"Don't get frustrated with yourself. There are things that you're going to struggle with. Lean into the things that you do well, those strengths...and don't dwell on how people treat you. You're smart and probably smarter than a lot of other people. The world isn't...
Stealth Dyslexia
From the first edition of our book, The Dyslexic Advantage: "Early in school most—but not all—dyslexic children will show obvious struggles with reading and spelling. (A few, whom we’ve elsewhere called stealth dyslexics, have problems so subtle or “stealthy” that...
Highly Gifted with Dyslexia (It may not look like what you think!) [Premium]
A recent article caught my eye on CNBC. It was titled, 5 Signs Your Kid is ‘Highly Gifted’ According to Neuroscience Experts – ‘They’re Not Always Well-Behaved. From the article – the five signs: – asynchronous development – emotional depth and sensitivity at a young age – existential questioning – unique interests or a mature sense of humor – underachievement at school The author is from the Davidson Institute, a charity supporting profoundly gifted students (99.9th percentile). Davidson Scholars can be twice-exceptional (gifted with LD) which includes gifted students with dyslexia. Years ago when we had an international practice testing dyslexic students, we saw many gifted dyslexic students through the Davidson Institute. The definitions of highly and profoundly gifted may vary depending on what tests […]
Not Broken Movie: Interview with Gifted Filmmaker Lauren Havel
"In 2018, just after I turned thirteen, my mom signed me up for a film camp at a local private school. The moment I picked up a camera, I felt like I never wanted to put it down!" — Lauren Havel Recently, I had the chance to talk with an amazing young filmmaker,...
Florence Welch + The Machine Singer-Songwriter [Premium]
“Being a creative person and getting older, and wiser, has been an awakening. The older I get, the more self-assured I feel and the more confident I feel in my work and in life.” — Florence Welch Florence Welch is an English singer-songwriter who writes and sings songs that are steeped in folklore and fantasy imagery. She has spoken both about her dyslexia and dyspraxia in various interviews. Florence became a pop star at the age of 21 when she was discovered singing in a club bathroom. She would go on to have Grammy nominations and platinum records, but also had some tumultuous times with heartbreak. One of her breakthrough songs was Ship to Wreck (lyrics), after the breakup of a long term relationship. […]
In Memoriam: Beryl Bennaceraf, Ultrasound Pioneer
"What helped me was realizing that there was silver living, that it wasn't all negative....in radiology... pictures just speak to me. I can look at a picture and I can see the pattern. I can see things that nobody else can see." — Beryl Bennaceraf, MD With great...
Co-founder Brett Kopf’s Journey to Success with Remind and Omella
"...Can I just start off by making a blanket statement that I think dyslexia can be such a gift?" — Brett Kopf Brett Kopf is co-founder of Remind and Omella, two companies that grew out of his interest in solving problems that mission-driven organizations and...
Gifted with Dyslexia Middle School : Move Ahead or Fall Back? [Premium]
Question: My daughter is in middle school and although she’s qualified for advanced programs, I’m not sure whether it is a good idea to keep her in those classes or move her back. What should she do? Answer: For gifted dyslexic students, decisions on whether to move ahead or hold back depends on several factors. STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES First, it’s best to take an honest look at a student’s strengths and challenges. Students with very high conceptual and oral verbal abilities may find it frustrating being placed in classes that have little intellectual challenge or verbally-matched peers. Highly gifted twice-exceptional students may have trouble feeling that they fit in, but poor fits can also contribute significantly to poor self-esteem, behavioral problems, and mood disorders like […]
Intelligence Matters: Why Dyslexia Testing Should Include IQ
After the initial rush of excitement that dyslexia screening and funds for teacher training would come available to many public school students in the United States, there is now a steady wave of reality becoming apparent. What is passing for dyslexia screening varies...
Dyslexic Super Learners [Premium]
“This isn’t how I think either; this is how I have trained myself to think, because it works.” – Kevin Horsley, World Memory Champion and author of Unlimited Memory It seems surprisingly common that dyslexics are found among the world’s super-learners. It might be that all share a passion for understanding their memory strengths after suffering what may have been years in the school system, not realizing how to use their gifts. It also might be that dyslexics as a group have strengths in metacognition, especially when studied in selected groups like those found in universities. When Kirby and colleagues studied dyslexic and non dyslexic students in college, his study group of dyslexic students were more likely to use metacognition (i.e. thinking about their thinking), […]
No Small Project: Harvey Fite’s Opus 40
When I heard that what's been called America's Stonehenge, Opus 40, was hand-built by a dyslexic artist, I wasn't really surprised. A lot of dyslexics are grand slam-type creators. Harvey Fite spent half his life creating the Opus 40 Sculpture Park. He hand cut and...
The Visual Poetry of Rebecca Kamen
"It wasn't until I became a college professor myself that a friend and fellow teacher figured out that I had dyslexia... I go out in the world and learn through experience, such as talking to astrophysicists and neuroscientists in their laboratories." - Rebecca Kamen...