My dyslexa assessment was a very, "light switched on", eureka moment in my life.

I dont have dyslexia, I AM! dyslexic, #IAmDyslexic

Hello to you all out there

The whole point of Unique Dyslexic, is to promote the idea that every dyslexic mind is unique to the individual. Every dyslexic's life experiences are unique to each individual dyslexic. Also a focus is on the dyslexic creative mind and our unique abilities. As well as the unique minds of neuro diverse communities

All of us have to explore and find the tools that work for us as individuals.

There is no one size fits all needed here. For school, every dyslexic student need to be empowered to build a dyslexic learning tool box that works for them.

Dyslexic positive art installation from me 

This shows an art installation I did as part of our Unique Dyslexic Get Creative campaign. 

The light over the letter I expresses the positivity I have about being dyslexic. (I know positivity may not be a real word but it should be LOL)

It also expresses the impact that my own dyslexia assessment had on me and my life. My dyslexia assessment enabled me to re evaluate the difficulties that I had experienced at school as an un-assessed, and unaware I was dyslexic, dyslexic learner. 

It wasn't me that couldn't learn it was the education system that couldn't teach me in ways that enabled me to learn. My dyslexa assessment was a very light switched on eureka moment in my life.

Also I wanted to say it's not how you write but what you write that's important. 

Be that by hand, by keyboard or by speech to text technology etc. 

Writing by hand is just a strategy and its not the only strategy. 

There is a saying, I think? 

"The saying is, "a picture is worth a thousand words". Which means that a single image can convey a complex idea or story more effectively than a lengthy verbal description. It highlights the power of visual communication, to quickly and clearly communicate information and ideas.

Find the strategy that works for you. Its only a non dyslexic society that says we all have to write by hand. A non dyslexic society that disables us.

For me personally I would never have achieved academically without access to a computer keyboard 

Question for you all:

How would you express dyslexic positivity? 

Please share your ideas in the comments section of my blog.

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

Performance poet Anita Govan performing at our Unique Dyslexic Get Creative event.

 

The fab Anita Govan

Hi Blog readers hope you are all well

October 29th 2014 saw the first Unique Dyslexic Get Creative Celebration of Creativity event. It was the culmination of Unique Dyslexic Get Creative.

Has to have been the hardest days work, most enjoyable, most joy full and most stressful day of my life. I am so proud of everyone who was involved in this project. Including all our volunteers for all their work.

This was the first event of this kind to be held is Scotland and the UK. Organised and run by the first dyslexia focussed social enterprise to be constituted in the UK Dyslexia Pathways Community Interest Company.

I thank everyone, every participant of every workshop, my wife, my directors, The Lord Provost, Ross Cooper, Anita Govan Siannie Moodie and Lizzie Mcdougall, all the artists and everyone of the 60 or so people who came along to the event through out the whole day and making it such a great day.

We had people coming through the door even when we were closing down the event.

Below is a recording of Anita Govan, performance at the Unique Dyslexic Get Creative Celebration of Creativity at the Rothes Halls in Fife Scotland on October 29th 2014 Unique Dyslexic is a Dyslexia Pathways programme. Just select the link below.

Anita Govan, Dyslexic perfomance poet

Below is a link to Anita's web site:

Anita Govan's web site

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog.

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

Humanity has thrived because of neuro diversity and diversity in all its forms

 

Neuro diversity is as important as bio diversity

All Children, including dyslexic, non dyslexic, neuro diverse and disabled are are born creative. The problem is, schools educate that creativity out of us. Education and society does not value that creatiity. Education teaches us to pass exams and that is all it does.

School does not teach us about the value of empathy or emotional intelligence.

School does not enable us to nurture our mental health.

In fact school does the opposite, for far to many of our kids. They leave traumatised by their experiences at school

That why school does not work for our dyslexic, neuro diverse kids, dyslexic, neuro diverse or not.

Humanity has thrived because of neuro diversity and diversity in all its different forms.

What are your thoughts on this?

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness

from me

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

We all came from a puddle of primordial goo. Everything else after that first life came into being is about diversity. With out that diversity we would not be here.

Welsome to a guest podcast from Dyslexic Mum

 

Unique Dyslexic t shirt logo designed by myself

Hello, hope all is well with you all

I would like to give a big Unique Dyslexic Eye welcome to our guest, Collette Costello, the founder of DyslexicMum. 

In this podcast she will be sharing her, experiences as a dyslexic child at school as well as a dyslexia specialist. She will also be sharing her experiences daughter’s, experiences of school as dyslexic learner.  Collette will also be talking about her organisation, DyslexicMum. 

Below is a link to her guest podcast:

Dyslexic Mum's guest podcast

Just click on the link below. 

Link to Dyslexic Mum's website

Dyslexic Mum's site has a lot of good resources and advice for mum's who are supporting their dyslexic kids.

Hope you all enjoyed the podcast.

#PeaseLoveGrooveyness from me

Steve #UniqueDyslexic Mccue

Please leave your thoughts on this podcast

Episode 5 from series one of the Unique Dyslexic Eye Podcast show

 

Participants of our Unique Dyslexic Get Creative Workshop receiving their certificates

Hello all, hope you are all

Here is our latest Unique Dyslexic Eye show. We feature 3 new tracks from 3 talented dyslexic / neuro diverse musicians. Also includes articles on dyslexia / neuro diversity and mental health and well being. 

Also includes an update on our successfully completed Kickstarter campaign. Many thanks to all those who backed and supported our campaign. 

If you are a dyslexic or neuro diverse musician or poet please accept this cordial invitation to send me recordings of your work to feature on my show. 

Just email me steve_mccue@hotmail.com so that we can arrange it. If you have something to share about your experiences of dyslexia and neuro diversity please contact me. Please share, follow or leave a like.

Episode 5 from series one of Unique Dyslexic Eye Podcast show

Please leave a like of follow my dyslexic podcast

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness

From me

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

We must change how we think about what it means to be dyslexic

 

#dyslexia positive

Hi blog readers hope you are all well

For decades we have had individual parents of dyslexic kids fighting our education system one at a time. Sometimes they win little victories and get support for their dyslexic kids. Most of the time they face long battles and get nowhere. 

My research showed only 19% of dyslexic adults were assessed while at school. This is simply not good enough.

We as dyslexic adults need to get together to build a social movement where we can work together. Work together to bring positive changes to the current education system that up to now is still failing too many of us and our children. 

Right now many of us are fighting for positive change from the bottom upwards. We have to influence those who are responsible for developing education policy. This can only be done if we work together and take this to those who make policy. 

There needs to be political will to make the changes to our education system that will enable our dyslexic kids to succeed is school. Right now there is no political will to do this. Only by working together can we influence those who run our education system.

We have to make a much more positive case for supporting our dyslexic kids. We have to move away from an old outdated medical model of dyslexia that basically tells us our brains do not work correctly. That somehow we are not normal. That we are broken in some way. 

What does this say to potential employers about dyslexics? What does this say to our dyslexic kids? Its a medical model that talks about dyslexia in terms of discrepancy, disorder and deficits. 

Its a three D model that's about as 3D as a blank sheet of paper. If puts a focus on dyslexics as being the problem and totally fails to recognise that dyslexics fail because our education system and society is dyslexia unfriendly.

I am not saying dyslexics do not need support at school. What I am saying is we need teachers in every classroom being trained to teach to meet the diversity of learning needs in the class room. To enable teachers to do their job of teaching our dyslexic kids together with their non dyslexic, neuro diverse or disabled peers in a classroom. All together living, learning and playing together.  

Every day I visit Facebook I read real life stories about dyslexic kids and parents battles to get what is a human right to a good education. Stories about dyslexic kids not wanting to go to school. About parents seeing their children crying and frustration and fear about going to school. This is just not good enough at all. 

I believe it is society that disables dyslexics and that's why I promote and support the social model of dyslexia. I am not saying it's a perfect model but it places the responsibility for the failure of our education to meet the learning needs of dyslexic kids where it belongs. 

Not on the shoulders of dyslexic kids and parents. But squarely on the shoulders of those who shape our education system and politicians why are responsible for developing and running an education system that fails so many of us. 

Dyslexics can and do succeed but many do so in spite of their education not because of it. 

photo above: we must enable dyslexic kids to fly and learn together with their disabled, neuro diverse and non dyslexic peers

We must change how we think about what it means to be dyslexic in a society that disables. We must change how we think and talk about dyslexia.

We have to challenge the current medical discrepancy of dyslexia. It is a model that has nothing positive to say about dyslexia or to dyslexics. It is a model that has only served to trap us behind a narrow one dimensional negative stereotype definition of dyslexia. A definition that totally ignores and stifles our potential and strengths.

That is why I support the social model of dyslexia. It talks about dyslexia in terms of diversity and difference and it recognises that it is society that disables us.

#dyslexia is a difference that reflects #diversity. We need to unleash and nurture that potential not remediate or stifle it.

What are your thoughts on this? please comment


Anyway that's enough from me apart to say my #dyslexia blog has had neary 395.000 reads. Ta to all who read and contribute to my blog including guest bloggers. Hope you enjoy and share my latest one.

many thanks for reading and your support

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to all my blog followers and readers

Why not visit my Unique Dyslexic Eye podcast page and join fab dyslexia / neuro diverse clan.

Unique Dyslexic Eye Podcast Page

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

What are your earliest recollections of reading as a child? Here are some of mine.

The photos I have of me as a kid

Hello everyone, hope you are well,

I bumped into this video on one of my You Tube Explorations. Think I must have been about 5 or 6 when I saw this. Its a kinda easter european fairy tale called, The Singing Ringing Tree. I was on BBC kiddies TV. I still remember the story. Stories like this captured my dyslexic imagingation and got me reading.

Here is a link to a podcast that shows the show:

The Singing Ringing Tree

Tell me about your earliest recollection of reading you have as a kid?

When I was about 2 or 3 I could read Noddy books word for word. I would use my finger to trace nd read out the sentences. Not sure if i was actually reading the book or had memorise the story

As a kid I loved stories like this.

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and books from the rest of series.

Thomas the Tank engine books

I went from fantasy kiddies stories to Sci Fi authours like HG Wells and John Whydham. Even then I knew I was missing lines or losing my place on the page, but I thought that was the same for everyone.

I was lucky that one of my aunts relations. Not totally sure it may have been her dad ran a newpaper shop and he was always giving us comics like the Beano and more adult sci fi comics like Astounding Tales.

Did you read stories and books as a child?

Do you remember what they were?

What kiddies TV programs did you enjoy?

Ok, thanks for reading, please leave a like or subscribe to mt blog

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue