The medical model of Dyslexia has gotten us pretty much nowhere.

just a photo of me with my I am dyslexic logo

Hello all, and good day to all my blog subscribers and readers

I believe the medical model of Dyslexia has gotten us pretty much nowhere in decades. This model defines dyslexia in terms of deficits, discrepancy and disorder. That it is we dyslexics that are the problem. It makes no mention of diversity and difference all the positive aspects of dyslexia. Neither does it recognise the impact of a dyslexia unfriendly society has on the dyslexic community.

That's why my social enterprise, Dyslexia Pathways CIC, (Community Interest Company,) promotes and support the social model of Dyslexia. 

We see the social model of dyslexia together with social enterprise offers the dyslexic community a more inclusive, positive and empowering way forward. The social model tells us it is society that disables and here is how society does. 

My own research showed only 19% of dyslexic adults were assessed while at school. That the majority of adults assessed as dyslexic were assessed while at university. 

But you have to remember only about 5% of undergraduates are dyslexic while in the UK research shows around 10% of the population are dyslexic. Society disables us in so many ways and this disabling starts from day one at school for many of us and does not stop even at higher education level.

An example of society disabling are many. Outdated attitudes towards dyslexia among university staff prevail. Too many view dyslexia as something made up by middle-class “helicopter parents” to gain unfair advantages for their children entering university. That a dyslexia assessment is not the valid medical diagnosis that it actually is. Even where it is accepted as a condition rooted in an inability to match spoken sounds with their written forms, the accommodations made to level the playing field for dyslexic students are often inadequate.

For me dyslexia is no a medical issue. A medical model of dyslexia says dyslexic is about, deficits, disorder and discrepancy. It has nothing positive to offer the dyslexic community. It totally fails to recognise the positive aspects of being dyslexic. 

That is why I promote the social model of dyslexia. it recognises the positives, that it is society that disables us. It tells us dyslexia is about diversity and difference, not disability.

What do you all believe? Is dyslexia about deficits, disorder and discrepancy or diversity and difference?

Thanks for reading #{PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me 

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue