THE ADVANTAGES of BEING DYSLEXIC and ADD

 WHAT CAN DYSLEXIC AND ADD PEOPLE DO better than others ?

Strengths of Creative Thinkers *

Many people with learning differences of Dyslexia and ADD are capable of some extraordinary 

thinking and can be extremely successful once they learn some coping strategies. This is why 

we prefer to call them, more appropriately, Creative Thinkers. Some of the Creative Thinkers 

strengths are:

	Persistence,
	Concentration,
	Perception,
	Vivid imagination,
	Creativity,
	Drive and ambition,
	Curiosity,
	Thinking in pictures instead of words,
	Superior reasoning,
	Capable of seeing things differently from others,
	Love of complexity,
	Simultaneous multiple thought processing,
	Quickly mastering new concepts, and
	Not following the Crowd.

 

Most people who are not dyslexic and rate low on the scale of Creative Thinking, are verbal 

learners, based on word acquisition by hearing. Verbal learning is limited to the speed of a 

person's speech. This auditory information goes into the conscious mind, so that the non-dyslexic 

person is aware of the information.

 

Thinking and learning in pictures rather than words is thousands of times faster, and is 

subliminal, going directly into the subconscious mind. This visual learning style is what a 

Creative Thinker uses. The acquisition of information as pictures create an immense amount

of multi-dimensional information, that can be manipulated in many forms by the brain to

enable intuitive thinking, perception, and other interesting thought processes. Frequently this

learning style leads to thought delays, because of the tremendous amounts of information

processed.

Unusual Abilities of Some Creative Thinkers

Although each Creative Thinker is distinctly different in their mental capabilities, some of these abilities can be evidence of the intellectual and creative powers of a genius waiting to be unlocked. Imagine feeling that someone is behind you before you can see or hear them. Some Creative Thinkers have mental abilities that go well beyond this common phenomena and approach the supernatural. Examples include:

	Controlling the perception of time, causing it to operate in slow motion or rapidly,
	Doing complex math in their head quickly; but not knowing how they did it,
	Seeing a solution from a mental examination of the components, such as projecting interest rates for investments, or creating a new computer chip,
	Communicating telepathically with others, or
	Controlling the outcome of events, like calling the correct numbers on dice before they are rolled.

Although not all Creative Thinkers possess these talents, extrasensory perceptions like these represent abilities that are uniquely valuable to some; but ludicrous to others who do not understand the learning and mental processing differences of making effective use of the right side of the brain by Creative Thinkers.

Some Common Traits Associated with the Learning Differences
of Dyslexia and ADD

Each person is different and will have a unique combination of the common traits listed below.

1. Thinks visually.
2. Daydreams.
3. Easily distractible.
4. Aware of everything.
5. Able to do multiple things at the same time.
6. Seeks stimulation.
7. Highly creative.
8. Immature social behavior, says what comes to mind.
9. Poor penmanship.
10. Difficulty remembering names.
11. Seeks immediate gratification.
12. Impulsive and impatient.
13. Suffers from motion sickness.
14. Can see patterns into the future.
15. Capable of intense short-term focus.
16. Quick decision maker.
17. Bored by ordinary tasks.
18. Risk taker.
19. Have had problems with ears.
20. More independent than a team player.
21. Sees the big picture.
22. Curious.
23. Experience thoughts as reality.
24. Subject to disorientation.
25. Sometimes has psychic - extrasensory abilities.
26. Highly intuitive.
27. Short attention span, inattentive.
28. Has a vivid imagination.
29. Artistic.
30. Has a sense of under achievement.
31. Have spatial orientation problems (left/right, north/south)
32. Talks excessively.
33. Reverses letters and numbers.
34. Slow reader when young.
35. Difficulty with math concepts.
36. Problems with self-esteem.
37. Problems mastering phonics and spelling.
38. Problems understanding the rules of grammar.
39. Reads best by memorizing, the "Look-Say System."
40. Always active-constantly thinking,
41. Learns best by hands on, rather than lecture or reading.
42. Low tolerance for frustration.
43. Realize that they are different from others.
44. Take longer to think and respond than others.
45. Able to create a complete mental picture from pieces.
46. Somewhat disorganized.
47. Capable of changing on a moments notice.
48. Have phobias: like fear of dark, heights, speaking in public.
49. Prefer unstructured situations with freedom.
50. Feels like they see problems from the perspective of a helicopter flying above
forests of problems rather than working from the root of trees in one forest.
51. See things that others don't. 
 

Blackberry Muffins

 

Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients:
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. milk
1 cup sugar
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and still warm
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1½ cups (about 5-6 oz) blackberries, cut in half (if using frozen, lay them on paper towels to absorb excess liquid)




Directions:
1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Grease 18 muffin tins or line with paper muffin cups.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, milk, sugar, butter and vanilla.
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix together with a few light strokes, just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Add the berries. Do not overmix, the batter should not be completely smooth.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of 1 or 2 of the muffins comes out clean, 17-20 minutes (or longer). Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes before removing from the pan. If not serving hot, let cool on a rack.

Never Judge a Child by His Ability to Sit STILL and BE QUIET!

 

Do you have a child who can't sit still and be quiet? GOOD!  This may be a problem at school, but not in the real world. In today's world you need a little ADHD just to get by. We must NEVER judge a child by his ability to be passive.  Passive children often turn into passive adults, and that is a problem. Did you know that classrooms and desks were invented for the convenience of teachers, not for the best interests of the child?

Every child development specialist (and wise parent) knows that children need lots of time to play, imagine and invent. Children NEED to learn about the world around them by asking questions and experimenting. Children are naturally ACTIVE, ENERGETIC, IMAGINATIVE, CREATIVE, and NOISY.  They were NEVER meant to sit still for hours on end and be passive.  Why train up a generation of couch potatoes?  Children were designed to learn through PLAY, DISCOVERY and by IMITATING their parents and the people around them.  Do you realize that your child was smart enough to figure out how to walk, sing, turn on the computer, and learn a language by age two and a half?  With NO lessons!  He wanted to be like you, so he figured it out on his own.  How is it that we live in a society where passive children are rewarded, but creative and active children are punished.  Real life does not work this way.  Not anymore.

 Contemporary schooling is all about controlling the child and training him to be a good student.  A good student is expected to be silent, to stop asking questions, and to stop being active.   The highest praise goes to the students who can follow a teacher's instructions... instead of their own hearts.  The applaud goes to the child who can fill in the blank and memorize facts, not to the child who would prefer to explore his own interests.

Why? Because schools are designed to train people for institutional jobs. Schools were invented during the industrial revolution, at a time when the best job you could get was in a factory.  Schools follow a model that require individuals to let go of all of their individuality.  The child is trained from a young age to be a good employee who will work for the boss, no questions asked.  the goal is to train them to complete assignments and be dependent on an authority figure to control the their time and activities.

During the 20th century almost all parents expected children to get a good education and a good job.  The good education was expected to be the golden ticket to a good job.  All the parent had to do was put the kid on the big yellow bus, no worries.  The government would take care of everything, mom and dad could go to work, junior would spend all day in a nice school and get educated for free.  The world has changed.  People who want to live the "good life" are no longer finding good jobs.  Many highly educated people are living on unemployment or living with mom at age 35.  Many people who own businesses are no longer looking for employees, taxes are high, risk is high, minimum wage is more than they want to pay, minimum wage is less than an educated person is willing to work for anyway.  

So where are the jobs?  Jobs are going overseas where labor is cheap and immigrants fill many American factories. We live in a changed world.  It's Google's Earth.  It is now possible to live in Italy, do business in America, and have a virtual assistant in India, without missing a click.  The internet has created a worldwide office space and marketplace that has a whole different set of rules.

The global marketplace and office space  belongs to the ACTIVE, ENERGETIC, IMAGINATIVE; CREATIVE and NOISY people with laptops.  They are self made experts who make money by selling products, advertising, entertainment and information online.  They "tweet", they "like" they "pin" they "post" they sell.   It's a "buy it now" world.  You almost have to be hyper active to compete in this market!  


In the new marketplace the winners are the kids who couldn't sit in class still,  but learned to create  YouTube videos at home.  They now bring in thousands of dollars a month while making you laugh or teaching you everything you need to know.  The new rich are the creative kids who wouldn't stop doodling all over their schoolwork.  They started building websites, making apps, and designing digital magazines after curfew, in the basement.  The talkative kids, who couldn't be quiet, are starting social networks and selling ad space to the rest of us.  The fidgety ones are designing the video games that the whole world plays.  The kid who would not stop interrupting the teacher is the hacker who creates your viruses and then sell you virus protection, and you buy it! 

Remember the kids who would never follow instructions?  They are the self taught internet marketing gurus, who wouldn't take advice from the professionals.  The class clowns are now the entertaining bloggers that we love.  The kids who were always late for school or just played hooky  are the happy stay at home moms and dads, they are self publishers or music teachers who use the internet to find customers.  They work from home or on the beach, they can live anywhere, they can homeschool their kids, they travel the world and earn a decent income at the same time.  They don't want to spend 50 hours a week living for the boss.  They figured out that even if you win the rat race, you are still a rat, so they opted out.

But what about those good students who learned to sit still, be quiet, follow instructions, never ask questions, and never think for themselves?  Many of them are working for the boss, clocking in, clocking out, waiting for Friday, dreading Monday... same as they did in school, it's normal, right?  The rest are the ones who are stomping their feet and waving their college degrees in the air.  They are waiting for a dream job, a dream boss, and a dream paycheck to come find them.  They were told that they had the golden ticket.  No one told them that their dream job moved to India.  

The world has changed but school children are still being educated to compete in a vanishing world. The current education system is based on a model that expired 50 years ago, and it can't be fixed.  What needs to change?  The whole model of education.  When will it change?  Oh, that part is easy.  The world will change for your child the moment you decide to take responsibility for his education.   Why, because you know that your ACTIVE, ENERGETIC, IMAGINATIVE, CREATIVE, and NOISY child is not being prepared for the real world while sitting still and being quiet in a classroom.  

Here is the main point.  The education system may be failing, but you are still the PARENT!  The ultimate responsibility for your child belongs to YOU.  Not the bus driver, not the homeroom teacher, not the politicians.  By the time the government finds out how to give your child a better education, your kids will be 50 years old, and that might be too late.  What are you going to do? Maybe you don't feel qualified to homeschool.  Maybe there is no Montessori school near you.  No excuses.  You need to figure out how to solve this problem. 

 Maybe you need to do something bold.  Your child's future depends on you, and if your child is one of those kids who can't sit still and be quiet... SMILE!   You don't have to be a child development specialist or have a teaching degree to be a wise parent.  You know that children need lots of time to play, imagine, invent, and learn about the world around them by asking questions and experimenting... and in this modern world everything else can be learned on YouTube.

Visual Thinkers

 

 

 

Stop for a moment and look up from your computer.  All around you are things that were designed by someone.  Even the webpage in front of you was designed.  Your computer was designed.  The room you are sitting in, the clothing you are wearing?  Everything was designed, and chances are they were designed by a person with the gift of being able to think visually.

Some people are able to imagine something in their minds that has not yet been created.  They are able to  envision a better way of doing things.  They are able to envision an object and change the size, shape and color using the power of the 3D workstation called the imagination.  The people who designed the objects all around you were often called bad students, day-dreamers and doodlers.  They are the visual thinkers.  

 

What if your child is a... visual thinker?

Only 10% of the population have the power to think visually, rather than to think with words.  The people with the most powerful of visual minds often have an imbalance when it comes to standardized learning situations.  The visual mind swirls with colors, ideas, music, art, and creativity and drives the visual thinker into a state of constant creativity and movement.  Standardized systems of learning try to conform the child and make efforts to normalize him through medication, punishment, and control so he will not be a disrupting in the classroom.

The visual thinker learns differently, and if you ask me, I would tell you that they can not be taught, they must discover.  They struggle with the lifelessness of flat pages,  the discomfort of the desk, the buzz of the florescent lights, dullness of flat words on a page, and concepts void of emotion, dimension and wonder.

They will ponder the mysteries of measurement and time, but their minds go blank when sitting at a desk staring at repetitive lists of math facts.

They create works of art and new inventions from items rescued from the trash can, but can't hold a pencil correctly when asked to write down their spelling words.  They can tell the most amazing stories and their words will take you to far off lands and fill the air with magic and mystery, but if asked to put a sentence on paper, they might just cry.

They are brilliant, they are amazing, they are curious and brave... until they are forced to conform to a way of learning designed for children who have no dancing, no questions, no music and no colors in their minds.  The majority of students will be content to follow the instructions, fill in the blanks, and make their lists on paper, but the visual thinker was not created for desks, for charts, for lists, for textbooks, for flash cards, for teachers, or for chalkboards... they would dance on the desk, challenge the teacher,  they would add color to the chart, they would roll up the chart to make a telescope or a musical instrument, they would stack the text books and build houses for invisible people, they would turn the flashcards in to a magic trick and turn the chalkboard into a work of art that belongs in a museum.  They are constantly in search of the third dimension, the music and the movement.

They were created to be the designers, inventors, the artists, the musicians, the sailors and explorers.  We say they have a problem with obedience and respect or we call it Dyslexia, Asperger's Syndrome or ADHD.  We try to tame them. Honestly, we have failed them.

If a child is failing in his classroom, it is the classroom that failed the child, the child is not the one with a problem just because he learns differently. The child must be set free to be the inventor, the artist, the dancer. So who will teach the inventor?  Who will train the artist?  The child must become his own teacher, and his parents and teachers must become his students, to learn from him, to understand him, to realize that he has within him the power to become great.  We need to learn, to discover how to help him become who he was meant to be.  We must accept that it may never happen in a desk, in a classroom and behind a pile of textbooks, even if you give the child medication and take away his crayons.  


Do you want to be the one to take away Albert's compass, Benjamin's kite,  or Leonardo's paintbrush or little Thomas Edison's mirrors?

What is the solution for the child who fails in the classroom?  Set him free from the classroom.  Ask the child what he wants to learn about.  Ask the child what he wants to do.  Take the child to the book store, take the child to the art store, take the child to the beach, the forest, the ruins of a castle. Give him pets and let him catch lizards. Read to him until he learns to read to himself.  Search for learning materials that captivate the visual mind, things like compasses, clay, mirrors and paintbrushes.  Let him sail, play instruments, and dig in the dirt.  Let him take things apart and give him colored pencils.  Let him watch people at work doing all different things in the world, take him to the kitchen, take him to an art studio, take him into factories and show him how to use sewing machines, instruments, scroll-saws, and tools.  Let her dance.

And then someday you will look around the world and see things that were designed by someone great - your child.  You will hear music that composed by someone great - your child.  You will read books written by someone great - your child.  You will try new recipes invented by someone great - your child.  You will use computer programs designed by someone great - your child.  Your child, the one who wouldn't sit still, who couldn't memorize math facts, who choked on spelling words, who danced on her desk, who failed in the classroom, who later designed a miracle and learned to tame lions... because she had a parent who set her free to be herself.  Because he had a father who gave him tools instead of flashcards.  Because she was set free to become who she was designed to be.  He was given the love, acceptance, support and trust. She was free to dance, sing and draw.

This article was written by Sarah  J. Brown, a visual thinker with Asperger's Syndrome.  She failed 3rd grade because she spent too much time doodling and daydreaming. When she was 13 her parents chose to homeschool, because the school system was failing her.  Sarah is the inventor of Dyslexia Games, a learning program for children with dyslexia, ADHD and Autism who need a learning program that uses art to teach reading, writing and spelling.  www.dyslexiagames.com