Challenging negative stereo types of dyslexia and neuro diverse communities

#PeaceLoveGroovyness

Hi everyone hope you are all as well as you can be

The objective of my organisation Dyslexia Pathways CIC / Unique Dyslexic is to support, promote, celebrate, develop and nurture the talents and abilities within of all in the dyslexic and all other neuro diverse communities. 

We promote and support the social model of dyslexia through social enterprise. We believe this is an inclusive, empowering, innovative and positive way forward. 

Where society sees deficits, disorder and discrepancy we see diversity and difference and what a fab examples of diversity and difference being dyslexic or neuro diverse is.

Why not join our clan, follow and / or subscribe to my Unique Dyslexic Eye social media channels or get involved with our work.

My dyslexia and neuro diversity university work starts again today for this academic year. Wish me luck lol.

Many thanks for reading

Steve McCue

We must enable dyslexics to get together and share experiences and offer each other support.

 

Dyslexics falling through the cracks? 

Dyslexic students do not fall through the cracks. Our education system is dyslexia unfriendly. That's the issue. Parents can fight for years to get the support their children need in school. Even then they can find accessing support an uphill struggle.

Don't get me wrong here there are fab schools and teachers out there but they are few and far between.

Teachers do not receive any training in meeting the learning needs of dyslexic students on their initial teacher training courses.

The research I did showed that only 20% of assessed dyslexic adults were assessed at school. The other factor here is people will look at dyslexia in isolation from all other factors.

Factors including poverty, parental support at home, and alack of political will to really make positive change that will enable dyslexic students to succeed are just  few of additional factors needing to be considered. Just looking at dyslexia in isolation gives a very one dimensional picture.

Finally, we have to consign the medical discrepancy model of dyslexia to history.

It is a model that has nothing positive to say about dyslexia or to dyslexics. It's a model that traps dyslexics behind a negative stereo type that says we are broken in some way, we need treatment etc. It's a model that has gotten us precisely nowhere.

We have to change that narrative and that's why I support and promote the social model of dyslexia. The basic premise is it is society that disables us. For so many of us this disabling begins at our dyslexia unfriendly education system. Dyslexia is about diversity and difference not disability.

Below is a link to our little dyslexia neuro diversity positive online shop. As is often said dyslexia is a hidden disability. But I would say its about untapped abilities or hidden abilities.

If we are ever going to make positive change for all dyslexics present and future we need to build a coherent dyslexic community. A community with one positive message, one based on social model of dyslexia principles.

I realise every dyslexic is on their own journey coping and developing an understanding on how being dyslexic works for them. We all have different experiences of school etc.  

For me personally I am very open and positive about being dyslexic at every opportunity. Some dyslexics don't even talk about it to their friends. I totally understand why that is.

Anyway before I make this into another mega blog sheesh. I had to close down our online shop because our provider closed down The idea behind the shop and positive logos is to enable us to advocate for a more positive profile of dyslexia. Enable dyslexics to get together and share experiences and offer each other support. To start building a coherent dyslexic community. To make the invisible dyslexic visible. We can be ignored when we are visible not so easy to do that if we can be seen.

Yes I am probably just nuts but that's just par for my course lol

Peace love and groovyness to all you fab dyslexic out there.....

Steve McCue

A story of dyslexic success from one of my followers

 

Photo from our Unique Dyslexic event

Hi blog readers hope you are all feeling #fab

I was sent this message through my linked in the other day. Its a little story of #dyslexic success against the odds.

We tend to see stories of famous or rich dyslexics which is cool. But I think every dyslexic's stories is important and should be given a forum. 

I asked if it would be ok to share this in one of my blogs, she agreed and here is it:

"Good afternoon Stephen,

I suffer with dyslexia and I found it hard growing up.

In primary school  both my family and the school said that i was slow and lazy that was why I couldn't read faster than others or spelt simple words incorrect.

Through out high school my teachers turned a blind I to my asks of help. I would write in the margins of by book  that I was struggling with reading and spelling.

I was prodicted E's but I put in so much effort and extra time to complete my GCSE's i came out with C's.

It wasn't till Sixth form that I got some help, the teachers where amazing and helped me with out undermining me. I finally felt I was worth it and the effort I put in to tasks wasn't in vain.

I am happy to say that I am now a business admin. Doing an apprenticeship where I am not struggling and I openly ask for help.

I have wrote this message to say thank you.
I say thank you for being brave and making people aware of dyslexia.

I hope I can be as brave as you.

Thank you again

Kindest  regards

Charlotte"

If anyone else wants to share their dyslexia journey in my blog, anonymously or not, just email it to me as steve_mccue@hotmail.com. 

You can add photos but sent a little description of the photo .

I just think Charlotte had a great positive story to share and thank he for letting me share it here.

I kept the brave bit not because I think I am brave but because I thought she herself was being brave because it couldn't have been easy to share her story with me let alone let me share it in my blog.

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all Steve Mccue

‪#‎dyslexia‬ is a difference that reflects ‪#‎diversity‬

 Hi blog readers hope you are all well.......



As many of you will already know my organisation Dyslexia Pathways CIC and through our Unique Dyslexic campaign promote and support the social model of dyslexia. We believe the social model of dyslexia provides us with a positive vision for the dyslexic community.  As well as for other neuro different communities.

Dyslexia is not an illness or condition to be diagnosed or cured. Dyslexia is part of who we are. Dyslexia is about neuro diversity not disability. The world would be a very boring and less enriched place if it were not for the creative genius of the dyslexic and neuro different mind.

‪#‎dyslexia‬ is a difference that reflects ‪#‎diversity‬

 

‪#‎uniquedyslexic‬ ‪#‎vivaladifference‬.

The issue for dyslexics is our education system fails to reflect the neuro difference and diversity that exists in the world. This failure basically fails kids from the dyslexic and other neuro different communities.

Neuro diversity is just as important as biodiversity.

 

We must nurture it not remediate or dismiss it.

I am a qualified dyslexia and inclusion specialist with 26 years experience supporting the dyslexic and neuro diverse communities

 

My Journey as a dyslexic social entrepreneur:

When I embarked on my journey as a social entrepreneur by founding Dyslexia Pathways Community Interest Company way back in 2008 I have certainly travelled along a long road or should I say huge ginormous roller coaster ride with very high highs and very low lows.

To make things even harder for myself it had no route map and I really had no idea where is was going to go. More to the point I discovered no dyslexia specific support for dyslexic entrepreneurs. 

All I really knew was I am a qualified dyslexia and inclusion specialist with 26 years experience of working in colleges and 8 years experience of running a dyslexia department at a London based college. All knew was I didn't want to work within an education setting again as an employed teacher but I wanted to keep on teaching and training within the dyslexia and inclusion fields.

So founding Dyslexia Pathways CIC and then Unique Dyslexic enabled me to do this. Dyslexia Pathways CIC is the academic and training part of the organisation. While Unique Dyslexic is about the creative.

Many thanks for reading

Steve McCue

New ideas and new way forward for the dyslexic community:

 

Participants from our Unique Dyslexic Get Creative Fused Glass Workshop with their certificates

New ideas and new way forward for the dyslexic community:

"Almost all new ideas are generated by individuals but they are given life by and nurtured by communities and the cultures they can create". Brian Eno quote I agree with

If we are ever going to move away from a negative medical model of dyslexia that has nothing positive to say to dyslexics or about dyslexia. We, as dyslexics, need to come together and create a coherent global dyslexic community. A community that has a single message. This being that dyslexia is a difference that reflects diversity. 

A global dyslexic community that has a more positive social model of dyslexia vision of dyslexia. A vision which nurtures, celebrates and values dyslexic diversity and difference and recognises all that we have achieved and are still to achieve in the future.

We need to consign the medical model of dyslexia to history where it belongs because it has failed us as dyslexics. The medical model of dyslexia is one that has been imposed on us and does nothing but shackle us to a negative stereotype of dyslexia.

The social model of dyslexia defines us by what we can do and achieve, it empowers us and it frees us from the negative medical model stereotype that tells us being dyslexic means we are disabled is some way.

The social model of dyslexia was developed by dyslexics for dyslexics. It is our own model.

That's why I believe that dyslexia is a difference that reflects diversity and that neuro diversity is as important as biodiversity.

My organisation Dyslexia Pathways CIC was the first dyslexia focussed social enterprise in the world and we have embraced and promoted the social model of dyslexia.

Why not join us and let's create the global community and culture we are dyslexics need to move forward and enable our dyslexic kids to thrive and succeed.

One of the achievements I am most proud of with Dyslexia Pathways CIC is this:

(CIC stands for Community Interest Company) This means we're are a

registered social enterprise and our social aim is to promote and

support dyslexic and other neuro different communities. As with all

social enterprises we are not for profit.

This quote is from an Erasmus academic paper that recognises the work of my social enterprise Dyslexia Pathways CIC:

"There are numerous CICS who have succeeded in providing an intermediation function developing pathways that assist individuals a with disabilities / dyslexia / neuro diversity to access support to engage in academic courses and vocational qualifications.

These include Dyslexia Pathways CIC, All Inclusive Disability Consultants CIC and Acute Need CIC who have all led the way for social inclusion for those within the disabled community looking to access support to enhance and develop their skillset.

There continues to remain an urgent need for person centered planning rather than relying on generic mechanism for all types of learning disabilities. There is substantial disparity in how these individuals are treated i.e. only 15 % of adults with autism are in paid employment compared to 48% of people with general disabilities (Higgins, 2009)." One in five dyslexics are unemployed.



The message is social enterprise and social model of dyslexic = a new way forward for the dyslexic community and neuro diverse communities.


If you read my last blog you can see I am very busy working on a number of things for Dyslexia Pathways CIC. We are currently looking for people who would like to support our work. Or help us crowd fund etc. Of support us in our aim of opening a dyslexia / neuro diverse hub for communities across Fife.

Dyslexia Pathways CIC was the first dyslexia focussed social enterprise in the word We support and promote dyslexia and neuro diversity through social enterprise and social model of dyslexia.

We believe this offers a positive and innovative way forward for the dyslexic community and an empowering alternative the the medical model of dyslexia. A model which tells us our brains do not function normally and that we are broken in some way.

The social model tells us dyslexia is all about diversity and difference. Nature thrives because of diversity and difference as does humanity. That's why we say vivaladifference for dyslexia and neuro diversity as well as for disability.

If we cannot respect and embrace neuro diversity and all other aspect of diversity on planet earth. Then how will we embrace and respect it when we meet it in the universe?

And Finally:

A little something for every dyslexic in the world. May your journey as a dyslexic in a non dyslexic world be a fab one. Every single one of you dyslexics out there are fabtastic. A huge heap of thanks to all those who love and support us.

Together we can touch the stars: a stellar award for the whole dyslexic community

Many thanks for reading peace love and groovyness to you all

Steve

Overall do you think society views being dyslexic as positive or negative?

 

Original logo from out Unique Dyslexic |Get Creative Programme

Hi Blog readers hope you are all well

A while back I did a little research of dyslexia. Nothing to complicated just asked a few questions about our experiences and thoughts on being dyslexic. Also I had not seen anyone else asking we in the dyslexic community these questions.

Below are three of the questions and results and responses I got. I thought they were very interesting and I wonder if this reflects the feelings and thought of the majority of dyslexics out there:

Question 5: Overall do you feel positive or negative about being dyslexic?

68% felt positive
27% felt negative
5% felt both positive and negative

Question 7: Overall do you think society views being dyslexic as positive or negative?

82% said society views being dyslexic as negative dyslexic
18% said society views being dyslexic as positive 

Interesting to note that so many who took the survey were positive about being dyslexic. Yes you guessed it so many said that society views dyslexic as negative

Question 8: Why do you think society views being dyslexic as positive or negative?

Here are some of the responses I got from that question:

1. Negative, reading problems
2. Society sees any difference from the norm as negative, dyslexia is seen as a disability so is seen in a negative light
3. it is seen as a disability
4. I say its more of a distinction
5. they don't understand and negative images are portrayed
6. no but its getting better
7. some people don't understand it I think that's the problem
8. Living in a world of people who see everything in 2dimensions bringing a person who looks at things in three dimensions causes disruptions
9. society is abysmally ignorant
10. Because its called a learning disability and therefore it id immediately stigmatised by people who find difference challenging

Please let me know what your thoughts and feelings are about the results from this research?

How would you answer these questions....please share your answers.

anyway many thanks for reading and to any of you who respond to this blog

Many thanks for reading why not send me your answers to the questions to steve_mccue@hotmail.com.