some interesting news on dyslexia as a difference and not a disability

Here is some interesting news for all you creative dyslexics out there. There is a link between dyslexic and creativity which is the whole reasoning behind developing the Unique Dyslexic Project.

About a year ago Dr Beverley Steffart, a psychologist who works in dyslexic assessment carried out one of the first studies in this country into the link between dyslexia and creative ability.

The college authorities had some concerns about high levels of dyslexia among students. Her remarkable findings so far are that around 75% of the 360 foundation-year students assessed had a form of dyslexia.

Dr Steffart developed six tests of verbal, written and spatial ability for the foundation course . 

The results showed that typical student was intellectually gifted. That the majority of them were doing well enough to put them in the top 10 per cent of the population. The most interesting showed their visual spatial skills were also at a superior level. However, they had many problems with reading, writing and spelling.

The report supports the idea that dyslexics have different brains  and that difference enables dyslexics to see and experience the world  different ways from non-dyslexics.

Dr Steffard said, "My research so far seems to show that there does seem to be a `trade- off' between being able to see the world in this wonderfully vivid and three-dimensional way, and an inability to cope with the written word either through reading or writing," and that she, “fears that there are many dyslexics whose talents have never been discovered. The students here are the lucky ones”.

Now her research indicated that dyslexics had difficulties with reading, writing and spelling. I have to add yes we may have difficulties with these tasks but we can overcome them. Yes dyslexia makes these tasks harder but the fact that many dyslexic kids are not taught in ways that will enable them to to do these taks more effectively in school. Its why so many dyslexic kids fail to achieve at school.

The Unique Dyslexic project is about enabling dyslexics to explore and develop their creative talents.

I watched an article on the news about inventions and that information showed we were making fewer discoveries that anytime in our history. 

Data also shows around 35 of dyslexics are entrepreneurs. What is an entrepreneur? An entrepreneur creates a business from nothing based on an idea. 

In Scotland we need enable every dyslexic kid to achieve according to their abilities. Todays kids should be tomorrows entrepreneurs as well artists, architects, doctors etc. But only if we enable them to be so.