4.51

5

Mar 27, 2016

Long before I cracked open this book, my initial reaction was: "Oh my goodness, a reason I can feel good about myself without a lick of effort! Do I want a shameless ego-booster and and fluff pop-psychology mood enhancer?"

The answer was, of course, "Absolutely! Gimmie, Gimmie!"

For, you see, I have dyslexia. I have also spent most of my life in serious pursuit of overcompensation, too. I couldn't read before age 13 and I spent most of my effort trying to "fake it" just so I could get through Long before I cracked open this book, my initial reaction was: "Oh my goodness, a reason I can feel good about myself without a lick of effort! Do I want a shameless ego-booster and and fluff pop-psychology mood enhancer?"

The answer was, of course, "Absolutely! Gimmie, Gimmie!"

For, you see, I have dyslexia. I have also spent most of my life in serious pursuit of overcompensation, too. I couldn't read before age 13 and I spent most of my effort trying to "fake it" just so I could get through school without being ostracized.

It didn't work. I almost quit school feeling like a complete and utter outsider who was pretty much worthless, which was pretty damn awful because I knew I was smart. I just couldn't make sense of all the easy things that everyone else had an easy time with, while all the complicated intuitional systems-theory top-down approach to a theory of mind came utterly easy to me. Complex ideas? No problem. Conclusions based on very little shown work? No problem.

So then I decided to compensate for my disability by tons of Naruto-like effort and after 8 months working on a single book, I finally came to a Theory Of Reading that relied on an idea-based approach that circled streams of words rather than the words, themselves.

Suddenly, I could read! Well, sort of. I could gist the hell out of anything.

More and more effort was required, and practice, practice, practice, mindful and careful attention to all basic practices of reading and writing, until I eventually worked my way out of special-ed and into honors courses and two degrees in college and eventually to an average 600-700 pages (or more) read per day.

And then we arrive to the reading of this book.

Is the M.I.N.D. approach to understanding both the trials and triumphs of dyslexics useful and edifying? Yes. Yes, it is. I recognized all the ways I think, which is quite different than how most people think. Do normal people build models of interconnected ideas in their heads and attach them all to memory episodes and narratives that tell stories, constantly retelling the tale about oneself as they keep changing and growing?

Um... maybe more than I think?

Is it a useful model to consider myself as having too little RAM, so I have to push almost everything into Permanent Storage on the fly with narrative "cheats"? Yes. Does this explain how I still can't hand-write legibly without losing the full train of thought before I even finish a sentence? Yes. Does it explain why I am always so damn SLOW when I start any new task, but then, after a long, long learning curve, I then blast out the door? Yes.

Do most dyslexics have similar stories? True success stories that NEVER begin in school but generally show an outrageous disproportion of hella-successful people in real life?

Probably.

I began reading this book from a snide and self-serving pessimism, thinking it was about time that I got some damn recognition instead of ostracism, but I finished it feeling a a pretty warm glow of understanding and camaraderie with the entire subset of the population of which I belong.

Maybe this book was meant for me, after all. In a real way. Not just the way I began it.

And perhaps this book was really meant for my 13 year old me, even more. Can I forget lifelong depression and self-worth issues? Yes. I can. Might it have been so much more productive if I had a book like this at a much earlier time?

I'd like to think so. And that's why I'd recommend this book for anyone with loved ones who have dyslexia. I'd recommend that you read this book to them, aloud, so that the understanding sinks in for both you and them at the same time. The connection you'll form with them will probably be invaluable, perhaps even life-long.

Dyslexia isn't a disease. Even ADHD, which is often a misdiagnosis of dyslexia, falls under the category of people who simply Think Differently. We have lots of talents, but those talents aren't easily identified when the expectations are for completely different skills. :)

Good book. :)

...more

4

Aug 27, 2011

Hello, my name is Stephanie and I'm a Dyslexic.

I really didn't know this fact for sure until reletivly recently. For instance, I didn't know I was in a special reading class when I was young until my mom told me so a couple of years ago.

Dyslexia. Really. Sucks.

It has made my life more difficult than it would have been otherwise. School, 1st through 12th, was not fun. It has been a big pain in the ass in the work place as well.

I am not so dyslexic that I am disabled (I am typing this) though I Hello, my name is Stephanie and I'm a Dyslexic.

I really didn't know this fact for sure until reletivly recently. For instance, I didn't know I was in a special reading class when I was young until my mom told me so a couple of years ago.

Dyslexia. Really. Sucks.

It has made my life more difficult than it would have been otherwise. School, 1st through 12th, was not fun. It has been a big pain in the ass in the work place as well.

I am not so dyslexic that I am disabled (I am typing this) though I have met a couple of people who were. My issues are just annoying enough to cause problems. For me, I confuse left and right constantly. More of a problem then you think.

I cannot spell. Now when I tell people this, they laugh and say....yeah, neither can I.....hahaaha. "no, you're not hearing me. I really can't spell, it's not that I don't try, I just can't do it". Then when confronted with one of my creations, they will laugh and point out the misspelling, making me feel stupid. I want to yell "Hey asshat, I told you I can't spell so fuck off!" But I don't. It upsets me.

Most jobs that are easy for the general population are hell for me. Which is why I suck at most "jobs". For instance, I have a friend here on the GRs that can listen to audiobooks while typing in numbers, data. WTF?? That blows my mind, because entering in numbers, in specific order would take every ounce of my concentration. The horror.

So, when I saw the title of this book I had to read it because I have not experienced any particular advantage with the way my brain is wired. What I do well with this particular "advantage" is I am very mechanically minded. Spacial is my thing. I can draw, paint. I like to sculpt as well though I haven't done much in that lately. I make a living (kind of) as an artist because, I really don't feel I have many other choices.

It would have been easier if I were like most everybody else, but life is more interesting because I'm not.

This book is great, and I love the author for pointing out the good stuff associated with dyslexia and how we are as smart as the rest of you. Today, with more knowledge like this, kids with dyslexia will have the fighting chance that I didn't get.

...more

5

Mar 08, 2013

If I could give this book ten stars I would. It explained to me someting that I instinctively knew, yet felt unjustified in claiming: that my daughter is gifted. I knew early on that she saw things differently. She would say things like "Look at all the people, they are skeletons". Then when she was four, and I tried to teach her the alphabet the magnetic letters started flying off the fridge, and by six after numerous meetings with her very concerned school, she was diagnosed (unofficially If I could give this book ten stars I would. It explained to me someting that I instinctively knew, yet felt unjustified in claiming: that my daughter is gifted. I knew early on that she saw things differently. She would say things like "Look at all the people, they are skeletons". Then when she was four, and I tried to teach her the alphabet the magnetic letters started flying off the fridge, and by six after numerous meetings with her very concerned school, she was diagnosed (unofficially because despite the offical tests they won't confirm a diagnosis this young) as dyslexic. At the same age she was given a free trip to South Korea to attend a Comics Convention because someone across the otherside of the world had recognised her artistic talent from an online photograph.

Dyslexics do not have a disability, they have a learning difference. A difference that like Einstein , Newton and Leonardo da Vinci can help them see and achieve greatness. The education system doesn't allow for this learning style, and their talents often go unrecognised until later in life when they are being measured against real world standards. That is if the education system hasn't destroyed them first.

This book has helped me explain in very scientific terms to my daughter, how clever she is. It has given me a very pragmatic list of strategies to get her through these primary, secondary and tertiary years. It has empowered me to perservere with the mechanics of reading and spelling in the knowledge that this skill will come. It will just take a little longer. That in return for the extra work it will take to read and spell well, she has been given creative insight (At seven, with hard work, she is now reading at average). It has given me the courage to challenge her school's policy making in this area. It has taught me (a non-dyslexic English teacher) the very dyslexic skill of seeing the bigger picture - and knowing that my daughter is in everyway beyond perfect.

The other day I asked her "If you could swap being able to draw, and make scultpures, and tell amazing stories, to be able to spell, would you?" "Never", she replied. ...more

4

Jan 23, 2013

I never suspected that I was dyslexic.

Never that is, until my wife started researching dyslexia a couple of years ago. She concluded that not only was my daughter dyslexic, but I probably was too. Even then I mostly brushed her off.

Fact is, I had no idea what dyslexia was. After letting the idea that I may be dyslexic buzz around in my brain for a year and a half or so, I decided to find out whether or not I was. The Eide's book looked like a good place to start.

I didn't have to get very far I never suspected that I was dyslexic.

Never that is, until my wife started researching dyslexia a couple of years ago. She concluded that not only was my daughter dyslexic, but I probably was too. Even then I mostly brushed her off.

Fact is, I had no idea what dyslexia was. After letting the idea that I may be dyslexic buzz around in my brain for a year and a half or so, I decided to find out whether or not I was. The Eide's book looked like a good place to start.

I didn't have to get very far into the book before I was convinced that I am definitely dyslexic. I've said throughout my life (at least to myself) that my brain just doesn't work. Of course what I mean is that it doesn't work at doing a lot of things that other people do easily, such as organizational skills, and speech processing. Now I realize that what I've been saying is true. My brain doesn't work the way most other people's brains work.

The Eides' main thesis is that the dyslexic brain simply has a different wiring architecture than a "normal" brain. This dyslexic architecture comes with its own set of strengths and weaknesses. Traditionally society has focused on the weaknesses of the dyslexic brain. Now, however, we know (so say the Eide's at least) what the strengths that come along with dyslexia are, and it's about time that we started focusing on those. (We cannot, of course, forget about the weaknesses. Dyslexics still need specialized help, especially during their early educations.)

The Eides outline four areas of dyslexic strengths (each of which comes along with weaknesses as trade-offs). They call them the MIND strengths. I'm not really qualified to judge the scientific grounding of the Eide's claims, but they certainly sounded believable and came off as being grounded in scientific research (if also in the Eides' anecdotes about their clients). The division into four seperate strengths seemed maybe a little ad hoc, especial the last two (N=Narrative Reasoning and D=Dynamic Reasoning).

I really enjoyed The Dyslexic Advantage. It helped me see what some of my talents are, and how those talents came to me through dyslexia. I wouldn't trade my dyslexic brain for a non dyslexic one if I had the choice. I'm also very excited that one of my children has dyslexia. I'm eager to see how she approaches the world as she grows. ...more

5

Dec 07, 2011

Finally, something is making sense.

As someone who has been dealing with dyslexia for any years, I can't say enough good things about this book. It's literally as if I have found the missing manual to my brain. Every example and training suggestion was helpful; I have befitted more from this audiobook than through years of training. Thank you, authors, for carefully constructing a resource that will help those dealing with dyslexia.

5

Oct 27, 2011

I can't say enough good about this book. If you have a child with dyslexia, or teach a child with dyslexia, it will give you insight and ideas to maximize their potential... to stop focusing so closely on their challenges and recognize their strengths. The title is somewhat limiting though, because dyslexia and ADHD share some of the same challenges and strengths due to poor working memory -- so I think this book would be extremely helpful to anyone looking for help with ADHD as well.

The Eide's I can't say enough good about this book. If you have a child with dyslexia, or teach a child with dyslexia, it will give you insight and ideas to maximize their potential... to stop focusing so closely on their challenges and recognize their strengths. The title is somewhat limiting though, because dyslexia and ADHD share some of the same challenges and strengths due to poor working memory -- so I think this book would be extremely helpful to anyone looking for help with ADHD as well.

The Eide's research is exceptional, and their use of real people and their own clinical experience lends to the book's authenticity. The best part about reading this book was the moment I recognized my child's advantages in the 4 areas of strength. It changed the way I approach his teaching. I'm reading it for a second time with a highlighter and pencil. ...more

5

Sep 08, 2012

If there is a dyslexic in your life or if you are a professional dealing with this population, this is THE book to read. Copyrighted in 2011 it, takes advantage of and synthesizes all past information, medical breakthroughs and contrarian ideas. IT creates a total picture of dyslexia including and highlighting the positive aspects of this "learning type" and the brain differences that make for the high IQ or even EQ of many dyslexics. IT is chicken soup for the mother's soul to read about the If there is a dyslexic in your life or if you are a professional dealing with this population, this is THE book to read. Copyrighted in 2011 it, takes advantage of and synthesizes all past information, medical breakthroughs and contrarian ideas. IT creates a total picture of dyslexia including and highlighting the positive aspects of this "learning type" and the brain differences that make for the high IQ or even EQ of many dyslexics. IT is chicken soup for the mother's soul to read about the struggles of one dyslexic and discover that it is Anne Rice they are talking about. Incidentally she was the best-selling author of all time at over 100 million books. (I"m guessing that level has been surpassed by now.) Eide describes in detail the upside and the downside and in addition to the diagnostics, which most books are pretty thorough about, includes elementary school, high school and even workplace suggestions.
I could say a LOT more, but I'm not even finished reading the book. So...if it is in your sphere of interest, just read it. It'll make it easier on Moms because there will be less lengthy responding to do when people say something to the effect of, "Awww, poor you, your child is dyslexic." Heck, yeah!
...more

5

Aug 17, 2013

This book is simply fantastic in that it re-frames the conversation about Dyslexia.

Who should read this book?
If you are dyslexic or live with a dyslexic, you have to read this book.
If you think you may be dyslexic but are not sure, read this book.
More importantly, every teacher and education professional should read this book.

I have given out more copies of this book than almost any book in the last two years. One of the most valuable parts of the book is the description of the different This book is simply fantastic in that it re-frames the conversation about Dyslexia.

Who should read this book?
If you are dyslexic or live with a dyslexic, you have to read this book.
If you think you may be dyslexic but are not sure, read this book.
More importantly, every teacher and education professional should read this book.

I have given out more copies of this book than almost any book in the last two years. One of the most valuable parts of the book is the description of the different flavors of dyslexia.

Also, this book has helped me be more open about my own dyslexia and helped be more understanding of those who never understood it --which at times has included me. When I grew up, the solution to dyslexia was "Cowboy up, and take 4th grade again." I had no idea of what was going on. Definitely a book I would time machine back and give to all my teachers, principle and parents. So grateful this book was written for kids today.

And my only criticism is one a dyslexic would make. I wish the book had more visuals.

Whatever these writers do next, I'm buying.
...more

4

Sep 17, 2012

I would think that anyone with dyslexia – or anyone with a child or spouse with dyslexia – would find this book enormously helpful. It is a very positive, comprehensive, and affirming write-up that focuses on the advantages that a brain, wired for dyslexia, has to offer. The contents include chapters on how dyslexic brains differ; four areas where dyslexic brains excel; and how/where to put the dyslexic advantage to use (including the right school and workplace environments).

The book is very I would think that anyone with dyslexia – or anyone with a child or spouse with dyslexia – would find this book enormously helpful. It is a very positive, comprehensive, and affirming write-up that focuses on the advantages that a brain, wired for dyslexia, has to offer. The contents include chapters on how dyslexic brains differ; four areas where dyslexic brains excel; and how/where to put the dyslexic advantage to use (including the right school and workplace environments).

The book is very narrative and pleasant to read. A number of individuals are profiled; one is quoted in the book as saying “I learned early on that since you can’t get out of dyslexia, you better get into it…I decided to ‘embrace the beast’… and how to be proud of who I am.” We are all wired a little differently, and I like how this book, while recognizing the challenges, highlights the benefits and real strengths that dyslexia can offer. ...more

5

Apr 18, 2013

This wonderful and well written book seeks to re-frame how we see the dyslexic mind. Without denying or underplaying the difficulties young dyslexics face, Brock and Fernette Eide do an amazing job cataloging and describing the dyslexic advantages that often accompany the disabilities. There is much practical advice offered for dyslexics; even after three decades of accommodating my dyslexia, I learned many useful tips. I highly, highly recommend this book to fellow dyslexics, parents, and This wonderful and well written book seeks to re-frame how we see the dyslexic mind. Without denying or underplaying the difficulties young dyslexics face, Brock and Fernette Eide do an amazing job cataloging and describing the dyslexic advantages that often accompany the disabilities. There is much practical advice offered for dyslexics; even after three decades of accommodating my dyslexia, I learned many useful tips. I highly, highly recommend this book to fellow dyslexics, parents, and educators.

Disclaimer: I was lucky enough to be interviewed by the authors, who did me the honor of using my particular life story, so far at least, as an example of the "narrative intelligence" strengths that man dyslexics have. It's a truly humbling experience to see my name listed among so many, and much more accomplished dyslexics, such as Charles Schwab, Anne Rice, Sir Richard Bransen. However, I'd offer the glowing reviews of this book as more objective evidence of its excellence. ...more

5

Oct 25, 2011

This book explains dyslexia with all its pros and cons better than anything I have read. It is very positive about a dyslexic's potential, but it also doesn't negate the very real challenges they face. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is, or knows someone who is a dyslexic.

5

Mar 30, 2016

I have dyslexia. It doesn't affect my reading but my spelling is atrocious. It made life difficult in school but I got through it. That's my moan over. Every human being in this world has their hurdles to jump. I work with children with severe intellectual disabilities. There are people with incurable diseases. There are idiots blowing each other up over fucking religion and politics. So I will take dyslexia any day. Dyslexia is a pain in the ass but it has also pushed me to do things that I I have dyslexia. It doesn't affect my reading but my spelling is atrocious. It made life difficult in school but I got through it. That's my moan over. Every human being in this world has their hurdles to jump. I work with children with severe intellectual disabilities. There are people with incurable diseases. There are idiots blowing each other up over fucking religion and politics. So I will take dyslexia any day. Dyslexia is a pain in the ass but it has also pushed me to do things that I might not have done because I decided a long time ago I wasn't going to let it rule or ruin my life. I would recommend this book to any one interested in the way the dyslexic brain works. For parents of children who have dyslexia and of course to any one who has dyslexia. This book won't fix your dyslexia but it might just give you a little confidence boost and there is nothing wrong with that. Enjoy. ...more

5

Sep 09, 2013

This book was amazing. I believe that my daughter is dyslexic. She is only 4 and nobody is willing to help me or test her. So I started reading. Best decision ever! I wrote 24 pages of notes!
Not only do I understand my daughter better, my marriage is better because it helped me understand how my husband's brain works (another undiagnosed dyslexic). I wish somebody had given me this book when we got married!
Anyhow, this book changes how I teach her and how I will move forward with her This book was amazing. I believe that my daughter is dyslexic. She is only 4 and nobody is willing to help me or test her. So I started reading. Best decision ever! I wrote 24 pages of notes!
Not only do I understand my daughter better, my marriage is better because it helped me understand how my husband's brain works (another undiagnosed dyslexic). I wish somebody had given me this book when we got married!
Anyhow, this book changes how I teach her and how I will move forward with her education.
There were some profound things in this. I recommend reading it if you suspect somebody in your life is dyslexic! ...more

5

Nov 07, 2018

This book was exceptional, and not just in understanding how to help those with dyslexia harness their strengths. It was also hugely beneficial in understanding the ways in which we all think differently and how to help each other identify how they best process things and respect that diversity.

2

Dec 24, 2014

I ended up having to skim this one. It was rather dry reading and offered very limited practical advice. Its value lies primarily in providing encouragement that dyslexics can, and do, succeed well in life, but I don't need to read hundreds of pages to know that. Also, it didn't really seem to apply to my son (I read it because he is dyslexic). It kept going on about how spatially gifted dyslexics are, but that is not the case for him. He has clear gifts (he's good at mental math, logical I ended up having to skim this one. It was rather dry reading and offered very limited practical advice. Its value lies primarily in providing encouragement that dyslexics can, and do, succeed well in life, but I don't need to read hundreds of pages to know that. Also, it didn't really seem to apply to my son (I read it because he is dyslexic). It kept going on about how spatially gifted dyslexics are, but that is not the case for him. He has clear gifts (he's good at mental math, logical thinking, strategy, and has a good sense of humour), but he actually has a deficiency in geometrical matrices. It has clearly been encouraging to many, but I guess I'm not the intended audience. ...more

5

Mar 02, 2013

I have learned so much about myself and dyslexia from this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who thinks they might be dyslexic or anyone with dyslexic family members or coworkers.

4

Mar 17, 2018

This book was clearly written for a non-dyslexic parent to help them with a dyslexic child. But I found it extremely interesting especially the beginning half that explained how a dyslexic brain is structured differently from a non-dyslexic and how that explains many of the challenges and special abilities that I have. In general this book was extremely empowering for me and I very much appreciate of the work the writers are doing to help people with dyslexia. Some of my favorite parts were when This book was clearly written for a non-dyslexic parent to help them with a dyslexic child. But I found it extremely interesting especially the beginning half that explained how a dyslexic brain is structured differently from a non-dyslexic and how that explains many of the challenges and special abilities that I have. In general this book was extremely empowering for me and I very much appreciate of the work the writers are doing to help people with dyslexia. Some of my favorite parts were when I went “ohhh doesn’t everyone think like that.” Not realizing that dyslexia gave me the gifts of understanding 3 dimensional space, strong interconnected reasoning, and strong narrative reasoning. It’s nice to be able to see my dyslexia as a gift. ...more

5

Oct 16, 2018

This book has been a beautiful and informative journey. Thank you to the authors for this.

5

Oct 26, 2019

This book was so helpful in understanding dyslexia. I would recommend any parent of a child with dyslexia (or suspecting their child may be dyslexic), any teacher and any individual who is dyslexic read it!
I love how it too the approach of exploring the advantages of a dyslexic learning process as well as the challenges and tied both of these to the way that a dyslexic brain processes information differently. One analogy for these difference in processing is as follows:
"Imagine that you arrive This book was so helpful in understanding dyslexia. I would recommend any parent of a child with dyslexia (or suspecting their child may be dyslexic), any teacher and any individual who is dyslexic read it!
I love how it too the approach of exploring the advantages of a dyslexic learning process as well as the challenges and tied both of these to the way that a dyslexic brain processes information differently. One analogy for these difference in processing is as follows:
"Imagine that you arrive for an appointment at a nicely furnished office and are asked to wait for a few moments. As you take a seat, you notice a variety of knickknacks on the table beside you. Curious, you begin to look them over, and your eye is caught by a long, thin, glasslike rod, triangular across its short axis. You pick it up, examine it, and notice that it's translucent. You wonder if it's a lens of some sort - perhaps a magnifying glass - so you hold it closer and try to look through it. But no matter how you manipulate it, it fails to improve your vision. Eventually you grow frustrated with this seemingly worthless piece of glass; but as you reach to set it down, it passes through a beam of light from the office window. Suddenly, a flash of brilliant rainbow colors appears on the surface of the table beneath the rod. In that instant, you realize that the rod in your hand ins't a defective lens but a perfectly functioning prism."
This book does a great job of not sugar-coating the struggles that a dyslexic individual will experience, but also illustrating the advantages particularly in MIND (Material Reasoning; Interconnected Reasoning; Narrative Reasoning and Dynamic Reasoning) areas the same individual may find he or she excels at. There are also quite a few helpful suggestions and resources for individuals, parents or teachers to consider incorporating to best assist those struggling with dyslexia to succeed. ...more

4

Mar 24, 2019

A helpful, insightful book. It shows how the brains of children with Dyslexia are different than those without. Many helpful and tangible ways to show how to help both adults and children with Dyslexia. The book starts off mushy and ends with a great deal of helpful advice. The only reason I went with four instead of five stars here is all their "left brain-right brain" pseudoscience and insistence on jargon.

5

May 26, 2014

This is a celebration of dyslexia. If you have it or are close to somebody who has it, check this out. It really is an advantage! Who knew, right? This one is even better than "Revenge of the Nerds." And it explains just about everything. Apparently, we are at the forefront of evolution--now that we have spellchecker!

By the way, I read it in one afternoon. Who knew? Dyslexics Untie!

5

Sep 20, 2016

Oh, wow. There are a lot of "OH, S($&^@" moments in this book. I have never suspected any dyslexia in myself personally, but with new diagnoses in the family, I've been learning a lot more. So many points in this book rang true to personal experiences or those in the family. Strengths in material reasoning, interconnected reasoning, dynamic reasoning? We have those in spades. Trade-off weaknesses in recognizing orientation in symbols, rote memorization, and backwards problem-solving? Yeah, Oh, wow. There are a lot of "OH, S($&^@" moments in this book. I have never suspected any dyslexia in myself personally, but with new diagnoses in the family, I've been learning a lot more. So many points in this book rang true to personal experiences or those in the family. Strengths in material reasoning, interconnected reasoning, dynamic reasoning? We have those in spades. Trade-off weaknesses in recognizing orientation in symbols, rote memorization, and backwards problem-solving? Yeah, hi, I'm familiar. The Eide's anecdotes were well-placed and illustrative, and several surprised me. More than one geologist was used as an example, and I had no idea that Sarah Andrews, an author of a mystery series starring a geologist protagonist that I've long enjoyed, was dyslexic. Ms. Andrews received an extensive profile and I found her experiences with interconnected and dynamic reasoning incredibly familiar.

I feel that for a long time I have intuited much of the information in this book (hello, dynamic reasoning), and because of that I've been able to give my kids a good foundation, but it was very good to see it confirmed in print. I was particularly interested in the last section of the book focusing on helping the dyslexic take advantage of their strengths, and the brief appendix with targeted specific recommendations (yay we have used/are using many of these!). This one is going on the shelf. Recommended for anyone who wants to understand and help a dyslexic or stealth dyslexic. ...more

5

Jan 13, 2015

I agree with almost everything in this book (with the exception that all dyslexics can benefit from a systematic phonics program ... in my experience and opinion, there are almost none that do). The research studies cited are interesting and the case studies fascinating. This is not just a book about dyslexics -- it applies to almost any visual/spatial learner in some aspects. Just a helpful book, chock-full of brain research, to give learning techniques for brains that don't work in a I agree with almost everything in this book (with the exception that all dyslexics can benefit from a systematic phonics program ... in my experience and opinion, there are almost none that do). The research studies cited are interesting and the case studies fascinating. This is not just a book about dyslexics -- it applies to almost any visual/spatial learner in some aspects. Just a helpful book, chock-full of brain research, to give learning techniques for brains that don't work in a concrete/sequential manner, the way school systems "think" they should. It's helpful in shouting from the rooftops that people who don't appear to be "school smart" are likely the ones with special gifts. I highly recommend this book! ...more

5

Nov 27, 2013

One of the most life changing books I have read in a long time. Two of my children have dyslexia and I tutor several dyslexic students at the school where I work. This book clearly and convincingly explains the difficulties and challenges they face. But the most powerful part is how it shows over and over that dyslexics, given help and encouragement, have advantages beyond non-dyslexics. It tells that dyslexics fall into one of four MIND strengths which tells how they see the world and what One of the most life changing books I have read in a long time. Two of my children have dyslexia and I tutor several dyslexic students at the school where I work. This book clearly and convincingly explains the difficulties and challenges they face. But the most powerful part is how it shows over and over that dyslexics, given help and encouragement, have advantages beyond non-dyslexics. It tells that dyslexics fall into one of four MIND strengths which tells how they see the world and what talents they possess.I more clearly understand the learning disability and have a profound vision of what is possible. ...more

5

Oct 21, 2011

The Dyslexic advantage is by far the most helpful, insightful, and positive book I have ever read on dyslexia. The author clearly explains the underlying causes of dyslexia at the cellular level, and also guides the reader to understand how these neurological differences lead to the challenges dyslexics face, as well as the advantages they may possess. Perhaps most helpful are the many strategies the author gives for overcoming difficulties and taking advantage of the strengths dylexia gives at The Dyslexic advantage is by far the most helpful, insightful, and positive book I have ever read on dyslexia. The author clearly explains the underlying causes of dyslexia at the cellular level, and also guides the reader to understand how these neurological differences lead to the challenges dyslexics face, as well as the advantages they may possess. Perhaps most helpful are the many strategies the author gives for overcoming difficulties and taking advantage of the strengths dylexia gives at all stages of life. Highly recommended for anyone who is dylexic or knows/loves a person with dyslexia. ...more