Was going to write this blog for Christmas but didn't. Just to much going on.

 

My local library when I was a kid. It was my fave place to go way back then.

Hello to all,

I was going to write a blog for Christmas. But what with all that is going on in Palestine and Ukraine my heart was just not up to writing one. 

Also had a couple of family things going on which i didn't really want to write about in my blog.

Every time I watch anything about what is happening it breaks my dyslexic heart. #PeaceLoveGrooveyness to all.

Had a good, i Christmas with close family. Just myself and Anne, our nieces Lesley and Layla, Anne's mum and my brother Ian. Thanks to Leslie Smith for a fab Christmas Dinner. It was excellent. 

"Christmas is here again", is a fab song from the very talented Bex Adams. Just click on the link below to hear her fab song, "Christmas is Here Once Again". 

Bex Adams

Bex is a very talented musician and lyricist. Love this tune, it has a great Christmassy vibe.

Apologies for the short blog. See you all in 2024 . #PeaceLoveGrooveyness to you all from me Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

A while back I did a little dyslexia research

 

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

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me, Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

Social model of dyslexia together with social enterprise, an alternative way forward

 

I am a fab one in ten dyslexic

Hi blog readers hope you are all well

I have no problem with being dyslexic. I am very happy that I see and experience the world through my dyslexic prism.

I do have a problem with our #Dyslexia unfriendly education system and society that quite simply has failed us. 

#dyslexia is about diversity and difference and it is society that disables us.


That's why I, and my organization Dyslexia Pathways CIC, say the #dyslexia is a difference that reflects diversity and not dyslexia is a condition that disables us.


The negative medical discrepancy model has also resulted in:


Over 50% of people in our prisons are dyslexic


Dyslexics are 6 times more likely to be long term unemployed than non dyslexics


Only 19% of dyslexic adults were actually assessed as dyslexic while at school

Many of us leave school with long term mental health issues, poor self confidence and low self esteem because of our negative experiences in education

This is not acceptable and cannot continue.

We ourselves have to change how we think and talk about #dyslexia, the medical discrepancy model way has not worked for us. Society will not just do it for us.


All the medical discrepancy model has done is isolated and marginalized many of us. Its created a negative medical discrepancy model stereotype around dyslexics that disables us in our own eyes and in the eyes of society. It is a model that has been imposed upon us by society.


We need to challenge it and fight for change because if we don't future generations of dyslexic kids will continue to be failed. Of course some positive change is happening. However, it is far to slow and we have had to fight for that change every step of the way

We need to celebrate and recognize dyslexic culture and all that dyslexics have achieved across all areas of society.

That's why my social enterprise Dyslexia Pathways CIC supports and promotes the social model of dyslexia and social enterprise model. It is a more positive and inclusive way forward.

A model that celebrates and embraces dyslexia and recognizes our diversity, neuro diversity and difference. One that does not try to turn us into copies of non dyslexics.

More importantly its a model created by dyslexics for dyslexics.

If you think my blog has something to say please share and like it. If you have something to say please leave a comments. We will never see any change unless we all talk about and share our experiences.

thanks for reading

Peace love and groovyness

Steve McCue Founder of Dyslexia Pathways Community Interest Company

PS: my dyslexia blog has now had nearly a quarter of a million reads

Dyslexic imagination and dreams can be very scary.

 

Show my relationship with handwriting lol

Hello there everyone, hope you are all well.

Dyslexic imagination and dreams can be very scary. I had a very bad vivid dream when I was a kid. I was in bed and there was a full moon and I think it was either Mars or Venus shinning quite bright in the sky near it.

In my dream the planet fired laser beams through the window. I tried to get up but was paralysed in bed. There is a name for that sort of dream, no idea what it is though. The bedroom was on fire and I just could not get out of bed.

In the end the dream frightened me awake. Think I must have been about 9 or 10 and reading War of the Worlds at the time. Very vivid and very scary. I still have a memory of that dream.

Have you ever had a scary vivid dream and are you dyslexic?

That'e enough from me Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness to you all

Did a wee search on this out of interest. I certainly remembering a lot of the symptoms as stated below.

Overview

What is sleep paralysis?

While falling asleep or waking up, your brain sends signals that relax muscles in your arms and legs. The result — muscle atonia — helps you remain still during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. With sleep paralysis, you regain awareness but can’t move.

What does sleep paralysis feel like?

During a sleep paralysis episode, you're aware of your surroundings but cannot move or speak. But you can still move your eyes and breathe. Many people hear or see things that aren’t there (hallucinations), making episodes even more frightening.

How long do sleep paralysis episodes last?

They last anywhere between a few seconds and a few minutes.

Who gets sleep paralysis?

Rare or isolated sleep paralysis can occur in people of all ages. And it’s more common in the setting of sleep deprivation in association with a changing sleep schedule, which may happen if you are a college student or do shift work. Recurrent sleep paralysis is a symptom of narcolepsy, a disorder of unstable sleep-wake boundaries.

Symptoms and Causes

Why does sleep paralysis happen?

During the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage, you’re likely to have dreams. The brain prevents muscles in your limbs from moving to protect yourself from acting dreams out and hurting yourself. Sleep paralysis happens when you regain awareness going into or coming out of REM. Because narcolepsy is characterized by unstable wakefulness and unstable sleep, people with narcolepsy have frequent night awakenings that can be associated with sleep paralysis.

Are there specific causes?

The condition has many causes, including:

• Narcolepsy.
• Shift work.
• Sleep deprivation.
• Obstructive sleep apnea.

What are the symptoms of sleep paralysis?

The symptoms include:

• Paralysis in your limbs.
• Inability to speak.
• Sense of suffocation
• Hallucinations.
• Fear.
• Panic.
• Helplessness.
• Tightening around your throat.
• Daytime sleepiness, which may be a sign of narcolepsy.

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me Steve #UniqueDyslexic Mccue

Very busy dyslexia / neuro diverse university semester so far

 

Our Prestige Award for best Dyslexia Non Profit in Scotland

Hello to you all,

When all we see on our TV's is crap news. Its good to be able to bring some good news into that toxic mess.

Last week was my busiest dyslexia / neuro diverse student support week since before COVID, also busiest month. We can certainly do with the income. Next week will probably the last week until after Christmas and New Year. I certainly could do with the break.

However, this means I will have some time to make a couple Unique Dyslexic Eye podcasts over the next couple of weeks. Including a new Christmas song from the fab Bex Adams.

Then, as most will know, my organisation, Dyslexia Pathways CIC Prestige Award for best non profit dyslexia support organisation in Scotland. My podcast / broadcast social media channels Unique Dyslexic Eye is also going well.

We could not have achieved any of this without our supporters and friends. Huge thanks to you all.

Thanks for reading. If you are from the dyslexic, neuro diverse or disabled communities and would like to record your own guest podcast / broadcast for the show just email me and lets get you on the show

That's it for todays blog

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me Steve #UniqueDyslexic Mccue