Dyslexia Youth Coach – Pav Singh is an Instant Success
Dyslexic Brian is proud to present Pav – the first Dyslexia Youth Coach to join the team.
Pav and Antonio at Dyslexic Brian's Head Office
14 year old Pav has decided, after successfully completing the first three months of the Dyslexia Self-Development Programme, to share all that he has learnt so far with fellow students from across the world.
Pav has already created several videos that have been sent out to the members of Dyslexic Brian’s Membership Site.
Pav’s videos have been an instant success with members sending dozens of emails thanking Pav for sharing his knowledge as well as complementing him on his unique presenting style.
| We hope that more young people will volunteer as Dyslexia Youth Coaches and help Dyslexic Brian to support great numbers of young people to understand and overcome their dyslexia.
WELL DONE Pav for leading the way – you are an inspiration and we can’t wait to watch more of your videos! |
Please share any views or ideas you have about young people becoming Dyslexia Youth Coaches at Dyslexic Brian – we would love to hear them.
And/or, if you appreciate the great work that Pav is putting in then please leave him a message in the comment box below.
Dyslexia in Scotland – A force to be reckoned with!
Scotland is fast becoming a Dyslexia Force to be reckoned with as more and more people from Scotland join Dyslexic Brian’s Membership Site in their efforts to further understand and overcome their dyslexia.
Perhaps one of the reasons we get so many people from Scotland joining this membership site has something to do with Sir Jackie Stewart’s work in raising levels of dyslexia awareness – So a big ‘thank you’ goes out to Sir Jackie Stewart from everyone at Dyslexic Brian.
Another reason might have something to do with people being able to access the very best in Dyslexia Coaching from the comfort of their own homes.
And, perhaps it also has something to do with the fact that we are a video based membership site that is based on the Dyslexia Self-Development Programme that was created by our co-founder and Senior Dyslexia Coach at Dyslexic Brian, Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak, whilst carrying out his doctoral research on dyslexia.
So what does this membership site have to offer?
Well, as a member of this site you will be sent regular emails and links to videos that coach you – step by step – through the Dyslexia Self-Development Programme. Within the videos Antonio will encourage you to explore your dyslexia, assist you to develop your own unique understanding of dyslexia, and then share with you lots of techniques and exercises to assist you to overcome your dyslexia.
Click here to request an example of one of the videos that make up the Dyslexia Self-Development Programme.
It would be great to hear from more of our Scottish members and/or followers so if you’re from bonnie wee Scotland then please say hi in the comment box below this video – or why not share some of your thoughts and view about this membership site with us.
Protected: Describe your dyslexia – This Stage is made of 8 short steps.
Dyslexia Self-Development Emails
Dyslexia Self-Development Emails
Receive regular emails that clearly explain our Dyslexia Self-Development Programme. Each email covers a particular aspect of the programme and sets one or two exercises for you to do. The exercises have been designed to assist you to increase your understanding of dyslexia as well as increase your ability to overcome your dyslexia. 
What is the Dyslexia Self-Development Programme?
The Dyslexia Self-Development Programme has been designed by Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak who is the Senior Dyslexia Coach at Dyslexic Brian. The programme is based on the learning that Antonio gained from his doctoral research on the subject of dyslexia where he developed a Dyslexia Coaching Programme for use within a youth work context. The programme is also informed by Antonio’s coaching experience which spans over 25 years – 12 of which have focused on dyslexia coaching.
The programme will hopefully help you to increase your understanding of dyslexia and also teach you all you will need to know to be able to overcome your dyslexia.
How will I know what to do?
We will give you an overview of the programme within the first email that you will receive as soon as you become a member of Dyslexic Brian’s membership site. Then within each of the emails that follow we will send you step by step instructions that will guide you through the programme. Within each email we will share more of Antonio’s Empowerment Model of Dyslexia with you in order to assist you to develop a new way of looking at dyslexia. This model will also assist you to develop the skills needed to completely overcome your dyslexia. To help you achieve this we will send you an exercise or two to do within each email – they’re easy and good fun to do!
How often will I receive a Dyslexia Self-Development email?
The frequency of emails depends on the membership option that you select when joining or upgrading. As a Bronze member you will receive 1 email per month; as a Silver member you will receive 2 emails per month; and, as a Gold member we will send you 4 emails per month.
The content of the emails are the same – it’s just the speed that we send them out to you that’s different.
What happens if I don’t understand certain parts of Dyslexia Self-Development emails?
If you don’t understand something within the email then there are a few things you can do. You can send us an email asking us to explain things in a different way; or, you can ask Antonio to explain the bit that you are stuck on within one of our ‘How to’ videos. Alternatively you can ask someone with the Dyslexic Brian Community to explain it to you, or, if you are a Silver of Gold member then you can ask Antonio within one of the Dyslexia Self-Development Webinars – he will be only too happy to assist you.
Does the programme really work?
The amount of success that you will have with the Dyslexia Self-Development Programme depends on a few factors. First, you will have to be open minded and be prepared to change the way you are looking at dyslexia if your current view is holding you back and stopping you from overcoming your dyslexia. Second, you will have to put lots of hard work in and spend time carrying out the exercises within the programme. Third and finally, you will have to be determined to work through the programme; never giving up no matter how hard it gets – don’t worry we will be here to encourage you and keep you motivated!
Need to know something else?
If the information within this post has not answered your questions about the Dyslexia Self-Development Emails then please get in contact with us info@dyslexicbrian.com and we will answer all of your questions.
Please leave a comment
Please let us know what you think about the Dyslexia Self-Development Emails by clicking on ‘Leave a Comment’ at the top of this page – we look forward to reading what you have to say.
Welcome to Dyslexic Brian’s Resources
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Dyslexia Coaching Webinars + Archive
Dyslexia Coaching Videos + Archive
Dyslexia self-Development Bonus Videos
Dyslexia ‘How to’ Video Library
Dyslexia Self-Development Webinar + Archive
‘Question & Answer’ Videos + Archive
Dyslexic Brian Monthly Newsletters
Dyslexia Coaching Webinars + Archive
Learn more about the theory, methods and techniques used within the Dyslexia Self-Development Programme by taking part in our regular Dyslexia Coaching Webinars. The webinars are ideal for dyslexia support tutors, teachers, youth workers, or other professionals who are supporting dyslexic people. The Webinars are delivered by our senior Dyslexia Coach, Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak. As the webinars are ‘live’ you are able to ask questions, share your views, or ask for guidance in using the programme. You can watch back copies of webinars within our Dyslexia Coaching Webinar Archive.
Dyslexia Coaching Videos + Archive
The Dyslexia Coaching Videos give an insight into the theory, methods and techniques used within the Dyslexia Self-Development Programme. If you are supporting someone to overcome their dyslexia then the coaching videos will hopefully prove to be a valuable resource. You will have access to the Dyslexia Coaching Video Archive where you can watch back copies to gain lots of invaluable tips and pointers about the Dyslexia Self-Development Programme.
Dyslexia self-Development Bonus Videos
Benefit from receiving regular Dyslexia Self-Development Bonus Videos that are aimed at accelerating you’re understating of dyslexia and get you quickly to the stage where you are able to overcome your dyslexia. As well as boosting your understanding of dyslexia these videos will also assist you to develop a winning mindset so that you can achieve greater success within other areas of your life.
Dyslexia ‘How to’ Video Library
If you’re finding it difficult to improve your skills in a specific area then search our ‘How to’ Video Library to find a video that will give you a few suggestions on how you might develop your skill in the area you are focusing on. And, if you can’t find a suitable video then let us know and we will create one for you
Dyslexia Self-Development Webinar + Archive
Our live webinars are delivered by Antonio (Senior Dyslexia Coach) who focuses on a specific aspect of the Dyslexia Self-Development Programme within each webinar. The webinars are a great place to learn new things, find out what’s going on within the Dyslexic Brian Community, and ask questions or seek clarification on areas of the programme that you might need more information on. You can watch back copies of webinars within our Dyslexia Self-Development Webinar Archive.
‘Question & Answer’ Videos + Archive
If you are seeking answers to questions about dyslexia then this feature of our membership site will hopefully be of benefit to you. You can use this facility to get your own questions answered – simply send them to us and Antonio will answer them on video. We also have a Q&A Archive where you can search for answers to your questions within previously recorded videos.
Dyslexic Brian Monthly Newsletters
The Dyslexic Brian Monthly Newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest tips, techniques, and programme developments so that you don’t miss out on anything that might be of potential benefit to you. There are many useful links within the Newsletter that signpost you to useful places within the membership site where you can gain additional support, encouragement and inspiration.
Dyslexia Self-Development Videos
Dyslexia Self-Development Videos
With each Dyslexia Self-Development Email that you receive you will be given access to a Dyslexia Self-Development Video. Within each video Antonio (our Senior Dyslexia Coach), will give you step by step instructions that will help guide you through the aspect of the programme being focused on. The videos will help save you lots of time and effort as well as help keep you motivated and on track.
How will I access the Dyslexia Self-Development Videos?
With each of the Dyslexia Self-Development Emails you will receive a link to a ‘Members Only’ section within this website. All you need to do is click on the link, sign in, sit back, relax, and watch the video. Once you have watched the video you can leave a comment, share your views, or ask a question or two, or three, or four….
Will I be able to access the videos more than once?
You can access the video as many times as you want by simply clicking on the link within the email we sent you – so, it might pay for you to create a folder for all of your Dyslexic Brian emails.
How long do the videos last?
The length of each video depends on the topic being covered within the video – generally they last between 10 and 20 minutes.
How many videos cover each aspect of Dyslexia Self-Development Programme?
For some aspects of the programme we have created more than one video for you to watch; and to explain some aspect of the programme we have created several videos that you can watch if you need to.
What happens if I can’t understand the instructions within the videos?
If you don’t understand something within the videos then there are a few things you can do. You can send us an email asking us to explain things in a different way; or, you can ask for Antonio to explain the instructions within the video within a ‘How to’ videos. Alternatively you can someone with the Dyslexic Brian Community to explain the video to you, or, if you are a Silver of Gold member then you can ask Antonio within one of the Dyslexia Self-Development Webinars – he will be really happy to explain things in a different way until it become clear to you.
Need to know something else?
If the information within this post has not answered your questions about the Dyslexia Self-Development Videos then please get in contact with us info@dyslexicbrian.com and we will answer all of your questions.
Please leave a comment
Please let us know what you think about the Dyslexia Self-Development Videos by clicking on ‘Leave a Comment’ at the top of this page or leave comment below– we look forward to reading what you have to say.
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Dyslexic Brian Online Community
Dyslexic Brian Online Community
Benefit from the support that you will receive from our online Community. Many of our members have already been through our Dyslexia Self-Development Programme and have successfully overcome their dyslexia – they’re always more than happy to share what they have learnt with you as well as encourage you whilst you learn how to overcome your dyslexia.
There are lots of ways to become an active member of our community, for example you can:
- take part in discussions with other members on topics that are of interest to you
- share you thinking with the community by writing something for the Dyslexic Brian Monthly Newsletter
- ask questions within our ‘Questions & Answers’ Video section
- talk to other members within our Dyslexia Self-Development Webinars
- talk to other members within our Dyslexia Coaching Webinars
- start a discussion underneath any of our dyslexia videos
- attend Dyslexic Brian workshops, functions or events
We really believe in the power of the Dyslexic Brian Community to offer support and guidance to our members. We believe that through a collective effort we can not only support individuals to understand and overcome their dyslexia but also bring about a global shift in the way educators, policy makers, and society generally view dyslexia.
As you can see the Dyslexic Brian Community is very important to all of us!
We really look forward to welcoming you into our community and supporting you to get the most out of your Dyslexic Brian membership.
Please let us know what you think about the Dyslexia Brian Online Community by clicking on ‘Leave a Comment’ at the top of this page – we look forward to reading what you have to say.
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My Dyslexia Life Story – By Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak VIDEO STORY
I felt really honoured when Goga, my fellow Co-founder of Dyslexic Brian, asked me if I would be happy to share a bit about my dyslexia life story on video.
Goga was keen to get some of my story on video (videos posted below) and put it on the website to help set the scene for the type of Dyslexia Coaching that we offer at Dyslexic Brian.
Antonio G Farruggia-Bochnak co-founder of Dyslexic Brian and Dyslexia Coach
The timing for this couldn’t have been better as we are just about to release a FREE Dyslexia Coaching programme called “How to Become a Black Belt in Dyslexia” that is based on my doctoral research on dyslexia. (Keep checking the ‘Dyslexia Dojo’ tab in the menu bar on DyslexicBrian.com to see when the programme has been released, or, join us on Facebook and Twitter for updates).
I’ve always been so proud to be dyslexic and I’m always really happy to share my experience of dyslexia, especially with dyslexic people who may be struggling to understand and overcome their dyslexia related difficulties.
I’ll stop writing now and let you get on with watching the video – I hope you enjoy watching it as much as Goga and I enjoyed making it.
It will be great to hear your views on this – please post a comment in the box below or on Facebook or Twitter.
All the best,
Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak
Dyslexia Coach and Co-founder of Dyslexic Brian
Making Reading Right | Dyslexia Inspirational Story
The Bristol Evening Post , October 31, 2005 Share
Dyslexic academic Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak has made the leap from dunce to doctor. Now he wants to help others overcome the condition which proved such a handicap in his childhood. TOM HENRY reports on the self-help dyslexia website he has set up with his brother.
When he was young, Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak was labeled a dunce by a teacher who placed a cone on his head with a large ‘D’ scrawled on it, and made him stand in a corner for three days.
Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak wants to share the skills and knowledge he has built up through years of study with other dyslexic people.
His crime? To fail to keep up with his class during a reading lesson. While others were forging ahead in the literary stakes, Antonio was still on ‘Peter and Jane’ books. He could barely spell his name and he was ten years old. While still in short trousers he had been written off by an education system which couldn’t understand why he couldn’t understand.
Overcoming the odds: Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak has set up a website to help people with dyslexia
Fast forward 30 years and Birmingham-born Antonio is coming to the end of a PhD study into dyslexia., the condition he suffers from and which was barely recognised in mainstream education until relatively recently.
From dunce to doctor is quite a leap, but it is one which Antonio has been determined to make since he pulled himself back from what was turning into a life of crime and violence – and realised he had more to offer than he ever thought.
Now he wants to share the skills and knowledge he has built up through years of study with other dyslexic people and with his younger brother, Alessandro, he has set up a website to do that. It was called previously: beesthewrongwayround.com [now known as DyslexicBrian.com] and the name will be familiar to dyslexics who are often asked ‘do you get your b’s the wrong way round?’
“It’s also a bit ungrammatical” laughs Antonio.”I think it should be ‘bees the wrong way around’. Typical dyslexic eh? Maybe it’s because i’m from Birmingham. We’d never say ‘around’, always ’round’.
Such technicalities might not matter in the grand scheme of things, but they do to Antonio. He has had to work hard to achieve what many of us take for granted -basic literacy and numeracy – and he’s determined that others should succeed where he once struggled.
The website which Antonio runs from an office in the Fishponds Trading Estate has been in the development stage for about six months and now, in its fourth version it has finally gone live.
Beesthewrongwayround.com is a highly-comprehensive source of information, both for dyslexics and non-dyslexics, and as well as sections detailing his own and other responses to the condition, the website offers paid one-to -one tuition for those who need real-time help and support via means of a webcam.
“We’ve done a test of this method,”says Antonio, “and it’s worked very well indeed. You can be anywhere in the world and if you are dyslexic and struggling with something- an essay or a dissertation or whatever it may be -we can help you. Dyslexic students in the UK can pay for support or tuition using their DSA (Disabled Student’s Allowance) and this is something we’re keen to promote.
Antonio sees himself in that role, coaching and nurturing those people with dyslexia who feel like he did when confronted by words
“Of course, there’s no substitute for face-to-face tuition in the same room and the website is not going to replace that, but there are many people out there who for one reason or another can’t access the kind of specialist support they need, which is a sham. This is where we come in.”
Antonio knows how it feels to be confronted with what seems an enormous and frightening pool of words. When he was completing his first degree, the worry of writing essay sand dissertations used to cause him to loose sleep.
“I found it very hard to express myself,” he said, “and just couldn’t get my head around simple things like paraphrasing or quotes or references.
“I had a real understanding of the subject I was writing about and i really wanted to express something about it, but couldn’t get it out.”
In his youth Antonio had joined a boxing gym and the coach there became a mentor to hi, encouraging and supporting him through difficult times. Now, Antonio sees himself in that role, coaching and nurturing those people with dyslexia who feel like he did when confronted by words.
“I have a lot of empathy with other dyslexic people,” he said, “because I’ve been through it. And believe me, if I can learn to read and write and study for a PhD, anyone can.”
In addition to running [Dyslexia Support Service], Antonio is also keen to take his skills out on the road. He is looking for a venue, either a school, college, university building or a youth and community centre, in which he could facilitate a discussion group for dyslexic people, students, parents of dyslexic children or anyone else with an interest in the subject. He says there would be no charge for this; it is his way of sharing his knowledge and experience.
He also wants to become involved in the training of dyslexic employees on behalf of companies, and is already working with one company, HL Training in Fishponds, to help train forklift drivers who feel that their levels of literacy and numeracy may act as a barrier when they seek future employment.
“I’d be very keen to work with other training providers or companies to help them deliver a better service to dyslectics,” he said.
[...]
“As the research for my PhD has progressed I’ve become so much more aware of my own dyslexia,” said Antonio, “and I’ve come up with a seven-stage overview of how an individual first becomes aware of their literacy and numeracy difficulties to the stage where they have accepted it and are not frightened to deal with it.
“It’s a long process – it took me more than 20 years -but I’ve got there. And so can others, if they’ve got the determination to do it.”
Tell us Your Dyslexia Story
We all know about famous ‘dyslexics’, but what about every-day people that have overcome barriers despite dyslexia?
Send us your story, along with a photo or video, for Dyslexic Brian’s Inspirational Stories section.
Proud to Be Dyslexic | Dyslexia Inspirational Story
Bristol Evening Post ‘Seven magazine’ 4th April, 2003Share
Having been branded a dunce at the age of six, Antonio Farruggia left school virtually illiterate. He’s now close to completing a PhD on a subject close to his heart – dyslexia. Tom Henry meets this remarkable man who has embraced dyslexia and made it his great strength.
As names go, Antonio Giuseppe Farruggia is somewhat harder to commit to paper than John Smith. Even as I write it, I’m not entirely sure if I’ve got the Giuseppe right. Is the ‘I’ before the “e”, or the “e” before the “i”?
I’m proud to be dyslexic. It’s something special, something different, and for me it is about exploring that difference and celebrating it.
He laughs about it now, but this is the sort of scenario 38-year-old has had to face ever since he started school. When other kids were clumsily learning to spell their names, Antonio was drawing a blank over his own, and eventually it has to be abbreviated to “Tony” to make it easier for him. When elementary reading lessons began, Antonio could not grasp the differences between the “ch”, “th” and “sh” sounds and he began to fall behind“
The one person who should know is Mr Farruggia himself – but even he, I feel, is not entirely confident. Recently, he was asked to write out his middle name at an office counter, but he just couldn’t remember how to spell it. With a queue of increasingly impatient people behind him, he had to ring his dad to ask him.
That was it from then on,” he says. “When I was 10 I was still on the Peter and Jane books. I just couldn’t get it, and yet when I was about six years old I went to Sicily one summer with my parents and I came back speaking Sicilian. Instead of the school recognising and encouraging me, the teacher folded up a piece of paper into a cone, wrote a ‘D’ for ‘dunce’ on it, put it on my head and made me stand in the corner for three days.
“I was crying and crying, and it was a horrible feeling to know that you’re missing out on what the rest of the class is doing. I fell badly behind after that, and by the time I came to take the exam for secondary school, I had a definite knack for trouble.”
Antonio was dyslexic, of course. He was one of the unlucky generation which the education system failed because his difficulties with reading and writing were not spotted by teachers who considered he was “thick”, “unteachable”, “backward”, “slow”, “remedial” or, in one phrase Antonio vividly remembers, had “bad blood”.
“It was because my dad is Sicilian,” he laughs. “I think they’d been watching too many episodes of the Godfather!”
Nonetheless, leaving school almost illiterate was no laughing matter, his frustration at falling behind resulted in him becoming extremely aggressive. He joined a gang in Birmingham, and violence became a way of life for several years to come until he eventually channeled his energies into boxing, and through a boxing coach who became a sort of mentor, he went on to train other youngsters.
Remarkably, Antonio is now in the middle of exhaustive research for a PhD in the condition which disrupted his early life. He is now able to see that dyslexics are not “handicapped”, but instead have talents, abilities and ways of learning that are different from what we might describe as “normal” and it is this positivity that will eventually lead to him being called “doctor”, not “dunce”.
“After I left school I ended up in the building trade and I moved around the country doing flooring for new Sainsbury’s stores,” he said. “I could get the concept of the design in my mind very easily, and I was able to create come lovely flooring which really gave me confidence.
“I eventually set up in business on my own, but the recession came and I lost a lot of money. I decided to change career and because I’d had experience coaching boxing to youngsters I applied for some youth work jobs. But I needed a qualification and so I applied to a college. The entrance exam I took was scribble, but to my surprise I was offered a place.
At first, Antonio felt like a “fraud”. Although his literacy had improved since school, thanks to his own effort, he still struggled with the written work, and would still misinterpret what he was told. “We did quite a lot of role play,” he said, “and one of the assignments was to act out a scene which involved working in Paris . I had all these images of France going on in my head, but when I was figuring out what I was going to do I looked around the class and everyone else seemed to be doing something different.
Eventually, the penny dropped. “I was supposed to be working in pairs, not Paris! I’d completely misread the instructions.”
Despite such elementary mistakes, Antonio’s determination to succeed saw his marks go up. He passed the course, then went on to take a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in education and community youth work. Now there was no stopping him. Although he wasn’t sure himself, a friend in the world of academia encouraged him to go on a PhD course.
As a result of his research Antonio is now of the opinion that dyslexia is something to be embraced, not overcome. “I’m not broken and I don’t need to be fixed,” he asserts. “I have got confidence in the fact that I have a different way of expression than other people. We can’t all play or read music, for example, and if you cannot so it is accepted and understood. However, we are only taught to read and write in one way, and it’s a case of ‘one-size-fits-all’.“But we are all individuals and we all do things in different ways. A lot of my research is based around the ‘person-centred’ approach to the teaching of dyslexics, which finds out what the child is interested in and teaches skills based around that core interest. “The perception a person holds of their own dyslexia is far more important than what a professional tells them it is. Personally, I’m proud to be dyslexic. It’s something special, something different, and for me it is about exploring that difference and celebrating it.”
Tell us Your Dyslexia Story
We all know about famous ‘dyslexics’, but what about every-day people that have overcome barriers despite dyslexia?
Send us your story, along with a photo or video, for Dyslexic Brian’s Inspirational Stories section.
From Dunce to Degree | Dyslexia Inspirational Story
Birmingham Evening Mail, The Life Mag. 16.04.00 by David Jones
Share
Education experts have made great strides in the teaching of dyslexic children, but understanding of the condition has been a long time coming. Birmingham youth worker Antonio Farruggia tells DAVID JONES how he conquered his dyslexia to gain a degree
“I WAS in my first year at school when I first realised I had difficulty reading. At the age of four, the other kids were already progressing more quickly than I was. The first problem I remember was not being able to tell the difference between ‘ch’, ‘sh’ and ‘th’ when I read them on the page.
Antonio Farruggia is currently writing up his PhD thesis following 10 years of research on the subject of dyslexia.
Of course, I was too young to say anything and there was very little awareness of dyslexia in those days so I was just left to struggle – and that was just the beginning of my problems… By the time I sat the entrance exam for secondary school, I’d stopped trying altogether. I was messing about all the time and getting into fights. I think a lot of it was out of sheer frustration because, looking back, I know I wasn’t ‘stupid’ at all.
…the prospect of having to read out loud in class would fill me with terror. I would start messing about in the hope that I would get thrown out – anything to avoid having to read. On the few occasions I did have to read to the class, it was a nightmare. I would be okay for a sentence or so then I’d stumble and I would feel myself starting to panic, which just made it worst. Then my vision would go blurry and the words would start jumping around the page. All the time I could hear the other children getting restless or giggling – it was so humiliating
Of course, he teachers went through all the traditional options to try and get me to improve. I was sent to an educational psychologist and it didn’t take long for them to stick me in the remedial group. It didn’t help my reading and writing, but I met an amazing bunch of kids. We were all stuck with this label that we weren’t as cleaver as the other kids but it seemed everyone in that class was good at general knowledge, quizzes and so on. It seems clear now that it wasn’t the kids who were failing – it was the education system that was failing them. Looking back, I reckon there must have been a lot of dyslexic kids in that group, but there just wasn’t enough awareness of dyslexia to realise the type of specialised teaching we needed.
Eventually I left school with no qualifications and very low self-esteem. I was a complete rogue really, always getting into trouble, drifting from one labouring job to another. Fortunately, there was one teacher who took an interest in me in my final year at school and got me into weight-lifting. He suggested that I go along to the Birmingham City Amateur Boxing Club, so I did and I immediately found somewhere that I felt I was wanted. I started going regularly, working out on the weights and helping the youngsters who used the gym. It really gave me a sense of self-worth and the feeling I had something to offer. If it hadn’t been for the club, I could easily have ended up in prison
Since then, I’ve interviewed hundreds of dyslexic people for my research and I’m now doing a part-time PhD looking at the links between crime and dyslexia…
What I really want to do now is set up a support service for dyslexics and their families so that I can use my research to help as many people as possible. I’ve got a real passion for learning now and I want to put that to good use. I don’t know how ‘clever’ I am – I suppose that’s what I’m finding out, and if I can spare anyone else the pain I went through as a youngster whilst I’m at it, then so much the better.”
Tell us Your Dyslexia Story
We all know about famous ‘dyslexics’, but what about every-day people that have overcome barriers despite dyslexia?
Send us your story, along with a photo or video, for Dyslexic Brian’s Inspirational Stories section.
Dyslexia Workshops at Cotham School Bristol
Dyslexic Brian is currently supporting a group of dyslexic young people at Cotham School, Bristol, UK.
This section of the website is restricted to members of this group.
To access this section of the website please contact Mr Warnock at Cotham School.
If you are interested in running a series of Dyslexic Brian workshops at your school, college, university, or workplace, then please send us an email info@dyslexicbrian.com or contact us on 020 8485 9080
Black Belt in Dyslexia – Radio interview with Jim Bouchard – Think Like a Black Belt
Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak co-founder of Dyslexic Brian talks to Jim Bouchard about the similarities between Dyslexic Brian’s “Become a Black Belt in Dyslexia” programme and Jim’s “Think Like a Black Belt” philosophy.
Listen to this radio interview to find some of the similarities between the two programmes.
Jim Bouchard is an inspiration and once you’ve listen to the interview, why not pop over to Jim’s website as all the information on there will help you develop a powerful mindset that will prepare you to overcome your dyslexia related difficulties.
Please let us know what you think about this radio interview by posting your comments and views in the box below.
Square Pegs in Round Holes | School Days
Shane Waugh have written a few poems that reflects some of the experiences of his dyslexia and some about his life in general. He’s asked Dyslexic Brian to publish his poems as he hopes they will be of some value to other dyslexic people. Here is the first of 12 poems that Shane has kindly shared with us. Share
“The Dyslexic Poet | Square Pegs in Round Holes” by Shane Waugh
Poem 1: School Days
Off to school they would say, I remember thinking, yet another sad unhappy and lonely day. You must learn to read and write, I remember thinking; the words are out of sight. You are not trying the teacher would state, I remember thinking; you really haven’t got a clue mate. GCSE’s are not for you, I remember thinking what am I, supposed to do. Lazy and lack of effort was the teachers’ cry, you will make an employer cringe and sigh; I remember thinking I wonder why. Blurred words and confusion, French lessons was nothing but a distant illusion. Extra English was always needed; this made you feel weird and un-conceded. Visual learner, auditory too, I did not have a clue. No qualifications, just unhappy and sad memories. What was that all about, this was my subconscious shout, as school was once and for all, finally out.
Please share your views, thoughts and ideas with us by posting your comments below.
Thanks to everyone who supported Dyslexic Brian during 2010
Thanks to everyone who supported Dyslexic Brian during 2010 – we really appreciate all of your thoughtful comments on Facebook Twitter and YouTube and also the effort taken to spread the word about the work we are doing.
We are really looking forward to a very productive 2011 that will hopefully see the completion of our Dyslexia Dojo and many more people taking advantage of the FREE Dyslexia Coaching sessions that we offer.
Also, we are looking for volunteers to help us support even more dyslexic people than we currently are, so if you are interested in finding out more please send us an email or give us a call.
All the best from everyone at Dyslexic Brian.
Dyslexic Brian News December 2010
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White Belt in Dyslexia – Dyslexic but unaware of it! Dyslexia Video
There are lots of people in this world who are dyslexic but are unaware of it – in this Free Dyslexia Coaching Programme we are referring to these people as White Belts in Dyslexia.Share
Some people within this group might be experiencing minor issues with literacy and may have found ways around these issues, in which case, their lack of awareness of dyslexia never becomes an issue for them.
Are you White Belt in Dyslexia?
Some of these people may have found ways around the difficulties they experience with literacy at a very young age. These people may have even forgotten that they once experienced difficulties when learning to read and write.
Lots of people in this category may have developed their literacy skills to a level that serves them well and so are not disadvantage on an educational or social level.
If this is the case, there is very little point for these people to now spend time focusing on the difficulties that they once experienced just to give it the label ‘dyslexia’ – as these difficulties have been overcome and are not having a negative impact on their lives.
Then, within the group of people that we are categorising as White Belts in Dyslexia there are those that experienced more severe difficulties when trying to learn to read and write and who have been unable to overcome these difficulties.
There are people within this group that try to make sense of the difficulties that they are experiencing with literacy by linking them to negative labels such as being ‘stupid’, ‘thick’, or, ‘abnormal’. And naturally, there are others who may not go to this extreme but who remain unsure why they are experience difficulties with learning to read and write.
It is this group of people that would perhaps benefit the most from exploring why they are experiencing difficulties with literacy – and if they decided too, then it is at this point that they may start to suspect that they are dyslexic and move into the Yellow Belt stage of their dyslexia development.
Within this video Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak explains some of the things that he experienced during his 14 years as a White Belt Dyslexic.
Antonio also explains some of processes that he coaches people through to assist them to create their own unique personal theory of dyslexia.
Coming soon… we are releasing a few videos that explain exercises that might be useful for people within the White Belt stage – so, keep checking back or join us on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube to keep updated.
Please let us know what you think about the White Belt stage of dyslexia and/or ask any questions you may have by posting them in the comment box below – it will be great to hear from you.
Become a Black Belt in Dyslexia – Dyslexia Dojo Video (4 of 4)
In this video Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak explains the importance of creating the right environment for yourself so that you can focus on your dyslexia within the ‘How to Become a Black Belt in Dyslexia’ programme.Share
(NB. If you have landed on this page and have not yet watched the second video (Disclaimer video) then please watch it now before going any further as you need to decided if you are psychologically strong enough to undertake this programme).
Dyslexia Dojo
It’s always good to have somewhere that you can get away from the rest of the world and focus on yourself and your dyslexia development. You can set up a Dyslexia Dojo in a corner of your bedroom, in the living room, or even in the conservatory, it really doesn’t matter where. It’s good to have somewhere that you can keep all of your dyslexia related things such as your books on dyslexia, self-development CDs, and, dyslexia notebook and journal (these are covered within future videos).
In this video Antonio gives you an example of a Dyslexia Dojo that he created for himself many years ago and still uses today to write about dyslexia, read books on dyslexia and also to deliver the Dyslexia Coaching for Dyslexic Brian.
Once you’ve set up your Dyslexia Dojo it’s time to begin watching the videos within the Dyslexia Dojo beginning with the White Belt video.
Please let us know your views, comments, and/or feedback about its content – you can post them in the comment box below, on our Facebook page, Twitter or YouTube account.
PS. if you know anyone who might benefit from this video would you please forward a link to this page to them – thanks in advance.
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Become a Black Belt in Dyslexia – Mindset Video (3 of 4)
Welcome to the third video in this FREE Dyslexia Coaching programme, ‘How to Become a Black Belt in Dyslexia’. Share
(NB. If you have landed on this page and have not yet watched the second video (Disclaimer video) then please watch it now before going any further as you need to decided if you are psychologically strong enough to undertake this programme).
Dyslexia Mindset
Dyslexia Mindset
In this video Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak, Senior Dyslexia Coach at Dyslexic Brian, talks about the importance of creating the ‘right’ mindset in order for you to be able to explore your dyslexia at the level needed for you to get the best results from this programme.
Antonio talks about the need to create an open mindset about dyslexia and how important it is to let go of fixed notions of dyslexia that may be holding you back from creating a new, more positive and empowering dyslexia mindset.
It’s important to have the right mindset, one that questions everything, is critical of everything about dyslexia – not in a negative way, but in a positive way so that you get to really understand dyslexia in depth.
Once you have watched the video it would be great to hear your comments, views and/or feedback about its content – you can post them in the comment box below, on our Facebook page, Twitter or YouTube account.
Please forward a link to this video on to anyone that you think might find it useful – thanks in advance.
| Check more Free Dyslexia Dojo Videos | |
Become a Black Belt in Dyslexia – Disclaimer Video (2 of 4)
Disclaimer
Disclaimer
The ‘How to Become a Black Belt in Dyslexia’ is a FREE Dyslexia Coaching programme that will hopefully assist you to reconceptualise your dyslexia in a more positive and empowering way. Undertaking this programme is a positive step if you are trying to understand and overcome your dyslexia related difficulties.
It is an intense programme and you have to make sure that you are at the right stage of your development to be able to undertake this programme. In other words, you have to be psychologically strong enough to be able to focus on your thinking about dyslexia. You may find that this programme challenges some, or all, of your thinking about dyslexia which might result in you feeling a bit lost or even confused about your dyslexia. For some people it may have a ‘negative’ impact on their psychological wellbeing.
You are responsible for making the decision of whether or not to undertake this programme. Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak or any other members of the Dyslexic Brian team can not be held responsible for any possible ‘negative’ psychological impact that may happen as a result of you undertaking this programme.
If you are in any doubt please seek guidance from a qualified psychologist who will be able to assist you with your decision.
You can contact Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak who will be able to make some suggestions but ultimately the responsibility is yours.
| Check more Free Dyslexia Dojo Videos | |
Check our updates on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Become a Black Belt in Dyslexia – Video Introduction (1 of 4)
Welcome to the Dyslexia Dojo
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In this video Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak welcomes you to the New FREE Dyslexia Coaching programme that has been created at Dyslexic Brian called ‘How to Become a Black Belt in Dyslexia’. The aim of this Dyslexia Coaching programme is to assist people who are struggling to understand their dyslexia to increase their awareness of dyslexia and overcome their dyslexia related difficulties.
Antonio explains a bit about this programme and how his Empowerment Model of Dyslexia (EMoD) has been linked to the grading system in Karate to make it a bit more fun and light hearted. He also explains how this programme will hopefully clear up some of the confusion that surrounds dyslexia.
If you are interested in taking part in this free programme then please watch the following video before you go any further.
If you have any questions, views or comments about this programme then please post them in the comments section below – it will be great to hear them.
All the best and hope you find the video useful.
| Check more Free Dyslexia Dojo Videos | |
Check our updates on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Colourful Dyslexic’s In a black & white world by Grace Shimwell
Grace Shimwell
This dyslexia story and poem was sent to us by Grace Shimwell. We really like how Grace overcame obstacles in her life relating to dyslexia. We hope you will enjoy reading Grace’s poem as much as we did. Please let us know what you think about Grace’s poem by posting a comment below. ~ DyslexicBrian
At school I found English teachers, didn’t see my creativity – and put too much on way I should write. Spelling, grammar (not easy being from Yorkshire)
I honestly didn’t have a clue what they were talking about. I couldn’t hear the sounds of the words (managed to learn Greek) I really feel that knock my confidence, I feared spelling test, reading out loud – basically English teachers enjoyed watching us squirm. My saving grace, was maths – I could shine in this lesson.
Anyway, I discovered my dyslexia was a “Gift” I see in pictures, colours, my mind plays memories, similar to watching a movie back! How’s that for entrainment. Just need Dolby surround fitted in my ears, and I am sorted…
Anyway here is my poem:
“Colourful Dyslexic’s In a black & white world”
Inside your brain, it’s a magical place,
Pictures, images, spin around,
Welcome to Disney Land,
Vivid colours, lucid dreams,
Creative thoughts,
Dash from ear to ear,
Just come inside, play for a day,
I promise you all, you’d want to stay,
Alice in Wonderland, pretty lifeless,
I am no Mad Hatter, I love,
Cupcakes and crooked teapots,
When we open our mouths,
Words no longer sing,
They get confused,
And make little sense,
Spelling, laughs in our face,
Come on, can’t you write,
Your name in this space?
Reading out a loud,
Words disappear from the page,
Mindless & ignorance, call us,
THICK??? Ha, ha, Dyslexia little trick,
We’re too bright, your blinded,
By rules, you’ve learnt at school,
Dyslexia, makes the world,
A colourful place,
It brings ideas, inspiration,
To the human race,
Albert Einstein, Richard Branson
Walt Disney, Pablo and Tom Cruise
Genius, entrainment, artistic, high flying,
Words cannot describe,
The way you have enchanted the world,
Our gift is gold dust,
Let us sprinkle our magic,
We can help any business fly,
We’ll bring ideas alive,
Stars in the night sky,
Dyslexic and proud,
~ Grace Shimwell
Please let us know what you think about Grace’s poem by posting a comment below.
Dyslexia Through An Artists Eye – Lerato Motau Inspirational Story
I never tire of reading inspirational dyslexia life stories – they touch a place within me that makes me feel proud to be ‘dyslexic’.
The following story about the brilliant South African Artist, Lerato Motau, is a great example of a ‘dyslexic’ person using their preferred medium of self-expression to externalise the richness of their inner world.
Dyslexic Brian would like to wish Lerato Motau all the best with the exhibition – we are sure that it will be a massive success.
~ Antonio G. Farruggia-BochnakShare this story on FacebookShare
Dyslexia Through An Artists Eye
Lerato Motau
As a young girl in Soweto, South Africa, Lerato Motau dreamt of becoming a fashion designer when she grew up and made dolls clothes and shoes from cardboard boxes and plastic packets. Her creativity hid a deep inner pain.
Throughout her primary school years, Lerato struggled to read and write, and was considered a ‘slow learner’. During the apartheid years, many children with learning disabilities who lived in the townships never received remedial education. At the age of 14, Lerato was finally taken for an assessment and discovered that she was dyslexic. By that time however, it was too late to enroll her in a remedial school.
She hid her dyslexia from others by drawing and doodling instead of writing. It was her secret that she never shared… until now. Lerato has bravely drawn on her life’s journey and is embracing her true self.
Lerato’s Exhibition
She has created a body of artwork that reveals her story of overcoming dyslexia by expressing herself through the visual arts, culminating in this exhibition entitled, Dyslexia Through An Artists Eye. Lerato has developed her own unique multi-media technique fiber art. Circles represent the wholeness of her life, symbolic of the full circle she has journeyed, finally finding closure to all the jumbled letters, numbers and words she cannot juggle. She is celebrating the courageous, joy-filled woman she is.
Lerato dedicates this exhibition to her two daughters. They inspired her to face her dyslexia as she did not want them to experience the same struggle she had, feeling inadequate and not coping. This is Lerato’s first solo exhibition.
Lerato’s Exhibition
She is proud to reveal that she is touched by dyslexia but does not intend living her life under the label, dyslexic.
Story written by Stacey Rozen of www.storyscarves.org
Dyslexia Through An Artists Eye Lerato Motau – Solo Exhibition
2000 word essay in a week? You have to be joking?
Every now and again I read something that throws my mind back to my undergraduate studies and reminds me of just how difficult writing essays can be for someone who hasn’t overcome their dyslexic difficulties yet. The frustration, anxiety and heartbreak at not being able to produce written work to a standard that you feel adequately expresses your thinking is one of the worst things imaginable as a student eager to get the grades you feel you deserve – you know the subject inside out but you just can’t show it on paper!
This brilliant short story by Shirley Cooper from Aberdeen in Scotland gives ‘none-dyslexic people’ an insight into a few of the issues experienced by some ‘dyslexic people’ when faced with the task of having to write a 2,000 word essay in just one week. This might seem like an easy feat for most people who do not have issues with writing but as you will see it presented Shirley with a massive challenge that she had to courageously battle through!
Shirley is an inspiration to all of us at Dyslexic Brian as I’m sure she will be to all of you who read this amazing story.
~ Antonio Giuseppe Farruggia-Bochnak Share this story on FacebookShare
2000 word essay in a week? You have to be joking?
...I did not finish that damn essay...
Awww the alarm! 7.45am already, which means I slept for….. (Counting on fingers) 4 and a half hours! Mmmm it is going to be a long day. Even though I was up half the night I did not finish that damn essay. Stress! It has to be in tomorrow and I’m not half done yet, even though I’ve been at it for days, long into the night and early morning. Oh well!
So I get and the first thing I do is switch on the computer, ready to start battling with it again…. soon. Must wake up first, brain is in a fog that is particularly hard to shake this morning. Probably prolonged lack of sleep and the fact that my brain is in constant action. Thinking, thinking all the time, thoughts whizzing in and out, playing movies in my head. Constant thought I can’t escape. Thoughts about everything…thoughts about nothing…..just thoughts all the time. Great!! Being able to think fast, that can’t be a bad thing…right…. wrong! Think of these thoughts whizzing around in there, but when trying to apply an appropriate output for these thoughts you become stuck. That is, the thoughts run up against the brick wall in your mind, jumble up and ‘fall’ out in no particular order. Must sit for ten minutes in silence with my coffee, try and quite the jumble.
It’s Sunday so my family are sleeping late, I won’t be disturbed for a while. So I sit with the laptop on my knee staring at what I wrote the night before. I start to read, I’m confronted with a page full of undeveloped thoughts, bad grammar and lots of waffle! Depicted by the spell checker as lots of little red and green squiggly lines. Awww another frustrated groan leaves my throat. I know what I mean when I write it, I know the facts, I’ve done my ‘homework’ I understand the subject. Why, why is this so hard!
A week, that’s what we were given to produce a 2000 word essay, a week! Perhaps an achievable task for someone more adept with the written word than I. But to me, to be honest a mammoth task! I look at my essay plan again, the order in which I think the information should go based on Cottrel, Palgrave and other authors of ‘how to write a good essay’ type books. The trouble is (I think) that I know my conclusion before I start; I’ve made my judgment on the subject. I don’t necessarily know however, why I think that. This leads me to ‘what an essay is?’
I suppose it is a description, or flow of thoughts, describing arguments and evidence that lead to a natural conclusion. Where the writer takes a certain viewpoint, or impartially describes the argument, using a logical flow of the thought. And that’s when the problem is obvious, my chaotic mind struggles with putting my thoughts in any rigid logical order. The undeveloped thoughts (on paper) are a symptom of my fast thought, my hands unable to keep up with what I’m thinking, so ‘skipping stuff’. Add to this a below average ability for spelling, poor short term memory, slow reading and processing rate, and you have the ingredients for a tortures task!
So I say to my friendly lecturer, who said in an encouraging way “its only 2000 words, and I know you have notes… so you can do it” when I complained that a week was not long enough. I say, you’re probably right, given longer I would have just pained over it for longer! But…in no way is it a flippant or easy task. Just so you know, it will take me twice as long, tremendous amount of concentration, a deathly quite atmosphere in which to quite my mind, many re-writes, re-reads and re-arranging. Then when I get my work back, there will be pages of corrected grammar, spelling and sentence structure, to contemplate. Even though I looked that work over at least three times and could see no mistakes, they are there! Almost like a chicken with blue ink on its feet scratched all over my work! Ah well…I pull my wandering mind back to my work and continue with the battle. I just have to work harder…that’s all!?
~ Shirley Cooper from Aberdeen in Scotland
Inspirational Dyslexia Story by Mairi Sharratt
Here is an inspirational dyslexia story that brings a lump to the throat! Share
Mairi Sharratt, poet from Edinburgh, is an exceptional woman who, armed with the memory of inspirational parental support, has fought against all adversity, taken on extraordinary challenges, and pushed herself through the dyslexia pain barrier to surface as an accomplished poet!
We hope you enjoy Mairi Sharratt story as much as we did and that it inspires you to the extent that it has us.
A Lump in the Throat – Mairi Sharratt Inspirational Story
I was very surprised when Goga from Dyselxic Brain approached me and asked me to write my dyslexia inspiration story. I do admit, that for other people looking in on my life, degree, home, husband, child, career and published poet it must appear as though I should be completely fulfilled. And I am, in so many ways. But I still haven’t achieved everything that I have set out to, I still have goals I am aiming to reach, and challenges I want to take. I in no way feel that my life is complete or fully developed. What I feel I can share with you is how I have coped with my dyslexia, what has brought me to where I am, and the challenges that I still face.
I was born the third of four children and grew up in a small village called Munlochy in the Highlands of Scotland. My father was dyslexic, and it appears that my Grandmother was probably dyslexic too. My Dad grew up in the days when no one knew about or understood about dyslexia. He left school with only one O level, having spent more time out of it than in. 
He now has a Phd. So in many ways my inspiration story is my father.
He wanted me to be able to achieve the things that he hadn’t been able to, he was a stickler for my spelling a perfectionist himself, and it was from him that I inherited my love of poetry. The advantage that I had, which a lot of dyslexics don’t was someone at home who understood exactly how dyslexia made me feel, and what I was going through, particularly living in an area where the local education authority almost blatantly refused to recognise the condition. It made the difference.
My parents also never limited me. They never told me I couldn’t do anything and they always encourage me to aim high, work hard and do my best. This was always typified to me in my fathers experience, he was dyslexic, but had achieved the highest level of academic award that can be reached. Through a lot of my life I only paid lip service to these ideas, but when times have been difficult they have stood me in good stead. I have become a person who relishes adversity (though not drudgery). I am always looking for another challenge, and like nothing better than proving someone wrong when they say I can’t do something. The document I have which carries my original diagnosis says that it will be unlikely that I would be able to get to the stage of tertiary education. I didn’t get the mark in my degree that 
I want, but I did get a degree.
After the birth of my daughter I decided I needed a hobby, but given the limited time I had it needed to be something I was serious about. I chose poetry. Two years in I am now beginning to be published, and write a regular blog which I really enjoy. I think dyslexia has actually helped me in my writing. All dyslexics reading this will know that we think differently, or brains just don’t work the same. In an artistic field where people are looking for new ways of approaching language a dyslexic approach will often appear new to those who are of a more nuro-typical mind.
This is not to say that I have overcome all the challenges that dyslexia has posed. I still and often struggle with it, especially in the work place. I work in public affairs, and I am often required to write at speed and with accuracy. Why would a dyslexic take this kind of job? Well, as I said, I relish adversity, and one of my many flaws is that I’m proud.
I have always concentrated most on what dyslexia gives me, my creativity, and the positives that it brings with it. However I still have days where I have to admit, a disability is a disability and there are just some things I will never be able to do as well as nuro-typicals. It is this acceptance which is the hardest part for me.
So how did I get where I am? An inspirational father, and more patience and sympathy from others than I have necessarily deserved. I sincerely hope it is not the end of my journey. I wish you the best for yours.
Mairi Sharratt
See also my blog: A Lump in the Throat
Josh Cope’s Dyslexia Life Story – so far…
This dyslexia life story by Josh Cope, Trustee of UK Youth, is a great example of how a young person, determined to succeed in life, pushed his way through the dyslexia pain barrier to come out the other side with a great sense of pride in being dyslexic. Share
Well done Josh, you are an amazing person and Dyslexic Brian takes his hat off to you 
Once you have read this story pay a visit to Josh’s blog: my blog www.joshcope.wordpress.com
Josh Cope’s Dyslexia Life Story – so far…
Josh Cope
In school I was told I was slow. Slow reader. Slower writer. Slow runner. HORRIFIC at playing any Game that involved hand eye coordination. So there wasn’t much to keep me engaged at school. My parents thought I had dyslexia from a young age, but the school, for whatever reason, didn’t test me. My mother would beg the head teacher and in the end I had an hour with a SPLD teacher, but still no test. Then when I reached college things changed, the teachers could see that there was obviously a problem with my reading and writing in particular and at the beginning of the first year of college I was tested and they told me I had dyslexia.
Not only does dyslexia affect your ability to read and write. But one of the biggest problems (I still struggle with) is organisation. As a child with dyslexia you also have to put up with the bullying and Being in such a small secondary school there were little resources available to me. So my parents paid for me to attend the DDAT centre in Cardiff. What a great program!!! They helped so much and I think it’s a program that should be available to everyone.
Josh meeting Her Royal Highness
Since leaving school I have started college and also work for a charity called UK Youth. I could never apply myself to the subjects in school but when I find a topic that excites me I always find ways of expressing my views. Since starting working for UK Youth my confidence has grown dramatically. I feel confident enough to stand up in front of a room filled with CEO’s and fell totally comfortable. As I write this I am on my way to meet Her Royal Highness at an event where I will be giving a talk on youth empowerment.
I wanted to write this blog to tell people, and hopefully inspire other young people to get involved. Last week i managed to meet Pixie Lott (what teenage boy wouldn’t love that).
Learning about what dyslexia is, really help me understand why I face the issues I do and now I feel proud to say I’m dyslexic and I can look at things from an alternative angle. This has prompted me to look at the educational system and how we are failing our young people and how it can be changed.
You can find out more about my views about education reform at my blog www.joshcope.wordpress.com and my twitter Josh_io .
Josh Cope Trustee for UK Youth Director of Shine week (www.shineweek.co.uk)
‘Schools of Dyslexia DOOM’ – Parents of dyslexic children take control!
Share (This post has been written in response to a comment made on our Dyslexic Brian Facebook page – click here to read it).
Question: Is there any way I can make the school understand things about dyslexia?
Answer: Over the years I have come into contact with loads of parents of dyslexia children. The vast majority of these parents are happy with the levels of dyslexia awareness and support within their children’s schools.
There are thousands of great schools out there that are jam packed with brilliant teacher who know exactly how to support and encourage dyslexic children to learn to read, write and do well at school. These teachers support dyslexic children to learn without them feeling too much (if any) negative difference between themselves and the other children in the class… These teachers have a knack for assisting dyslexic children to build up their confidence, self-esteem, self-belief, etc… These teachers are able to stimulate the minds of dyslexic children and show them that ‘learning’ is fun and worthwhile… Wow for teachers like this!
However, there are still a few schools that haven’t quite got things right yet when it comes down to dyslexia but who are trying hard and with luck will get there soon. A dyslexic child may struggle so much within a school like this but what we have to remember is that teachers within these schools are doing their best to support dyslexic children with their learning. 
And now the BAD NEWS! Unfortunately there are some ‘Schools of Dyslexia DOOM’ within the system. These schools seem to have a bit of an ‘anti-dyslexia culture’ going on. Some times this may show itself in very subtle ways that you can’t quite put your finger on – but you can feel it nevertheless. Some times it may show itself in the attitudes of the teachers who just don’t believe that dyslexia exists – in which case you will be fighting a loosing battle to get your child the support they deserve.
Some GOOD NEWS! If you’re child is unlucky enough to be in a school that has a strong ‘anti-dyslexia culture’ then we would suggest that you don’t waist to much time trying to educate the teachers. You might get sucked into a long winded argument that last for years and that might leaves your child feeling that they have caused this to happen – which as we all know will be no good for your child’s self-esteem – BOO to arguing! Instead spend your time assisting and encouraging your child to learn to read and write whilst having lots of fun. (The fun bit is very important so the more fun the better).
Now for something FUNNY! Some parents of dyslexic children that I have spoke to have told me that they haven’t got time to spend on supporting their children to read and write. Yet these very same parents spend countless hours each week having verbal punch ups with school teachers in the playground. And where’s the dyslexic child left in all of this…. feeling pretty low and helpless I suspect? Some parent of dyslexic children have mentioned to me that they don’t really understand what dyslexia is and that they don’t have the necessary skills to support their children with their learning. These are very valid concerns and it is understandable that some parents feel this way. However, from my experience as a ‘dyslexic’ dyslexia support tutor, the best placed people to support dyslexic children are parents who have the right attitude about dyslexia.
Ok what is the ‘right attitude’ I can hear some of you asking… Well in my view the right attitude is a philosophical one – let me explain… We need to remember that written words are a human invention and that they are quite slippery things to get to grips with especially if you don’t have much of a preference for using them… Some people (i.e. some dyslexic people) would rather use different tools to express themselves with… for example, talking, painting, drawing, dancing, playing sport, etc… These people are not broken in anyway – they simply have a natural preference to use non-word type tools…
Now the education system imposes on children the need to use written language as the main means of expression – so when children who have a natural preference for non-word type tools are forced to use written language it simply clashing with this preference. In a way it’s like forcing a person who has a natural preference to use their left-handed to write using their right hand – this would naturally clash against their preference. If this person started struggling to write we wouldn’t think they were broken in anyway would we?
So why do so many people think that dyslexic people are broken and in need of fixing when all that is going on is that they are being forced to use tools that don’t suit their natural preference?
Reading and writing are just skills that anyone who puts their mind to it can learn to do.
Reading and writing are just skills that anyone who puts their mind to it can learn to do – dyslexic people are no exception here!
I’m a prime example of this as I was functionally illiterate when I was 18 years old as a result of my dyslexia and yet now I am able to read and write to a good enough standard… I had loads of other dyslexia related issues too that I have overcome as well. What is my secret – well there isn’t one really. I just realised that I had a natural preference to express myself by talking and that the act of trying to write was simply clashing against my natural preference. Then I realised that reading and writing are just skills that anyone can learn… I knew a left-handed boy when I was at school that had broken his left arm and so had to learn to write with his non-preferred right hand… it took him a bit of time but he eventually mastered it… I just took the same approach with learning to read and write…
I must admit it was a long road as it took me 13 years to get myself to where most 13 year olds are with reading and writing (I was 31 at the time) and then another 14 years to get to a standard good enough to do write my PhD thesis on the subject of dyslexia… Wow thats a long time… (I’ll be sharing some tips with you in future post that will explain how not to take this long if you’re trying to overcome your dyslexia)
So, to cut this very long post a bit shorter – try seeing your child’s dyslexia in the way I have described and let this come out in your attitude towards them – you’ll be surprised the difference that it might make… Ok there’s a lot to read and take in here so I’ll say goodbye for now – but I’ll be back soon as Goga and I will do a video showing a few ways to assist your child to learn to read and write whilst having lots of fun
Written by Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak, Dyslexia Coach and Co-founder of Dyslexic Brian Share
4,000 Children Caught Cheating in exams – Immoral or Ingenious?
Young People Sitting an Exam
One of today’s headlines focused on the 4,000 children who got caught ‘cheating’ in their exams.
The majority of these children were apparently caught using their mobile phones to download answers to their exam questions.
I was so shocked when I heard this – not because I think these children were wrong – quite the opposite, I think they should all be praised and given an award for their ingenuity.
Isn’t it a bit peculiar how, in the twenty-first century, schools test children on the amount of information they can hold in their heads and then regurgitate on demand – when with a couple of clicks on their phones all this information is available to them!
Shouldn’t the schools be testing children on their ability to use electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers to search the World Wide Web for information that will be of use to them within the context of their lives?
It concerns me when I see hundreds of nervous looking children sitting at desks scribbling down pointless facts, figures and formulas that will most likely never surface again from their overloaded brains once they have left school.
Shouldn’t we be seeing lots of confident children sitting, walking or lying down wherever they want to, using a range of electronic devices that they can use to create or access knowledge with?
So, I think the 4,000 children who used their heads and went with the times should be given an award.
There is little doubt in my mind that many of these children, if praised rather than criticised, will go on to be leaders in education and commerce – as they have an innate intelligence to use the best tools available to them to get the job done!
Well done to all 4,000 of them for highlighting how ludicrous our educational system is!
Written by Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak
Co-founder of Dyslexic Brain
Let us know what you think about this topic by posting your comments in the box below – it will be great to read them… or email Antonio at antonio@DyslexicBrian.com
Is the iPad Good or Bad for Dyslexic Children?
iPad
Will the new iPad help or hinder dyslexic children to improve their literacy skills?
This is a good question – a bit of a tricky one to answer – but a good one nevertheless.
At Dyslexic Brian we love any technology that encourages dyslexic children to develop their literacy skills whilst having fun – and we feel that the iPad will do this job nicely.
A great feature on the iPad is its onscreen keypad that looks so, so, sooooo touchable – who wouldn’t want to tap away all day on those gorgeous looking keys?!
We are going to check out if any touch typing tutorial type applications are available for the iPad – we’re guessing that there are – in which case if you’re dyslexic and lucky enough to have an iPad already, then download a touch typing Application and start learning to touch type in style!
[N.B. from Antonio’s experience as a dyslexia support tutor, and from his experience of overcoming his own dyslexia, he has noticed just how quickly dyslexic people start making significant improvements with their spellings once they have learnt to touch type.]
We feel that every opportunity should be taken to encourage dyslexic children to improve their literacy skills using tools that are up to date and relevant within modern society. Why teach children, dyslexic and non-dyslexic alike, to learn to write using pen and paper anyway, when they most probably will never come into contact with these antiquated tools again by the time they leave school?
Shouldn’t we, within the context of the supper charged IT era that we live in, be teaching children to read and write using cutting edge technology (i.e. on iPad’s and/or anything else that is equivalent to it)?
In fact, there have been some suggestions that ‘rather than view the iPad as something between a laptop and a smartphone–something people have potentially little need for–Apple should position its new device as ‘the actual replacement for paper.’ Click here to view source
Unfortunately, we can’t see pen and paper being replaced by advance technology for a very long time to come.
Ok that’s enough of a rant about current educational practices for now!
Let’s get back to the question in hand…
We believe that using an iPad will, without a doubt, help dyslexic children to improve their literacy skills – providing – that they are encouraged to play an equal amount of literacy type games to the fun type games that we are sure the iPad has in store for us.
And, one of the great features of the iPad is the iBook application where you can buy books, read them and then put them away on your very own bookshelf – it looks really good and will hopeful encourage children to read more – well that is if the books aren’t to expensive to download.
All in all we love the iPad and hope, now that we have sang lot’s of praise for it, that Apple will send Dyslexic Brian one in the post tomorrow – please Apple please!!!!!!!
Click here to watch a good video review that we came across on Youtube – its funny!
Fun Brain Website – Great Resource for Dyslexics
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Dyslexic Brian loves this website – and not just because its got the word ‘Brian’ in it
We love it because we think that it’s a great resource for dyslexic people who want to improve their literacy skills whilst playing games…
Click here to check it out… and please let us know what you think of it
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Dyslexic Quotes
Post your dyslexic quote in the comments box below…
Lets have some Dyslexic Fun
Here’s a Dyslexic Quote from Dyslexic Brian to get the ball rolling:
“2 d or knot 2 d – that is the question…”
This month I reviewed the book Twilight written by Stephenie Meyer
Smitten or Bitten by Vampire Stories?
Twilight Saga
Have you ever read a vampire book before, expecting to be cast into a fantasy world of spell binding excitement – only to find it hasn’t exactly met your expectations?
Well, don’t let your past experience put you off!
This is a brilliantly written book that I’m sure will met your ever expectation. It’s a story full of mystical and make-believe creatures that come to life in your mind to scare you out of your wits!! Only joking some of them are quite cute actually.
Twilight is a whole new world of fantasy blended with the classic boy meets girl novel but with a twist. I won’t tell you what the twist is or I’ll spoil the intrigue.
A world were people aren’t what they seem – a world where there’s more to be discovered than meets the eye. Twilight is a gripping and captivating adventure, through and through!
It’s well worth reading and I would rate it as one of the best books I’ve read in this genre
WARNING: Don’t Read Past This Point unless You Want to Know the Story!!!
Twilight is the first book in the saga written by Stephenie Meyer. Written from the perspective of seventeen year old, Bella Swann. Bella, who moves from Sunny Phoenix to a small, showery town named Folks, Washington to live with her dad, soon becomes involved in something beyond her belief. She finds herself deeply attracted to a mysterious boy, later known as Edward Cullen. His inhumane Striking Looks, Pale, cold skin and unbelievable strength causes Bella to become highly inquisitive and she begins to speculate over the identity of Edward. She soon finds out that 17 year old Edward is in fact a vampire and has been one for 109 years! This made me smile when I read it – he must be the oldest 17 year old in town!!
Poor old/young Edward had suffered Spanish influenza and on his death bed was saved by Doctor Carlisle Cullen who made a decision to turn him into a vampire along with many others who were in the same situation. Edward along with all those saved from death make up the “Vegetarian” Cullen family who have, believe it or not, chosen to survive on animal blood only – strange behavior for blood thirsty vampires hey? Well its true – the first of their kind – Veggie Vampires!
Throughout the book you see the struggles and complications Bella and Edward face in their relationship. Not far into the book you see a close bond form between Bella and Edward. However, when the story later develops and everything becomes clear to Bella about who Edward really is things take a turn for the worse. When the rival vampire gang heads into town and one of the locals is killed, it’s not long before they discover someone else to try and get their teeth into him. They come across the Cullen’s who are enjoying a very agile game of base ball when they realize there is a human among them….Bella. Having the rival vampires chasing after Bella, leaves the relationship between Bella and Edwards even more tense than it was before. The romance between them suddenly turns into a desperate struggle to stay alive. At this point of the story Edward feels guilty and blames himself for having put Bella in so much danger. It seems impossible for them to be happy but they are unwilling to give up. Will they ever be able to work this doomed romance out?
Twilight is a relatively easy book to read and the story line was simple to grasp as it’s written in a way that it is incredibly easy to follow and to understand what’s going on. I am happy to recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a book with unexpected twists and turns. Twilight is a book so full of dramatic cliffhangers that will keep you up all night. Oh, and if you like a book with a good ending, then this one is defiantly for you as the story ends with such an unexpected climax.
Twilight is a book you really won’t want to put down!!!
Click here to buy a copy of Twilight
Get your book review published on Dyslexic Brian
If you would like to get your book review published on the Dyslexic Brian website then please send them to me at Nellie@dyslexicbrian.com
Make the Letters Stop Dancing – an Inspirational Dyslexia Life Story
The following Inspirational Dyslexia Life Story and poem ‘Make the Letters Stop Dancing’ was sent to us by Andrea Boff Sutton, a remarkable woman who has harnessed her ‘dyslexia’ and turned it into an amazing resource.
I hope that you enjoy this poem as much as I did – I’m sure that Andrea’s story will inspire and motivate people – dyslexic and non-dyslexics alike – to further develop the creative abilities of their minds… it certainly has for me!
Thanks once again Andrea,
All the best from Dyslexic Brian
Andrea Boff
Andrea Boff
Wonderful Dyslexia: Embracing the Wiring of My Mind by Andrea Boff
Page from Andrea's sketchbook, 2009
Throughout my childhood, my grandmother saved all my drawings in a special place in her kitchen. I still have some of them (thanks to her) and they date back to when I was 2 years old.
The point is, I always thought in pictures and in 3-D (even though I only have one working eye). Something in my brain enabled me to “see” space without stereo vision.
Even as there were abilities, there were liabilities. My mom would send me to the store for bread and milk and I would return with eggs and butter (knowing that I was supposed to get some sort of staple) but my memory just would not “hold” on to the ideas. Time was a mystery to me, so I was always late for dinner. I could not tell left from right and drew and “L” and an “R” on my bike handles, jeans, and hands. Simple tasks like “cross referencing” two lists, or organizing my school work was just about impossible and frustrating.
But it was the discipline of drawing that taught me how to think. I had an imaginary pencil and with it I drew imaginary lines in space. I drew houses, and hinges on the doors. By spinning the doors I realized that they created “cylinders” in the air. The planes of the house taught me perspective and geometry. I understood 3 dimensional space. That was the beginning of everything.
Today, I thrive. I am the Director of Experience Design in the Creative Department of a Fortune 100 where I design and build complex web properties. My ability to see in 3-D is tapped every day as I plan the tracks that users take through the web. Once I was afraid to speak of the Dyslexia and now I see it as a design resource in myself and others. Dyslexia has helped me understand that there are powerful differences in the ways human minds are wired and I respect others wiring even as I respect my own. There are many ways a mind can be wired – dyslexia is just one – and they are all very fascinating. I embrace this wiring. I know the pitfalls and the glories of it and that there is so much to learn from a person with a 3-D mind.
Make the Letters Stop Dancing
When my mom first opened books
across my lap for quiet looks
the pictures dazzled at a glance
and every word got up and danced.
The “T” and “H” spun with the “E”
and all for the delight of me
but they would not be still enough
for me to learn to read the stuff.
They would not sit on the line
so I stopped them with my mind
imagining them spatially
I sucked them down with gravity.
They quivered on the sentence shelf
till I could read them all myself -
And when I finished paragraphs
I let them all back up to dance.
Andrea Boff Sutton © 2009
Visit Andrea’s website www.boff.myexpose.com
The Dyslexic Label and Low Self-Esteem
Twin boys - different labels
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Several years ago I ran a workshop in Birmingham that was aimed at assisting parents of dyslexic children to gain a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding dyslexia.
The workshop was well attended and some of the parents had brought along their children with them as they perhaps thought it would be of benefit for them to meet me – maybe to inspire them to persevere with their efforts to overcome dyslexia – you see, I was functionally illiterate as a child and it took me from the ages of 18 to 31 to learn to read and write to a good enough standard to get myself into university – I’m now finishing off my PhD in education on the subject of dyslexia.
Anyway, returning to the focus of this post, ‘The Dyslexic Label and Low Self-Esteem’, there were twin boys (8 year olds) attending the workshop – one that had been labelled as dyslexic the other who had not. Yet, both brothers showed very similar issues when it came to reading and writing.
However, I noticed a striking difference between the two of them – the twin that had been labelled as dyslexic had very little confidence when it came to his reading and writing abilities. His brother, on the other hand, was extremely confident and was at times – in typical sibling rivalry – mocking his brother for the ‘mistakes’ he was making whilst writing a short story about his dyslexia. This twin was also keen to show off his literacy skills whilst his brother shied away from writing and at times seemed to be somewhat embarrassed when asked to writing something.
Curiously, the father of the twins spoke to his son who had been labelled as dyslexic differently to how he spoke to his son that had not been labelled in this way. For example, I heard him telling the dyslexic twin that his brain was not normal like his brothers and that’s why he needed to have special treatment at school – a sure way to knock a child’s self-esteem! I also noticed how his attitude seemed different to the ‘dyslexic’ twin, it was almost as if had resided himself to the fact that this son would never achieve academically.
Both brothers produced written work on the day along with a couple of drawings that had speech bubbles coming from the characters they had created. At first glance, I couldn’t tell who had produced what – they both spelt words unconventionally, their handwriting was ‘messy’ and in places illegible, and they both appeared to have difficulties expressing themselves on paper to a level that matched, or came somewhere close to, their verbal abilities. The only differentiating factor between the two sets of work was that they had both taken the time to write their names on the top of each piece of paper. On looking at their work I was puzzled why one of the twins had been assessed as dyslexic and the other one had not.
On reflection, I remember thinking how the lives of the twins would most probably go off in quite different directions as a result of one being labelled as dyslexic – this happening despite there being (in my opinion) very little difference between the two of them in terms of their literacy skills.
I remember thinking at the time how the only real difference between the twins was the perception that they held of themselves in relation to their literacy skill. The ‘non-dyslexic’ brother appeared to have high levels of self-esteem and seemed to view himself as more than able to read and write – whist the other brother appeared to have low levels of self-esteem and clearly doubt his reading and writing ability. I speculated that the ‘non-dyslexic’ brother stood a far great chance of improving his literacy skills over the years as he would more than likely engage with written language to a far great extent than his ‘dyslexic’ brother would.
It was during this workshop that it really hit home just how damaging the label of dyslexia can be for some children.
Article by Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak, 11th January, 2010
Here’s to a Prosperous Dyslexic 2,000 & TEN!!!
We would like to wish you a Prosperous Dyslexic 2,000 & TEN – and that you have fun in the New Year overcoming your dyslexia!
Workshops for Parents
We’ve got lots of exciting plans for 2010 that we hope will assist dyslexic people to overcome their dyslexic related difficulties. Here are a few things that are in the pipeline for 2010:
- We will be delivering another batch of our ‘Parent as Dyslexic Support Coach’ workshops after the great feedback we got from the parents and special needs teachers.
- We have designed a few competitions for school children that will hopefully help raise people’s awareness towards dyslexia.
Famous Friends
- We have lots of changes that we are going to make to the website such as adding our Famous Friends of Dyslexic Brian Section – we already have a few celebrates that have pledged their support so this section will be a great addition to the website.
- Towards the end of 2010 we will be publishing Antonio’s PhD thesis online for those of you who are interested in reading Antonio’s research on the subject of dyslexia.
- We will also be releasing an e-Book towards the end of 2010 that will give the key points from Antonio’s research – and will hopefully be useful for people who are struggling to overcome their dyslexia.
Dyslexia Workshops
- And from November 2010 we will be planning our 2012 Dyslexic Brian Backward Walk from John O’Groats to Lands End to raise people’s awareness of dyslexia and also to raise money for Comic Relief.
As you can see we have a busy 2010 ahead of us and we are excited about the new work we will be doing to raise people’s awareness of dyslexia. But, more importantly we are really looking forward to supporting even more people in 2010 than we did during 2009 to overcome their dyslexic related difficulties.
Once again we would like to wish you a Prosperous Dyslexic 2,000 & TEN!!!
Confidence Building in Dyslexic Children
The majority of dyslexic children have come to the conclusion that hey are stupid!
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Build Confidence in Dyslexic Children
Build Confidence in Dyslexic Children
The Basics
In any school in any week of the year a dyslexic child experiences a huge amount of failure. With sequencing difficulties, any form of writing or math/s is going to present severe problems, and the dyslexic child cannot fail to notice that almost all of the other children are able to do the work which he or she finds so hard. Why can’t he read and spell? He must be dumb, thick, stupid. It’s the conclusion that anyone would reach in similar circumstances, and it badly needs changing before any corrective teaching is going to be effective.
However good our methods with phoneme awareness, finding interesting books and word games are, this basic foundation for each child of a secure self-confidence has got to be addressed before any real progress can be hoped for
The difficulty with dyslexia is that it is not visible. If the child had a broken arm, everyone would be rushing around giving extra consideration. ‘Of course he can’t write – his arm is broken! There’s nothing wrong with his intelligence.’ But no-one ever says ‘Of course he can’t spell – he has inherited a different pattern of brain circuits! There’s nothing wrong with his intelligence.’
Teachers, parents and the dyslexic child himself come to the clear conclusion that he must be slow-witted.
What I am suggesting is a little cognitive therapy by the teacher, if possible in conjunction with the parent! Not as hard as it seems. The assumption in the child’s mind – that he is stupid – is inaccurate, and it needs correcting if he is to re-establish the self-confidence he needs to learn. This is not going to be achieved simply by telling him that he’s as intelligent as the next person. Well-intentioned people have been telling him that for years to no effect. He needs evidence, and he needs to re-construct the picture he has of himself in his own mind. Only in this way can he see his difficulties as a dyslexic learner in the proper context of a person – like anyone else – who has both strengths and weaknesses. Most dyslexic people have great strengths in the areas of physical co-ordination and/or creativity and/or empathy with other people. His strengths may lie in some of these areas, and he will know that lots of other children are weak in exactly these same areas.
The following exercise has a great effect on children, and can be carried out by a parent, or a teacher, or, if at all possible, both together with the child, who needs to be on his own (not in a group situation). Take a sheet of paper and make two columns: in one column put ‘Things I am good at’ and in the other ‘Things that I am not so good at’
- Things that I am good at
- Things that I am not so good at
Take about five or ten minutes of discussion with the child for you to write a list of things that the child is – from an objective point of view – successful at. These will include such skills as swimming, sports, caring for pets, making a collection, dancing, drama, singing, art, painting, drawing, and so on. In the ‘Not so good’ column let the child tell you the things like spelling and writing that he really finds hard. The list will look something like this, depending of course on each child’s interests:
- Things that I am good at
- swimming
- diving
- basketball
- looking after my rabbits
- drawing
- painting
- collecting stamps
- getting on well with other children
- clearing the table
- making people laugh
- softball
- being friendly to grandpa
- knowing about space and the planets
- etc.
- Things that I am not so good at
- spelling
- reading
- writing
- math/s
The evidence is staring the child in the face: there are far more things that he is good at than things he has difficulties with. He can’t possibly be stupid. He is clearly a successful person.
But he may well say that the things he is weak at are the things that matter in life. If you can’t spell, how can you pass exams and get a job? This is the stage at which you have to argue – not tell – and say such things as ‘What do you value people for – because they are good at spelling? Of course not. You value people for all sorts of qualities, especially their ability to be friendly, get on with you, consider your needs, think of other people before themselves and so on. It’s up to you to keep the argument going until the child can really begin to see himself in a new light – as a successful person who just happens to have been born with a small handicap. Like being color-blind. It’s not his fault. It’s not because he doesn’t try hard enough (as, unfortunately, many teachers will have told him).
Seeing himself in a new light can be a turning point for the child – whatever his or her age – and this new-born self-confidence can lay the foundation for the special kind of learning he needs to build up the spelling and writing skills that his fellow pupils find so much easier to acquire.
But it’s not an over-night change, and it needs carefully nurturing over the coming month. The list should be carefully preserved and pinned up at home in the kitchen for all to see. He needs praise, gold stars, credits, and certificates over the coming weeks for things he does in school – of a non-cademic nature – which are commendable: helping a new pupil to settle in, co-operating well in a games session, coming up with a fresh creative idea for art, and so on. The certificates he receives for these valuable activities may be the first he has ever received in his entire school career.
John Bradford
June 2001
Confidence Building in Practice
I began this activity by talking about a new session my learners would be having with me, which is Positive thinking. I modelled on the board my list and the children called out ideas. At the beginning of this activity this particular learner said, ‘I’m not good at anything’.
My reply was ‘Yes you are. You are good at football’. This made him realise that – yes – he can do things. With some discussion he managed to make a list.
Things that I am good at:
- Football
- Running
- Drawing
- Helping my friends
Things that I am not so good at:
- Reading
- Writing stories
At the end of the session he felt quite confident about the things he isn’t so good because I was able to bring to his attention that he can read just not as well as he is wanting to at the moment. We talked about books he had read and group reading activities where he sometimes helps other children with words like they help him.
The following day it was group reading. He put his hand straight up to be the first to read and he read steadily and more readily accepted help from the other children. (S. B-W., Somerset, UK)
Recognizing low self-esteem
A J is the typical 14-year-old boy—great athlete, “cool” with the girls, and loves to clown around when the pressure is on. I believe that underneath that façade what he projects is fear of failure in the eyes of his peers. During class he appears to pay attention but, when he is called upon to answer something that he is unsure of, he pretends not to have heard anything in the past five minutes.
This elicits a classroom response of giggles, especially in English or history. Science is a totally different matter, where he is truly interested, and is the first to answer or ask questions about an experiment. History and English are difficult, so he is frequently forgetting to complete assignments on schedule without constant reminders. He wants his peers to believe that he is just as carefree as everyone else and that school doesn’t offer any extreme challenges. (Lisa Landers, Texas)
Praise for non-academic achievements
Dyslexic children rarely receive certificates, merit points or stars for academic achievements. To compensate for this, non-academic achievements can easily be recognised and rewarded. Examples of such instances include:-
- Helping in class by handing out/collecting in work;
- Demonstrating to rest of class in P.E.;
- Showing good effort (regardless of outcome);
- Keeping desk tidy;
- Being organised with own equipment for lessons;
- Showing kindness to others;
- Willingness to participate in discussions;
- Sitting quietly and attentively;
- Good table manners at lunchtime;
- Helping to put out equipment or tidy up;
- Being polite;
- Setting a good example to younger pupils;
- Willingness to become involved in all aspects of school life (productions, clubs, trips, fundraising activities, etc).
Source: BeingDyslexic
New Brain Findings On Dyslexic Children | by Wendy Leopold
The vast majority of school-aged children can focus on the voice of a teacher amid the cacophony of the typical classroom thanks to a brain that automatically focuses on relevant, predictable and repeating auditory information, according to new research from Northwestern University.
Their study appears in the Nov. 12 issue of Neuron.
But for children with developmental dyslexia, the teacher’s voice may get lost in the background noise of banging lockers, whispering children, playground screams and scraping chairs, the researchers say. Their study appears in the Nov. 12 issue of Neuron.
Recent scientific studies suggest that children with developmental dyslexia – a neurological disorder affecting reading and spelling skills in 5 to 10 percent of school aged children – have difficulties separating relevant auditory information from competing noise.
The research from Northwestern University’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory not only confirms those findings but presents biological evidence that children who report problems hearing speech in noise also suffer from a measurable neural impairment that adversely affects their ability to make use of regularities in the sound environment.
“The ability to sharpen or fine-tune repeating elements is crucial to hearing speech in noise because it allows for superior ‘tagging’ of voice pitch, an important cue in picking out a particular voice within background noise,” said Nina Kraus, Hugh Knowles Professor of Communication Sciences and Neurobiology and director of the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory.
In the article “Context-dependent encoding in the human auditory brainstem relates to hearing speech-in-noise: Implications for developmental dyslexia,” Kraus and co-investigators Bharath Chandrasekaran, Jane Hornickel, Erika Skoe and Trent Nicol demonstrate that the remarkable ability of the brain to tune into relevant aspects in the soundscape is carried out by an adaptive auditory system that continuously changes its activity based on the demands of context.
Interestingly, the researchers found that dyslexic children showed enhanced brain activity in the variable condition.
Good and poor readers were asked to watch a video while the speech sound “da” was presented to them through an earphone in two different sessions during which the brain’s response to these sounds was continuously measured.
In the first session, “da” was repeated over and over and over again (in what the researchers call a repetitive context). In the second, “da” was presented randomly amid other speech sounds (in what the researchers call a variable context). In an additional session, the researchers performed behavioral tests in which the children were asked to repeat sentences that were presented to them amid increasing degrees of noise.
“Even though the children’s attention was focused on a movie, the auditory system of the good readers ‘tuned in’ to the repeatedly presented speech sound context and sharpened the sound’s encoding. In contrast, poor readers did not show an improvement in encoding with repetition,” said Chandrasekaran, lead author of the study. “We also found that children who had an adaptive auditory system performed better on the behavioral tests that required them to perceive speech in noisy backgrounds.”
The study suggests that in addition to conventional reading and spelling based interventions, poor readers who have difficulties processing information in noisy backgrounds could benefit from the employment of relatively simple strategies, such as placing the child in front of the teacher or using wireless technologies to enhance the sound of a teacher’s voice for an individual student.
Interestingly, the researchers found that dyslexic children showed enhanced brain activity in the variable condition. This may enable dyslexic children to represent their sensory environment in a broader and arguably more creative manner, although at the cost of the ability to exclude irrelevant signals (e.g. noise).
“The study brings us closer to understanding sensory processing in children who experience difficulty excluding irrelevant noise. It provides an objective index that can help in the assessment of children with reading problems,” Kraus says.
For nearly two decades, Kraus has been trying to determine why some children with good hearing have difficulties learning to read and spell while others do not. Early in her work, because the deficits she was exploring related to the complex processes of reading and writing, Kraus studied how the cortex — the part of the brain responsible for thinking –encoded sounds. She and her colleagues now understand that problems associated with the encoding of sound also can occur in lower perceptual structures.
Source: Medical News Today
Dyslexia Workshop Makes a Big Splash!
Despite the heavy rain on Saturday 14th November 2009, four parents and three children turned up to Dyslexic Brian’s Parent as Dyslexia Support Coach Workshop.
Caitlin's Perception of Dyslexia
The workshop got off to a bit of a late start due to the rain having caused a build up of traffic in Bristol city centre. Whilst the parents dried off and enjoyed a cup of warm tea the children explored the workshop space – discovered an old trap door, practiced their boxing skills on a couple of punch bags that we have hanging up, and then let loose on a drum kit, which I’m sure could be heard for miles! Goga took photo’s of the children posing on the drum kit and will email these of to them so that the can remember their time at Dyslexic Brian’s office.
The workshop started with Antonio Farruggia giving an overview of the Parent as Dyslexia Support Coach Programme and also a description of the day’s workshop. Then he explained a bit about his past and how he had struggled all of his life with dyslexia until he overcame it when he was 38 years old.
Harry's Perception of Dyslexia
Everyone in the group, including the children, then sketched out their perception of dyslexia – these were shared with the group followed by a very interesting discussion where everyone elaborated further on they way they see dyslexia.
Antonio then shared with us his theory of dyslexia that he arrived at during his ten years of PhD research on the subject of dyslexia. His theory of dyslexia went down well with the group and it seemed to make sense to everyone. However, there were concerns at first that his theory, although being good to assist people to develop a positive mental attitude towards their dyslexia, may leave them falling a bit short when it come to developing practical skill such as reading and writing. To address this Antonio shared a few techniques with the group that are aimed at helping children to develop their writing skills.
Tiny's Perception of Dyslexia
The workshop ended with the children presenting Antonio with the pictures that they had draw to explain what dyslexia is and how it affects them.
The children have asked if they can come back as they enjoyed themselves and had fun – so we are now planning to run a follow up workshop in December for this group.
Click here for inforation about the different types of workshop that we run.
www.flickr.com
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Reading and Writing – Why Dyslexics Love or Loath it!
Why Some Dyslexics Love to Read and Write
Over the years I (Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak) have come across dozens of dyslexic people who seem to have a real passion for reading and writing. For many, there appears to be a love affair going on between them and their books and/or story writing.
This can often shocks people who have little awareness of dyslexia as they assume that reading and writing would be the last things that someone with dyslexia would gain pleasure from doing. And yet, as mentioned, I have come across dozens of dyslexic people who seem to have a real passion for reading and writing.
Equally, over the years I have come across dozens, if not hundreds, of dyslexic people who seem to have a real hatred for reading and writing.
So, why is it that some dyslexic people love written language whilst others seem to really loath it?
Perhaps one of the reasons that many dyslexic people love to read and write might have something to do with the fact that reading and writing are brilliant inventions. For instance, reading can be a great way to stimulate our inner selves whilst writing can be an excellent way to help us express our thinking. So, once a dyslexic person gets to grips with using these inventions it is little wonder that they may fall in love with using them.
Unfortunately for some dyslexic people they find it hard to overcome the difficulties that they experience with written language and therefore never really get the hang of using it. For these people (and I was once one of them) nothing can be worst that the thought of having to do some reading and writing especially if their literacy skills do not match their level of intelligence. For example, it can be extremely frustrating trying to gain information from a book when your reading age is several years behind your own. And, it can be so humiliating when trying to write something in front of someone when your handwriting is completely unreadable.
Also, the thought of having to do some reading or writing might, for some dyslexic people, conjure up negative childhood memories. For example, they may have been picked on or made to feel inferior by their peers and/or teachers for having poor literacy skills. So, it’s no surprise then that for these people they may end up loathing reading and writing.
The question that we are now faced with is why are some dyslexic people able to overcome their difficulties and love reading and writing whilst others find dyslexia an insurmountable obstacle and end up hating reading and writing?
I hope to throw some light on this question within my PhD thesis. I am currently writing up my findings after spending the past 10 years researching the subject of dyslexia. I will be submitting my thesis to the University of Birmingham in July 2010 and as soon as I have I will publish several posts on the Dyslexic Brian website in order to share my theory of dyslexia and hopefully answer questions about dyslexia like the one mentioned above.
Subscribe to our FREE Dyslexic Brian Newsletter and be first to read posts about Antonio’s research that will explain how to overcome dyslexia.
| FREE Dyslexic Brian Newsletter |
I’m Luke, I’m five, and my dad’s Bruce Lee
Cult hit ... web users spread the word about song
A HEART-WARMING song about a little boy riding in his father’s digger has become a sudden favourite for Christmas No1 2005. (Click here to watch video)
The track, called The JCB Song, came from nowhere to lead the charge for the festive top spot and will go head to head with the likes of Westlife, G4 and The Pogues.
It was penned by 27-year-old Luke Concannon and tells how great he felt when he was five and his builder dad picked him up from school in a JCB.
Luke, of Leamington Spa, Warks, struggled in his studies because of dyslexia and says he was often bullied.
The JCB Song celebrates how all his troubles disappeared when he was riding in the cab of the big digger with his father Kieron.
The song and accompanying video — which can be viewed on the internet — has achieved cult status after web users started to spread the word.
Tribute ... Luke wrote song for father
The video features of animations of childlike drawings done in crayon on school notebooks.
Luke is one half of double act Nizlopi. He recorded the track with fellow dyslexic John Parker, who has been his best mate since they were 13.
Luke recalls: “My first school was rubbish. The teachers and pupils were real bullies.
“My grandad and dad are Irish and both builders and my dad used to give me a lift home in his big JCB. He even let me drive it sometimes.
“I was so proud of him. I thought he was really cool and when we were in the digger I was so happy.
“All that rubbish with school just used to be left behind for a while.”
The song begins: “Well, I’m rumblin’ in this JCB. I’m five years old and my dad’s a giant sitting beside me.”
Luke goes on to compare his hero father to martial arts legend Bruce Lee — whose name he rhymes with JCB — and hard man BA Baracus from TV’s The A-Team.
No1, son ... young Luke with dad
He also refers to his favourite childhood toys Zoids and Transformers.
Kieron, 51, is very proud of the tribute his son penned for him.
He says: “It took a while to sink in when he came down and first played it for me. To think something I did with him as a kid had such a lasting effect really moved me.
“People say you must be proud, when they hear the song but it goes way beyond that.
“Anyone who is a parent knows what I’m talking about.”
Kieron has now given up the building business and is helping his son
to set up his own record label, Folk’n Deadly.
He even plays Irish pipes on the track, which will be released on the new label next month [story written in 2005].
Luke and John formed Nizlopi shortly after they first met on the school bus.
The bizarre name for their two-man outfit comes from a former schoolmate of Luke’s — Nina Nizlopi — who he had a crush on.
He says: “I thought her name was amazing. I think she lives in Chicago now but if we get a Christmas No1 I’ll definitely get in touch with her.”
Bookies reckon a festive chart-topper is not out of the question.
The odds against Nizlopi started at 33-1 and have gradually come down. They are now as short as 5-1.
Childlike ... crayon drawing
The JCB Song has been dubbed this year’s Mad World.
That was the Tears For Fears number which Gary Jules covered two years ago for the soundtrack to the film Donnie Darko. It surprised everyone by storming to Christmas No1.
The JCB Song is being seen as a quirky but credible alternative to cheesy Christmas ballads.
Luke says: “There is a lot of really bad music out there and I hope this offers something a little bit different and a little bit more thought-provoking than some of the other stuff.
“There’s a good story behind this track. I hope some people can relate to it and hopefully take some comfort from it.
“I don’t look at dyslexia as something that should hold you back and I hope other people don’t as well.
“I hope when people hear this song it leaves them with a stupid smile on their face. That’s how it’s meant to make people feel.”
Click here to listen to the song.
Story written by Derek Brown in 2005
Dyslexia Inspired Song by Nizlopi
A HEART-WARMING song about a little boy riding in his father’s digger has become a sudden favourite for Christmas No1 2005. (Click here to read the story)Share
I’m 5 years old and my dad’s a giant sitting beside me.
And the engine rattles my bum like berserk
While we’re singin’ , ‘Don’t forget your shovel if you want to go to work!’
My dad’s probably had a bloody hard day
But he’s been good fun and bubblin’ and jokin’ away
And the procession of cars stuck behind
are gettin’ all impatient and angry, but we dont mind.
An’ we’re holdin’ up the bypass
woah
Me and my dad havin’ a top laugh
oh-woah
I’m sittin’ on the toolbox
woah
And I’m so glad I’m not in school, boss
So glad I’m not in school
Oh no
and we pull over to let cars past
And pull off again, speedin’ by the summer green grass
And we’re like giants up here in our big yellow digger
Like zoids, or transformers, or maybe even bigger
And I wanna transform into a Tyrannosaurus Rex!
And eat up all the bullies and the teachers and their pets
And I’ll tell all my mates that my dad’s B.A. Baracus
Only with a JCB and Bruce Lee’s nunchuckas
And We’re holdin’ up the bypass
Woah
Me and my dad havin’ a top laugh
Oh whoa
I’m sittin’ on the toolbox
Oh
And I’m so glad I’m not in school, boss
So glad I’m not in school
And we’re holdin’ up the bypass
Oh
Me and my dad havin’ a top laugh
Oh whoa
I’m sittin’ on the toolbox
Oh
And I’m so glad I’m not in school, boss
So glad I’m not in school
-
Said I’m Luke, I’m five, and my dad’s Bruce Lee. Drives me round in his JCB.
I’m Luke, I’m five, and my dad’s Bruce Lee. Drives me round in his JCB.
I’m Luke, I’m five, and my dad’s Bruce Lee. Drives me round in his JCB.
I’m Luke, I’m five, and my dad’s Bruce Lee. Drives me round
And we’re holdin’ up the bypass
Whoa-Oh
Me and my dad havin’ a top laugh
Oh-whoa
And I’m sittin’ on the toolbox
oh-oh
And I’m so glad I’m not in school, boss
So glad I’m not in school
I said
I’m Luke, I’m five, and my dad’s Bruce Lee. Drives me round in his JCB.
I’m Luke, I’m five, and my dad’s Bruce Lee. Drives me round in his
Aw, I’m Luke, I’m five, and my dad’s Bruce Lee. Drives me round in his JCB.
I’m Luke, I’m five, and my dad’s Bruce Lee. Drives me round in his JCB.
Malcolm | Dyslexia Inspirational Story
Malcolm
As with many ‘dyslexics’ Malcolm’s experience of the British education system was not a good one. Before being labeled as ‘dyslexic’ Malcolm’s lack of concentration was a concern and a mystery to his parents. At the age of seven his parents paid for him to be assessed at the Dyslexia Institute. In Malcolm’s own words, his life changed from then. Each week Malcolm received lessons to help him overcome dyslexia. He believes that although it meant his parents investing a lot of money in his education each week, it was worth it.
Despite his progress outside of school, Malcolm did not enjoy the school experience. When he started secondary school, he used a laptop to help him keep up with the work load, and to help his teachers to read his work. However being different and even using a laptop meant that Malcolm was bullied.’ Sunday night,’ he says , ‘was hell’ because he dreaded going to school on Monday morning.
At the age of fifteen Malcolm prepared to sit his GCSE’s, he also made a career choice: to use his skills to become a furniture maker. His mother was thold by one of Malcolm’s teachers that he should ‘lower his expectations’. Despite this Malcolm wasn’t deterred he sat his exams and achieved five GCSE’s grade A to C.
Malcolm now attends college full time to learn furniture making. He doesn’t know if this will be his final career choice, but he does know that he is not going to give up. Malcolm’s determination to succeed is an inspiration. Malcolm stresses that anyone with dyslexia dyslexic or parents of dyslexic children shouldn’t t give up, It is worth pushing the the education system, and it is worth investing in your future. Malcolm’s message: ‘If I can do well so can you’.
Tell us Your Dyslexia Story
We all know about famous ‘dyslexics’, but what about every-day people that have overcome barriers despite dyslexia?
Send us your story, along with a photo or video, for Dyslexic Brian’s Inspirational Stories section.
First Overcoming Dyslexia Workshop Gets Thumbs Up
First Overcoming Dyslexia Workshop
The first of our Overcoming Dyslexia Workshops that we ran on the 3rd November gets the thumbs up from everyone who took part.
The purpose of the workshops was to explore our perceptions of dyslexia. We did this by carrying out several exercises that Antonio used within the dyslexia support programme that he developed as part of his PhD research.
One of the exercises that we did was a Self-characterisation Sketch (click here to read about this exercise) – this appeared to go down really well and got the ball rolling for a really interesting discussion about how dyslexia can affect people’s lives.
Following this, everyone in the group did an exercise that assisted them to describe their perception of dyslexia. It was so fascinating how each person described their view of dyslexia in such a uniquely individual way – lots of interesting drawing were produced too (see photo).
What’s coming next?
Moving forward, the next workshop that we are running on Monday 9th November will focus on beginning the process of developing a Super Charged Dyslexia Mindset.
We will be exploring if your current view of dyslexia to discover if it is holding you back from achieving your goals in life. And, if this is the case, we will be assisting you to re-conceptualise your dyslexia in a way that will enable you to liberate yourself from your dyslexia.
If you are interested in attending this workshop then please contact us now to book your FREE place.
Overcoming Dyslexia as an Obstacle to Success
Dyslexia Quiz
Share
Match the Famous People’s names to the ‘Obstacles Experienced’:
|
FAMOUS PERSON |
OBSTACLES EXPERIENCED |
Famous chef and celebrity |
Was put in the ‘stupid row’ when at primary school; later, as an unemployed and struggling single parent, wrote on scraps of paper in a local café. |
Famous for founding the ‘Woolworths’ chain of shops |
Enjoys writing songs and tried to get into reading but just can’t get into that ‘book thing’. |
Famous entrepreneur |
Achieved his greatest work after the age of 46, by which time he was completely deaf. |
A famous composer |
Being dyslexic has helped him in the business world – he sees some things more clearly than others. |
Famous for inventing the telephone in 1876 |
Didn’t speak until he was four and didn’t read until he was seven. His teacher described him as ‘mentally slow, unsociable and adrift forever in his foolish dreams’. |
A famous writer |
Was told by his employers at the shop where he worked that he was not good enough to service customers. |
A brilliant physicist |
Was told after a meeting with the President, “That’s an amazing invention, but who would want to use one of them?” |
Famous singer |
Didn’t do well at school; people thought he was ‘thick’. |
Source: 
Dyslexia Awareness Week 2009 – Dyslexic Brian Supporting the Cause!!!
Dyslexia Awareness Week 2009
FREE Places on Dyslexia Workshops
To help celebrate this year’s Dyslexia Awareness Week we are running three FREE dyslexia workshops aimed at parents of dyslexic children.
Benefit from:
- A deeper understanding of the dyslexia related issues your child may be experiencing
- Knowing how different theories of dyslexia may be ‘helping’ or ‘hindering’ your child’s progress at school
- Learning several techniques that you can use to assist your child to improve their reading and writing ability
- Finding out the potential benefits of you becoming your child’s own Dyslexia Support Coach
- Evaluating your ability to become a Dyslexia Support Coach to your child
- Saturday 7th November 2009 2pm – 4pm
- Saturday 14th November 2009 2pm – 4pm
- Saturday 21st November 2009 2pm – 4pm
In addition to the workshops we have also been Spreading the WORD about Dyslexia Awareness Week via LIVE Radio Shows, Dyslexia Workshops, and Guest Speaking Events.
Don’t forget to do your bit too – tell the world about dyslexia!!!
To book your FREE place on workshop or for more information please contact at info@DyslexicBrian.com
Dyslexic man named as top teacher | October 2009
A West Yorkshire teacher who overcame dyslexia to achieve his career dream has been named the most outstanding new teacher in the country.
Edward Vickerman, head of business at The Freeston Business and Enterprise College in Normanton, was given the title at the Teaching Awards in London.
Because of his dyslexia, the 26-year-old said he was sidelined at school and not expected to achieve much.
He was described by a colleague as a “whirlwind” in the classroom.
While working in the hotel industry, Mr Vickerman discovered ways of overcoming his dyslexia and achieved a degree in hotel management, which set him on the road to success.
Invigorated department
He then decided to pursue his dream of becoming a teacher and chose to take a postgraduate teaching qualification.
Colleagues and students said Mr Vickerman was an “inspiration to work with” and had invigorated the department, introducing new courses to match student needs.
Mr Vickerman said he gets round his dyslexia by using new technology in lessons rather than communicating by writing.
The Teaching Awards, founded by Lord Puttnam 11 years ago, are open to every school in the UK and reward excellent teachers, head teachers, teaching assistants, governors and sustainable schools.
Source: BBC published Monday, 26 October 2009
Dyslexic Brian – LIVE Radio Show about Dyslexia
Bristol Community FM 93.2fm
Dyslexic Brian was interviewed by Maf, one of Bristol’s best know DJ’s, on Bristol Community FM.
The interview was on 29th October 2009 between 2pm and 3pm (UK time)
Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak (co-founder of Dyslexic Brian) was explaining Dyslexic Brian’s perspective of dyslexia and sharing lots of tips and tricks that dyslexic people can follow to completely overcome their dyslexia.
It was a show well worth listening to!
All the best and enjoy the show!
Dyslexic Brian & LIVE BCfm Radio Show
Wow!!! The live radio show with the infamous radio presenter Maf from Bristol Community Radio was an amazing experience!
Our co-founder Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak had a great time talking about dyslexia and also having a laugh with Maf.
We are looking forward to getting back on Maf’s show soon.
We’ll keep you posted re Dyslexic Brain’s next radio appearance.
Let us know what you think of the show by sending Dyslexic Brian an email at info@dyslexicbrian.com
National Dyslexia Awareness Week | November 2009
National Dyslexia Awareness Week
Next week is National Dyslexia Awareness Week, and the question posed by Frewen College, the area’s only specialist a school for dyslexics, is “Just how aware are you of dyslexia?”
Most people think of dyslexia as a problem with reading, spelling, and perhaps comprehension, so assume it cannot be diagnosed until a child is already behind at school. But there are many other symptoms that can alert parents to the possibility in plenty of time to intervene at a much earlier stage.
A spokesman for the school said: “Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence, and it can be found across all social and economic strata. Many dyslexics have considerable gifts, but if their difficulties are not identified and addressed early enough these strengths can be swamped by failure and self doubt.”
Here are Frewen’s top ten tell-tale signs of dyslexia that are not reading related. If you can ‘tick’ three or more, you need to start digging more deeply.
- There is a strong genetic element to dyslexia, so if there is any family history of dyslexia or reading difficulties, be particularly alert to other warning signs.
- Being slow to start talking, and then having trouble pronouncing some letters, especially M’s and N’s, R’s and L’s.
- Reversing or mixing up sounds in multi-syllable words (favourites include aminal for animal, hekalopter for helicopter, bisgetti for spaghetti, or even nucular for nuclear!).
- Trouble with tying shoe laces and getting dressed.
- Co-ordination problems (excessive tripping, falling over, bumping into things, difficulty with catching or kicking a ball, or clapping a simple rhythm).
- Difficulty undertaking any task that involves a sequence of actions, such as ‘do this, then do that.’
- Difficulty learning abstract facts, such as days of the week or months of the year.
- Very slow to learn the names of letters or sounds, or learning the alphabet.
- May have walked quite early but did not crawl.
- An unusually high number of ear infections.
Source: Bexhill Observer
DysFest dyslexia awerness week film festival | November 2009
Exploring dyslexia from a f…resh new perspective.
DysFest Is the first dyslexia awerness week film festival which explores the representation and understanding of dyslexia looking at films, technology and art.
Films and workshops highlighting different attitudes to Dyslexia from around the world and showing aspects of the condition will be followed by discussions with filmmakers and leading thinkers in the fields of assistive technology and development psychology.
That’ll take place in London from the 2nd to the 6th of November 2009.
For more information or to reserve your free seat visit http://www.dysfest.org.
From car mechanic to teacher | Dyslexic Inspirational Story
Birmingham Evening Mail published on August 18th 2005
Paul Reid lived and worked in Birmingham until he tragically died in a morobike accident late in 2005. In his short 40 years, Paul embraced life andat the age of 39, despite his dyslexia, he gained a teaching qualification. Paul took a keen interest in our Dyslexic Project, and we are sure he would want his story here so that others can gain inspiration from it.
“TEACHING has changed so much over the years,” are the opening words from Paul Reid, a 39 year old from Perry Barr, when you ask him what he thinks of his new career.
“I really struggled when I was at school. It was differrent back then and admitting you had a problem understanding something wasn’t easy.’”
Paul was a car mechanic for 15 years before suffering from arthiritis and decided to change career.
“I loved mechanics so much that I decided that I wanted to teach others how to do it,” he explained.
Paul enrolled on a City and Guilds Further Education Teaching Course at Josiah Mason College in order to acquire the necessary skills and gain a teaching qualification.
Paul decided to go all the way and since completing his course he has progressed on to a Certificate in Education, a university qualification delivered at JMC in partnership with University College Worcester, which will make him a fully qualified full time teacher.
Shortly after embarking on this journey, he was offered a job as a mechanics tutor at Greensprings Training.
To find out more, write to us or come to our Dyslexia discussion groups.
Tell us Your Dyslexia Story
We all know about famous ‘dyslexics’, but what about every-day people that have overcome barriers despite dyslexia?
Send us your story, along with a photo or video, for Dyslexic Brian’s Inspirational Stories section.
Learning disabilities, a silent struggle | By Jay Balagna
Eric Thornley, a 19-year-old history and international affairs major, is one of about 400 students at the University of Nevada, Reno with a learning disability. Photo by Casey Durkin /Nevada Sagebrush.
When Eric Thornley was five years old, he was diagnosed with dyscalculia, a specific learning disability that inhibits a person’s learning of math. Coupled with a speech impediment, he quickly fell behind the other children in his class.
The now-19-year-old history and international affairs major is forced to spend more time studying and working on assignments than the average student.
“I’m not like the typical college student where I sign up for a fraternity and go out and party,” Thornley said. “I have to spend a lot more time on my schoolwork to keep up.”
Thornley is one of more than 400 students at the University of Nevada, Reno with a diagnosed learning disability, according to information from the Disability Resource Center.
Students with learning disabilities make up the second-highest portion served by the Disability Resource Center after psychological disabilities, Mary Zabel, the center’s director, said. The psychological disabilities include attention deficit disorder, accounting for the higher number, Zabel said. UNR’s learning disability rates largely fit with the national trend.
Specific learning disabilities are neurological disorders that affect a person’s ability to learn in various ways. “Learning disability” is an umbrella term used to refer to a number of different disorders, said Christine Cheney, a professor of special education at UNR and the chair of the education specialties department.
Included in the list of learning disabilities are dyscalculia; dyslexia, a reading and language-based disorder and dysgraphia, a writing-based disorder, as well as other, less-common handicaps.
Most people with learning disabilities are given a general diagnosis and not told which disorder they have, Cheney said.
“Generally, in the school system, we don’t tend to break it down and just say people are learning disabled,” she said.
That approach has the advantage of preventing decreased expectations for a student in any specific area, Cheney said. It sometimes expands those decreased expectations to all subjects, though.
“For the most part, people see this as something that can be overcome,” Cheney said. “There is the risk some people will just give up, though.”
Thornley said his learning disability affected him through grade school and into college.
“When I was younger, my first year of grade school was in a special education program which was a little disheartening,” he said.
The next year, Thornley was assigned to a regular classroom but still had to work to succeed in school with his disability.
As the years went by, he began to find himself wondering why he couldn’t achieve the high grades his older sister had earned in the same subjects. As he slowly came to terms with his dyscalculia, he began to realize he would have to start taking more responsibility for his education if he wanted to succeed later in life.
“Lowered expectations can often be a problem (for students with learning disabilities),” Cheney said. “Sometimes families and teachers can help too much and students can kind of get a learned helplessness.”
Those feelings of helplessness keep many students with learning disabilities from college educations, she said.
“There are a lot of capable students out there and the message is getting to them more and more that college is an option,” Cheney, whose son has a learning disability and is a UNR graduate, said.
While Thornley tries to do as much as he can on his own, he still needs help in some areas. His freshman year, he took a year-long Math 120 class offered through the Disability Resource Center. Now that his math requirement is completed, he uses only the alternative testing and note-taking services offered through the center.
The alternative testing is the same test given in the classes, but in a longer allotted time period and in the Disability Resource Center, Thornley said.
Another student in the same class provides the note-taking service by agreeing to take his own notes on carbon-copy paper in exchange for a $100 stipend toward the next semester’s tuition, Zabel said. Note-takers are screened by the Disability Resource Center to make sure their handwriting is legible and they are not on academic probation, she said. The money automatically is reduced from the following semester’s tuition.
Source: The Nevada Sagebrush
Tell us Your Dyslexia Story
We all know about famous ‘dyslexics’, but what about every-day people that have overcome barriers despite dyslexia?
Send us your story, along with a photo or video, for Dyslexic Brian’s Inspirational Stories section.
Say ‘Hi’ to Your Dyslexia
Say 'Hi' to Your Dyslexia
Say ‘Hi’ to Your Dyslexia and explore how it affects your life.
This is a fun workshop full of games and role plays.
The session starts with Antonio telling everyone a bit about himself and how dyslexic affected his life until he learnt how to get rid of all of the difficulties that dyslexia was causing him.
After this you will take part in a game that will help you to explain what your dyslexia means to you and how it affects your life.
Once you have done this, Antonio will explain his theory about dyslexia to you and tell you how he used it to get rid of all of his dyslexia difficulties.
Then it’s your turn to test out his theory by doing a role play that will help you to decide if it will suit you too.
Then you will be set with some fun homework to do before the next workshop beings. The homework will help you to look at your dyslexia in a way that is really positive and that will make you feel proud to be dyslexic.
To book your place on this workshop or for more information please contact us at info@DyslexicBrian.com
Say ‘Bye’ to Your Dyslexia Difficulties
Say 'Bye' to Your Dyslexia
Say ‘Bye’ to Your Dyslexia Difficulties by learning how to overcome your dyslexia.
This workshop is full of excitement and challenges.
The session starts with a group role play that describes some of the dyslexia difficulties that the group experiences.
You will help to write the script for this role play so it’s your chance to show off your creative skills or to add a few comical bits to it.
The next thing you will be doing is describe the main dyslexia difficulties you experience and would like to get rid of.
Antonio and the rest of the team will then show you how you can become a ‘self-organised learner’ and find ways to overcome your own dyslexia difficulties.
Then you will be able to do an experiment to see if you can find ways to improve your skills and abilities within an area that has been giving you difficulties, for example, improving your reading and writing skills.
Then Antonio will set you some fun homework to do before the next workshop begins. The homework will help you to try out what you have learnt on start to overcome other dyslexia difficulties.
To book your place on this workshop or for more information please contact us at info@DyslexicBrian.com
Join Dyslexic Brian’s Gang
Join Dyslexic Brian's Gang
Join Dyslexic Brian’s Gang so that you can share issues and ideas with likeminded people.
This workshop is the full of creativity and innovation.
This session starts with Antonio explaining how important it is for members of the group to try and keep in touch in order to offer support to each other.
As a group we will have a discussion around the types of methods that we could use to keep in touch with each other.
We will have an IT specialist at our dispose that will help us to set up whatever methods of online communication we come up with as a group.
Once we have decided on the way we will keep in touch with each other we will come up with our own Dyslexic Brian Gang Rules. Creating our own Gang Rules is good fun and we can add a few silly rules to have a laugh.
This workshop ends with a Dyslexic Brian Gang Award Ceremony where you will receive a certificate of achievement from Dyslexic Brian himself!
To book your place on this workshop or for more information please contact us at info@DyslexicBrian.com
Overcoming Dyslexic | Young Peoples Workshops | Aims and Objectives
Aims and Objectives
Aims and Objectives
Aims and Objectives
Here’s an overview of the main aim and objectives for the Young Peoples Workshops that we are currently running in Bristol, UK:
The Aim: To assist dyslexic young people to completely overcome their dyslexia.
Objective One: To coach young people through the process of developing a powerful dyslexic mindset that enables them to reframe their perception of dyslexia in a way that does not restrict their ability to overcome dyslexia completely.
Objective Two: To assist young people to become independent learners by gaining an understanding of the processes and skills needed for them to tackle and overcome their own dyslexia related issues.
Objective Three: To assist young people to design and develop a peer lead support network that provides a platform for the continuation of the learning gained from the workshops.
Overcoming Dyslexia Workshop 1: Exploring Your Dyslexia
Exploring Your Dyslexia
Exploring Your Dyslexia
Exploring Your Dyslexia
Many dyslexic people never really take a close look at their own dyslexia and get to know it intimately. If this applies to you then come along to this workshop as it will help you to understand your dyslexia on a deeper level. As a group we will explore what dyslexia is, what causes it, how it impacts on us, and whether it can be cured or not. These are slippery areas to explore but important ones to examine especially if your intention is to overcome your dyslexia completely.
To book your place on this workshop or for more information please contact us at info@DyslexicBrian.com
Creating a super charged ‘Dyslexic Mindset’
Overcoming Your Dyslexia
Overcoming Dyslexia Workshop 2: Creating a super charged ‘Dyslexic Mindset’
Creating a super charged ‘Dyslexic Mindset’
Creating a super charged ‘Dyslexic Mindset’
Is your current view of dyslexia holding you back from achieving your goals or from excelling in your current career? If yes, then this workshop is for you! It has been specifically designed to help you conceptualise your dyslexia as a phantom condition that has been imposed on you by educational and social forces. We will guide you through the process of re-conceptualised your dyslexia in this liberating way and then assist you to create a super charged ‘Dyslexic Mindset’ that will help you achieve your goals and excel within your career.
To book your place on this workshop or for more information please contact us at info@DyslexicBrian.com
Exploring Your Dyslexia
Overcoming Your Dyslexia
Overcoming Dyslexia Workshop 3: Overcoming Your Dyslexia
Overcoming Your Dyslexia
Overcoming Your Dyslexia
Difficulties with reading, writing, expressing thought coherently and organisational management are just a few issues that are commonly associated with dyslexia and which can generally limit the potential of dyslexic people. Within this workshop we will assist you to identify and then prioritise the main issues relating to your dyslexia that you wish to overcome. We will then assist you to design and develop your own methods and techniques to overcome these issues which if applied will help you to free yourself completely of dyslexia.
To book your place on this workshop or for more information please contact us at info@DyslexicBrian.com
Exploring Your Dyslexia
Creating a super charged ‘Dyslexic Mindset’
Dyslexic Brian @ The University of Bristol Freshers’ Fair
| Dyslexic Brian went down really well at The University of Bristol Freshers’ Fair.
Two of the co-founders of Dyslexic Brian, Goga and Antonio, spent all day telling students about the services that we offer. Goga and Antonio were shattered when they got back to the office but they said it had been worth it due to them having met dozens of positive minded dyslexic and non-dyslexic students. There was a huge interest in November’s dyslexia workshops that are aimed at assisting people to completely overcome their dyslexia. Also, loads of people signed up for our newsletter – we’ll be sending out the newsletters very soon but first Goga and Antonio are sending out a personalised video email to everyone who signed up for it. Loads of the students we spoke to said that it would be good for us to start a Bristol University Dyslexic Brian Society – we think this is a great idea and we are now looking into setting this up.If we become a society we’re planning to run a free discussion group about dyslexia each month at the Uni – these should be good fun and will hopefully be useful to students who want to increase their awareness and understanding of dyslexia. Check back soon to find out where Dyslexic Brian will be visiting next! If you’re organising an event and would like Dyslexic Brian to come along then please contact us on info@DyslexicBrian.com or call us on 020 8485 9080 |
 Antonio with Owen, President of UBU  Antonio with Ruth and Richard, UBU
 University of Bristol
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Dyslexic Brian’s View of Dyslexia (Part 1)
As a result of the way dyslexia is currently being viewed, many people within society, i.e. those within medicine, education, employment, and within the general population, regard ‘dyslexic’ people as ‘broken’ and in need of ‘fixing’ in some way.
For instance, some ‘medics’ believe that dyslexia stems from a ‘defect’ or ‘deficit’ that exists within the ‘dyslexic’ individual’s brain, whilst others believe it to be caused by some form of malfunctioning’ within the ‘dyslexic’ individual’s eyes. Some within education, i.e. academics and teachers, hold the view that dyslexia has something to do with the ‘dyslexic’ individual’s ‘inability’ to distinguish between certain letter sounds. Some employers believe that ‘dyslexic’ individual’s have ‘sub-standard’ intelligence and therefore not worth employing as they will be a liability to their company or organisation. And finally, many people within the general population regard ‘dyslexic’ people as ‘uneducated’, not ‘normal’, ‘thick’ or even ‘stupid’.
At Dyslexic Brian.com we do not regard ‘dyslexic’ people to be ‘broken’, ‘abnormal’ or in need of ‘fixing’ in any way what so ever.
Rather, we believe that ‘dyslexic’ people are individuals who may have a natural orientation to express themselves using a non-word based medium, such as art, music, dance, mime, sport, etc.
Just as some individuals have a natural orientation to use their right hand rather than their left one, we believe that some individuals have a natural orientation to use one (or all) of the mediums mentioned above instead of using written language to express themselves.
Just as it is perfectly ‘normal’ to be either right or left handed we believe it to be perfectly ‘normal’ to be ‘dyslexic’. We believe therefore, that ‘dyslexia’ is caused as a result of such individuals being forced to use their non-preferred medium (e.g. written language) to try and express themselves with.
Looking at dyslexia in this way, we can easily say that ‘much’ has been made of ‘nothing’, which is exactly what we are saying! Just as left or right handedness isn’t viewed as an issue then nor should dyslexia be. And yet, at one point in our history, and as ludicrous as this may seem nowadays, left handedness was seen to be just as big an issue as dyslexia is.
Many people within society believed that left handed people were possessed by the devil. Within education left handed children were punished and forced to write with their right hands. Left handed children were picked on and bullied and left handed adults were mistrusted within society. (Incidentally, the word ‘sinister’ derives from the Latin word ‘sinistra’ which means ‘left’. Thankfully, being left handed is not seen in this way anymore. Unfortunately though, the issue of dyslexia still is!
However, whilst the phenomenon of dyslexia is being framed in the way that it is, (i.e. as a condition that exists within the individual) then the negative effects of this view on the ‘dyslexic’ individual can be profound. For example, if a ‘dyslexic’ person believes that they are ‘broken’ and not ‘normal’ then this may limit their ability to reach their true potential.
