April 2023

Difficult to believe we are one quarter through this year already… do you feel time is going faster than ever ?

Funny I should say that… we had our first Come to the Dyslexic Table Live Chat on April 1, following Sharon Robert’s article on ‘Time Blindness’ in our March Newsletter.

It was fun to hear the various challenges connected to time and many of them relate to time words like ‘when’ ‘then’ ‘now’ ‘before’ ‘after’.

Unless you know the meaning of time, they are also meaningless and will cause disorientation, resulting in missed appointments, flights, meals and often the appearance of being rude.

This was a real team effort, thank you Sharon for the article, Nadine for the discussion idea, Laura for the organising, those who joined us and Tristan who will be posting the edited Live Chat as a Podcast in series 6. Watch this space!

Come to The Dyslexic Table

This month Sharon has written about Invisible Dyslexics, she and I both come under that category. We did OK at school, and now we know we could have done so much better if we’d been taught the way we learn.

The Live Chat discussing our invisibility will take place on Monday May 1, at 4.30pm PDT. The official figures for those with dyslexia range from 10-15% but they only reflect the individuals who get tested.

From my observations, and research undertaken by Dr Linda Silverman (in Upside Down Brilliance) there will be at least as many who go undetected. We estimate at least one third of the population have the gift of dyslexia (used in an umbrella term to encompass dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADD, ADHD and many more so-called learning disabilities).

I am an Invisible Dyslexic: by Sharon Roberts, Davis Dyslexia Correction Facilitator, Kitchener, ON

I AM AN INVISIBLE DYSLEXIC – Sharon Roberts

While organising some things recently, I found some old report cards. They provided a sad tale of a student who showed promise and who was eventually categorised as being average, later attending summer school for High School maths and science in order to move forward. 

I describe myself as promising because I was an accelerated student; meaning I took Grade 3 and 4 together. I don’t recall any specific testing, but somehow at a young age I demonstrated some above average abilities and was therefore pushed forward… therefore I was smart… right ? That was the argument I gave myself throughout my academic life when the report cards indicated otherwise. I was described as average, not working to my full potential and inattentive.

In my mind, I did try.  Doing well was important to me. I managed to get into University, but encountered similar problems, especially with one History professor who point blank said he was disappointed and expected more from me. I avoided courses that focused on multiple choice exams because I just couldn’t do them. I managed to scrape through my LSATS (Law entrance exams – 3hrs of reading and multiple choice questions) despite clocking out after one hour. Needless to say, I didn’t pursue a career in law! 

Fast forward 25 years when my son had completed a Davis Dyslexia Correction program and I was about to embark on my training to become a Davis Dyslexia Correction Facilitator. In training we are provided with the same tools as a regular program would provide. I suspected I had dyslexia but still kept quiet. The quiet whisper in my ear became a roar when I pursued training in nutritional counselling several years later. It consisted of independent study, all exams were multiple choice online and 80% was the pass mark. Thanks to my Davis tools I got 90’s except for Anatomy in the 80’s.  

Imagine what I may have been able to achieve academically if I had been introduced to these tools in my early years! Sometimes the symptoms of dyslexia are obvious, sometimes not. Those I refer to as ‘the invisible ones’ get by, are able to read and write, get average grades and float along under the radar. They could have done so much better IF (tried) no…. IF they had been taught the way they learn. You might think that early intervention is the answer… let’s find the potential dyslexics and give them more of what they find difficult already. That is not our solution. What if the classroom teacher could teach the basics of literacy to the whole class in a way that worked for the whole class.  Davis Learning Strategies do just that… they provide a safe environment for all children, including the obvious and the invisible dyslexics. They are the key to NeuroInclusivity in school, the end of so-called learning disability labels and the answer to achieving a student’s full potential. Children like me would no longer be seen as lazy, unmotivated and inattentive… happy children, happy parents, happy teachers.  www.davislearn.org and www.thewds.org/prevention.

‘COME TO THE DYSLEXIC TABLE’ ..on MAY 1, 2023 at 4.30pm PST, 7.30pm EST to talk about this article. Please join us! Will be so much fun to hear your time challenges and solutions !

SUGGESTED READING:

Thomas West’s third book – Seeing What Others Cannot See – the hidden advantages of Visual Thinkers and Differently Wired Brains

He wrote  In the Mind’s Eye: Creative Visual Thinkers, Gifted Dyslexics and The Rise of Visual Technologies -- in 1991, and Thinking Like Einstein: Returning to Our Visual Roots with the Emerging Revolution in Computer Information Visualization

HOME TURF:

On Friday April 21, Sue and Julie are presenting a Professional Development Day session for the Sooke School District on Friday, April 21, 2023.

It is open to the public, so do feel free to share the poster!

ONTARIO CHAPTER:

On Saturday April 22, Nadine Schumont of Picture Perfect Learning Solutions will have a booth at this event in Stratford, Ontario. Drop by and say Hi! For more information reach out to nadine at: pictureperfectlearning@gmail.com

Thanks to a very generous donation, we are delighted to have the funding for our operations this year. We cannot express how grateful we are to the donors until we invent some new words!

Last year, our Society benefitted enormously from having Laura as our part-time paid administrator; not only for the typical admin duties, but her knowledge/skills improved our social media, our data bases, our procedures, our functioning.  She is amazingly thorough, ethical, very creative and always works with integrity, having our best interest foremost and we are excited to look forward to more Laura this year!

We thought you might like to see what we are up to:

April 12 – Sue Hall and Sharon Roberts talk with Sky Bridges of APTN TV in Winnipeg.

April 21 – Julie Brewer and Sue Hall present at the Sooke School District Professional Development Day.

April 22 - Stratford Mother’s Day Event to support Autism
April 23 – National Book Day

April 25 – Paddy Carson Edmonton Pro D on Davis Learning Strategies

May 1 - Come to the Dyslexic Table Live Chat – Finding the Invisible Dyslexic

May 6 – Emerging Authors – Sue Blyth Hall  - Victoria

May 6 – Field Trip for Nadine’s Clay Club to a Pottery Studio.

June 1 - Come to the Dyslexic Table Live Chat – Comparing Keyboarding Skills and Cursive Handwriting

November 9-12 – Davis Dyslexia Association International Conference in San Francisco – Sue Hall joining the non-profit panel and hosting a break-out session.

FUNDRAISING: – need we say more – our scope widens with our resources.

So please add your energy to all our grant applications, philanthropic requests and help us to welcome in a very full bursary fund. 

We are also working on our own fundraiser for this year…  we have a bursary waiting list… there’s a very real need.

Nadine and Sue continue to offer the Why Ty Parent Support Courses.

For more information click on the button below.

View a parent’s testimonial on our YouTube Channel HERE.

WE’VE GONE INTERNATIONAL !  The Kakamega Project.

The WDS & The Kakamega Project team are on a mission ! To provide effective dyslexia education training to developing remedial tutors and supporting parents in Kakamega County, Kenya. We are very excited and honoured to be part of this initiative and look forward to telling you how it is unfolding. Visit our Campaign page HERE.

Nadine Schumont from Picture Perfect Learning Solutions in Stratford, Ontario is happy to announce the release of her new “Neurodiversity" T-shirts and merchandise.

With every t-shirt sold, $5 will be donated to the Whole Dyslexic Society to use towards the many services offered. Click this LINK to see, and buy her exciting products.

Our Giving Guide: 

Picture Perfect Learning Solutions Neurodiversity Shirts & Merchandise. Nadine Schumont has create a line of shirts and merchandise celebrating neurodiversity. You can view the range of styles and the image on the back through her store. For every shirt sold Nadine is donating $5.00 to The Whole Dyslexic Society. Check out her shop page HERE.

Purchase our Gifted with Dyslexia Pins.  Purchase our Pins Here

TruEarth Eco-Friendly Laundry Soap and Products.  20% of all sales go to our Society.  Please follow the link to our Tru-Earth product page to purchase.  Tru-Earth Eco-Friendly Products Here

Donate a Car Canada. Looking for simple and free car removal? Donate a Car Canada accepts Vehicle Donations for The Whole Dyslexic Society. When you donate your car, truck, RV, boat, or motorcycle to The Whole Dyslexic Society through Donate A Car Canada, it will either be recycled or sold at auction (depending on its condition, age and location). Read more about Donate a Car Canada…….

See how donations can result in tax credits by reading the article below. Read More…Tax Benefits of Charitable Donations

Partial proceeds go to The WDS from sales and rentals of Ed Roman’s highly acclaimed “Red Omen” video. For more information on renting or buying Red Omen click here 

We gratefully accept donations through our Canada helps charity page. We have a variety of donor options. Thank you !

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