The Dyslexic Corner
Dyslexia Information for WRE Parents, Staff, and Students
April 2024
Gifted and Dyslexia: 2e Students
What Does Twice-Exceptional Mean? The term “twice-exceptional,” also referred to as “2e,” is used to describe gifted children who, have the characteristics of gifted students with the potential for high achievement and give evidence of one or more disabilities as defined by federal or state eligibility criteria. These disabilities may include specific learning disabilities (SpLD), speech and language disorders, emotional/behavioral disorders, physical disabilities, autism spectrum, or other impairments such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
In the case of a bright dyslexic child, the child may appear average, in spite of significant dyslexia and gifted thinking ability. Dyslexia may mask giftedness, and giftedness may mask dyslexia. Many well-known dyslexic individuals, such as Einstein, Edison, Walt Disney, da Vinci, and Steve Jobs reflect on their school experiences and reveal childhood pain despite their achievements later in life. Dyslexia is referred to as an “invisible disability.” Neither giftedness or dyslexia can actually visibly be seen, aside from diagnostic profiles specifically designed to identify each difference and characteristics lists. Spotting them together is far more difficult. As a result, they often don’t qualify for specialized instruction and don’t qualify for gifted programs because they can’t keep up with the written work.
Signs to Look For:
- Strong Oral Vocabulary
- Ability to elaborate on advanced ideas and draw conclusions
- Exceptional creativity and problem-solving skills
- Specific talent or consuming interest (Academic or Non-Academic)
- Sophisticated sense of humor or ability to connect with others at any age.
"Stealth dyslexia" is the term created by Drs. Fernette and Brock Eide, the husband and wife team. The term describes students who struggle in school, despite having excellent reading and/or verbal skills and reflects the idea that such children fall under the radar and escape diagnosis for dyslexia because their symptoms are not those we normally think of as being associated with dyslexia. Children with stealth dyslexia may use their advanced verbal skills as cover for their mild issues with auditory and visual processing; issues that in other children may cause the reading difficulties more typically associated with dyslexia. As a result, these students don’t receive the help they need to manage their learning problems.
2e children with stealth dyslexia may be able to compensate well enough to avoid actual failure, especially during the early elementary years. As a result, they may not be correctly identified as having dyslexia or any other learning challenge, and may not receive the appropriate interventions. When they meet the heavier writing demands and more complicated reading assignments in middle and high school, they frequently find themselves unable to keep up. A downward spiral of failure and despair is often the result.
What Is Stealth Dyslexia?
Finding Dyslexia Strengths
I love this video of Blaine Thomas, a jeweler and goldsmith with dyslexia, discussing how he discovered his strengths in spite of all the challenges he faced.
Your Next Read: Suggestions From the WRE Dyslexia Team
Raising Twice-Exceptional Children: A Handbook for Parents of Neurodivergent Gifted Kids 1st Edition by Emily Kircher-Morris
Just because a child is gifted doesn't mean they don't have other types of neurodivergence, like ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and more. Conversely, even children with one of these diagnoses can be cognitively gifted. Raising Twice-Exceptional Children provides you with a road map to understand the complex make-up of your "gifted-plus," or twice-exceptional, child or teen.
The book helps you understand your child's diagnosis, meet their social-emotional needs, build self-regulation skills and goal setting, and teach self-advocacy. It also shows you effective ways to collaborate with teachers and school staff, and it offers advice on finding strengths-based strategies that support development at home.
For too long, these kids have fallen through the cracks. This book provides key information on how to best support neurodivergent children by leveraging their strengths while supporting their struggles.
YOUR CHILD IS NOT BROKEN: Parent Your Neurodivergent Child Without Losing Your Marbles by Heidi Mavir
"Your Child Is Not Broken" is THE book for parents who need permission to do things differently. Heidi Mavir almost died working out why that was necessary.
Part autobiography, part parenting manual, "Your Child Is Not Broken" is a no-holds-barred account of Heidi Mavir’s discovery of her child’s neurodivergence.
It is the funny, irreverent and brutally honest story of Heidi’s fight to be seen, heard, and supported, whilst swimming against a tide of parent blame, ableist stereotypes, and the weight of other people’s opinions. It is the book no one has dared write but every parent needs to read. "Your Child Is Not Broken" is an unapologetic call to arms for parents and carers of Autistic, ADHD, or otherwise neurodivergent children.
"Your Child Is Not Broken" is for you if:
● You love or care for a neurodivergent child or young person.
● You are a wrung-out, worried parent who has had enough of no one listening.
● You lack the confidence to trust your gut.
● You wish you had the gumption to tell a few more people to bugger off.
● You need to know you are not alone.
Heidi’s hilarious anecdotes and heartbreaking storytelling offer validation, comfort, reassurance and wisdom to parents who are sick and tired of feeling sick and tired.
Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash (Detective Duck #1) by Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver
A full-color chapter book adventure about a young duck detective, from the bestselling creators Henry Winkler, Lin Oliver, and Dan Santat
Willow Feathers McBeaver, aka Detective Duck, is a crime-solving (and very precocious) little duck. She and her animal pals live on Dogwood Pond, a beautiful pond in New England adjacent to Lazy Days, a human campground. Dogwood Pond has always been a pristine spot with clear water, abundant wildlife, and shady willow trees, but now it is encountering puzzling problems—mysteries that arise from human-caused disruptions in nature, such as water pollution, refuse, warming climate, and human encroachment.
Fortunately, Detective Duck is on the job, solving these puzzling mysteries before they get out of hand and destroy their habitat! Armed with her ever-present satchel for collecting clues, her logical mind, and endless curiosity, she boldly goes where no pond creature has before, determined to unravel the mysteries and solve any environmental problem that besets her beloved Dogwood Pond!
After WRE - The Shift to Junior High
It is hard to believe that many of our students will be moving on to junior high in the fall. WRE has students that will continue their dyslexia intervention while others will complete their program at the end of the school year. Accommodations provided by the student's 504 or IEP will follow them and continue to provide the support they will need to be successful.
The transition from elementary to junior high can be a big change for many reasons. From the size of the school, the number of classes and teachers that they will be responsible for, to class size. Not to mention the physical changes their bodies will have. It can make this a challenging shift. Plus there are the social connections they begin to have and the demand on their brains. They will have to decide what needs to be stored in the long term or short term memory, as well as fine-tuning their decision-making skills. It will take time for them to develop these skills.
In the article "Easing the Shift From Elementary to Middle School" written by Heather Wolpert-Gawron on the Edutopia website, she offers some advice to students and their families.
For middle school students:
- Use your agenda. Track assignments from all of your teachers each day. You’ll probably drop the ball otherwise.
- Be your own advocate. Email teachers yourself with questions about assignments.
- Redefine yourself. Take this time to try out everything from different styles of clothing to different styles of writing. Start to figure out who you want to be.
- Get to know your school counselor. Put yourself on adults’ radars in a positive way. They are there to support you.
For families:
- Stop bringing items to school for the student. Help us teach students responsibility. Don’t bring lunches or forgotten work.
- Check their agenda daily. Be the other bookend of the accountability equation.
- Keep technology in a public area at home. Bring devices out of the bedroom. Have students work, and charge devices, in a shared space. And while you’re at it, make sure you know your child’s usernames and passwords.
- Loosen the reins when they prove they can do it. Step aw
What Happens When They Go to College?
Some of you may be wondering what may happen when a student with a learning difference/disability get to college. Accommodations in college are different than in high school. All colleges are required to provide certain supports. However, in some cases it may be the bare minimum. The button below will take you to an article written by Elizabeth C. Hamblet, a learning disabilities consultant.
Upcoming Events
Revisiting Surface Counseling: Supporting Behaviors in General Education
Monday, Apr 8, 2024, 07:00 PM
Join Mandi Davis Skerbetz, EdD, for this online event as she discusses positive responses to foster student success. Not all students' inappropriate behaviors require elaborate behavior management interventions. Surface counseling is expected to reduce the likelihood that minor challenging behaviors will escalate into major problems. During this presentation, the four categories of managing surface behaviors will be reviewed.
Summer Dyslexia Institute 2024
Join Region 10 ESC for the Summer Dyslexia Institute at the Plano Event Center. This two-day event focuses on helping Texas educators and evaluators acquire the latest information on dyslexia research, student evaluation, technology and accommodation considerations, and best practices in instruction. This year’s event will be in person. Engaging conference-goers and experts from across the Summer Institute highlights building collaborative partnerships and innovations in instruction for struggling readers. You do not want to miss these powerful two days of learning.
July 23-24, 2024
Plano Event Center
- In Region 10: $150
- Out of Region: $200
All registration fees are NON-REFUNDABLE after July 12, 2024
10 ALTA Credits available
All correspondence regarding the Summer Dyslexia Institute will be sent to the email address you have listed on your Region 10 account. To update your email click here.
For questions, please email dyslexia.services@region10.or