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...
What Can Help with Working Memory Limitations?
Q: My 9 year old son is having trouble making progress in reading, writing, and Math because of working memory. What can help? Working memory is a type of memory that allows us to temporarily hold information 'in mind' to be used for other cognitive tasks. Some people...
Dyslexia and Music
"I'm dyslexic, so the notes just jump out at me. It's the same with words too. That's why the Key Editor in Cubase is the best thing for me as I see things in shapes and colors." — Grammy Award-winning composer producer Lorne Balfe Here in the United States, it's...
The Gift of Seeing People and Events from Multiple Perspectives [Premium]
There is a talent cluster that we’ve seen among dyslexics in diverse backgrounds, and it’s a gift of being able to see people and events from multiple perspectives. Within the MIND strengths framework, this could be in I for Interconnected Thinking, N for Narrative Thinking, or D for Dynamic Thinking. It is a gift to be able to visualize or or imagine a simulation of how people and events can be seen from different perspectives, and it allows empathy for people and situations that others might miss, or a connection of events that others see separately, and predictions that provide positive opportunities for bettering one’s situation or the world, or staving off problems. You might notice children who seem unusually empathetic or observant about the […]
Are There Any Group Activities That Benefit Dyslexic Students? [Premium]
Like non-dyslexic students, there can be a wide variations that exist between how students enjoy group activities. In general, extroverts love group activities, while introverts less so. But there are benefits from the selection of some activities that especially benefit dyslexic students. CREATE A POSITIVE CLASSROOM CULTURE FOR DIFFERENT LEARNERS First of all, it’s helpful to have a classroom culture that allows flexibility in learning and accepting of differences. Students can be encouraged to take a different approach while solving problems and demonstrating knowledge. A discussion about differences in learning at the beginning of the year can make students who know they learn differently, feel more welcome. Some teachers may also model their openness to solving problems or learning a different way. Offering students options […]
Dyslexia and Personal Relationships [Premium]
‘Dyslexic moments’ like in the BuzzFeed video with Becky and Corey may happen a lot depending on how significant dyslexia related challenges are. Besides car directions, there are little mistakes writing down phone numbers or addresses or jotting down notes. Supportive families know how to be flexible and roll with the unexpected. It’s not uncommon for people to wonder whether they should bring up their dyslexia as they get to know someone better. It’s not easy bringing up these things because it can call up all sorts of past memories of being in school and misunderstood, and chances are, a significant other may know little about dyslexia. Some people choose not to bring the subject up – while others may have not known they had […]
What is ‘Explicit’ Instruction and Why Does It Help with Dyslexia? [Premium]
If you look at almost any evidence-based guidelines for students with dyslexia, you’ll see the word ‘explicit’ in how instruction is delivered. Merriam’s Dictionary defines explicit as: “fully revealed or expressed without vagueness, implication, or ambiguity; leaving no question as to meaning or intent.” WHY IS EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION FOR DYSLEXIC STUDENTS? Remember that people with dyslexia tend to store information in explicit or declarative memory – with episodic memory areas being especially active. Activities that non-dyslexic people seem to acquire more effortlessly – like recognizing printed words, writing by hand, or retrieving math facts – are difficult if not impossible to learn without explicit instruction. For example, many non-dyslexic people may learn grammatical structure just through encountering different sentences when they are reading; dyslexic students, […]
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]
Dyslexia Wars: Attack on Dyslexia Definition
A brief note about about an article in Hechringer Report (also published in Scientific America). It is attacking the "unexpected" difficulty in reading (in the presence of average or above-average IQ) that has been a part of the dyslexia definition since its first...
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...