Dyslexia IS a gift, It is NOT a disability

[Betty Blue]

I can't believe his reading coach bonked him!!! As a teacher, I know that performance stress is the number one way to turn off a child's ability to learn a concept! I can't believe that was allowed! When my children got squirrelly we would go out side on a poetry quest or sometimes I would just have them play a five minute game of silent speed ball to flush the stress.

Well it certainly sounds like you are one of the more conscientious teachers. It is always very reassuring to hear there are teachers like you out there.
The whole "bonking on the head" issue was underplayed by the school, they closed ranks and suggested my son had made it up, the class teacher said it didn't sound like something his 1-2-1 would do and he hadn't seen it.
I know it really happened as two parents (that i didn't even know) approached me and told me about it as their kids had said it wasn't fair. My son felt embarrased and thought it was his fault.
He was even taken out of class one day (after i started kicking up a fuss about his treatment by the staff) by the acting head and a teacher and told he had to try harder because he was making the teachers look like they were not helping him.
The list goes on and on.
I seriously thought about going to press with it and taking the school/authority to court but in the end i didn't want to drag other pupils through the process of being questioned about it especially as they had to keep attending the school.

I would love to know the name of the program you are using. I actually started the book The Gift of Dyslexia about a year ago but didn't finish it. It was definitely a refreshing way of looking at Dyslexia.

It that same one, the Davis program. My son has progressed more in literacy ina few months with the program than he did in the whole time he was his last school-and he is 10.

Thanks for your support. I would love to hear more stories about your son and what did and didn't work for him.

Well the initial problem was that his previous school did not recognise his dyslexia and positively told me he didn't have it, i was even told by one ed psych that dyslexia was only for middle class white kids-what a load of tosh!
They said he had problems across the board, which was rubbish. He was brilliant in science,art,design and very good in maths too. His class teacher said his mental maths was astounding. The difficulties arouse in any written format of anything. E.g he could not report his science finding on paper. His maths was a problem when it came to writing the sums. It all related to literacy. It wasn't until i presented a report (which i had to do privately) to the senco of the school, which showed he had very severe dyslexia, that they actually admitted he needed some assistance.
To be honest it was a battle for everything.
I would strongly advise NOT going over and over phonics programs, it was a real source of stress for my son and it dosn't work for many dyslexic individuals. Sounding out words is very important but most phonics programs are awful.

I'm so glad you find the info helpful, if theres anything specific you want to ask please do. Also i'm not sure if you are aware that if your child is statemented you actually have a much better chance of getting them into a school of your choice i.e a dyslexia friendly one. A bit of info i WISH i had known sooner.
P.s if you are interested in the Davis program i would recommend investigating it asap, i think the age to start is around 8? not totally sure, you may be able to start it at home sooner, i know that in the pioneer schools they start it at reception/year one age.

 

[Betty Blue]

I suppose I'll go take a look then. My intelligence and memory, though, are very common in my family so sorry if I still see this as more of a problem than a gift.

Genitically both intelligence and dyslexia are passed on through families, not necessarily together. It's worth checking out just to see a different approach. I have given the book to a friend of mine that i went to school with. She is also highly intelligent and believed her dyslexia something she would always struggle with. The book has really changed things for her and given her a totally different perspective, as she look at it with an open mind. I'm sure some people will find it difficult to believe that there is a way that works so effectively that has not been previously used but thats the nature of discovery.

 

[runvardh]

Genitically both intelligence and dyslexia are passed on through families, not necessarily together. It's worth checking out just to see a different approach. I have given the book to a friend of mine that i went to school with. She is also highly intelligent and believed her dyslexia something she would always struggle with. The book has really changed things for her and given her a totally different perspective, as she look at it with an open mind. I'm sure some people will find it difficult to believe that there is a way that works so effectively that has not been previously used but thats the nature of discovery.

I'm the only one I know of right now in the family; above average intelligence, on the other hand, is ubiquitous - especially on my father's side. My younger brother is smarter than me and reading is no problem for him at all.

 

[Betty Blue]

I'm the only one I know of right now in the family; above average intelligence, on the other hand, is ubiquitous - especially on my father's side. My younger brother is smarter than me and reading is no problem for him at all.

Sorry i don't understand weather you mean there is a lot of dyslexia on your fathers side or intelligence? or both? bit confused.
In regards to your brother i really can't comment on who is smarter but define smart, do you mean in everything?
Often dyslexic peoples self confidence in their own abilities is low due to negative experiences starting in school. The friend i mentioned earlier always thought she was the least intelligent in her family, funnily enough her mother never thought that. She has recently discussed it with her mother and was really shocked to find that out. I'm not saying it will be the same in your case but it is common for dyslexic individuals to believe they are less intelligent than they are.

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”

 

[Windigo]

I'm so glad you find the info helpful, if theres anything specific you want to ask please do. Also i'm not sure if you are aware that if your child is statemented you actually have a much better chance of getting them into a school of your choice i.e a dyslexia friendly one. A bit of info i WISH i had known sooner.
P.s if you are interested in the Davis program i would recommend investigating it asap, i think the age to start is around 8? not totally sure, you may be able to start it at home sooner, i know that in the pioneer schools they start it at reception/year one age.

Your whole experience with the school systems sounds positively awful. I have to admit though I shouldn't be surprised. I was actually laid off from my junior high teaching position. Two months before they laid me off the admin met with me to tell me that my English program was shoddy and not up to par . . . that parents were complaining.

I never did figure out who those parents were because most of them told me I was their child's favorite teacher. Go figure.

They gave me 3 things to improve upon.
More discipline/Less talk in the classroom.
No more talking to the kids in the parking lot after school (after all we hired you to be an english teacher not a counsellor).
And I wasn't allowed in the teacher's lounge because other teachers found me offensive!


I know that kids were telling their parents that my class was fun and we never did any work . . . however no admin ever observed my class until after I was laid off and the few teachers who did were impressed at what the kids were actually learning and told me it was more than the kids had ever learned in english before!

Also the end of the year showed that I had brought up SAT scores (10 - 25%) across the board in the 3 areas they told me the children were struggling with when I was first hired. Vocabulary, Listening Skills & Writing! And none of my students were below basic in any category in fact 25% were advanced! And these were not gifted classes! Only a few other teachers acknowledged my contribution . . . the admin never did.

So I guess, in the end I was labeled a trouble maker because I was telling admin what they needed to do to make their school more effective, but because I didn't have the masters/ph.d I was supposed to keep my mouth shut!

That's why there's no good teachers. They only keep the ones who protect the system/not the kids.:steam:

Anyway, enough of my rant. I would love to know more about Davis. I've been using Hooked on Phonics at home. She's just turned 7. And like your son she's amazing at hands on math--counting by 8s and solving complex problems, but she can't get the answers right on paper!

 

[runvardh]

Sorry i don't understand weather you mean there is a lot of dyslexia on your fathers side or intelligence? or both? bit confused.
In regards to your brother i really can't comment on who is smarter but define smart, do you mean in everything?
Often dyslexic peoples self confidence in their own abilities is low due to negative experiences starting in school. The friend i mentioned earlier always thought she was the least intelligent in her family, funnily enough her mother never thought that. She has recently discussed it with her mother and was really shocked to find that out. I'm not saying it will be the same in your case but it is common for dyslexic individuals to believe they are less intelligent than they are.

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”

I mean dyslexia is rare to near not existant in my family, yet intelligence is almost what my family is known for.

 

[Betty Blue]

Your whole experience with the school systems sounds positively awful. I have to admit though I shouldn't be surprised. I was actually laid off from my junior high teaching position. Two months before they laid me off the admin met with me to tell me that my English program was shoddy and not up to par . . . that parents were complaining.

I never did figure out who those parents were because most of them told me I was their child's favorite teacher. Go figure.

They gave me 3 things to improve upon.
More discipline/Less talk in the classroom.
No more talking to the kids in the parking lot after school (after all we hired you to be an english teacher not a counsellor).
And I wasn't allowed in the teacher's lounge because other teachers found me offensive!

Oh my it sounds awful! How bizzare!


I know that kids were telling their parents that my class was fun and we never did any work . . . however no admin ever observed my class until after I was laid off and the few teachers who did were impressed at what the kids were actually learning and told me it was more than the kids had ever learned in english before!

How silly that parents would complain about a teacher that made their kids class fun! are you sure it was the parents or an excuse for the school?

Also the end of the year showed that I had brought up SAT scores (10 - 25%) across the board in the 3 areas they told me the children were struggling with when I was first hired. Vocabulary, Listening Skills & Writing! And none of my students were below basic in any category in fact 25% were advanced! And these were not gifted classes! Only a few other teachers acknowledged my contribution . . . the admin never did.

And there you have it! The end result is that the stats improved plus they had fun at the same time.
Wow, you must have been a terrible teacher (sarcasm)

So I guess, in the end I was labeled a trouble maker because I was telling admin what they needed to do to make their school more effective, but because I didn't have the masters/ph.d I was supposed to keep my mouth shut!

Right! so this is a huge problem that we face today in schooling. I don't understand how they could lay you off, the parents really should have lobbied to keep you there, i certainly would have. What is with the fear of improvement, people are so narrow minded.

That's why there's no good teachers. They only keep the ones who protect the system/not the kids.:steam:

I agree with this, in my sons last school we had a really good teacher. One day, years befor we left, she confided in me that she was leaving because she couldn't work with the school and she even said we should try to find an alternative. I was a bit befuddled at the time but in hindsight i wish i took it more seriously.
Another person who still works at my sons last school, not as a teacher but she works with building up confidence, told a friend of mine that she knew my son hadn't been recieving the support he should have been. She also said that she thought they were treating him badly but she was careful how she phrased it.

Anyway, enough of my rant. I would love to know more about Davis. I've been using Hooked on Phonics at home. She's just turned 7. And like your son she's amazing at hands on math--counting by 8s and solving complex problems, but she can't get the answers right on paper!

The phonics we did was jolly phonics, we did it 12 times with no improvement only frustration. He did it mainly at his last school but i also did it at home with him at the suggestion of the school. I did this for ages, (and wholeheartedly) until i got to a point where i just had to ask them to stop because it was becomming such a source of anxiety. We now do the Davis program for 15 mins a day and my son looks forward to it. It's so refreshing.

 

[Betty Blue]

I mean dyslexia is rare to near not existant in my family, yet intelligence is almost what my family is known for.

Ok well i really don't know too much about your family but it's nice to be well known for being an intelligent family. It just seems that you are down on your own intelligence because you have dyslexia? It feels that way to me anyway.
But far from detract from intelligence i think dyslexia/dyslexic thinking really adds another depth to intelligence.

 

[runvardh]

Ok well i really don't know too much about your family but it's nice to be well known for being an intelligent family. It just seems that you are down on your own intelligence because you have dyslexia? It feels that way to me anyway.
But far from detract from intelligence i think dyslexia/dyslexic thinking really adds another depth to intelligence.

Eh, it's more something I feel I'm having to waste the intelligence on which may be adding depth in that I have to use to get along in the world. Hopefully I remember to get that damn book tonight...

 

[Betty Blue]

Eh, it's more something I feel I'm having to waste the intelligence on which may be adding depth in that I have to use to get along in the world. Hopefully I remember to get that damn book tonight...

Tie a piece of string around your finger,

 

[Alwar]

Dyslexia and stuff

There is a book called In The Mind's Eye by Thomas West you might be interested in. If I recall, he goes in depth about many accomplished people who had what are considered serious limitations. People like Einstein, Churchhill, Tesla, Faraday, Maxwell, Edison etc. Been awhile since I read it though.

 

[Betty Blue]

There is a book called In The Mind's Eye by Thomas West you might be interested in. If I recall, he goes in depth about many accomplished people who had what are considered serious limitations. People like Einstein, Churchhill, Tesla, Faraday, Maxwell, Edison etc. Been awhile since I read it though.

Excellent, i'll look it up, thank you.

 

[Windigo]

The phonics we did was jolly phonics, we did it 12 times with no improvement only frustration. He did it mainly at his last school but i also did it at home with him at the suggestion of the school. I did this for ages, (and wholeheartedly) until i got to a point where i just had to ask them to stop because it was becomming such a source of anxiety. We now do the Davis program for 15 mins a day and my son looks forward to it. It's so refreshing.

Of course the teacher had to be careful of how she phrased the fact that your son's school basically screwed him over. Libel is such a horrible thing to be accused of.

I wasn't allowed to tell the parents I had been laid off (I was indirectly threatened) so it came as a real shock to many of them. My daughter is in touch with some of the kids from the school and was told yesterday that the yearbook class had voted me the best teacher! LOL!

The problem with a lot of schools is that they tend to attract mindless gutless rule followers into the admin positions. . . . I'm not bitter . . . really.

Anyway, in the end it's all about money, just like everything else.

Your son sounds like he has been blessed with a wonderful mother.
And it looks as though he is very talented. There's a list on the internet of famous people with dyslexia maybe one day his name will be on it.

Thank you for the tips on the Davis program. I can hardly wait to get it!

 

[Riva]

I sometimes wish I am a dyslexic. due to psychological advantages such as lack of peer pressure.

Peer pressure I must say is the most overwhelming burden one would have. Especially a child.

Parents usually encourage their children to grow academically. Even if it is not the wish of the child. So a dyslexic child would not be pressured out of his/her dream to become an -

Actor - Anthony Hopkins
Businessmen - Ingvar Kamprad.

Dyslexics could simply spread their wings and fly.

 

[Ayeaye]

As something i feel very passionately about, i have the need to start a thread about Dyslexia and the fact that it is a gift.
I am not dyslexic although i sometimes wish i were, i feel this way because of the journey i have taken in understanding what dyslexia is and means.
I have a ten year old son who is (severley) dyslexic. He scores above average in iq tests despite the fact that (until recently) his reading age was 6 and writing age was approx 5 (or ungraded). In all his visual/spatial tests he has consistantly scored in the "gifted" range. I don't need a test to see that my son is gifted. At the age of three the nursery staff brough in 100 piece jigsaw puzzles for him to do as the 12 piece ones did not challange him, infact the 100 piece ones were still not very challanging. At the age of 6 he still could not write his name, until just recently he still reversed and mixed the letters in his name.
He is incredibly creative and at the age of 5 could independantly do complex lego sets for 12+ year olds using the visual instructions.
He also has amazing abilities in many other areas, he is a total whizz at chess amoungst other things.
The school he was in (i took him out) humiliated him and it got to the point that he would cry and get stomach aches every morning befor we even set out.

Ok, so thats my personal experience regarding my son, i also know many other dyslexics (including other family relations) and have since done some research on the topic.

My gripe is this, in the majority (not all) of schools

School education systems are archaic in their teaching styles, they are consistantly letting down up to 10% of the population in their inability to educate dyslexic children in literacy and they inadvertantly discriminate against them.
It is not just schools but work places too.
The reason this grates my very being so much is that by doing this fail to see the giftedness of dyslexic individuals.
Non dyslexics have a lot to learn.

I know people are starting to understand but many people still see dyslexia as a learning dissability instead of learning difference.
Infact the style suited to teaching a dyslexic child is also suited to all children and actually achieves higher literacy/numeracy results in ALL children. It is not the children themselves that have the problem but merely an outdated schooling system failing to keep up with giftedness.

YouTube - dysTalk Talks Dyslexia Disability Or Gift


[YOUTUBE="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAlO0nEZfIA"][/YOUTUBE]

ello your son sounds very bright,,I think Dyslexia originates from using a range of different words for the same name Ie : There / Their

There are four balls
Their are four boys

Each statement is totally clear,4,, what follows is what? Balls/Boys

So next

? 8 versions

4 balls 4 4 boys

The answer is books intended for adult level obtained education are in time creeping into the early
eduction system in language and writing,,your child is picking + , subliminal message & = ,, ?

=

<>This has arose from william esq who personally cannot be blamed,, but we can for promoting * works in > generations to <<< = 0 or no / the abacus system from basic .

b ?, = 0 or no,,Simply 0 = 0 dyslexia = level 1 sum = + * (star) 4 child

example or x

in the beginning god created the heavens and earth

as you can see in the bible neither have capitals,,pomp introduced them during the time of pomp to give status to london,, london itself adds status hence no need

basic 2 basically = 0 x

i wish to move away from the basic introduction to children of numerical and literal language systems

= abacus

what happened basically
lennox will testify
will wanted
+ > london
fucker in a wig thought
=
did
will begged
male fucks
wigs
make up
over ruled him

= 1 nil (0)

jock

& (in)

sock

quick draft

hope it helps

C

0

see

Israel <> is real
genesis <> is genes
adam <> eve
=
mad eve
day before

mutha fuckers

me

Allah

a hall = all

The names Christopher & Jes(us) = u =

dumped

u

bin

keep britain tidy

please

 

[Betty Blue]

There is a book called In The Mind's Eye by Thomas West you might be interested in. If I recall, he goes in depth about many accomplished people who had what are considered serious limitations. People like Einstein, Churchhill, Tesla, Faraday, Maxwell, Edison etc. Been awhile since I read it though.

Finally got this book a couple of weeks ago after a long wait for delivery to my local waterstones. Reading it currently, its fascinating. I found your favourite Einstein quote in there which makes perfect sense set in the context of the book and is really quite entertaining. I will post about it once i have finished reading it, it has much valuable information i wish to share.

 

[celesul]

Like many, I find your romanticizing of dyslexia rather troubling. I have mild dyslexia and more substantial ADHD. While I am not severely adhd and I am not unusually impulsive, both have caused substantial difficulties in school. I wasn't diagnosed until age 11 because my older brother has more severe adhd and dyslexia, so mom didn't realize that my milder situation was still a problem. She figured it out when I made it very clear that school was not my cup of tea. Being diagnosed as gifted ld and adhd was a huge relief--my teachers knew I was above average but they generally thought that my lack of achievement was a result of laziness. Some continued to think so, but I had enough understanding teachers that I felt better about school. Mind, that didn't mean they went easy on me, especially as my evaluation showed that I was rather more gifted than they had thought, but they didn't try to make my problems seem like a moral failure.

I was far from a child prodigy: I read late, did math late, and talked late. Phonics did nothing for me. I took Chinese my freshman year and excelled because I essentially have to learn English the same way, but in English it is assumed that you can sound out words and spell ones you hear. Interestingly, a close, very dyslexic friend of mine found Chinese hell but understands Spanish well, as Spanish is a very logical language. I consider either much easier than English (well, Chinese is about as hard, but they understand the difficulty of it). I learned how to read decently at about age 9 and became very speedy by age 12. However, my written and spoken vocabularies are a little different. I cannot easily associate the pronunciation with the spelling of a word (and writing without spell check is just a mess). My extensive reading has allowed me to acquire a large vocabulary and I was probably the only dyslexic kid in my schools spelling bee (the qualification thing was written. I wasn't allowed to write at the actual thing. ). I was also the first one to be eliminated.

I started meds for adhd right before high school started. They taught me how to switch mindsets more easily, and now I'm quite functional even off of meds but I cannot sit still without them. When I get a job, I'm going to get one that I don't need to have meds for (there are certain things I love enough to hyperfocus on, and then the problem is remember to eat and sleep, not being distracted).

I am to some degree a success story, but what you don't see on the surface is the hell I went through. I went through constant scoldings about not trying hard enough. I only learned to read because I became the target of bullying in 2nd grade. I became an excellent reader as books were my only refuge and my teachers at the time decided I was at fault for my social ineptness (apparently standing up for another kid reveals some sort of lack of skill. I switched schools after that). Sure, I learned to read. I also dealt with social anxiety and depression from age 8 to 14. Then I finally started to heal. I'm still more sensitive than I'd like, which is rough as an ENTP, as it limits my social life even more. School was hell until high school, when I started meds and school focused more on logic than memory, ability over organization.

The reason I say I'm a success story is that I'm going to a top college next year and I've found passions, in math and cs mostly. (when I say top college, I mean the sort that is ranked in the top 10 regularly in the silly college ratings. They seem based mostly on reputation. Regardless, it is a top research institution.) I'm finally improving my social life. Everything is coming together, finally. But do you want to know why?

When you cite highly successful dyslexics, you assume that they dyslexia is the cause. I'd say it usually isn't. However, dealing with dyslexia effectively teaches you a ton. I learned how to work my ass off even if I didn't see any results for a while. I learned how to modify systems to allow me to function as I need to. (stuff like getting teachers to let my use alternative organization systems, which they aren't fond of before high school). I am extremely well liked by my teachers, to the degree that they'll let me get away with a lot. In one of my classes, I never have to take or turn in notes, unlike everyone else, as long as I get good grades. The notes hinder me, so I talked to him about allowing me to not do them, and he was obliging. I learned to be calm when nothing worked, because I've had years which just seemed like train wrecks. Sure, I've learned how to be successful. That's not a result of my disabilities, it's a result of learning to cope with all the shit life can throw at you at a really early age. The real life lessons my classmates haven't yet learned I've already mastered.

Essentially, for the first 14 years I was riding a roller coaster without the harness everyone else has. I learned how to cling on for dear life and found a seat belt, which is how I've been operating since. The harnesses all break eventually, and then people who have been complacently enjoying the views have to learn how to cope. I've already learned how to do that, so I have an advantage. However, think of how hard it would be to ride without a harness, or even a seat belt. I learned how to cope, but most people get thrown off, or at least really hurt. I only ever got scratched. My friend is functional but I think her experiences have made her doubt her ability to be happy. I had bad times, but I healed. Most people have those problems at ages they are more prone to giving up. At my age, it wasn't an option. I healed, which is the important thing. But would I rather have been just your basic above average rather happy kid than a struggling but ultimately successful person? I think so. Learning to succeed despite dyslexia gives you tons of skills, but it's not an experience I would wish on anyone. A lot of the things that forced me to succeed so far beyond anyone's expectations where the same things that put me through hell.

And that is a crazy long post. Anyway, I'm not saying that's what everyone's experiences are, but I think the success a lot of people with LD have (as in, they either struggle or soar) is a result of learning effective life skills at an early age and thus having more experience in those, not a result of natural gifts. Sure, your kid may be gifted, but my sister and I are both gifted. She doesn't have any sort of ld. I'd prefer that, really. I hope that the OP's son has a much easier time than this: it sounds as though you have been helping him learn more skills so he isn't having such an awful time. Just please realize he will have a very hard time sometimes and be ready to do some constructive problem solving when he struggles. It'll happen, but he'll fare much better if it's addressed effectively and quickly.

 

[Betty Blue]

Just wanted to add a quick update to this thread. I have now been doing the Davis program for approx 6 months with my son. Last week he volunteered to stand up and read aloud his story he had written himself during class. He had confidence and read it word perfectly, his teacher was full of praise and i am very proud. This is a long way from not being able to read the alphabet or write more than a couple of words.
He also has made it through as one of the schools top chess players, to the uk chess mega finals. There are a further two finals to go through so it's not winning the title but for a child who hasn't been in the chess club and has only played a handful of games it's fabulous. I am so pleased that he is finally getting some recognition for his intelligence and creativity rather than only negative feedback for the things he used to struggle so much with.

@celesul
Please do not think for one second that i down play anyones difficulty and utter distress they encounter due to having dyslexia. It seems to me that for the majority of people with dyslexia it's the inneficiency of the schooling system which hampers their education. Yes of course individuals without dyslexia are also gifted, i do not argue otherwise.
There is a specific set of skills, which do vary from person to person but for the main are fairly speific, which dyslexic individuals have and my gripe is that they are not picked up on and more often than not dyslexic individuals are seen and treated as stupid, lazy and unable to learn. More often than not the opposite is true.
Most dyslexic individuals test as average or above average intelligence despite differences in learning style and the effect that it has on standard IQ tests.
The two most common areas of highly developed skills in dyslexics are spatial and picture thinking. I am curious if it is these skills that yourself and your sister have? or if they are different?
I do not know very much about ADHD apart from the personal experience i had with having a partner with ADHD and also dyslexia. I do wish i knew then what i now know so that i could have been a better help to him.

 

[ObeyBunny]

My philosophy is that if you're forced to lift heaver weights, you end up getting stronger.

 

[uumlau]

I googled the thread title and found this: Dyslexia is not a disability, it's a gift | Sally Gardner | Opinion | The Guardian

This is an opinion piece by a dyslexic author. Yes, you read that right.