Positive Dyslexia - Professor Rod Nicolson

Symposium Positive Dyslexia: Working to our Strengths1. Rod Nicolson: Positive Dyslexia: Follow Your Stars2. Sara Agahi: Strengths of Dyslexia in the workplace: A Positive Psychology approach3. Thomas West: Dyslexia: A Strengths Approach4. Brock Eide: Understanding and Fostering the Cognitive Advantages in Individuals with Dyslexia5. Forum Symposium presented at IDA Parents Conference, Baltimore October 2012 1

Positive Dyslexia:Follow Your Stars Professor Rod NicolsonUniversity of Sheffield, UK Acknowledgment: Angela Fawcett 2

Dedication: Professor T. R. Miles… It was again a medical man, Dr. Orton, who in the 1920s and 1930s called attention to this group of difficulties. I think it can fairly be claimed that Orton did more than any other early pioneer to put dyslexia ‘on the map’.… For the next two decades, however (that is, in the 1940s and 1950s), it appears that large-scale educational measurements were in fashion rather than the detailed study of individual cases … It may be my personal prejudice, but I have serious doubts as to whether such surveys provide data of any lasting significance, and I certainly wish that researchers had spent more time looking at individual children.Dyslexia: the Pattern of Difficulties (1983 p. 3) That’s my Johnny! 3

My Message+ The Dyslexia community has made outstanding progress • Awareness • Legislation • Research- But this has been at the expense of • Disability • Disempowerment • Disengagement • Despair It’s time to ask the right questions 4

Dyslexia: The Right Questions• The Worker How can I be respected and valued for my abilities?• The Parent How can little Johnny (or Jenny) have a happy and fulfilled life?• The Researcher How can we give the power back to the people? We now have the tools, the science, the answers 5

Plan of TalkPositive Dyslexia: Why and How?1. Background2. Positive Psychology3. Positive Dyslexia4. What we can do… 7

IDA Definition:Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in thephonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequencesmay include problems in reading comprehension and reducedreading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. Adopted by the Board of Directors: November 12, 2002 9

Martin Seligman Positive Psychology Preface to Learned Optimism, 2nd ed… But clinical psychologists also began to find something disconcerting emerging from therapy: even on that rare occasion when therapy goes superbly and unusually well, and you help the client rid herself of depression, anxiety, and anger, happiness is not guaranteed. Emptiness is not an uncommon result.… Curing the negatives does not produce the positives. … The skills of becoming happy turn out to be almost entirely different from the skills of not being sad, not being anxious, or not being angry.

The Key ConundrumIf dyslexic children cannot learn the way we teach, we must teach them the way they learn 1. How do dyslexic children learn? 2. How should we teach them? 3. What should we do as a community?

My answers to the three questions [this took me 20 years…]1. How do dyslexic children learn? • Terrific knowledge • Terrible conversion of knowledge to skills • Like adults2. How should we teach them? • Like adults • If it won’t work for you, it won’t work for your child!3. What should we do as a community? • Work together toward ‘Positive Dyslexia’ that allows each individual to learn to learn to their strengths

Adult Learning andPositive Psychology 13

How do adults learn?1) ‘Pull’ goals rather than ‘push’ goals2) Personal significance3) Immersion4) Anchoring5) Quality Time6) Success Follow your star!

Positive Psychology1. In 1998, Martin Seligman (APA President) argued that the focus of Psychology on problems is only one side of the coin2. Initiated the Positive Psychology movement. This focuses on strengths & building the best in life!3. Designed not to replace existing fields but supplementthem4. Strong emphasis on empowering the individual

Pillars of Positive Psychology1. Positive experiences happiness, pleasure, & joy2. Positive individual traits character, talents & interests3. Positive institutions families, schools, businesses, communities & societies• Growing literature captured attention of academics & the media• A movement not a profession

Positive Concepts Flow Optimism Wellness Hope ZestResilience Flourishing Satisfaction Self- Savouring Gratitude efficacy Strengths Vitality

24 Character Strengths & Virtues1. Wisdom & Knowledge Creativity, Curiosity, Love of learning, Open-mindedness & Perspective2. Courage Authenticity, Bravery, Persistence and Zest3. Humanity Kindness, Love, Social intelligence4. Justice Fairness, Leadership & Teamwork5. Temperance Forgiveness, Modesty, Prudence, Self-regulation6. Transcendence Appreciation of Beauty & Excellence, Gratitude, Hope, Humour, Spirituality

Positive Psychology and Dyslexia 19

Building and Using Strengths1. Character Strengths2. Cognitive Strengths3. Work Strengths4. Family Strengths5. Interests6. Inspirations

Are dyslexic individuals more creative than others? Wrong Question! The answer is, some are, some aren’t, and who are you comparing with? The Right Question is the individual one: Is creativity one of my relative strengths, and if so, what can I do to enhance this strength and craft my life to use it?

Positive Approach1. Identify and empowerto work to Signature Strengths • working for one’s own development rather than to someone else’s tune2. Identify and guidetoward careers involving Strengths • Better career advice • Better diagnostic information3. Empower and involve stakeholders • Parents • IDA / BDA

Positive Dyslexia Goal-directedStrengths Inspirations activities Positive Positive PositiveDiagnosis Ambitions Acceleration Positive Career Success Job-crafting

Positive Dyslexia through life FamilyPre-school Inoculation Friends Interests FamilyEarly school Friends Interests SchoolHigh school Goals Career Success Work Work Family Job-crafting Friends

Pre-School and Early School Proactive Grounded Support at home 25

Principles of Read At Home ‘Inoculation’1. Learn naturally without pressure or effort in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere2. ‘Ground’ the pre-literacy experience in your own environment – make it a ‘HomeLand’3. Empower parents, grandparents and children to develop their own support materials via a ReadAtHome app4. Give your child a flying start at school5. Make a real ‘community of dyslexia practice’

Strengths-Based Career Choice 28

What are the signature strengths of dyslexia? Thomas West, Marshall Rasskind, Brock &FernetteEide, Ron Davis • Creativity • Self-awareness • Visual / Spatial skill • Proactivity • Declarative Learning • Perseverance • Social Skills • Goal-setting • Resilience • Effective support • Focus systems • Determination • Emotional stability • Teamwork? • Multi-dimensional • MIND strengths thinking See Rest of Symposium!

Positive Dyslexia Career DevelopmentSpecial skills Acceleration Inspiration Business Skills Richard BransonEntrepreneur Enterprise Ingvar Kamprad Science Dean KamenInnovative Creativity Sir Richard Rogers Spatial Networking Steven Spielberg Media Design John Lennon Susan Emotional Intelligence Hampshire Empathy Teamwork Bono

Conclusions 31

My 2020 Visions• Dyslexia in the Workplace We cannot compete with [Google / BBC / Virgin etc] because they have more dyslexics than us in top positions – opportunity not obligation for the bosses• Parent I know that, if we all work at it, little Johnny (or Jenny) has every chance of a successful and fulfilling career and life – individual planning and empowerment We now have the tools and the science to do this 32

Why Now?1. First wave (disability awareness) completed • Awareness • Legislation • Representative bodies2. The Science is right • Positive Psychology • Work Psychology • Individual Psychology3. Tools are there • Social Media • Apps • The knowledge economy

Why You!?1. A movement builds from the grass-roots2. Parents have the need and the determination to make a difference for the next generation3. New technologies allow the combination of individual and social developments4. The IDA and BDA are well placed to help co-ordinate and lead this initiative. There is much to be done! Together we can help dyslexics find and follow their stars!

End of Talk 35

References1. Nicolson, R.I. and Fawcett, A.J. (2007). Procedural Learning Difficulties: Re-uniting the Developmental Disorders!? Trends in Neurosciences, 30(4), 135-141.2. Nicolson, R.I. and Fawcett, A.J. (2008). Dyslexia, Learning and the Brain. MIT Press3. Seligman, M.E.P. (2003). Authentic Happiness. London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.4. West, T.G. (2008). In the Mind’s Eye: Creative Visual Thinkers, Gifted Dyslexics and the rise of visual technologies (2nded). Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books. Contact Rod Nicolson, Dept. of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TP, UK Email: r.nicolson@shef.ac.uk +44 114 2226546

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Positive Dyslexia - Professor Rod Nicolson

by Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide on Nov 01, 2012

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