Recently, I had a wonderful opportunity to chat with Sally Daunt, Chairwoman of the Music Committee of the British Dyslexia Association. We had been corresponding about dyslexia and choral groups and Sally had asked about how dyslexic strengths can manifest themselves in choral groups where singers had to fit into tightly controlled schedules of music, extensive sight reading, and music performances which could have limited opportunities for musical interpretation. From my discussion with Sally: “Many dyslexic musicians have difficulty with sight reading – and perhaps cathedral choirs might consider whether an absolute requirement is necessary in the audition process. Some who have difficulty with sight reading might be able to pick music up quite quickly having heard a version once. In theater companies, […]
Careers Advice: From Fellow Dyslexics
As things are opening up again, many will consider what they really want from their careers. If you haven't taken our job survey before, please consider doing it HERE. It is for dyslexic adults only. Here is the sampling of jobs from...
Mind Wandering, Reading, and Dyslexia
“My mind is very visual: I can see anything in pictures, and I always visualize things. I can’t help it. It’s how I’m wired. So whatever you talk about, I’ll see pictures in my head. Very vivid, colorful, lifelike pictures. They aren’t still pictures. I can make them move. Reality, fiction, whatever. I really have to pull it back in to get focused. It was also a problem in the classroom because I’d sit there and imagine where I’d want to be, and what I’d want to do, and what I wanted to become, and I’d think happy thoughts, and I’d just be tuned out the whole time in class.” – Dyslexic CEO Glenn Bailey Does this sound like you or does this not […]
Steven Erickson LEGO Master Season Two!
Congratulations to Steven Erickson and his brother Mark who won a coveted spot on the second season of Lego Masters to compete for $100,000. Steven and his brother Mark have long been known to the LEGO community. You can find Steven HERE. I have...
Inspiration: Tech Executive John Edgar
As Chief Technology Evangelist and VP of Strategy at Digital Ocean, John Edgar helped grow the company from #1000 to #2 cloud provider in the world (second only to Amazon). How did he do it and how did he arrive at the top of his profession in technology, after leaving high school feeling as if he could never get accepted as a computer science major? Look at John’s references on LinkedIn today and you’ll see some impressive recommendations from tech industry leaders. For example: “In the year that John and I worked together at DigitalOcean, he transformed from growing the tech evangelism team from nascent to one of the company’s most critical and lucrative marketing channels, to a self driven one man fixer who successfully […]
Dyslexia at College: Chat With Xinru at Brown [Premium]
Recently I had the pleasure of talking to Xinru about dyslexia, college, and computer languages. Xinru’s currently studying both music and computer sciences at Brown University, an Ivy League university that is known for its “Open Curriculum” – that allows students to choose their personal course of study. But briefly, I found her when she posted her 10 Ways to Code with ADHD and Dyslexia (see below). She talks so fast, at times I had to listen to her on 1/2 speed; I think that means she’s a fast thinker too! Xinru first came to the US when she was just 8 years old; although she had trouble reading and writing in the early grades, she said she could “get away with” saying that she […]
Inspiration: Dyslexia At Oxford
This is an extraordinary collection of 21 interviews of people at Oxford. We should never underestimate the potential of people with dyslexia. The talents,...
Resilience and Emotional Intelligence
There's some great advice in this online webinar from Emotional Intelligence Coach (and also dyslexic!) Monique Wintle Camp. Some highlights: Be alert to signs of stress...
Surviving and Thriving in Hybrid Classrooms
With the rise in vaccinations, many schools have opened with a hybrid schedule which has some pros and cons for dyslexic students. ONLINE ASSIGNMENTS - GROUP PARTICIPATION and AUDIO The reduction in written assignments since of the start of the pandemic has...
Homeschooling or Modified Schooling?
This is an older post from when students were heading back to school after the pandemic. We'll keep it up in case it's helpful for other families considering homeschooling or modified schooling First off, it's best to be aware that there is rarely a perfect...
Legendary Sea Explorer Dr. Robert Ballard
"I grew up wanting to be Captain Nemo from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea..." "I wish everyone recognized that dyslexia has its advantages." - Robert Ballard It's not just Bob's accomplishments that make his autobiography so compelling, but his focus, resilience,...
Guiding and Teaching Tortoises and Hares [Premium]
Now the preceding article might suggest that the issue of processing speed is a simple one for individual students, but as George Dorry alluded to in his article, The Tortoise Hypothesis, there may be other factors involved. George’s article is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but he raises the practical complexities of trying to figure out just what is going on with a particular student. George again: “If you were hoping for a single benign explanation for processing speed difficulties, ‘abandon all hope ye who enter here’.” There are many to consider. As you read the following descriptions, remember that these hypotheses are not mutually exclusive. They may be co-occurring, or they only occur in some circumstances and not in others… Under ODD or Oppositional Defiant Disorder, […]
