“When I was eight years old, a school psychologist gave me a bit of advice about my brain. He said I may have a form of brain damage, and he wanted to send me to a special class. I was a classic dyslexic: I wasn't born with a good memory, and I couldn't concentrate;...
From High School Drop-Out to VP of Engineering [Premium]
There are some people who are so insightful into their cognitive processes that talking to them is pure gold. Gary MacGregor is one of those people - he's a VP of an electronic device company and recent PhD recipient from the University of Texas at Austin. He has a...
Finding the Positive
Before the holidays, I received an email from parents of a student that we tested almost ten years ago. They were celebrating their recent news of his acceptance into his college "dream" pick. Things had looked very different a decade ago, but since that time, I know...
The Social-Emotional Side of Dyslexia [Premium]
"A lot of the time I take the parts of learning that are still hard for me as rejection — as someone telling me I can’t. I see points taken off for misspelled words on in-class English essays, and I start to see my future crumbling. I see the colleges that my dyslexia...
Made by Dyslexia: Kate Griggs
Social entrepreneur Kate Griggs from the UK has a new book called "This is Dyslexia." Recently, Fernette had the chance to catch up with Kate Griggs, founder of the global charity Made by Dyslexia. It's mission is to "help the world to understand, value and...
Master Storyteller and Teacher Caldecott Winner Jerry Pinkney
"I truly believe dyslexia made me the achiever I am in my art, and it made me who I am as a person..." - Jerry Pinkney It is with great sadness that we learned that Jerry Pinkney, one of the greats of children illustration passed away in October at the age of...
No Small Project: Harvey Fite’s Opus 40
When I heard that what's been called America's Stonehenge, Opus 40, was hand-built by a dyslexic artist, I wasn't really surprised. A lot of dyslexics are grand slam-type creators. Harvey Fite spent half his life creating the Opus 40 Sculpture Park. He hand cut and...
Dyslexia and Motivation [Premium]
"Self-esteem and motivation are important in a child with dyslexia. It is important that they not feel like a failure just because their mind thinks in a different way. It is important to understand what dyslexia is in order to be able to understand the importance of...
Breaking the Cycle of Shame
"How do you not to feel stupid when everyone else is learning something that you can't grasp at the same pace? The shame of not being able to read out loud without stuttering or misspelling something on the blackboard in front of the class was almost unbearable. The...
A Career of Compassion: Behavioral Health Nurse Toni Howell
I first came across Toni from an article that I read in Minority Nurse. Toni had been writing about the successes and challenges of dyslexia and the nursing profession. I was impressed by the tenacity Toni showed when on her circuitous path through an accelerated...
The Many Faces of Actor Paul Bettany
I finally had a chance to catch up on Avengers: Infinity War so I could write an article on amazing Paul Bettany. Paul plays so many different characters so well that I often don't realize that he was the same actor in so many different roles. After long being heard...
The Visual Poetry of Rebecca Kamen
"It wasn't until I became a college professor myself that a friend and fellow teacher figured out that I had dyslexia... I go out in the world and learn through experience, such as talking to astrophysicists and neuroscientists in their laboratories." - Rebecca Kamen...