DYSLEXIA NEWSLETTER
January 2017
The Dyslexic Advantage
Did you know over 40% of the world’s billionaire’s are dyslexic? Why is that? The common myth is that people with dyslexia will never learn to read, spell, and will be continually slow to learn. So how is it that they have a higher percentage of raking in the dough!
Studies have shown that people with dyslexia will learn to read, spell, and gradually process information faster with intensive research based interventions. Although certain parts of the dyslexic brain prove troublesome, there are certain advantages to being born dyslexic. In Brock Eide M.D. and Fernette Eide M.D. book The Dyslexic Advantage they outline 4 strengths that work to the advantage of people with dyslexia.
• M-Strengths: Material Reasoning- The ability to mentally create and manipulate three-dimensional spatial perspectives.
• I-Strengths: Interconnected Reasoning- the ability to perceive more distant and unusual connections.
• N- Strengths: Narrative Reasoning- The ability to perceive information as mental “scenes” or episodic memory.
• D-Strengths: Dynamic Reasoning- The ability to accurately reconstruct past events that they didn’t witness or to predict future states.
Studies have shown people with dyslexia thrive in the work place as compared to the classroom setting because they can engage their strengths and avoid their weaknesses. They focus on the results rather than on methods. Due to their poor automaticity skills they are forced to rethink tasks and break them down to their fundamental principles which in turns help them to be great “out of the box” thinkers. This enables them to become big picture thinkers who can see the overall objects and ideas. Jobs that tend to fit individuals with dyslexia will stress problem solving, troubleshooting, fixing things, coming up with new ideas, thinking about what is missing, or not being addressed, and telling stories. Some examples of possible career choices are sales, counseling, coaching, advertising, teaching, and entrepreneurship.
WHAT DID YOU SAY?
Do you find that your dyslexic child not only leaves a trail of items behind them, but they can never seem to remember what you asked them or what you might have sent them for? A problem with short-term memory is a very common characteristic for a child with dyslexia. To help with committing important information to long term memory students need lots of repetition and visuals.
-For tasks that are repeated daily try posting a visual schedule or calendar.
-When sending your child on an errand be very short and precise with your words, and have them repeat the directions back to you. If that does not work try breaking your task into smaller segments, and gradually build on by adding more directions.
Fun Board Games
Interventions need not be boring! Here are some games you can play at home to help your child with memory, vocabulary, fluency, and automaticity.
1. Memory
2. Cranium
3. Pictionary
4. Outburst
5. Mad Gab
Mrs. Street
Richardson North Junior HIgh
Email: kimberly.street@risd.org
Phone: 469.593.5436