Dyslexia and neuro diversity: It's a nature nurture thing.

 

The nature nurture of being dyslexic or neuro diverse

my initial design for the Unique Dyslexic logo, I wanted the U to intertwine with the D to show uniqueness and dyslexia go hand in hand

Hi blog readers and social media followers hope you are all well.

As a dyslexic I have been thinking more about dyslexia as a life experience. 

I experience and make sense of and understand the world through my dyslexic prism. Being dyslexic through eyes, thought processes, decision making and dyslexics senses. There is not a blob in my head that is dyslexic and the rest isn't, it is much more complicated than that.

All of us have different lives have different life experiences as children and adults which can impact on how we manage our lives as a dyslexic.

It's a nature nurture thing. I was born dyslexic no getting away from that thank gawd that's the nature side of dyslexia. 

Then there is the nurture side. Our experience with family, school, friends etc. The nurture side is ongoing and shapes us and who we are through our lives.

Our dyslexia unfriendly education system, simply fails to nurture us. As a result can leave many dyslexics with feelings low self esteem, self confident, self worth and even long term mental health issues and trauma. But we can all overcome these issues. For me personally relationships with friends, reading sci fi comics and books, becoming a musician and computer game player etc all helped me to overcome theses issues. 

But most importantly I had a dyslexia assessment at age 35. Only a dyslexics can comprehend how liberating the realisation of this can be.  

This assessment enabled me to make sense of my inability to succeed at school. It enabled me to realise I was not as thick as a brick at school. Society disables us, only 19% were assessed as dyslexic while at school. 

But so many dyslexics never receive an dyslexia assessment. Nobody really knows how many un-assessed dyslexic adults are out there. But I think this number is very high. 

That is was our dyslexics a unfriendly education system that failed me not myself. 

But the effects of experiences at school can still come to the surface. I can still experience periods of low self esteem and depression etc. I can still scold and berate myself for being an idiot. I can say things about my self to myself that would never say about anyone else. 


It's no wonder that so many of us hate being dyslexic, can feel ashamed of being dyslexic. Many will never know the answers to why they feel how they feel. To why that have struggled all through their lives. 

Question to you all:

How do you feel about being dyslexic / neuro diverse?

Please leave your thoughts in the comments section of this blog.

Anyways that's enough for this blog

Peace love and groovyness to you all

Remember dyslexia is about diversity and difference, its what makes us unique. Humanity and nature have thrived because of diversity and difference.

I know it seems nuts to many dyslexics because of their negative experiences at school but I love being dyslexic. I would not have it any other way.

Thats #PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me 

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

Neuro diversity, music and me

 

Me with my first bass guitar, a converted right hand bass for a lefty one. I think this is maybe 1979

Good morning all.

Well this morning the frost has laid a white blanket on the grass, roads and cars etc. I have been a musician most of my life. I still have my bass guitar which I bought around 1982. Its an Left Handed Ibanez Musician Bass. As far as I know one a few were ever made. Cost me a small fortune lol. Also have an Ibanez six string, cant remember which model.

For a good few years I have been into Ambient music. Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure. Personally, I like the feel or writing and listening to ambient music

I bought myself a new music app for my I pad a while back. Its called Scape and is a generative music app from Brian Eno and Peter Chilvers. You dont have to be a musician to use it, its quite easy to use. There are a good few free music apps out there.

If you are into making music, try some of the free, or free, apps available. For me as a dyslexic I have always found music and making music fab for many reasons from helping me develop my concentration to my sequencing skills and relaxation etc. All of which could benefit any dyslexic like myself. Its an app for Ipad and a fab tool for creating ambient music with art. I have been a fan of ambient music since 1975 and even create my own now and again. Wrote a whole album of ambient stuff a while back.. Ambient music and this app will not be for everyone. But investigate it.

One of my own personal fave ambient musician is Brian Eno.

Thanks for reading, please leave a like or a comment. Are you a dyslexic or neuro diverse musician?

Please help by blog grow and subscribe.

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

Thanks to all my followers and readers, I appreciate your support.

My organisation won an award

My organisation's "2023 / 24 Prestige Award

Hello all, hope everything is hunky dory with you all

Hi all, here is a photo of my Prestige Award for my organisation, best Dyslexia Support Non Profit of the year 2023 / 24. This is for the third year in a row.

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue
 

Dyslexia, inclusion, diversity and difference a new and positive way forward

 

Together we can touch the stars

Hello all of you out there across the world

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.

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 and values dyslexic diversity and difference and celebrates 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 together with social enterprise defines us by what we can do and achieve. It empowers and 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 dyslexia. 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 one of the first dyslexia focussed social enterprise in the world and we have embraced and promoted the social model of dyslexia through social enterprise.

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.

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 out there 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.

Many thanks for reading #PeaceLoveGrooveyness to you all from me Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

Here is what ***** me off about politics as a dyslexic.

 

Livin in a neuro diverse universe

Hello out there in what has become la la land lol

Here is what fecks me off about politics as a dyslexic. The issue for me is that many tory party politicians have no empathy, no emotional intelligence. They have no understanding how their political decisions impact on ordinary people.

Far to many politicians, especially in the tory party, only go into politics to enrich themselves and their mates. Now, they are creating their own opportunities that only they can exploit and at our expense.

Politics is a game for the rich and powerful now. Ordinary people have no way to become a politician. When I went to university, aged 35, I did an elective course on politics for a year. As part of my BSc Hon Geography, I did a module on Geopolitics.

I have always been very negative about politics I thought the courses would give me better understanding about politics and it would change my mind. I got straight A's for every assignment. But all it did was confirm my own suspicions about our political process and politicians.

Of course not all politicians are bad. Some do still go into politics to do public service. But they struggle in a dog eat dog political environment. If I had the power I would close places like Eton,. Gawd, look at the shower of political opportunists it has created.

That's it from me, Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness to you all.

It would be fab if you would share this blog, subscribe or leave us a like.

It cost nothing to do and helps grow my audience.

Please accept this invitation to my Unique Dyslexic Eye Podcast page. Just click on the link below:

https://stevemccue.podbean.com/

I am dyslexic and proud get over it non dyslexic world lol

 

I am dyslexic not ill, I am dyslexic and do not need to be cured, I am dyslexic and proud get over it non dyslexic world lol

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.

Well, that's enough for my blog today.

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness to you all from me

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

why a dyslexia assessment is so crucial for our dyslexic development as learners

Dr.Maggie Aderin-Pocock Astronomer 

Hello everyone hope you are all doing away out there,

In this podcast I talk about dyslexia assessment and why a dyslexia assessment is so crucial for our well being and understanding about our dyslexia etc. 

Please comment if you have a comment, please follow and leave a like and please share share share.

#PeaceLoveGroovyness to you all and be seeing you on my next live show

#PeaceLoveGrooveyness to you all from me

Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue

Below is a link to the podcast

One of my dyslexia podcasts on podbean