Dyslexia: Helpful Support Resources

The following resources will help you learn more about dyslexia and find local help. 

You can also use NCLD’s Resource Locator to find programs in your local area.

Bookshare: Bookshare is an accessible online library for people with dyslexia and other disabilities. Over 160,000 titles are available, and membership is free for students.

DyslexiaHelp at the University of Michigan: DyslexiaHelp is designed to help you understand and learn about dyslexia and language disability. 

Visit their site for a wealth of information for individuals with dyslexia, parents, and professionals. 

If you’ve ever wondered about celebrities who have dyslexia, be sure to check out their “Dyslexia Success Stories” section.

Dyslexia on KidsHealth and Dyslexia on TeensHealth: Are you a parent or educator looking for age-appropriate materials on dyslexia? 

These articles offer the basics of dyslexia, tailored for the reading and developmental level of kids and teens.

Eye to Eye: Eye to Eye is a “mentoring movement for different thinkers,” providing mentoring programs to students identified with learning disabilities such as dyslexia and AD/HD. 

Visit their site to learn more about their program and find out how to get involved. 

International Dyslexia Association: The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) is a national non-profit dedicated to helping individuals with dyslexia, their families, and the communities that support them. 

Visit their site to connect with a local branch near you, find IDA-member providers in your area, and learn more about dyslexia.

Learning Ally: Learning Ally, formerly known as Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, offers more than 75,000 digitally recorded audiobooks (including both textbooks and literary titles).

Parent Center Network-Parent Center Listing: If you are the parent of a K-12 student with dyslexia, you’ll want to take a look at this site and find your nearest Parent Training and Information Center (PTI). 

PTIs are funded by the federal government and offer parents assistance in navigating special education and their child’s rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia (film): The website of the new film “The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia” (scheduled for a television premiere in October 2012), offers video clips from the film, ways to take action to support people with dyslexia, and offers uplifting advice for students with dyslexia and their parents.

The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity: Yale University’s Center for Dyslexia and Creativity seeks to illuminate the strengths of those with dyslexia, disseminate information, practical advice, and the latest innovations from scientific research, and transform the lives of children and adults with dyslexia. 

Visit their site to learn more about their cutting edge research and get concrete tips for parents, educators, and individuals with dyslexia.

UK MPs Support Employment Fair for Dyslexia and Autism

UK Sheffield MPs are joining forces to back an employment fair for people with autism and other hidden disabilities. The event, on Friday, February 1, is the brainchild of Angela Smith, Labour MP for Penistone & Stocksbridge, and is being supported by Paul Blomfield, Labour MP for Sheffield Central, and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrat MP for Sheffield Hallam. The fair, part of the National Autistic Society’s Undiscovered Workforce campaign, is at the Adsetts Partnership building, Bridge Street in the city centre, from 1pm until 3.30pm. It is aimed at people with autism and other hidden conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, speech and language difficulties and ADHD. The idea is to help such people learn about employment opportunities in Sheffield and to raise awareness among employers of the benefits of having them in the workplace. Mrs Smith said: “I’m working with the NAS on this campaign because I think it’s important adults with autism have the same opportunities as everyone else. “People in my constituency tell me they experience difficulties in finding and staying in employment, often due to inadequate support and misunderstandings related to their condition. “In these challenging economic times, we cannot afford to let the skills and talents of people with autism go to waste.”

ADHD: Medication addresses the condition not Motivation

"I take ADHD medication, and it has helped me focus at work and at home but it hasn’t helped with my motivation. I still don’t want to clean up or get organised. Why don’t meds for attention deficit improve my motivation?" 

Lots of people ask this question but believe me, it sounds as if your medication is doing what it should do -- improving your focus and your attention to detail, making things easier to remember, and making you more aware of time.

However, medication doesn’t necessarily improve your motivation, especially for doing the tasks that you describe. But don't be alarmed. Self motivation can be learned.

Chores such as this will probably never be fun. However, if medication makes it easier for you to consider doing a task, and to stay focused while you are working, you may find that, over time, you will become motivated to do things.

It will become a matter of developing a more positive mindset to tackle challenges instead of avoiding them.

Of course you can sit around waiting for that to happen, which I don't recommend. Better if you can take some positive steps to get support to increase your motivation.

There are numerous self-help books, motivational coaches and psychologists who dedicate their lives to supporting people with motivation issues.

In most cases it's not the task itself, it's getting 'started.' It may help to ask someone to get you started and then you can carry on regardless.

Make a written list or plan of chores and tackle them one at a time. After you have completed one give yourself a small reward; a cup of coffee and a biscuit, will suffice.

Mundane chores, like cleaning up, are generally boring for everyone, but you will feel accomplished when you have made the effort. 

You will be able to appreciate the benefit of doing it and see yourself as capable of accomplishing it. This will lift your confidence.

The feel-good thoughts you get will increase your confidence and willingness to perform other mundane chores and tackle other issues you normally avoid but never be afraid to ask someone for help, even if it's only to get you started.

Medication may be only half the solution, a more positive mindset is the other half and you need them both.

Work on your motivation by seeking support from online articles, books, family, trained experts or medical psychologists. They are waiting and wanting to help and support you.

Teenage Cancer Trust: The role of a Youth Support Co-ordinator - YouTube

Carrie is a Teenage Cancer Trust Youth Support Co-ordinator. She talks about how her role helps young people with cancer remain active and occupied during long stays in hospital and encourages them to share their experiences with each other.

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Dyslexia: Links to Support Videos and Information

Here is a collection of additional dyslexia resources for parents AND the teachers who wish to genuinely help their struggling learners with dyslexia.

If just one teacher takes a look at what is offered here, it could translate into at least one step forward for one child.

Let’s hope that more teachers and their schools become both interested and motivated to do something to support these children.

Genius Within - Innovative online training for adults that will transform your dyslexia and bring out your inner genius. FREE informative videos & an online Dyslexia Profile Test are included here.
 
Dyslexia: Types of Dyslexia - Video by expert Dr. Diane Sawyer who provides basic information about dyslexia, including the 4 different types of the condition

Teaching Children with Dyslexia - What Accommodations Should My Child Have at School? A GOOD list of classroom accommodations specifically for dyslexia

‘I AM DYSLEXIC’: A Short Documentary - Video with various individuals (of different ages) who have dyslexia.

Decoding dyslexia (short animation clips) - Several segments from a 3-D animation of a TVNZ documentary entitled “Decoding Dyslexia

Spelling Technique for Dyslexic - Video (parent) presentation of special technique based on the phonics of “i-g-h” to help those with dyslexia to spell with success

For more information:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!