If is often said that dyslexic kids fail at school because

 

Hi blog readers thanks for taking the time to visit and read my blog

If is often said that dyslexic kids fail at school because they fall through the cracks. What ever that means. Dyslexic students do not fall through the cracks. Our education system is dyslexia unfriendly that's why we fail. Our education system fails us we do not fail it.

Don't get me wrong here there are fab dyslexia friendly schools and teachers out there but they are few and far between.  Research I did showed that only 19% of assessed dyslexic adults were assessed at school.

This is just not good enough.

Especially when you consider research has shown around 50% of adults in our prisons are dyslexic. Dyslexic kids leave school with low self confidence and self esteem. That dyslexics are six times more likely to be long term unemployed than non dyslexic peers.

Dyslexics, can and do succeed in all areas of our society. Indeed, 35% of entrepreneurs are dyslexic. But they succeed in spite of their experience in school not because of it.

We have to challenge the narrative of a medical discrepancy model of dyslexia 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, that we need treatment etc. It's a model that has gotten us precisely nowhere.

Dyslexics have to change that narrative. 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. That's why I founded Dyslexia Pathways CIC in 2009 as a social enterprise. I believe social enterprise and social model of dyslexia is an innovative, inclusive and empowering way forwards.

The medical model of dyslexia is one that has been imposed upon us by a non dyslexic society. The social model is one developed by dyslexics for dyslexics.

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 vision, one based on social model of dyslexia principles delivered through social enterprise.

Thanks reading why not visit our website at www.dyslexiapathways.com/ 

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

A dyslexic life can be a complicated journey

 

Dyslexia Pathways CIC logo above

Hi blog readers hope you are all well

Why social model of dyslexia and social enterprise

Everyone who ready my blog will know that I am a social entrepreneur and founded Dyslexia Pathways Community Interest Company, the world's first dyslexia social enterprise in 2009. I went the social enterprise route because I felt it was the best fit for our social model of dyslexia vision. I believe that social enterprise and social model of dyslexia together offer an empowering, innovative and positive way forward for dyslexics everywhere

Being a social enterprise means we have to invest any profits made into achieving our social aims. We must have a strong constitution that enshrines our organisation vision within a legal framework.

Life is a complicated journey

My life has been a long and complicated journey that has been impacted upon negatively and positively by many factors. Many of the roads I have gone down had many pot holes that I fell into. I have travelled some very smooth and happy roads. I have made great decisions and may bad and terrible ones.

Even before I was assessed as dyslexic at about 35 years old I knew I was different. Looking back on the best decisions I made and the achievements I made I will say these happened because I am dyslexic. The single most positive benefit from being assessed was it gave me the opportunity to put my trials and tribulations at school into a more positive context.

Eight years ago or so I was at the lowest point in my whole life. I could not see 100 yards down the road I travelled at that time. But with the support of family and friends, and from Anne especially I have rebuilt my life and the road I travel is good now. Not perfect but good and that's all we can hope for. I would not go back and change one thing because all those roads travelled have taken me to this one a road where I am happy.

I may not have any money, hey how many people do these days lol, but that's not important because money on its own does not make you happy.

I guess that's why I am a social entrepreneur instead of an entrepreneur. I believe this is because I see and make sense of the world through a dyslexic prism. Going into business was not motivated by profit but by a desire to continue to do social good. I know I have made a difference to many dyslexics lives. Not saying that to be big headed it's a statement of fact.

Even though my social enterprise is struggling at the moment and facing many challenges I am still here fighting. Not just for myself but for every dyslexic across the world.

I think what I am trying to say is that for many dyslexics the roads we travel can be full of particularly large pot holes. but that road will not be there forever and there are always better roads waiting to be travelled along.

Dyslexia awareness training news:

The dyslexia awareness training sessions are going well. 8 people attended my last session and I received a lot of fabtastic feedback. 6 participants scored me 5 out of 5 and 2 gave me 4 / 5 which is cool.

Feedback included:

1. I liked the training a lot, great trainer
2. The discussion and opportunity to explore aspects was really beneficial
3. Interesting speaker, good discussions and use of technology
4. The opportunity for professional dialogue with colleagues from a variety of backgrounds was invaluable
5. Lots of audience participation which was good
6. Understanding of the journey dyslexics have been

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me Steve Unique Dyslexic McCue

The objective of my social enterprise Dyslexia Pathways CIC

 

Hello to you all,

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

Many thanks for all your birthday wishes. Its not every day you celebrate your 65th birthday lol.

I am now officially a knock kneed knackered old git lol

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness to you all from me Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

I am a very happy and confident dyslexic, but, being dyslexic is hard work

Unique Dyslexic #ViVaLaDifference

Hello all, hope you are all well

Sometimes even the most confident of dyslexics can get affected by our negative live experiences of being dyslexic in a non dyslexic world. Here I am a very happy and confident dyslexic. One who would quite happily swing in the belfry like a deranged Quasimodo telling anyone body who would listed about the positive of being dyslexic still being affected by that little negative voice in my head sigh.

For sometime I have not been going to get my thyroid and diabetic bloods done and I have been avoiding nurses and doctors like the plague. I am now in the process of resolving this also. I totally hate doctors, nurses, dentist and hospitals. This goes back to when I was a young kid. I spent a year in hospital, nearly died with scarlet fever, then got a really back throat infection etc. That was not so bad because I got to eat loads of ice cream. Apparently I had to be dragged into hospital kicking and screaming and a year later I had to be dragged out of hospital kicking and screaming

I also have two speeds when I am working, I am either working like crazy bursting with ideas, franticly updating social media and doing all the jobs I need to get done or I am doing nothing. Once I am doing nothing it can be very hard to get started again. 

But I am now focussed I have my list done, prioritised my work etc and moving forward.

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness to you all.

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

Some thoughts on being dyslexic

 

Hi blog readers hope you are well

Some thoughts about dyslexia for us all to think about

Right now we have 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.

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?

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 peers in a classroom.

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.

#dyslexia is a difference that reflects #diveristy. 

We need to unleash dyslexic potential not remediate or stifle it.

 
Remember neuro diversity is as important as biodiversity
 
regards

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all
 
Steve and ta for reading....

PS:

Here are links to our websites and 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://sdyslexia.blogspot.co.uk/ dyslexia blog page

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

https://twitter.com/DyslexicEye Twitter

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

https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=AAIAAAdBzacBPEi2aZeiCBELxGTTQBM_mq3HKU4&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile Linked in

https://soundcloud.com/groups/dyslexia-musicians-group Soundcloud Page