninfected on the proper ways to protect themselves and the people around them. Once everyone in South Africa is properly educated about HIV and has the supplies that they need in order to protect themselves, it is plausible to believe that the spread of HIV could be stopped.

Work Cited

HIV and AIDS statistics for South Africa. May 2009 http://www.avert.org/safricastats.htm.

Hutchinson, P.L., X. Mahlaela and Josh Yukcik. "Mass media, stigma, and disclosure of HIV

test results: multilevel analysis in the Eastern Cape, South Africa." AIDS Education and

Prevention 19.6 (2997): 489-510.

Karim, S.S. Abdool. HIV/AIDS in South Africa. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006

A Solution for South Africa

The HIV epidemic is a growing problem in South Africa that needs to be solved. Even though HIV is a very common virus in the region, there is still a stigma about the disease leading to a lack of willingness to discuss a positive status. There are organizations in place whose goals are to aid in the education of South Africans about HIV, how the virus is spread and the steps that need to be followed in order to prevent spreading the virus to others. These organizations also provide medical care for those who are already HIV positive. Even with these safe guards in place, the amount of HIV positive people in South Africa has continued to increase.

In South Africa, there is a mass media attempt at educating the people in the area about HIV. Although the media has good intentions, and has made a great effort at publicizing HIV, it has also made HIV positive subjects feel ostracized. With an increase in knowledge also comes an increase in fear. Leading some to treat HIV positive subjects like second-class citizens by refusing to eat a meal with them or even sleep in the same room with them. (Hutchinson, Mahlaela and Yukick) There needs to be more effort to debunk the myths of how HIV is spread and be more matter of fact about the virus. This can be done by revamping the current public service announcements, to include the truths about HIV and directly discussing the myths that have been perpetrated by previous public service announcements and those that are passed down as truths in families and throughout the community. A step that could be taken is having open forum discussions in public areas with question and answer sessions, led by someone who is properly educated in HIV and knows the myths that are considered truths in the communities in which they are holding these sessions.

It has been shown that subjects in South Africa with at least some secondary education seem to have a smaller chance of contracting HIV. (Karim) With this in mind, it is reasonable to assume that making public education mandatory. With the organizations that are already in place there should be a way to find the funding for such ventures. By requiring and providing education starting at an early age, possibly 5-6 years of age, there is greater chance of properly education citizens about the risks and preventative measures associated with HIV. At early ages, children are more likely to grasp new ideas and be able to put those ideas into practice. Even if the children of South Africa are not required to go to school a full 13 years as children in United States are there will still be many opportunities to stress the seriousness of HIV. When being taught to young children and young adults, the discussions regarding HIV should be tactful and to the point, because it is harder to grasp concepts when they are presented in an off-handed fashion. Since there is a large population, who is already infected or still at risk for being infected, and are considered to be past the age of attending school, some form education should also be provided to them. Similar to the G.E.D. program of the United States but geared towards the educational needs of the people in South Africa. Regardless of the age of the person being taught, it is extremely important to have curriculum focused on teaching the proper ways to protect themselves and others in regards to HIV.

Along with better education in regards to HIV there also needs to be more readily available healthcare for those infected, and those who wish to remain HIV negative. When school is required for all children, HIV screening should be the first thing required before entrance. Not to say that HIV positive children should be segregated from HIV negative children or that they should be kept from school, but being aware of the HIV status of children in a learning facility aids in how the child would be dealt with in the case of injury. In addition, a child being aware of their HIV status would aid leading discussions with the HIV positive and HIV negative children, since they would be required to put into practice some of the techniques they would be taught on how to prevent the spread of the virus. Screening should also be provided to all adults, with the option of keeping the results private since there is still a stigma related to being HIV positive. (Hutchinson, Mahlaela and Yukick) With any positive result, the patient should be given the option to attend classes on how to cope with having the virus, the appropriate treatment for HIV and how to protect their children, spouses, and sexual partners. Any pregnant woman should be screened for HIV in order to have the option to take the appropriate retroviral during their pregnancy to prevent the spread of HIV to their unborn child. Along with ante partum retroviral, HIV positive mothers should also be provided artificial milk for their child after the child is born, to further protect the child from the possibility of contracting the virus from its mother's breast milk. Retroviral should be provided for all HIV positive subjects after they have been properly tested. Providing retroviral for the HIV positive subjects of South Africa is not enough, there also needs to be a more readily available supply of condoms and dental dams. Studies have shown that women are more likely to insist on the use of protection if they have it readily accessible. (HIV and AIDS statistics for South Africa) Not only do these need to be provide but instruction, be it in pamphlet form or in a classroom setting. Removing the taboo from the use of these means of protection could go a long way in preventing the spread of HIV.

HIV is a serious concern for the people of South Africa, but by lifting the taboo, and bringing to light the truths about the virus, the spread of the disease can be slowed further. Providing proper medical care for the people of South Africa can not only extend their lives after they have contracted the virus, but also allow the HIV negative subjects to remain HIV negative. Proper education both general education, and HIV specific education can help the South Africans in making better decisions in regards to their health, and allow them the option to further their education beyond what is mandated by law. These simple actions using the resources and organizations that are already in place can greatly reduce the risks of new infections and make the lives of the already infected more enjoyable.

Refrences

HIV and AIDS statistics for South Africa. May 2009 <http://www.avert.org/safricastats.htm>.

Hutchinson, P.L., X. Mahlaela and Josh Yukick. "MASS MEDIA, STIGMA, AND DISCLOSURE OF HIV TEST RESULTS: MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS IN THE EASTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA." AIDS Education and Prevention 19.6 (2007): 489-510.

Karim, S.S. Abdool. HIV/AIDS in South Africa. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006.

HIV and South Africa

In the early 1980s, the world became aware of an epidemic, this epidemic was like nothing that seen before. Unlike the infamous bubonic plague of the 14^th century, this virus takes longer to be fatal, has very few outward signs (until the later stages), and is not carried by rats. The epidemic in question is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). HIV is retrovirus that attacks T cells in the human immune system and can lead to Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). There are two subtypes of HIV, HIV-1, and HIV-2; HIV-2 is primarily attributed to being in Africa, while the rest of the world primarily only has HIV-1. HIV is believed to have been around since the 1930 with at least one fatality from the virus in the 1950s. There is a high concentration of the HIV-2 virus in Africa, with approximately 5.5 million people infected. The number of infected people has been attributed to several different reasons including: lack of education, cultural beliefs, and improper or non-use of protection during sexual intercourse.

In the early years of the epidemic, 1983-1987, HIV was limited to certain groups of people, mainly homosexuals, blood transfusion recipients, intravenous drug users, and hemophiliacs. It was not until 1989 that studies confirmed the virus entering into the heterosexual community. (Karim) Once the virus entered into the heterosexual community the number of infected quickly surpassed the number infected in the homosexual community. After the realization the HIV was transmitted by blood transfusions, the South African government put into place a protocol screen donated blood for the markers associated with the virus. Putting forth this protocol did not slow the overall spread of the virus, but has slowed the spread through blood transfusions. HIV is spread through the transfer of bodily fluids, this not only includes blood, but also semenal fluid, vaginal discharge, and breast milk. There has been no documentation of the virus being spread through urine, saliva or tears. Showing that the chances of someone coming in contact with the virus without performing some type of knowingly risky activity is highly unlikly.

HIV affects 1 in 5 South African adults, ages 15-49, affecting mostly young females and older males. This possibly represents the culture of South Africans, believing that older men should marry younger woman in order to guarantee the continuation of their blood line. As late as 2003 aproximatly 23% of all pregnant women in South Africa tested positive with the HIV virus, meaning several children born with the virus or acquiring the virus during or shortly after birth. Since HIV can be transferred through breast milk, children born to HIV positive mothers,even those children manage to go through the nine month gestation period without contracting the virus, have a greater risk of acquiring the virus during the time of their lives that they breastfeed. (HIV and AIDS statistics for South Africa) With the growing number of younger women being infected by the virus, it is safe to assume that there will be a growing number of small children with the virus, leading to an exponental growth of the infection rate once these children become sexually active themselves.

Early into the epidemic a lack of education about the virus, and the various ways of contracting the viruses, led to its rapid spread. Currently there are several organizations set into place to properly educate the people of South Africa on how to prevent contracting the virus. Even with the organizations in place there is still an ignorance to the virus in more rural areas of South Africa, it has been observed that subjects who are educated, both on a purely accademic level as well as directly about HIV have a better chance of not contracting the virus, and if they already have are more apt to take the precautions to prevent spreading the virus to others. This being said even after being instructed on the proper use of protection subjects in South Africa who have only been educated about the virus still tend to not use protection. (HIV and AIDS statistics for South Africa) In recent years there has been an onslaught of media related public service announcement bringing to light the prevention and facts about the HIV virus. While for the most part this publicity has helped it has also hurt in some ways. With HIV being a very prevalant virus in South Africa the carriers are generally accepted by society and not treated any differently. There is a surprising number of individuals in South Africa who, although being briefed on how to avoid contracting the disease, go to an extreme and will refuse to eat meals with someone who is HIV positive or even sleep in the same room as an HIV positive subject. Because of the media there are groups who believe that the infected should be ashamed of their HIV postive status, regardless of how they contracted the disease, and consider them to be "dirty". (Hutchinson, Mahlaela and Yukick)

The spread of HIV through sexual contact is still a common occurance in South Africa, regardless of the mass media public service announcements. As in most countries females you try to initiate condom use during sexual intercourse are generally riducled. Although it has been shown that if condoms are more readily available to the public, females are more likely to use them. For the most men the knowledge of how the virus is spread nor the availability of condomns seems to influence the use of condoms with every sexual partner. Studies have also shown that woman are more likely than me to openly discuss a positive HIV result, with friends, family and potential sexual partners. (Hutchinson, Mahlaela and Yukick) Leading to the thought that women are more conscious about the virus, or that they are more concenered with protecting themselves than men are.

It is increasingly obvious that something needs to be done in South Africa, in regards to HIV. There are already several organizations and protocols put into place to aid with halting the spread of HIV by increasing education and supplying options for South Africans to protect themselves. Removing the stigma from HIV could make it more likely for the people of the region to be more open with positive HIV results. If South Africans feel that they will not lose their social standing or be shunned by the community they may possibly be more likely to share their HIV status with friends,family and/or future sexual partners.

References

HIV and AIDS statistics for South Africa. May 2009 <http://www.avert.org/safricastats.htm>.

Hutchinson, P.L., X. Mahlaela and Josh Yukick. "MASS MEDIA, STIGMA, AND DISCLOSURE OF HIV TEST RESULTS: MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS IN THE EASTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA." AIDS Education and Prevention 19.6 (2007): 489-510.

Karim, S.S. Abdool. HIV/AIDS in South Africa. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Dealing with Dyslexia

To understand how dyslexia affects learning, one needs to have an understanding of what dyslexia is. Webster's defines dyslexia as "a variable often familial learning disability involving difficulties in acquiring and processing language that is typically manifested by a lack of proficiency in reading, spelling, and writing". This means that subjects with dyslexia have notable difficulties in reading, spelling and writing. Like many learning disabilities, dyslexia does not fit into a nice box; the range to which the individual is affected varies person to person. Children with dyslexia may have problems with following instructions without in-depth explanations; they may act out, to distract from the fact, they simply do not understand why they are not learning as fast as their classmates are.

The onset of dyslexia is unknown; some believe that it is a genetic disorder, and therefore present at birth. It is also believed that dyslexia occurs with neurons do not migrate to the part of the brain where they are meant to be. This goes hand in hand with another theory that a child with dyslexia processes language on the right side of the brain while language is processed on the left side of the brain. There is also an environmental cause linked to hearing problems at an early age that confuses the brain when it comes to processing letter sounds and placement, causing a deficit in letter recognition, which can lead to problems with reading comprehension. It is likely that a combination of all of the theories of the cause of dyslexia have some merit. (What Causes Dyslexia)

We will briefly look at the problems associated with dyslexia in early education. Subjects with dyslexia have difficulties with comprehending what they read; which in turn limits the amount of information that they can process. Subjects tend to skip over words or anticipate what the next word may be in a sentence, which will slow down the reading process. In spelling, common words can be misspelled and letters can appear jumbled. Dyslexic subjects can demonstrate difficulties with expressive writing and actual handwriting. (Peer 2003, p 9-10) In early education these subjects are the most focused on. Meaning, that if a child has dyslexia that is not caught early on in their learning career they are building all further knowledge on a faulty foundation from the beginning of their education. The observation of these common signs will aide in the early diagnosis of the disability.

There are outward signs of dyslexia, that can aide with diagnosis long before a child is in school and has the chance to learn how to read or write. "The earliest differences between groups were found at the ages of a few days and at 6 months in brain event-related potential responses to speech sounds and in head-turn responses (at 6 months),conditioned to reflect categorical perception of speech stimuli." (Lyytinen, October 2001) By the age of two children who may have dyslexia can be identified as slow talkers because they do not speak at all yet, or merely show a deficiency in their vocabulary. Children up to age 5 (school age) show low scores in spelling, and oral reading, average to above average in comprehension and math, and average to poor in motor skills and handwriting. (Pickering, 2002)

Currently there is no magic cure for dyslexia, there are studies looking into alternatives for teaching children with dyslexia. Studies have shown that combining audio with video has helped to improve the reading score of these children. (Bower, 2001) The reasoning behind combining audio and visual stimuli you are forcing the children to use both sides of their brain which aides in the comprehension of the material that is the focus of the teaching. In an academic setting, if possible, students with dyslexia should be offered a different curriculum from non-dyslexic students. "Asking the 'why', 'purpose' and 'how' of oneself in relation to task fulfillment is key to an analytical mind. It is of particular value when learners have weak memories and often need to find alternative ways of retrieving information for academic success" (Peer, 2001 p 40) There are also alternative remedies and practices that are being utilized in the treatment of dyslexia. One of the problems with alternative remedies is that any group or person does not regulate them; also, they are not required to go through the rigorous testing measures like primary medical practices and medications are. Chiropractic medicine, which is considered alternative even though Chiropractors have to be state licensed and most governments require medical degrees, has been used in therapy for Dyslexia, the theory being that chiropractic focuses on putting the central nervous system back to where it is meant to be. Using the same guidelines as Chiropractic there has also been use of Physiotherapy, Yoga, and Pilates. All of these using the concept that getting the body back in balance that the mind will follow in suite and the neurons that are not communicating as they should will be given the correct neuropath ways to send and receive messages. (Chivers, 2006 p 43-46) Herbal remedies have been put into use to help children deal with dyslexia. "The basic principles of Ayurvedic treatment can be put to judicious use in treating dyslexia. Brain dysfunction, which is the root cause of this condition, can be treated using medicines, which improve the metabolism of the "Majja" dhatu in the body. Medicines useful in this condition are: Pancha-Tikta-Ghruta Guggulu, Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis) and Musta (Cyperus rotundus). In addition, Ayurveda mentions a category of medicines known as "Medhya", which improve the working capacity of the brain. This category includes medicines like Mandukparni (Centella asiatica), Yashtimadhuk (Glycerrhiza glabra), Guduchi, Padma (Nelumbo nucifera), Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Vacha (Acorus calamus) and Shankhpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis). (Mundewadi)

For most children who have dyslexia it is something that they will have to deal with for the entirety of their lives. Dyslexia is not something that can be outgrown; but the symptoms can become less obvious over time. When the cause of dyslexia is discovered, there will still not be one way to cope with the disability. The development of remedies will continue to grow as long as dyslexia is diagnosed disability.

References

Bower, B. (2001, September 8). Audiovisual aids may lessen dyslexia. Science News, 160(10), 155. Retrieved April 24, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database

Chivers, M. (2006). Dyslexia And Alternative Therapies. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Dyslexia - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Dyslexia

Lyytinen, H. A. (October 2001). Developmental Pathways of Children With and Without

Familial Risk for Dyslexia During the First Years of Life. Developmental Neuropsychology , 535-554.

Mundewadi, A. (n.d.). Dyslexia - Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment. Retrieved April 24, 2009, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Dyslexia---Ayurvedic-Herbal-Treatment&id=1579039

Peer, L. (2003). Introduction to Dyslexia. London: David Fulton Publish.

Pickering, J. (2002, Summer2002). Signals of Learning Disabilities at Various Developmental Stages.

Montessori Life, 14(3), 46-48. Retrieved April 24, 2009, from Education Research Complete database

What Causes Dyslexia? Adult Dyslexia. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2009, from http://www.the-dyslexia-center.com/what-causes-dyslexia.htm

Creationism with Evolution

Creationism vs. Evolution has been an ongoing argument for a long time. The goal of this paper is not to debate the validity of either argument; rather it is to explain why both sides of the argument should be taught together. To properly discuss this subject a basic knowledge of what Creationism and what Evolution is needed. Webster's defines the terms as follows: Creationism is the belief that God created everything, while Evolution is "a process in which the whole universe is a progression of interrelated phenomena" (Webster's)

Depending on the home life a student, he or she is taught about Creationism or Evolution from birth. Therefore, by the time a student reaches school age he or she is indoctrinated by their parents' belief system. When the subject is broached in a school setting as only one or the other being the only one that is right, it can be confusing and put a strain on a student's comprehension of the subject. By giving students an unbiased view of both sides of the argument, you are allowing them to explore their own beliefs and open the door for further scientific exploration into Creationism and Evolution.

On the surface Creationism seems to be purely faith based, while Evolution is scientifically based, this is not necessarily the case. Creation Science looks into both, debunking the science behind evolution, and building the scientific proof of creation. One major point that is made is that the earth is only about 10,000 years old, based upon the fact that no one was around 4.5 million years ago to observe the development of the strata. This argument can also be turned around and used for Evolution since there were no creationists around 10,000 years ago to observe creation, as they believe it occurred. (Moore 169-170) Charles Darwin is commonly known as the "Father of Evolution" he wrote "The Origins of the Species"; Darwin speaks of natural selection, which is a form of microevolution. Darwin provides no proof for macroevolution in his book, although many people associate Darwin with macroevolution. There is scientific proof of microevolution/natural selection. If it were not for microevolution, we would not have different breeds of dogs, butterflies with different patterns on their wings, or fish with different characteristics. All of these differences and too many to list; have to do with the unfavorable traits of creatures getting them killed prior to them being able to mate and pass on their genetics. Commonly the better-disguised animal or better equipped for the task they were needed to do, had the opportunity to pass on their genetics.

With both Creationism and Evolution having at least some basis in science and observation, partnered with the faith basis of both it should be understandable how teaching only one or the other could be considered teaching Religion. This could not only cause emotional distress for the child at school but also cause distress for the parents at home trying to explain to their child why they were being taught something outrageously different from what they were taught at home. With the origin of life is the basis to which all science is based, confusing a child early in the process could be detrimental to their understanding of science as a subject.

Taking all of this evidence into consideration, it seems that teaching both creationism and evolution in an unbiased classroom setting, could not only save students undo confusion, but could also encourage them to look further into the science behind both. Exploration in one subject can lead to exploration into other subjects, which can help students develop their own ideas and theories on an uncountable number of things not just science.

Works Cited

"Creationism - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. 21 Apr. 2009 <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Creationism>.
Darwin, Charles. On the Origin of Species: By Means of Natural Selection (Thrift Edition). New York: Dover Publications, 2006.
Moore, John A.. From Genesis to Genetics: The Case of Evolution and Creationism. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003.
"Evolution - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. 21 Apr. 2009 <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evolution>.

To Choose or Not to Choose

Choosing sides in the Creationism v. Evolution argument is essential in the classroom setting. Creationism is a faith-based belief that God created everything, while Evolution is a Science based belief of how life started. Evolution can be separated into several subtypes, two of which being, microevolution and macroevolution. Microevolution is explained in "The Origin of the Species", as natural selection. Macroevolution is defined as large-scale evolution outside the normal realm of microevolution.

Teaching Creationism and Evolution in a classroom setting has the ability to lead to confusion in young students, who are not completely certain as to where they stand in the Creationism v. Evolution argument. By integrating the two theories, in the classroom, it is forcing the blatant contradictions of the two arguments into the light. This has the ability to lead into classroom debates, which could interfere with normal classroom activities. The following discourse, depending on the age of the students, has the chance to stunt a students' understanding of biology on the basic level. By choosing to teach either Creationism or Evolution, the risk of confusion is greatly diminished.

Occam's razor is a scientific and philosophical rule that states if all things are equal, the answer requiring the fewest jumps in logic is normally correct. When dealing with teaching Evolution and Creationism together the theories are so opposite of each other and both require several leaps in logic, in order to get to the beginning. If, it is accepted that Evolution and Creationism are both theories about the beginning of life, then it is reasonable to accept one of them to be correct. The question needs to be asked, "What should be considered a jump in logic?" For some individuals the simple answer to the beginning of life is "God created all of this" is logical and requires no jump, for others, the belief that life came from the primordial soup is logical. These are vastly different examples and one of them would have to require a jump in logic, both theories simply cannot be correct.

As previously stated; Creationism is a faith based theory, largely upheld by the Judeo-Christian Church. By solely teaching Creationism in the classroom, the State is placing itself in a precarious situation that has the propensity to breach the Separation of Church and State. This argument could also be placed on Evolution, seeing, as there are individuals who practice Science as their religion. Teaching any religious theory as fact, especially to impressionable students, is irresponsible. Learning Institutions, publicly funded or privately funded, should openly choose a side of the Creationism v. Evolution argument in order to aide parents in make an educated decision on what they should tell their children or which learning venue their children should attend. In order to protect themselves from breaching the Wall of Separation, teachers and Learning Institutions should be given an option to teach neither Evolution nor Creationism, since both are merely theories.

When it comes to discussing Creationism and Evolution there is a gray area, in general, individuals consider their beliefs on the beginning of life to be fact, while the reality is their beliefs are theories inside theories. It is possible, that since Creationism and Evolution are both theories that it should not be required to be taught in the classroom at all, much less together. Having a working knowledge of Evolution as the basis of life has nothing to do with understanding biology as a whole, if biology was based entirely on Evolution and its theories then biology would therefore be a theory. If this argument were based on Creationism as the basis of life and so forth, biology would still be merely a theory. Since it has been established that there is life, therefore the study of life then it can be deduced that biology is not a theory. In order to bypass all of the turmoil associated with only teaching one, the other or both, it is suggested to teach neither, establish biology from the cellular level, not the beginning of life.

Works Cited

Darwin, Charles. The Origin Of Species. New York: Signet Classics, 2003.

HUTSON, JAMES. "'A Wall of Separation' (June 1998) - Library of Congress Information Bulletin." Library of Congress Home. 29 Apr. 2009 <http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danbury.html>.

"Occam's Razor - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. 29 Apr. 2009 <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Occam%27s%20Razor>.

"Primordial soup - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. 29 Apr. 2009 <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Primordial%20soup>.