When my copy of Secret Code Actions™ — Parent Edition arrived, it barely fit into my mail box. That’s a good thing. At 370 pages, it’s wonderful weightiness is matched by the depth and breadth of its content — it is the ultimate guide to understanding and deciphering the English alphabetic “code.”
“This much is clear: The mind of the dyslexic is different from the minds of other people. Learning that my problem with processing language wasn’t stupidity seemed to take most of my life.” ~Philip Schultz, My Dyslexia
My Dyslexia (2011) by Philip Schultz is on the top of my reading list for 2017. I’ve already read it a few times, underlining the good bits and reading it out loud to whoever will listen. And I will read it again, and again, and again.
They say knowledge is power, so I’ve got quite the stack of books to read in 2017. I’ve got memoir, psychology, science, self-help and non-fiction. The subject? Mostly about dyslexia and brain science, with a strong serving of inspirational stories. I may not be the woman who changes her brain, but I’m down with right-brainers ruling the future!
This is the sign, along with an army of volunteers, that greeted me at the first Canadian conference on dyslexia in Toronto last weekend.
It’s not everyday you get to be part of a historic “first”, especially when it involves a topic that is near and dear to your heart. I was not alone; the sense of urgency was tangible at this sold-out event.
In my last post, I wrote about the Dyspla collective, which celebrates dyslexic story makers from around the world.
Now, a bit about their documentary Dysplamentary.
Dyslexics are no longer relegated to the dummy table.
We are telling our stories–part confessional, part celebratory and always challenging stereotypes.
Halloween is here! If you’re dyslexic, you’re in luck. There are lots of great costumes you can wear to celebrate your dyslexic strengths and honour your dyslexic heroes.
1. Super hero. Dress up as yourself!! Unpack your cape and tights, and unleash your incredible dyslexic super powers: brave, resilient, persistent, creative, super smart, change makers. Continue reading
The Oxford Dictionary invited three guest contributors to explain, in their own unedited words, how their experiences of dyslexia affect their relationship with language. It’s an interesting question–and the answers may surprise you.
I feel like perhaps people think I have a limited vocabulary, but I don’t, I just stumble and can’t use the words I want to…It’s an invisible problem that people don’t fully understand, a constant exhausting struggle.” ~Alex Gray
“I realised that I’m better at other thing rather then reading writing and spelling which I still to this day struggle with massively but I’m figuring stuff out…This learning differculty isn’t something people should be ashamed of I’m proud of my dyslexia because I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it.”~Anthony Rayner
“I never had any of my work put on the wall, I did terribly in spelling tests, it took me a long time to learn to read…Ultimately I am fortunate. I love language. I love reading.”~Liz Massie
British health writer Roy Lilley is incredibly eloquent when talking about his struggles with dyslexia and school as a child, and how he went on to became a prolific writer (27 books on the management of health care!!) despite the low expectations of others.
To help improve his spelling, Lilley relies on spell check, and sends his articles for editing and proofreading. He still lets the occasional spelling mistake slip through, but he doesn’t worry about it anymore: “I write 700 words a day, and if the other 699 are ok I’m not too worried about that one.”
“It’s what’s in your heart that is important. If you are writing about things that you care about, if you are writing about things that are important…what’s a spelling mistake between friends? It’s not important. The important thing is if you’ve got the desire and the need (if you’re a student) to express yourself–you just get on and do it. Because, you know what, if you want to be a nurse or work in the clinical interface it’s how you look after people that’s important. So I would say, be like me, don’t give a stuff.” ~Roy Lilley
This is part of a series of videos called dyslexic nurses. The videos feature UK nurses sharing their unique perspective about neurodiversity in health care: watch Dyslexic Nurses.
Neurodiversity in the Workplace by Helen Bewley and Anitha George (September 2016), National Institute of Economic and Social Research.
The researchers conducted case studies at two UK employers, and identified policies and practices that can help integrate neurodiverse workers into the workplace. Research topics included: employee disclosure, recruitment, accommodation, and benefits of neurodiversity in the workplace.
“Neurodiverse” in this report refers to people with autism, dyslexia, ADHD, and dyspraxia.
Read a summary of the report.
“Adaptations do not necessarily have to be complex or costly and combined with fostering greater tolerance and acceptance of diversity will bring advantages to the employer as well as for their staff.” ~Helen Bewley and Anitha George, Neurodiversity In The Workplace (September 2016)
Click on the image below to read the report:
The report was commissioned by acas (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service)–a UK organization that provides information and advice to employers and employees on all aspects of workplace relations and employment law.
