There are many bilingual or multilingual families who are also navigating a path through dyslexia. Bilingual students with dyslexia usually have similar problems in both languages, but some languages are “easier” to learn if the phonology and spelling are more predictable. So functionally, it is possible for a student to appear dyslexic in one language, but not so dyslexic in another. The focus of this article, is not whether a student should elect to learn a second language, and if so, when, but rather what challenges and potential benefits that bilingual dyslexic students do have to look forward to if they ultimately master two languages and also have their dyslexia remediated. LATER BLOOMING If dyslexic students as a group are considered late blooming in general […]
Literary Analysis: Great Dyslexic Book Reviewers [Premium]
I’m always on the look out for dyslexic strengths and advantages presented in new ways and I couldn’t help notice these two popular dyslexic book reviewers on YouTube. It’s beautiful seeing what they’re doing and there’s definitely a lot of complicated strengths that are showcased in their entertaining videos. The first example here is Merphy Napier’s literary analysis of the complicated character of Severus Snape. What an example of going deep into literary analysis and theory of mind! No wonder it’s so hard for many book-loving dyslexics (yes, they exist) to answer short answer questions. They are thinking and processing about so much. I wonder if it makes many dyslexic writers novelists rather than short prose writers. There are many paradoxes about the dyslexic mind […]
Tenet Actor John David Washington [Premium]
He’s not just Denzel’s son. John David Washington is the action hero of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet and former NFL running back, and one of Time Magazine’s NEXT 100 leaders who will shape the world’s future. And he’s also dyslexic. John David has talked about his dyslexia, usually mentioning things in passing – like how writing in different colors helps because he’s dyslexic – but he hasn’t discussed in-depth how he overcame the challenges of dyslexia and demands for things like sight-reading or learning scripts. He has said, though, that his mother, Paulette Washington helps him with every aspect of his career, including pre-reading scripts and helping him practice his lines. Interestingly, John David initially avoided acting because he didn’t want to be hired […]
Extraordinary Artist: Vincent [Premium]
“When you have dyslexia and you don’t know that’s what it is, you assume you’re not intelligent — and your self-confidence is taken away.” – Vincent Fantauzzo Vincent grew up in a crowded public housing flat with his mother and four siblings. He left school at 13, barely able to read and write, and got mixed up in street fights and general delinquency. “I spent my life hiding and hustling, feeling ashamed, not being good enough, not being smart enough and pretending to be someone I wasn’t…” – Vincent Fantauzzo While he was in school, Vincent remembered wanting to get kicked out of class rather than stand up and read aloud. He wondered why other students could read and he could not. “You can be dyslexic […]
Chat with Co-Founder of Remind, Brett Kopf
"I like to tell people I started the company in fifth grade. That's a lie. But, I was diagnosed with a bunch of learning disabilities as a kid and I really struggled in school. I had this teacher that totally changed my life, named Miss Whitefield. My parents were...
The Remarkable Maya Hawke
Maya was recently interviewed by Scott Simon for NPR and we loved that she pushed back on the phrase "suffer with dyslexia": "SIMON: I have read that your - that you suffer from dyslexia. HAWKE: I wouldn't say suffer. I would say it is, like, one of the great...
SING! Dyslexia and Song
What is the connection between dyslexia and music? If you ask some families, dyslexia and musical talent go hand-in-hand. There can also be challenges in music, in particular with reading music; however, the strengths can be seen in areas such as musicality,...
Understanding Your Dyslexic Advantages Have Implications for Action and Leadership
As it turns out, the advantages that come with being dyslexic are not little skills that don't amount to something. In fact, just the opposite. The advantages and abilities that come with dyslexic thinking are "big hairy audacious" skills if you've heard about that...
Dancing with Dyslexia
"Life is short, so go for things you enjoy..." - Dame Darcey Bussell Q: Do you have any helpful strategies for dance? There can be a number of extra challenges that come with dyslexia when learning dance. SUGGESTIONS FOR LEARNING STEPS Some of the issues have...
Dyslexics Better at Landscape Memory
In a recent issue of the journal, Dyslexia, there's an interesting little paper entitled The Effect of Landscape Photograph Type on Aesthetic Judgements, Attention, and Memory of Children with Dyslexia. Interestingly, "both groups recognized all photograph types at a...
READING WITH COMICS
"Dyslexics like myself can’t learn anything without a narrative to hold on to. Why am I being given this information? What does it do? What is it relevant to? What similar thing should I store it next to in my head?" - Jay Stringer, Book Riot Jay Stringer has a a...
Dyslexics Thinkers to Meet the Demands of the Future
CNBC had a welcome article about how important dyslexic employees are for increasing demands for creative thinking, design, and leadership. Their review was based on the Ernst and Young research paper The Value of Dyslexia. Excerpt: "dyslexic individuals have...
