ChatGPT is an AI or Artificial Intelligence-based program that can interact with you like a human in back-and-forth conversation. For dyslexic creatives, the potential to help with organization is immense. There are cautions about the technology, but also...
Nick Koshnick: StoriedWork.com An AI Co-Pilot for Non-Linear Thinkers
Nick Koshnick is a Stanford PhD and seasoned entrepreneur who raised money from companies like Google and Andreessen, and then sold the company.. He's also dyslexic. Now, he's co-founded StoriedWork.com with business partner Frank Corrigan. Storied has been nicknamed...
Is There Anything I Shouldn’t Do? [Premium]
We’re often asked to give suggestions of activities or jobs that might be bad matches for people who are dyslexic, but the best answer is almost always, “It depends.” Dyslexic people tend to excel in creative activities that may include some or all of the MIND strengths (Material Reasoning, Interconnected Reasoning, Narrative Reasoning, Dynamic Reasoning). Difficult activities for dyslexics tend to include secretarial work because of its demands on proofreading and transcription, and rote repetitive jobs that require that tasks be done the same way every time. However, there are few absolute prohibitions when it comes to different activities or fields. In many fields or careers, challenges may arise, but in most cases these can be overcome with workarounds, technology, partnering with someone else, or […]
Don’t Do This: Dyslexia in The General Classroom [Premium]
With all the demands that teachers face regarding classroom management, and the pressures getting students up to speed in reading and math, dyslexic students may find themselves experiencing additional stress from common classroom practices. We now know that as a group, dyslexic children are more emotionally reactive than their classroom peers (UCSF research). In addition, we know that over half of dyslexic adults experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder when returning to school settings as parents. In the the Dyslexia at School study from Dyslexic Advantage, 43% of parents surveyed reported that their student was punished because of dyslexia-related challenges. What were some the punishments recorded? – given extra homework – physical seclusion (work in hallway or closet) – singled out in classroom to do […]
The Unexpected Nature of Dyslexia [Premium]
Question: My 5th Grader is Refusing Structured Literacy What Should I do? [Premium]
My 5th Grader is refusing structured literacy, what should I do? The following is general and not specific advice. The best advice comes from someone who knows your student and also knows in more detail what your student has been experiencing. REFUSING STRUCTURED LITERACY It’s generally accepted that structured literacy is the remediation of choice for students who are struggling significantly with reading and individual word decoding. There are many reasons why students may struggle with and ultimately give up on structured literacy. They may be depressed and worn out or mismatched with a curriculum, teacher or tutor. Sometimes what worked for a student in the past won’t work for them now because the progress is slow, or they decode sufficiently that they prefer to […]
Dyslexic Toymakers and Gamemakers
Many dyslexic kids and adults are great at games - all sorts of games. Not surprisingly, some decide to make games themselves and then some choose careers in some aspect of the game industry. There may be an ability to see game play from multiple perspectives...
Emotions: Name Them to Tame Them
One of the most neglected issues in the field of dyslexia is the topic of social and emotional health. We now know that as a group, dyslexic people are more emotionally sensitive than non-dyslexic people and because emotion memories may be so strong in dyslexic...
Super Teen Sophia Transforms Dyslexia Awareness in Oregon
"Just knowing the reason why you're having these issues makes a difference psychologically...that alone was kind of refreshing..." — Sophia, 16 Energized by her own recent identification of dyslexia, homeschooled teen Sophia decided to spread positive awareness of...
Redefining Dyslexia [Premium]
In the past year, there have been some remarkable papers published in the field of dyslexia. By and large, the changes seem to be good news and more inclusive of the diverse ways that dyslexia presents – including gifted individuals with dyslexia. But change is likely to be messy – and schools and educational and research groups are likely to different and present different information to students and their families. THE PENDULUM SWINGS AGAIN ON DISCREPANCY Although the earliest professional accounts about dyslexia recognized the unexpected connection of high intelligence with difficulties in reading, writing, and spelling, the dyslexia field has been involved in many warring opinions about whether cognitive tests are worthwhile. Without pointing fingers, many researchers and educational leaders over the years questioned […]
What About Audiobooks? Interview with Dyslexia Kit’s Yvonna Graham
"Audio books, turned out to be the most powerful tool I had in my toolkit." - Yvonna Graham, MEd., author Dyslexia Toolkit Despite the widespread availability of text-to-speech and audiobooks, it's only a small percentage of people who discover and use these tools....
The Mind Map in Your Brain [Premium]
Among professionals who work with dyslexic students, there have long been recommendations to mind map ideas. In recent basic neuroscience research, there’s been a growing understanding why. Neuroscientists have long studied how knowledge seems to work in the brain with schemas -or patterns that can form a flexible reference base that helps us understand new or existing knowledge or make decisions for how to act. But these schemas have largely been studied in a context of verbal memory – with only more recent insights into “the other schemas.” As it turns out there are a lot of other schemas and processes involving schema-making. They are non-verbal and spatial – and that is where the implications for dyslexic people may come into play. If you are […]