A few days ago, I went to a teacher appreciation event at a local chiropractic office. I had some really great conversations while I was there, one being with a doctor that works there. She seemed to be fascinated by the topic of aphantasia, as she had never heard of it.
I'm very passionate about gaining more knowledge and spreading awareness about aphantasia. I'm so passionate that I can go on and on about the subject to the point that I wonder how many people see me as "the crazy aphantasia lady". When I mentioned that concern, the doctor assured me that she didn't feel that way, and that my excitement reminded her of Helen Keller when she discovered how to after years of isolation in her world of blindness and deafness.
Helen Keller has been my hero since I was in elementary school. I was always mesmerized by the biographies and autobiography of her life. To think that someone so intelligent, having so much to give to the world, could have been silenced forever by a disease that she contracted at a very young age, what a terrible thought! Without the intervention of her teacher, Annie Sullivan, she might never have found her voice. She might have suffered in silence, if not forever, for much longer.
I remember watching the movie where Patti Duke played a young Helen Keller. She won an Oscar for that portrayal, by the way. At the time in the movie where Helen is first able to communicate, there is an air of desperation in her, a deep need to know more, and know it now. This what the chiropractor I was speaking with saw in me when I talk about aphantasia.
I truly do feel a deep need to learn more about aphantasia, so much so that I can't contain my excitement.. I'm not sure exactly why, but the newfound awareness of a condition I've always had has changed my life. I feel a stronger sense of purpose than I think I've ever felt. While discussing aphantasia with a couple of students the other day, one said "Miss, you really do have a fantastic life". Yes, I do. My Aphantastic Life!
Saturday, May 26, 2018
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Learning Styles
Good morning! Depending on where you are in the world, of course.
Today I want to talk about different learning styles as I understand them. I’m by no means an expert, but I have raised three children (two who are now teachers), and I’ve worked with middle school children for the best part of eleven years. That being said, think I know a little bit about how kids learn, and I recently know more about how I learn.
As learning styles go, there are three that are considered to be most typical. Visual learning, kinesthetic learning, and auditory learning. Visual learning can include pictures, charts, and maps. The visual learner usually has a good visualization skills (obviously not my strong suit). Kinesthetic, or tactile learning uses physical activity including using muscles and sensation. Finally, auditory learning depends on hearing, speaking, singing, etc.
Obviously, if you are blind, your learning style probably isn’t visual, as is the case with me because of Aphantasia. I used to think that I was a visual learner, because I needed to see something over and over again in order to learn how to do it. In my young adult life, I used to get very frustrated when learning a new job. I would carefully watch how something was done, and I knew that eventually I’d be good at it, but I feared that my employer (or potential employer) might think I was incapable. In hindsight, I believe that I was using a combination of kinesthetic and auditory learning styles. Had I known that at the time, I believe I would have made a written list of steps, or repeated instructions back in order to more quickly learn the task at hand.
One instance of kinesthetic learning that comes to mind for me is when I was in third grade studying cursive writing (yeah, I’m that old), I would get very anxious. I used to have a recurring nightmare that I was assigned to write the first, middle, and last names of all five people in my family of origin within a short period of time. If I did not complete said assignment, my family was in danger. I know now that others could visualize to to write after seeing the example letters on a page, whereas I could not. In order to accomplish decent cursive writing, I began, somewhat obsessively, drawing letters in the air with my fingers. This habit drove my mother crazy, but I learned how to write.
When was in eighth grade I took typing; I think people would call it keyboarding these days. In the mid to late 70s, our typewriters weren’t even electric, and we didn’t have word processing to auto-correct for spelling, etc. If you made mistakes, your paper could end up looking very messy from using Whiteout and trying to re-type over it, or even trying to write in the letter. My amazing typing teacher, Mrs. Ingle, was therefore very strict about learning to type without looking at the keys, and learning to be as accurate as possible. If you are a visual learner, imagine having no picture in your mind at all to remember where the keys were.
Again, I had to figure out a way to remember where the keys on a typewriter were without being able to visualize. I imagine that the process is somewhat similar for people who are blind physically. I used the tactile sense of my fingers tapped on a table or even against my legs as I was standing in order to train myself how to type well. I still have the habit of “typing” against my legs, and catch myself “typing” words or phrases that I or someone else have just spoken. Consequently, I never lost my ability to type about 60 words per minute, even when I was not using a typewriter or keyboard for many years (you know, back before home computers).
Auditory learning is something I utilize on a regular basis as well. Songs for learning, such as the popular Schoolhouse Rock series from the 70s helped me to learn multiplication tables, grammar, and American history. Other songs have helped me learn to speak Spanish. I even taught my children a song to help them learn the “helping verbs” which I still remember from sixth grade.
It is truly fascinating to me how our brains can achieve the same outcome using a variety of different skills, even when some of us are missing certain abilities. It is my hope that we can learn from each other, and use that knowledge to educate future generations in what works for each individual.
Have a great day!
Suzanne
Today I want to talk about different learning styles as I understand them. I’m by no means an expert, but I have raised three children (two who are now teachers), and I’ve worked with middle school children for the best part of eleven years. That being said, think I know a little bit about how kids learn, and I recently know more about how I learn.
As learning styles go, there are three that are considered to be most typical. Visual learning, kinesthetic learning, and auditory learning. Visual learning can include pictures, charts, and maps. The visual learner usually has a good visualization skills (obviously not my strong suit). Kinesthetic, or tactile learning uses physical activity including using muscles and sensation. Finally, auditory learning depends on hearing, speaking, singing, etc.
Obviously, if you are blind, your learning style probably isn’t visual, as is the case with me because of Aphantasia. I used to think that I was a visual learner, because I needed to see something over and over again in order to learn how to do it. In my young adult life, I used to get very frustrated when learning a new job. I would carefully watch how something was done, and I knew that eventually I’d be good at it, but I feared that my employer (or potential employer) might think I was incapable. In hindsight, I believe that I was using a combination of kinesthetic and auditory learning styles. Had I known that at the time, I believe I would have made a written list of steps, or repeated instructions back in order to more quickly learn the task at hand.
One instance of kinesthetic learning that comes to mind for me is when I was in third grade studying cursive writing (yeah, I’m that old), I would get very anxious. I used to have a recurring nightmare that I was assigned to write the first, middle, and last names of all five people in my family of origin within a short period of time. If I did not complete said assignment, my family was in danger. I know now that others could visualize to to write after seeing the example letters on a page, whereas I could not. In order to accomplish decent cursive writing, I began, somewhat obsessively, drawing letters in the air with my fingers. This habit drove my mother crazy, but I learned how to write.
When was in eighth grade I took typing; I think people would call it keyboarding these days. In the mid to late 70s, our typewriters weren’t even electric, and we didn’t have word processing to auto-correct for spelling, etc. If you made mistakes, your paper could end up looking very messy from using Whiteout and trying to re-type over it, or even trying to write in the letter. My amazing typing teacher, Mrs. Ingle, was therefore very strict about learning to type without looking at the keys, and learning to be as accurate as possible. If you are a visual learner, imagine having no picture in your mind at all to remember where the keys were.
Again, I had to figure out a way to remember where the keys on a typewriter were without being able to visualize. I imagine that the process is somewhat similar for people who are blind physically. I used the tactile sense of my fingers tapped on a table or even against my legs as I was standing in order to train myself how to type well. I still have the habit of “typing” against my legs, and catch myself “typing” words or phrases that I or someone else have just spoken. Consequently, I never lost my ability to type about 60 words per minute, even when I was not using a typewriter or keyboard for many years (you know, back before home computers).
Auditory learning is something I utilize on a regular basis as well. Songs for learning, such as the popular Schoolhouse Rock series from the 70s helped me to learn multiplication tables, grammar, and American history. Other songs have helped me learn to speak Spanish. I even taught my children a song to help them learn the “helping verbs” which I still remember from sixth grade.
It is truly fascinating to me how our brains can achieve the same outcome using a variety of different skills, even when some of us are missing certain abilities. It is my hope that we can learn from each other, and use that knowledge to educate future generations in what works for each individual.
Have a great day!
Suzanne
Sunday, May 20, 2018
Welcome to my Aphantastic Life!
Hi, my name is Suzanne and my life is Aphantastic! Actually, that’s a made up word combining Aphantasic and Fantastic. I have Aphantasia. Never heard of it? Yeah, me either until about 3 1/2 weeks ago. Aphantasia is a condition characterized by having no mind’s eye. You know how people will tell you to visualize your “happy place”, someplace calm and soothing, to bring about a feeling of peace? Well, I can’t do that, at least not the visual part of it. I am blind in my mind’s eye. When I close my eyes and try to visualize something, I see the back of my eyelids. Nothing more. I can’t picture in my mind even those people closest to me, not even my children, one of whom I see five days a week at work.
Almost a month ago, I was trying to get better at visualizing, thinking what I was “seeing” was the same as everyone else. If you had asked me if I could visualize something in my head in that moment, I’d have told you, “of course I can”, but I couldn’t and it was frustrating me. I can describe my “happy place” in very basic terms because I’ve seen it many times, but because there’s no visual reference in my mind, there’s no detail to my description.
The place I was trying to visualize and describe is a beautiful park in the center of the town where I grew up. There is a pretty wide creek that runs through it, there are ducks and turtles in the water, and there is a walking trail. There is also a big gazebo, and a monument that tells about the history of the city. People come out to take a walk in the fresh air, or bring their children to feed the ducks. I love it there.
One year, a beautiful Mandarin Duck showed up tagging along with a flock of Canadian Geese. Reporters and photographers came out from all over the metroplex to see it, because that kind of duck isn’t supposed to show up in Dallas, TX. It was truly fascinating to see such a beautiful creature, and I tried to get a pic of it with my phone, but I was unable to do so. Thankfully, other people were able to capture the beauty in photographs that I can search for and pull up on my screen. Otherwise, that amazing sighting would be, for the most part, gone from me.
I was trying to imagine what that Mandarin Duck looked like. I think they’re breathtakingly gorgeous with their vivid colors that awe me. So when I couldn’t even describe in any detail the colors of this duck, even moments after looking at a picture, I was a bit confused. I decided to search for something along the lines of “trouble picturing things in my mind”, and up popped the word Aphantasia.
As I began to read about it, I was shocked to realize that the article described what I experience. It’s still a challenge to comprehend how other people can close their eyes and imagine something as though it were really there in front of them. And it’s a challenge for those who have the ability to visualize to understand how it’s possible that I can’t. Some people have difficulty believing that it’s a real condition, but it is.
I hope to share with you via this blog the differences and similarities between people who have Aphantasia and those who don't. I also want to share what I've learned about the obvious spectrum of Aphantasia, and how it affects those who have it. Furthermore, I want to help bring awareness to a condition that few people have even heard of, so that we can come to a better understanding of how different people experience the world.
Thank you for indulging my need to share My Aphantastic Life!
P.S. Happy Birthday to me!! I'm 53 today, and this blog is a gift to myself. The future is "looking" very bright!
Almost a month ago, I was trying to get better at visualizing, thinking what I was “seeing” was the same as everyone else. If you had asked me if I could visualize something in my head in that moment, I’d have told you, “of course I can”, but I couldn’t and it was frustrating me. I can describe my “happy place” in very basic terms because I’ve seen it many times, but because there’s no visual reference in my mind, there’s no detail to my description.
The place I was trying to visualize and describe is a beautiful park in the center of the town where I grew up. There is a pretty wide creek that runs through it, there are ducks and turtles in the water, and there is a walking trail. There is also a big gazebo, and a monument that tells about the history of the city. People come out to take a walk in the fresh air, or bring their children to feed the ducks. I love it there.
One year, a beautiful Mandarin Duck showed up tagging along with a flock of Canadian Geese. Reporters and photographers came out from all over the metroplex to see it, because that kind of duck isn’t supposed to show up in Dallas, TX. It was truly fascinating to see such a beautiful creature, and I tried to get a pic of it with my phone, but I was unable to do so. Thankfully, other people were able to capture the beauty in photographs that I can search for and pull up on my screen. Otherwise, that amazing sighting would be, for the most part, gone from me.
I was trying to imagine what that Mandarin Duck looked like. I think they’re breathtakingly gorgeous with their vivid colors that awe me. So when I couldn’t even describe in any detail the colors of this duck, even moments after looking at a picture, I was a bit confused. I decided to search for something along the lines of “trouble picturing things in my mind”, and up popped the word Aphantasia.
As I began to read about it, I was shocked to realize that the article described what I experience. It’s still a challenge to comprehend how other people can close their eyes and imagine something as though it were really there in front of them. And it’s a challenge for those who have the ability to visualize to understand how it’s possible that I can’t. Some people have difficulty believing that it’s a real condition, but it is.
I hope to share with you via this blog the differences and similarities between people who have Aphantasia and those who don't. I also want to share what I've learned about the obvious spectrum of Aphantasia, and how it affects those who have it. Furthermore, I want to help bring awareness to a condition that few people have even heard of, so that we can come to a better understanding of how different people experience the world.
Thank you for indulging my need to share My Aphantastic Life!
P.S. Happy Birthday to me!! I'm 53 today, and this blog is a gift to myself. The future is "looking" very bright!
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