Late blooming is a typical profile for dyslexic young people because their talents and their challenges are all over the place – and things you’re supposed to learn in school (reading, writing, arithmetic) are difficult if not impossible to automate.
Writing: Narrowing the Open-Ended Prompt
Before Structured Literacy: Auditory Training [Premium]
How Dyslexia Can Affect Speech [Premium]
Although reading and writing have been the emphasis in dyslexia, dyslexia can affect speaking in many ways. First, because dyslexia can affect auditory processing – children or adults mishear sounds in spoken language and these errors can be heard in mispronunciation mistakes. But mispronunciations can also occur due to phonological difficulties. In addition, the rapid automatized naming (RAN) difficulties described as part of a “double-deficit” in some individuals with dyslexia causes significant trouble with retrieving words, leading to pauses and saying the wrong words and a general irregular pace of speech. The tests for RAN involve having subjects quickly name pictures that they easily recognize and know the names for. RAN difficulties can predict later reading problems, and at any age, it can contribute to […]
VISUAL THINKING AND INNOVATION: THOMAS WEST and BRANDON KING
Tom was one of the early pioneers in the dyslexia strengths movement. In an earlier interview, I learned from Tom about how he first heard about the word "dyslexia." A relatively new friend of his in Washington DC was describing his son. At the time, Tom said he...
VISUAL THINKING AND INNOVATION: THOMAS WEST and BRANDON KING
Dyslexic Advantage is in for a treat on August 21st when DA Board member and author Thomas G West and robotics innovator Brandon King hold an exclusive event for donors online to raise funds for Dyslexic Advantage. Sign up HERE. Tom was one of the early...
Calculator Use: Accommodation or No? [Premium]
A teacher writes, “I have a new student who transferred from a public charter school. She has an IEP accommodation for a calculator use for anything involving math calculations. But I’m wondering whether providing a calculator is changing standards? Is she learning how to use a calculator rather than learning how to do math? Where do we draw the line?” I’m glad you asked this question. I think more teacher and parents ask themselves this question than you may realize. Dyscalculia is one of the least recognized “specific learning disabilities.” In the past ten years, there’s been a revolution in our understanding of the scientific basis of dyscalculia, but in day-to-day practice, there’s remarkably little in the way of practical guidance for both teachers and […]
Creativity and Its Connection Dyslexia, ADD / ADHD, and Low Working Memory [Premium]
Creative companies and groups seem to have higher than average representation of people with dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, and low working memory. Dyslexia is associated with increased divergent and exploratory thinking, but what does ADD/ ADHD or low working memory have to do with creativity? A tech person might ask – is it a bug or a feature? We think it’s a feature, just like dyslexia.If dyslexia, ADD/ADHD and low working memory were all bad, you wouldn’t see an over-representation in creative industries. Attention and working memory have been suggested to be two sides of a neural coin. While attention is like a spotlight directed at certain parts of the outside world, working memory is like a spotlight directed at internal thoughts, information, or instructions. HIGH FUNCTIONING […]
Beyond Behavior: Attention, Working Memory, or Something Else?
The problem with trying to diagnose with behavioral checklists is that behavior can result from many different sources. If you have a 3rd grader trying to focus on reading, but he looks out the window and doesn't make much progress - is it poor attention, working...
Ottawa Architect Andrew Reeves of Linebox Studio
"It's a different way of seeing the world and it's very powerful. What I want to get across is it's more of a gift. It's not a struggle. It's not a disease. It's not a thing that prevents you from doing well in life." — Andrew Reeves, Architect and CEO of Linebox...
What to Do This Summer?
What should you do this summer? The answer depends a lot on you and your students. Summertime is a great time for families because it usually means getting out and about and getting together with friends and families. For students who may have been spending so much of...
Ready, Set… Go! From High School to College [Premium]
Whether you’re a student who is just starting high school or preparing to transition to college, there are three important skills to cultivate: SELF-KNOWLEDGE First, there is self-knowledge. – What do you know about how you learn best? – What interests you the most? It may not be the class where you’re doing the best. Performance may be related to factors like the capabilities of the teacher or how knowledge is tested. – Looking back on your time in school, have there been any things that stand out? Classes or activities outside of class that you loved? – Are there any role models in your life? What do you like about what they do and how they live their lives? – What are your strengths […]
