We’re super excited to announce that we’ll be heading to Atlanta to our friends at the Schenck School where we’re holding the first in our series of Dyslexia Showcases in partnership with Microsoft.

The Dyslexia Showcase events are designed to help teachers, educators and parents to get a better understanding of dyslexia,  the value of dyslexic thinking skills, and how to enable dyslexic students.

You can join us too, we’re broadcasting the showcase on Facebook Live so hop over to our Facebook page on 25th April at 6pm EDT and join in. You can sign up here to  Watch the Dyslexia Showcase on Facebook LIVE  and if the US time zone makes it too late or early for you to join live, the stream will be on Facebook and YouTube to watch after the event.

We’ll be showcasing the new Dyslexia Awareness Training we’ve just released, and the evening will be full of practical insights that will help you understand and support dyslexic students.

• Hosted by CNN International News Anchor Robyn Curnow.
• Inspirational discussions and presentations from Made By Dyslexia, Microsoft, and Schenck School teachers.
• Discuss the recent EY Value of Dyslexia report, and the importance of dyslexic thinking skills for the future
• Personal insights and stories from successful dyslexics and dyslexia experts.
• Video contributions from Sir Richard Branson and other celebrity ambassadors.
• Exclusive previews of new free online Dyslexia Awareness Training modules.
• Presentation by Microsoft on their Learning Tools.

The evening will bring together public officials, educators, teachers, parents, and advocates.

Our goal is for everyone to leave with an understanding of the value of dyslexia and how to support dyslexic learners.

We hope you will join us and help us spread the word.

Thank you!

Kate

Every month (and sometimes in between) I will be sharing our news and views and Spelling Out all things Made By Dyslexia. I hope you’ll follow along and spread the word to help everyone, everywhere understand the #ValueOfDyslexia.

NEW Dyslexia Awareness Training in partnership with Microsoft.

At our Global Summit back in October Satya Nadella announced our partnership with Microsoft highlighting ourmission to empower every dyslexic to reach their potential.

This month we’re so excited to tell you about first  NEW Teacher and Parents Dyslexia Awareness Training that we’ve created with Microsoft.  The training includes our NEW inspirational Dyslexia Awareness Films and anyone anywhere around the world can access it for free.  

Dyslexia expert teachers from two world-leading schools are sharing their wisdom and expertise alongside successful dyslexic celebrities who are contributing their insights and inspiring stories.  Click on image below for link to new course.

The course only takes about an hour and will provide essential insights into dyslexia, which we believe all educators and parents should have so we would love your help to share this far and wide.  Please recommend it to your schools, your friends, to parents.  Share this blog and social media posts to help spread it far and wide.

Spelling It Out – why this is SO important

Dyslexia is the most common learning difference affecting between 10 – 20% kids…so a sizeable cohort in every class.  Yet most teachers simply aren’t trained in how to spot it, or support it.  We have to change that! 

With school budgets and time so stretched, dyslexia often slips down the list of priorities when actually even small changes can make such a huge difference. AND what’s good for dyslexic kids is good for all students! 

Understanding the Value of Dyslexia

We know that dyslexics have a different way of processing information which means they often struggle with more traditional education and testing. But our report with EY Value of Dyslexia found these thinking skills are the very skills that are needed in the 21st Century.  

So it’s really important we help everyone understand the #ValueOfDyslexia and support Dyslexic Thinking.

These films and training will help to do that! Watch these kids talking about their Dyslexic Strengths.

Keep and eye out for 5 new modules coming later this year, and more in-depth training due next year.  

Thank you!

Kate Griggs.

Founder, CEO Made By Dyslexia

With so much focus at this time of year on exam results, it’s an ideal time to write about Dyslexic Thinking Skills. Because whether you get the grades you want or not, the key to success in life is to recognise and nurture your Dyslexic Thinking.

Finding your passions; things you love to do and are naturally good at, and then working really hard to become great at them is a winning formula in whatever endeavour you choose. This is SO important for dyslexics; a passionate and determined bunch who often become ‘experts’ and ‘pioneers’ at what they do. It’s a formula that all of these amazing dyslexic thinkers use…and just look what they’ve achieved! 

Round Pegs in Square Holes

Dyslexic minds process information in divergent, creative and lateral ways, and have created some of the world’s greatest inventions, brands and art. But education systems aren’t designed for dyslexic thinking and typically measure success by how accurately students regurgitate facts in an exam or test. Most dyslexics find this difficult, and stifling to their imaginative and creative thinking.  In our recent interview with Richard Branson he said “If you’re not good at conventional education you are made to feel stupid”. 

That’s why many dyslexics only begin to flourish after school, when they’re no longer forced to fit into the confines of education and can truly tap into their dyslexic thinking and apply it to their endeavours. Like Richard Branson who you will recognise in many of the Skills listed below.

21st Century Skills

4 out of 5 dyslexic people attribute their success to their dyslexic thinking. There are a large percentage of dyslexics in fields like Entrepreneurship,  Engineering, Creative and Tech industries, and in organisations like the British Intelligence agency (GCHQ) actively recruit dyslexics for their Reasoning skills.  

Now Neuroscience is giving extraordinary insight into the physical differences in dyslexic brains that lead to these enhanced thinking skills. 9 out of 10 dyslexics describe their thinking as “seeing past detail to gain a strategic (big picture) view of a subject/problem”. Dr. Manuel Casanova (University of Kentucky School of Medicine) has found that dyslexics have longer connections in certain parts of the brain, which explain this big-picture processing skill.

Surely, it’s time for education to catch up and find a better way of measuring our young people? We’re working on that! But in the meantime it’s super important we all recognise and nurture the talents in dyslexic people, young and old.

Dyslexic Thinking Skills Explained

There are 6 Dyslexic Thinking Skills areas.  These are broken into two areas: Specific Skills which relate to the career paths often preferential to dyslexic thinkers; and General Skills which relate to most sorts of education, activities and careers. 

Whilst no two dyslexics are the same, all will have a combination of some of these skills.

SPECIFIC SKILLS

VISUALISING: Interacting with space, senses, physical ideas & new concepts. (75% of dyslexics are above average at Visualising).  

• Moving: physical interpretation & game playing. Examples: Dancer, Musician, Sports player.
• Making: visualising, planning & making. Examples: Engineer, Architect, Craft worker, Programmer, Designer, Chef, Gardener.
• Inventing: exploring possibilities, making connections & inventing. Examples: Scientist, Technologist, Entrepreneur.

IMAGINING: Creating an original piece of work, or giving ideas a new spin (84% of dyslexics are above average at Imagining).                   

• Creating: creating completely original work from your imagination. Examples: Designers, Artists, Composers, Writers.
• Interpreting: using imagination to give ideas a new twist, or bring out a fresh angle. Examples: Actor, Advertiser, PR, Director, Photographer. 

COMMUNICATING: Crafting & conveying clear & engaging messages. (71% of dyslexics are above average at Communicating).                                         

• Explaining: assessing situations/information, & explaining clearly to other people. Examples: Journalist, Marketeer, Politician, Teacher, Campaigner.
• Story-telling: creating vivid & engaging experiences in words, pictures or other media. Examples: Author, Writer, Games Developer, Song Writer, Film Maker.

GENERAL SKILLS

REASONING: Understanding patterns, evaluating possibilities & making decisions.  (84% of dyslexics are above average in Reasoning).                                  

• Simplifying: understanding, taking apart & simplifying complex ideas & concepts.
• Analysing: using logic to decide on strength of an argument or where the truth lies.
• Deciding: interpreting patterns & situations to predict future events & make decisions.           
• Visioning: seeing past detail to gain a strategic (big picture) view of a subject or problem.

CONNECTING: Understanding self; connecting, empathising & influencing others. (80% of dyslexics are above average at Connecting).                                                                        

• Understanding self: recognising & managing own feelings, & understanding how they affect own behaviour and that of others.
• Understanding others: understanding & interpreting the verbal, physical & emotional reactions of other people.
• Influencing: managing, influencing & inspiring constructive emotions in other people. Empathising: sensing, understanding & responding (emotionally and/or practically) to how people feel. 

EXPLORING: being curious & exploring ideas in a constant & energetic way. (84% of dyslexics are above average at Exploring).           

• Learning: having a curiosity for finding out new things and learning new skills.       
• Digging: looking into things in a way that means most is learnt or discovered.  
• Energising: being so passionate about something it gives a buzz and tenacity to learn about it.
• Doing: using new knowledge to achieve a result that surprises & pleases self or others 

To take our Dyslexic Thinking Skills test go to madebydyslexia.org

“You can be good at something very simple that you enjoy, and turn it into your life’s work that makes you want to get out of bed with a spark in your eye“.  Jamie Oliver 

Here’s an example of how Jamie Oliver used his dyslexic thinking of Creating, Explaining, Connecting and Energising, to help him succeed.

You can keep up to date with all our news and activity on social media. Facebook Twitter Instagram

Thank you!

Kate Griggs

Our feet literally haven’t touched the ground.  Thanks so much to everyone who’s followed, RT’d, shared, commented and connected. We’re excited to have you with us on the journey and please remember to keep spreading the word!

At the launch we shared Made by Dyslexia’s global goals.  Our initial focus is about CHANGING PERCEPTIONS…making sure dyslexia is properly understood as a different way of thinking, not a disadvantage.

Some of the greatest inventions, art and brands of the modern world have been made by dyslexia.  We believe that if the world truly understands the value of dyslexic thinking and the amazing talents dyslexia brings, then we can start to drive opinion and behavioural change so dyslexics are empowered and open about their way of thinking.  We want schools, parents, teachers and governments to look for and recognise dyslexia rather than hiding, ignoring or misunderstanding it.  Dyslexia brings with it creativity, innovation and empathy that is so important to our ever changing world.

We’ve been genuinely moved by your appetite and passion for our campaign message.

The Launch

We gathered in a secret location in Central London for an intimate, informal and inspirational chat with Richard Branson  and fellow Ambassador Roland Rudd and me.

The audience included many of the great and good from the dyslexia world who came from far and wide including, Canada and the USA.  Australia were with us in spirit, sharing questions for Richard, Roland and I to answer.

The “Dyslexic Sperm Bank”

So why a “Dyslexic Sperm Bank”?  It was an edgy idea dreamt up by the creative minds (many dyslexic) at Y&R London.  It was a bold communications idea that Richard and his team loved, and so did we.  It certainly got people talking.  We’ve had incredible coverage by everyone from the Sunday Times and the BBC, to the Huffington Post.

We arrived at the idea because about 18 months ago the London Sperm bank announced that you couldn’t donate sperm if you were dyslexic as it was considered to be a “neurological disease”…yes really!… providing an extreme example of how much we need to change perception. So we took that thought and created some social research by setting up a pop-up ‘Dyslexic Sperm Bank’ and filming the public’s reaction.  Watch the film here.

The Research

To support the launch and film we commissioned exclusive research by YouGov and Made By Dyslexia which highlighted the task at hand:

•   Only 3% of people think dyslexia is a positive trait

•   58% believe that someone with dyslexia will do worse at school; only 2% think they may do better

•   19% of people associate dyslexia with creativity whereas 84% of dyslexics say they are above average in creative skills

•   13% of people associate dyslexia with lateral thinking whereas 84% of dyslexics say they are above average in lateral thinking skills

•   12% of people associate dyslexia with good problem solving skills whereas 84% of dyslexics say they are above average at problem solving

•   9 out of 10 dyslexics say their dyslexia made them feel angry, stupid or embarrassed

Podcast of the Event

We’re excited to share a podcast of the launch talk between Richard, Roland and myself…we talk candidly about our experiences of dyslexia and our advice for dyslexics, their parents and teachers.  Hearing one of the world’s most famous entrepreneurs saying he spent his school years thinking he was “just plain thick”, was moving and enlightening.  Happy listening!  iTunes or Lybsyn

We’ll be back with another blog soon. You can keep up to date on twitter or Facebook or go to our website where you can read our launch report or take The Dyslexic Thinking Test.

Kate Griggs – Founder and CEO Made By Dyslexia

Today is launch day and we’re all super excited to start to share our plans.

There is SO much to do but it all starts with audacious goals and passionate supporters.

Please help us spread the word by following and sharing.  And we’d love to hear your stories and thoughts so get in touch either on social media or email.

Our launch event is in London with Richard Branson.  He and I will be talking about his dyslexia and about our aims….we’re filming it all and will share this with you on social media over the coming days.

In the meantime check out the Connecting the Dots Report which tells you about us; what we know about dyslexia, and dyslexic thinking.  You can find it on our website www.madebydyslexia.org

You can also take the dyslexic thinking test here http://madebydyslexia.org.

We’ll have lots more in the coming days.

Let’s get going!

Kate Griggs – Founder and CEO Made By Dyslexia