Tools and Strategies to Help Unfocused, Overwhelmed and Visually-Fatigued Readers

There is no doubt that in today's world, most of us are often unfocused, inattentive and overwhelmed as a result of the amount of reading required of us each day. There was a time (and not that very long ago!) that we were not faced with a hundred emails in our inbox, various "white" papers needing our attention and attached digital documents requiring review and signatures. Needless to say, that has all changed, AND these kinds of digital media vie daily for our attention in addition to the physical media demanding our readers' eyes. To say the least, we are fast becoming immersed in text 24/7. Is there any wonder that we feel overwhelmed by it all?

Then, for a moment, imagine a challenged reader who also struggles with ADHD, dyslexia or another reading issue, too. This individual is frequently overwhelmed and often unfocused even BEFORE attempting to read. What can the average amount of media currently presented daily cause for such a reader? The result is much more challenge and struggle than many of us can visualize.

There are ways to manage such focus and overwhelm issues with large (or small) amounts of reading or text. Sometimes the right tools can make all the difference for a number of readers. For others, it might be a particular tool, focusing strategy (or combination of tools and strategies), resulting in more attentive reading with better comprehension and retention.

We have gathered here a list of resources that include BOTH tools and strategies for such readers. In fact, most readers could benefit from knowing about these resources for those times when they are fatigued or just have too much reading to accomplish in a specific time period.

We hope these resources will help you or someone you know who struggles with focus and overwhelm when reading!

Other Resources to Help with Focus and Overwhelm

How to Stay Focused: Train Your Brain from Entrepreneur
Amid the noise, understanding your brain’s limitations and working around them can improve your focus and increase your productivity. This article will provide some tips for how to do that.
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/225321

The RIGHT Strategies Get the Job Done for Challenged Readers w/ ADHD & Others
Refer to this set of specific strategies often, and then match the appropriate strategies to every reading situation in order to improve focusing and tracking skills as well as overall reading success.
http://helpforstrugglingreaders.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-right-strategies-get-job-done-for.html

Distracted Reading in the Digital Age by Elizabeth Randolph and Vassar
This article describes how an English professor and a librarian help students focus and read with more success.
https://vq.vassar.edu/issues/2015/01/features/distracted-reading.html

Strategies and Accommodations for Challenged Readers
This web page provides a FREE downloadable list of strategies to help unfocused and overwhelmed, challenged readers of all ages.
http://www.focusandread.com/learning-strategies

Kindle & Reading Focus Cards Apps Work TOGETHER to Help ADHD & Dyslexic Readers Succeed!
The combination of these two desktop apps can work together to provide more FOCUS and less OVERWHELM than any other tech device for ADHD or dyslexia.
http://helpforstrugglingreaders.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-kindle-and-reading-focus-cards-apps.html

10 Bible Verses For When You Feel Overwhelmed by Rachel Wojo
Sometimes, the best remedy for feeling overwhelmed is reading God’s Word. The article here may be a simple post, but it is a beeline of verses that might hit the heart of the matter and could be just what the doctor ordered.
http://rachelwojo.com/10-bible-verses-for-when-you-feel-overwhelmed/

18 Tips to Support Dyslexics & Other Challenged Readers
This article offers readers a list of 18 tips to help and support the challenged reader(s) in your family or in your classroom.
http://helpforstrugglingreaders.blogspot.com/2017/02/18-tips-to-support-dyslexics-and-other.html

Feeling Overwhelmed is a Common Anxiety Symptom by CalmClinic
Feeling overwhelmed is perhaps the most common symptom of anxiety, and it can actually affect you on a very base level. This resource from CalmClinic will provide some ideas to help you manage the anxiety of being overwhelmed.
http://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/symptoms/feeling-overwhelmed

Low-tech Reading Focus Cards - Customizable reading tools for physical books, documents & other applications (From $16.95)
http://www.focusandread.com/products

Reading Focus Cards App - Virtual index card-like reading tool to aid visual focus, tracking, fluency, comprehension & retention---infinitely customizable (Mac, PC-$5.99)
https://focusandread.com/reading-focus-cards-app/

OpenDyslexic - Font designed by Abbie Gonzalez to ease visual aspects of reading for dyslexia (FREE)
http://opendyslexic.org/

For more information about tools & resources for children & teens with ADHD, please visit:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image sources:
Brennan Innovators, LLC at www.focusandread.com AND
Pixabay.com at https://pixabay.com

Dyslexia Resources to Use Now

FREE & Low-Cost Dyslexia Resources for Parents & Teachers on a Limited Budget

Quite a few U.S. and global economists have recently stated that we are in the fourth year of an economic recovery from the Great Recession. However, for many families this recovery has been elusive at best, as they continue trying to stretch every dollar earned and watch expenditures with a careful eye.

At the same time, parents do want to meet the needs of their children at all levels---physically, emotionally and academically. They want their children to succeed both in the classroom and in life. When a child struggles to read or learn, however, the cost of helping that child can be more than a little challenging, especially when the school may not be able or willing to address the unique needs of that child. Unless a family lives in a state where there are dyslexia laws on the books, it may be particularly difficult to get the needed help when dyslexia is (or may be) the cause of a student's reading difficulties.

While we await further dyslexia legislation in the U.S., Brennan Innovators has been making a significant difference for many parents, their families and teachers of struggling readers by bridging the gap between no services for students with dyslexia and expensive methods or treatments for dyslexia often not covered by health insurance plans. Brennan Innovators designs and provides inexpensive, customizable reading tools to help challenged readers of all ages to focus and read better. These tools can be especially helpful for dyslexia, ADHD, autism and other issues that can impact reading success.

The company also provides consultation services as well as FREE printed and online resources for parents and teachers wanting to help challenged readers of any age. So for our blog readers this week, Brennan Innovators has gathered a list of FREE and low cost resources for children and teens with dyslexia. We hope that these links to specialized websites and resources will assist parents and teachers with limited or no budgets help the struggling readers they care for---at a time like this!

FREE and Low-Budget Dyslexia Resources

Resources to Support Dyslexic Pupils---from the British Dyslexia Association (BDA)
Resources and strategies are listed here to support pupils with dyslexia at primary and secondary levels. Resources, products and suppliers are also provided. This site also includes an online dyslexia test.
http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/about-dyslexia/schools-colleges-and-universities/resources-to-support-dyslexic-pupils.html

Desktop APP---Reading Focus Cards (Patent 8,360,779) (Price: $5.99)
This desktop app is the digital version of the low-tech, physical Reading Focus Cards tools (Patent 7,565,759), solutions for struggling readers. This app provides very practical support for children and adults with ADHD, dyslexia, low vision, stroke or brain injury issues, autism and other conditions that can affect reading success. This desktop application promotes more FOCUSED online reading of almost ALL digital media (webpages, PDF files, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets & more.) In addition, the app supports touch-screen technology (where applicable).
1. For Macs (desktops & notebooks):
Visit the Mac App Store and search for Reading Focus Cards or go directly to
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/read-and-focus/id920617853?mt=12
2. For Windows PCs (desktops & laptops):
Visit Gumroad at https://gumroad.com/l/ReadingFocusCards OR visit the Microsoft Windows Store and search for the app called Reading Focus Cards. (No URLs are ever provided for apps in the Windows Store.)

Dyslexia Links---from 3D Learner Systems
An extensive collection of websites and other online resources to help teachers and parents of children with dyslexia
http://www.3dlearner.com/dyslexia-resources/

Supporting students with dyslexia: tips, tricks and tech for teachers---by David Imrie
This is an article written by a biology teacher and special educational needs coordinator at Ashcraig School in Glasgow, Scotland. With 1.2 million children in the UK with dyslexia, it's important that teachers understand how to support pupils with the this learning difference. Mr. Imrie shares his techniques and insights in this article.
http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/sep/09/supporting-students-with-dyslexia-teachers-tips-pupils

Dyslexia Resources
FREE printable teaching resources to accompany the book Progress in Learning by Kim Morris
http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/special-needs/dyslexia/#.Uv2Xe4ViNfg

Teacher Strategies for Dyslexics
A PDF file booklet with strategies to help children challenged with dyslexia http://www.visd.com/depart/specialPrograms/dyslexia/dyslexia_handbook_teacherstrategies.pdf

Beating Dyslexia.com
This is a FREE "Dyslexia Help" website for people who want to beat dyslexia, not just cope with it.
http://www.beatingdyslexia.com/

For information on customizable reading tools for ADHD & other reading challenges:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of:
Brennan Innovators, LLC at www.focusandread.com