In honor of Dyslexia Awareness Month, here is a 1993 article, Dyslexics Overcome Barriers, that I wrote for my high school newspaper.
I interviewed some of the students at school who had dyslexia as well as some of the teachers who were trained in Alphabetic Phonics (an Orton Gillingham based program) and worked with the dyslexic students.
Dyslexics can provide so much insight into their challenges as well as ways to support them, but so often it seems they aren’t asked for their insight. I’ll go over this more in a future blog, but for now, just consider what these students said in 1993.
Disclaimer. This article is from 1993. The knowledge base about dyslexia has expanded much since that time. This post is only to provide historical insight not diagnose or treat.
You know those moments you wonder whether others have dealt with the challenge you (or anyone you care about) are facing? Maybe they have an idea you haven’t thought of? Or maybe you just don’t know what to do next?
We can learn from each other by sharing information, particularly when it comes to disability access and advocacy. To improve outcomes for individuals facing those barriers, we need to bring the stakeholders to the conversation.
To get these conversations started, I have started a discord. I know some people may be less familiar with discord, so don’t worry, I’ll do my best to guide those who don’t have discord yet.
Some quick notes that will help you get started:
Joining as an individual/caregiver? I’d recommend NOT using your real name or picture just to protect your privacy. I have information about this in the channel called “Setting up a Discord Profile”
Joining as a professional? (Educator, provider, advocate/attorney) If you are representing your profession, then use your name. (If you have a gaming discord though, you may want to create a discord account specifically for professional purposes.)
