Social Model of Dyslexia and Social Enterprise

Unique Dyslexic Eye #PeaceLoveGroovyness

Hi blog readers, subscribers, followers and friends

Podcast on why I support and promote the social model of dyslexia through social enterprise:

https://anchor.fm/uniquedyslexiceye/episodes/Why-social-model-of-dyslexia-and-social-enterprise-eh6elv

My podcast about why I support and promote the social model of dyslexia through social enterprise. First published 24,07,20 your comments are welcomed as are your likes, shares and follows. If you are a dyslexic or neuro diverse musician or poet, please send me your tracks and I will play them on my show Unique Dyslexic Eye. We are actively seeking sponsors, subscribers and funders to support and help fund our Unique Dyslexic Eye Podcasting and broadcasting work. We believe our social model of dyslexia and social enterprise vision offers the dyslexic and neuro diverse communities and inclusive, innovative and positive way forward in 2021 and onward.

#podcast #dyslexic #neurodiversity

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all

Steve McCue

Some COVID restrictions lifted in Scotland: A little advice for us

 

Peace Love Groovyness t shirt

Hi blog readers, subscribers, followers and friends

So today in Scotland some COVID restrictions are being eased. Don't go fecking bonkers, still wear your masks where advised, still keep your social distance and continue to wash your hands regularly.

COVID is still out there taking lives, it ain't rocket science.

#covid #health

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all 

keep safe and stay well

Steve McCue

Cursive made me curse lol

 

Part of an art installation I did a while back. The light over the letter I signifies #iamdyslexic

Good day to everyone hope you are all well and ready for the week end.


I have been talking to and reading on social media about other dyslexics experiences and parents of dyslexics with hand writing. I have to say some of what I hear and read it seems like a nightmare for many of us.

So I was wondering about anyone else's experiences with hand writing and being given hand writing practise at school?  

It didn't matter how much school tried to make me learn a cursive handwriting style I just couldn't get it together.

Please leave me your thought and comments.

I know all the arguments for handwriting and hand writing remediation including developing fine motor control, learning spelling from motor memory etc. 

But what about speech to text or even just the lowly computer keyboard etc. Surely the content of what is written is more important than how its being written?

So is having good handwriting as important as it once was?

Isn't the content of the writing the important thing not how it was written either by hand or speech to text or just by keyboard?

Speech to text software and assistive tech.

I personally don't get on with it because it gets in the way of my train of thought. But it can and does work for many other dyslexics. I have never been able to writing using a cursive style. 

I believe handwriting will become like a lost art maybe 30 years from now. I read somewhere that emojis are the way forward for communication. Business will lead here because speech to text is so much more efficient than typing or writing by hand.

The computer keyboard freed me from that particular little handwriting nightmare. I left school with no qualifications mainly because of my hand writing. Now with a computer keyboard I have my masters degree etc. Without it I might still be driving fork lift trucks or carrying bags of cement for a living instead of a dyslexia and inclusion specialist, social entrepreneur, writer of musician. 

The expectation that everyone should be able to write using cursive and neatly is disabling. It is a non dyslexic world expectation and its disabling. My job as a dyslexia and inclusion specialist is about enabling, finding ways that enable dyslexics to succeed. Its about finding solutions and enabling. If I can do that then I have succeeded.

Dyslexia is a difference that reflects diversity. We must enable that dyslexic diversity to thrive and achieve according to our strengths and talent. It is a non dyslexic society must to learn not shackle it to non dyslexic expectations such as we must write by hand using cursive.

many thanks for taking the time to read my blog.......if you think it has something to say please share it and or like it or even sudscribe.

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all

Steve McCue (dyslexic dyslexia and inclusion specialist since 1995)

Holding back a child a year at school

 

#PeaceLove|Groovyness 

Hi blog readers, followers and subscribers hope you are well

The education system fails the dyslexic child and then to add further insult to injury punishes the dyslexic child, and parents, by holding them back a year. The system looks at the dyslexic child and says you are the problem, you are faulty so we are going to hold you back a year for your own good. Holding any child back is just further evidence the system, the education system just does not work. But its not just dyslexic kids who get held back. 

Evidence suggests that, in the majority of cases, repeating a year is harmful to a student’s chances of academic success. In addition, studies consistently show greater negative effects for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, suggesting that the practice is likely to increase educational inequality. Repeating a year is also likely to lead to greater negative effects when used in the early years of primary school, for students from ethnic minorities, or for pupils who are relatively young in their year group. 

We also have to take into account how this damages a child's self esteem, self confidence, emotional health and mental health.

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all

Please leave us a like, share, comment or subscribe join our dyslexic clan

Steve McCue

Some thoughts for parents / carers of dyslexic kids

Hi followers, readers and friends

A response I wrote to a concerned dyslexic parent

I am a dyslexic dyslexia and inclusion specialist. I empathise with your frustration and concern. Far to many dyslexic parents are experiencing the same as yourself and you child. Dyslexic kids need to be in class learning with their peers, they need to be learning from their peers and their peers can learn from their dyslexic peers. 

If the support your child is given is not working for that child, for what ever reason, then it has to change. If that support is doing more harm than good then it has to change. If all that support is doing is causing your child to fall further behind their peers it needs to change. If the support is negatively impacting on a child's well being, self esteem, self confidence and mental health then it needs to change. 

Our education system is dyslexia unfriendly, many class teachers don't have the training, resources and the time they need to created an inclusive learning environment. 

You say your chid is spending a lot of time in learning support. This sounds like exclusion rather than inclusion. Is this benefiting your child? She is not even being taught the same things as her in class peers? 

How can this be benefiting her? 

Who benefits from this? 

From what you say its not benefiting your child. In fact its doing the opposite. Its giving her anxiety, it will be impacting on her self esteem and self confidence. If you can get in contact with other parents who have a dyslexic, neuro diverse or disabled child at the school. Get together and see what happening to their children. Use parent power to make change.

Just to add there are some great schools and and fab work with dyslexic kids but they are the exception rather than the rule. That needs to change.

#PeaceLoveGroovyness

Steve McCue

Global pandemic: Intelligent life? you're having a giraffe lol

 

Hi followers, readers and subscribers

Global Pandemic

no globally co ordinated response

sigh

intelligent life on Earth?

you're having a giraffe

lol blimey

if there is

it certainly ain't human

maybe aliens are talking to dolphins

future of humanity?

gawd help us all

lol lol lol

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all

Steve McCue

So where do we put Robin? A guest blog

Being Dyslexic: its about hidden abilities even to ourselves at times

Hi blog readers, followers, subscribers and friends hope you are all well

As promised I have another in my series of guest blogs from dyslexic and neuro diverse individuals. I first became aware of Robin's art and music way back in 2015 during our Dyslexia Pathways CIC, "Unique Dyslexic Get Creative campaign". He was one of a number of dyslexic creative who submitted their art work for exhibition on our Unique Dyslexic Get Creative web site and Celebration of Creativity Exhibition.

Here is Robin's blog with some examples of his fab artwork

Where do we put Robin?

When Steve asked me to write something for his blog I was honestly at a loss as to where to start. After some deliberation I decided to start at the point that dyslexia started to become a problem, primary school. Prior to school age I spent most of my time in the woods surrounding my home. If I wasn’t in the woods letting my imagination run wild then I was drawing with equal enthusiasm sometimes imagining the drawings coming to life.

I resented being taken from my life of fantasy to be placed in the schoolroom all day: so much so that they had to post a guard at the school gate to thwart my escape attempts. Back them, in the late 60’s; the three primary school teachers had no idea what to do with me.

I was a contradiction, my general knowledge was excellent and any story that was told to me I memories and could narrate back almost word for word; and yet I was years behind the other kids with my reading and writing skills.

They tried me in remedial class, which was great because I got to draw all the time, but it became very clear that I didn’t belong there. I was tested to see if it was my sight or my hearing I was called lazy or even sometimes accused of cheating all of which added to my resentment of being trapped in this institution. 

But every Wednesday afternoon I put that resentment aside in order to experience a radio program for schools all about myth and legend. The class was herded into the canteen and we sat cross-legged on the floor surrounding a mono speaker that each week told of a myth or legend from around the world.

  

I loved these stories replaying them over and over in my head wanting to become the God or beast that walked through the story. I would often draw the stories or characters out of them and as I grew older I searched out new and exciting stories. By the time I got to secondary school age I was taking myself off to the library every Saturday to trawl though the mythology books. In a way I think my reading may have improved not through the efforts of the school but as a result of these visits to the library the great thing about a lot of the stories was that there length was short so not to taxing

In my late teens early twenties I added another string to my bow in the form of composing music a lot of which was also based around mythological characters.

At 53 years old I am still thank full for these wonderful creative outlets and do wonder what would have become of me if I had not had this escape from frustrations and anger at being underestimated.

Many thanks for your fab blog Robin. I am certain there are many dyslexics out their who can empathize with your experiences.

If there is anyone else out there from either the dyslexic or neuro diverse communities who would like to write a guest blog just send me an e mail at steve_mccue@hotmail.com 

Social media links Please join us on our social media. Share your experiences, stories or creativity in a supportive and friendly environment.

INVITATION TO JOIN DYSLEXIA PATHWAYS CIC AND OR UNIQUE DYSLEXIC EYE SOCIAL MEDIA:

https://www.facebook.com/Unique-Dyslexic-Get-Creative-1431413910440768/?sk=app_415675701824636

https://www.facebook.com/groups/unique.dyslexic/　our facebook group page

https://www.facebook.com/stephen.mccue.5　my page

 https://www.facebook.com/Unique-Dyslexic-Get-Creative-1431413910440768/　kinda like our Unique Dyslexic　campaign come　business page

http://www.dyslexiapathways.com/　company web page

 http://www.uniquedyslexic.com/　our unique dyslexic campaign page By the way I am seeking funding or donations to help keep this web site up and running. It also need updating very remiss of me I know just busy busy

http://sdyslexia.blogspot.co.uk/　dyslexia blog page

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVKyJJgQWkYUa93-GdtX3fg　you tube channel

　https://twitter.com/SteveMcCue1　twitter

 https://uk.pinterest.com/raelthing/　Pinterest

Some words about COVID burn out

 

#PeaceLoveGroovyness

Hi to all my followers, readers, subscribers, friends and family

All of us are struggling with COVID burnout #CovidBurnout. We all need to find a way to nurture and give some love to ourselves.

Take a little time to do something for ourselves. Its not about failure. Its about giving ourselves a little of the time and understanding we give to others to ourselves.

If we support and love ourselves we can better continue support and love the people around us.

Please retweet and share some of that #PeaceLoveGroovyness with others.

#PeaceLoveGroovyness

Steve McCue

Dyslexic kids dont fail its our dyslexia unfriendly education system that fails our dyslexic kids.

Hi readers, subscribers, friends and first time visitors

I am a dyslexic dyslexia and inclusion specialist and the way dyslexic children are tested is upsetting for many to say the least. We make our kids do a lot of tests that we already know or suspect they will struggle with. Oh yes we assess them but what happens after they are assessed? How does an assessment and the way we assess impact on our dyslexic kids?

Children may already feel vulnerable, may be scared, maybe feel they are just not as smart as other kids. There is no research out there on the impact of testing on a child's self esteem, on their self confidence or on their mental health. 

To add further insult to injury even after children have been assessed as dyslexic many still dont receive the support they need at school. Here I am not only talking academic I am talking support for the impact on the self esteem, self confidence and mental health of a child from being an unassessed dyslexic at school. 

Dyslexics tend to be very empathic, tend to have high emotional intelligence both of which are fantastic. However, nothing is done at school to help them develop and support these. 

Our education system does not understand what impact it has on our dyslexic kids. Still does not understand what it means to be a dyslexic kid trying to survive in our dyslexia unfriendly education system.

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all

Steve McCue (dyslexia and inclusion specialist 

Reviews from followers, subscribers and friends of Unique Dyslexic Eye

 

Hi blog readers, followers, friends and subscribers to Unique Dyslexic Eye social media

I just though I would post a few of the many positive reviews we have received from followers, friends and subscribers to our social media:

 Altron Ix commented: "Good stuff Stephen, I'll be checking your shows out. For half my life I thought I was doomed to be a dyslexic failure. But now as an adult realise it's the best thing that ever could have happened...

 i listen to the radio arcticle on dislexic and it was good........i just like to say how clear cut it waz

 "Excellent! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Very intellectual and informative. Helps listeners improve quality of life skills for people that are dyslexia. Not too long and easy to listen to. Looking forward to more!"

 Good read there Stephen. You are so right - society is hilarious! Keep on doing what you are doing

Patricia Sullivan Phillips  Great perspective. I am a Lefty and dyslexic.

Perfect sense from a forward thinking Dyslexic Renegade .

This story resonates so strongly with my wide and I. Our son is also dyslexic but also has dyspraxia so writing for him is doubly hard when compared to his peers, not that we like to compare as all individual children are different in many ways. We felt that due to the way the schools supported our son we decided the best place for him was to homeschool with specific tutors to help him. He has flourished as he does not come home on a daily basis saying to us how much of a failure he was. At the moment this works for us and thank you for your linkedin post.

Hi Steve, some of your blog fully resonated for me. I loved reading it. My son is severely dyslexic but is good on the computer & has sorted our IT difficulties frequently. I have sent this blog to a couple of people. I have been working within Student Support services with a few dyslexic people. The topic of my MLIB dissertation was ‘The Provision of support and services for dyslexia’. It was then I realised that I had some distinct dyslexic tendencies.

Just cried tons reading it... Very good to find someone that you can read! I wish everyone could read us as we read each other. I wish i could understand why the hell I decided to get a masters... (10 days to present my thesis and I just realize I can't write) sorry to bother you, but I just really wanted to talk to someone that understands me, and maybe give some tips? Hahahaha thanks man your blog is awesome

yes the Dyslexic Prism idea makes a tone of sense no two dyslexic's see the world the same way, BUT unlike non dyslexic's we are able to understand each others view points, and even spot another dyslexic who may have been thinking themselves stupid or lazy because that is what non-dyslexic call people who are dyslexic. Its like with reading, some dyslexic's can deal with black font on a white background, but a number of us need colour overlays to make the text stay still or make it simply easier for our minds to read! and again no two dyslexic's will have the same colour overly, my partner has a horrid neon orange were I have an EVIL rose pink (I hate pink), but nether of us can read font via the same overly as easily. that's just a physical example. but mental well with out dyslexic's there wouldn't be e=MC squired Yes Dr Albert Einstein was a dyslexic so that alone should dispel the myth of dyslexic's being stupid. >:( the thing I really don't get is why suddenly Dr's want to dub it an illness!! yes sure it can be a disability if you never get the chance to be shown how to overcome its problems so you can fully embrace its gifts! but to dub it an illness ughh I wish they would stop looking for medical cures for everything and start finding practical work around like, oh I don't know teach ALL school children as if they were dyslexic so that none of them fall behind, But I guess that would be to much dyslexic common sense for non-dyslexic's in charge of the so called education system. :/

Outstanding Steve I could virtually feel everyone of your highs of 99% and dreaded 1% low that fills me with self-doubt. I'm very interested in helping to find Free or inexpensive tools to help dyslexics realize their full potential.We should talk http://MyToolBoxToSuccess.com

 You are an amazing guy, Steve, we learnt so much from our recent meeting. Wow our brains were whizzing round over 100 miles an hour, lol. All very positive I must add. Now its time for me to rein in.........argh that is so difficult for me to do.....as you could tell from talking to me. However, I know how important it is to me to focus on one thing at a time to accomplish my goals. I will definitely be in touch with you very soon. Thank you so much for your invaluable time and support you gave us, we can not thank you enough. Watch this space....... !!! A very happy dyslexic :-)

I really appreciate all the fab reviews and comments from you all. 

FAB, fab and fab keep them coming is all I can say

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all

Steve McCue Unique Dyslexic Eye

What ideals do we want a dyslexic community to be based on?

Unique Dyslexic #VivaLaDifference

Hi blog readers, followers and subscribers hope you are all feeling fab

We need a coherent and globally united dyslexia community so we can fight for positive change for all of us. It seems to me we are all still stuck in a medical \ discrepancy model time warp. We are falling over ourselves trying to prove that dyslexia is a disability. That dyslexia is about discrepancy, deficits and disorder, the 3D model.

That is why I and my social enterprise support and promote the social model of dyslexia. Its a model created by dyslexics for dyslexics. It tells us dyslexia is about #diversity and difference, the 2D model. 

We have been trying to solve the issues we face on a daily basis all through our lives using terminology and ideas that are embedded in medical modal thinking that in my view do not fit for purpose or work for us. The idea that dyslexia is a disability is imposed upon us by non dyslexic thinking dyslexia unfriendly society.

We have to stop thinking in terms of deficits, disorder and discrepancy and focus on the idea that dyslexia is about diversity and difference. 

If we are ever going to build a a coherent dyslexic community do we want one based on a medical model vision or social model of dyslexia vision?

What do you think?

Here is a link to one of my  dyslexia / neuro diversity podcasts

My latest Dyslexia / neuro diversity podcast

Would be fab if you could leave a like, subscribe and share and help me build my audience

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all 

Steve McCue

Smile :-) ;-) :-)

😉😉

My #PeaceLoveGroovyness Tee

Hi followers, subscribers, friends and readers

Good morning all happy Wednesday everyone. 

It costs nothing to be nice, to give someone a smile, to ask how they are, its good for their well being and mental health and good for your own. 

Its the ultimate win win twofer. 

Please share share share and emmm share. Please like, like and errrr like and please subscribe

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness to you all

Steve McCue

Parents of dyslexic kids say support at school for their dyslexic kids is not good enough

 

Only 16% of UK parents of dyslexic kids feel positive and dyslexia support offered to their kids

Hi blog readers, followers and subscribers hope you are all well

We must move on from this medical model of dyslexia that talks about dyslexia in terms of discrepancy, disorder and deficits. We need support because our society and education system is dyslexia unfriendly. 

Society disables and it this disabling begins at school where only 19% of dyslexic adults were actually assessed at school. So many dyslexic kids going through the whole of their schooling without support, even those who actually get an assessment find support is not good enough.

We need to change how we think and talk about dyslexia. That's why I support and promote the social model of dyslexia because it tells us dyslexia is about diversity and difference. That's why organisation, Dyslexia Pathways CIC is a social enterprise because we have social aims.

many thanks for reading

Pease leave a like or share, consider subscribing and following. Help me build our Unique Dyslexic Eye social media because its your social media

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all

Steve McCue

The deliberate disintegration of mental health services for vulnerable people at Camden Council London

 

Hi blog readers

I have been hearing from people in London about mental health services that are being withdrawn from vulnerable people living in Camden. I know this is happening all across England. So I put together a letter of complaint that I sent to the local NHS Trust and Camden Council. I also sent this as a letter to newspapers in London.

Here is what I wrote:

My name is Steve McCue and I am a dyslexia and inclusion specialist. I am writing to express my concerns about changes to mental health support by Camden Council. These changes do not appear to have based on medical need and, in my view, are a dereliction of Camden Council duty of care.

 My brother has struggled with his mental and physical health for many years. He has complex long term mental health issues. To be fair to Camden Council there has been support available for him to access. That is until recently. About a week or so ago people using The Greenwood Centre were informed they would no longer be able to access the Greenwood Centre. I believe they were given either one or two months’ notice of this. Not even the trainers were made aware of this by Camden Council.

 For most of the people attending the Greenwood Centre it has been a life line, a place of refuge, a place where they feel safe and socialise with others, a place where they can access support. My brother and others using the Greenwood Centre have been given no alternative and now have nowhere to go.

 From discussions with my brother, I know he, and many others, have been devastated by this news. I would even go as far as to say they feel Camden Council has betrayed them.

 I totally understand that times are difficult for everyone including Camden Council. But Camden Council is basically evicting vulnerable adults form the Greenwood Centre and leaving them with nowhere else to go. Is this what Camden Council considers to be, “supporting and enabling them to manage their physical and mental health?” I think not.

 I quote from Camden Council’s own website:

 “We understand that this is a worrying time for people with care and support needs, and for those who care for someone.

 As a Council we will do all we can to support you through this period of uncertainty. We have robust plans in place to keep vital services running during this period. We will continue supporting people who need care and support to manage their physical and mental health.”

 

Regards

 

Steve McCue