Dyslexic Adults: GET INVOLVED!

I mentioned in my previous blog about a dyslexia group that I am a member of on Facebook called Dyslexia Help and Support UK. I’m a huge advocate for the group because I have found them to be very friendly, very helpful and very supportive especially (but not exclusively) towards parents in the UK with dyslexic kids.

Hello Again

Well it’s been almost a year since I last posted a blog on here. I needed a little bit of a time out to think about what I wanted to blog about and how to move forward in a positive way.

#DDChat on Twitter, which I host, has been my main focus the last year or so. It’s become a great little community now with lots of friendly and familiar Tweeters. We’ve a real variety of people that I am so grateful to speak to every week. We continue to chat every Thursday from 8pm UK/Irish time discussing a variety of topics.

Other than that, I’ve been contributing where I can to a fantastic Facebook group. It’s a dyslexia support group aimed towards people in the UK with the soul purpose of supporting parents with dyslexic kids but also dyslexic adults, like myself. There’s no hidden agenda to it, just supporting others, and has a variety of people in the group, including experts in the field. https://www.facebook.com/groups/DyslexiahelpandsupportUK is the group which I really cannot praise highly enough.

I am going to start writing again to the blog more regularly. Thanks for sticking by the blog! You’re all awesome 🙂

Dyslexia and Me: STEM – Engineering – John Britten

John Kenton Britten

John Kenton Britten from Christchurch, New Zealand, was the founder of the Britten Motorcycle Company. He built his first motor powered go-kart at the age of 12 and at 13 he and his mate restored a motorcycle they found in a ditch. He went on to develop motorcycles that set a number of world speed records.

Although John struggled at school with dyslexia he completed a four-year mechanical engineering course at night school. He worked in the UK for four months with Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners on a design to link the M1 and M4 motorways. He returned to New Zealand and became the sole design engineer for Rowe Engineering where he designed off-road equipment and heavy machinery.

You can find out more about John Kenton Britten here: http://www.britten.co.nz

#DDChat Goes Weekly!

First of all a massive thank you to everyone who took part in yesterday’s #DDChat on Twitter discussing all things dyslexia. It was the best one yet, I couldn’t keep up fast enough with the fantastic discussions!

We decided last night that #DDChat will now be changing from a monthly chat to a weekly chat taking place every Thursday from 8-10pm GMT with the format of an hour of questions followed by an open floor for discussion.

If you have any topics you would like us to discuss, then please go to the #DDChat tab at the top of the page and fill in the form.

I hope to see you all next Thursday on Twitter!

#DDChat Returns This Thursday!

The Twitter chat dedicated to 2 hours of dyslexia discussion returns this Thursday 8-10pm GMT (UK time) using the hashtag #DDChat. If you have any topics you would like to have discussed, then head to https://thedyslexicstudent.wordpress.com/ddchat/. You only have until tomorrow to submit your topic suggestions as the questions will be posted online tomorrow, so don’t delay!

The first hour is questions, the second is an open floor. Make sure you pop it into your diary now!

Dyslexia: Dysassemble

I have a new dyslexia related blog project in the works and I am looking for enthusiastic dyslexic people to take part! The blog is called Dyslexia: Dysassemble.

Here is a little bit more information for you:

I have met a lot of wonderful people trying to show the world what dyslexia actually is! The positive bits, the bits of struggles, the funny bits and the not so funny bits. We can be found all over the world on various sections of social media pushing for changes to the way dyslexia is perceived.

I thought that creating a blog where all these talents could come together and add at least one blog per month would help to show the world just how diverse a bunch of people we are! Our different talents, the different things we are trying to open people’s eyes to.

If you would like to join the team, then please head to The Communication System and fill in the form with why you would like to join in and what you are hoping to contribute. At this point I would like to add that this does NOT have to be a written format, it could be a piece of art, music, photography etc that shows your own dyslexic positive trait. I know that writing is not a strength for some dyslexic people and I want this blog to play to our strengths!

Under 18s are more than welcome to join the team too, but I would really like a parent to contact me first so we can find the best way to highlight your talents but to also keep you safe! Especially with the team profiles etc.

Poll Results: There is enough support for adults with dyslexia

The poll for April has now closed. Thank you to all of those who took part.

The statement posed was:
There is enough support for adults with dyslexia.

The results were as follows:

Dyslexia and Me: The Dissertation Experience

My dissertation is complete! Phew!

Hello again! Thanks for rejoining me in my journey with dyslexia and scotopic sensitivity syndrome. I’ve finally finished my dissertation and have time once again to blog. Hoorah! But boy was it tough!  

Loose Women Dyslexia Debate

Thirty years ago, it was estimated that one in 25 children had some form of dyslexia. Now, the diagnosis is much more common, estimated to affect as many as one in eight children. Professor of education at Durham University, Julian Elliott, says that diagnosing a child with dyslexia is no more scientific than reading a horoscope, and in fact, labelling a child dyslexic could be doing more harm than good. Is dyslexia a label too far?

Loose Women via Facebook from 23 April 2014.

My response to this follows below:

Question of the Month

This month the poll is a statement that is very close to my own heart. So what do you think?