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Did you know that approximately 1 in 6 students (in the United States) is dyslexic? That’s equal to 20% of the population! Dyslexia is one of the most common neuro-cognitive disorders in the world and is characterized by weak phonological processing, word recognition and spelling. Those with dyslexia tend to have typical and above average IQ but may fall behind at school due to learning difficulties in reading, time awareness, rote learning, and writing in a grammatically correct manner. Therefore, it takes a lot of time and energy for them to keep up with the rest of the class. This can become mentally exhausting as the amount of effort put in doesn’t reflect the end result.

It’s important to take away the shame associated with dyslexia and embrace a person’s strengths as a key goal to build-up their self-esteem so that they can reach their potential. Many dyslexics are not “broken” and as mentioned above, are often highly intelligent but are wired differently. When accepting that dyslexia is just a part of who they are, the perspective shifts to reveal valued traits and strengths, such as:

There are numerous famous faces who are dyslexic with many in creative industries (music, film, fashion, TV and radio, literature, computer science and the performing arts). Some of those include, Steven Spielberg (director), Jennifer Anniston (actress), Jamie Oliver (chef), Sir Richard Branson (entrepreneur) and Walt Disney (founder of Disney). A common strength seen in dyslexics is their very creative mindset!

They are great problem-solvers who excel at seeing multiple perspectives and making cross-linking connections between the things they notice. They have a “do it-build it-fix it-make it” approach and may discover connections that others have missed. Historically, these types of skills were highly valued and it’s only recently in the past century that the majority of people have been expected to be literate especially now that we live in a heavily texted world.

A study at Yale University observed that a person with dyslexia tends to show more empathy and warmth towards others. They are able to “read the situation” and have a sense of understanding of what is happening for other people in that environment. It’s not clear if this heightened empathy is a result of their brains being wired differently, or because they feel they are defined by their differences so have more empathy to others’ dilemmas.

A key strength for people with dyslexia is that they can see the bigger picture. This ability enables them to focus on what is important, without getting lost in every little detail. They see how things connect to form complex systems, and to identify similarities among multiple things. This skill is seen as an asset in many occupations. For example, architects, designers, inventors, scientists, engineers, and actors.

People with dyslexia excel at finding the odd one out from enormous quantities of visual data. While many people with dyslexia struggle with reading or writing, they are often extremely skilled at deciphering facts from patterns or events.

Dr. Brock Eide and Dr. Fernette Eide co-authored the ground-breaking book, The Dyslexic Advantage, in which they wrote about 4 key areas of strength that people with dyslexia possess. These became known as MIND strengths. Although a person may not have all of these strengths, they may have a combination:

For a person with dyslexia, the learning journey can be frustrating to begin with, however, there are numerous special needs education programs (Orton-Gillingham approach) and resources available that can support them. One of the most important things to remember is identifying and building their strengths. They may struggle in the early grades but with plenty of guidance, encouragement, and the right approach, they can grow-up to be gifted story tellers, inventors, entrepreneurs, actors and so on.

Take a look at our helpful infographic to better understand this behaviour, you can download it here.

Find out more about our dedicated Support Services by clicking here.

In today’s modern world, we are understanding more and more about the human brain and body with learning and behaviour disorders being identified and diagnosed at earlier ages. There are many different learning disorders that affect children. The one we will be shedding some light on is called Oppositional Defiant Disorder, also known as ODD. Although it is typical for young children to be oppositional and defiant some of the time, when does it go beyond ‘just a phase?’

Research has shown that children diagnosed with ODD have a well-established pattern that goes beyond typical temper tantrums.

Some of the associated behaviours and symptoms may include:

• Easily being annoyed by others
• Questioning and refusing to follow rules
• Blaming others for mistakes
• Having the tendency to argue with authority figures
• Often losing their temper
• Quickly feeling irritated
• Deliberately annoying others
• Being vindictive or unkind
• Doing things to upset others

If you are a parent, you will recognise that all children tend to have these symptoms from time to time. However, what differentiates ODD from typical defiant behaviour is the severity, how long it has been going on for and how it affects relationships. If children only behave a certain way in one environment such as only at home, then their behaviour is caused by an external trigger. If the child is engaging in inappropriate behaviours consistently across all settings (school and home for example), and not able to enjoy a typical functioning life, then it would be recommended to see a qualified mental health expert. ODD is also tough on family members, so having some family rules and parenting strategies in place is a great way to start to help manage quality of life for all.

There are several strategies that can be adopted by parents to help support their child at home such as:

These parent management strategies should be discussed with teachers and/or therapists to ensure that everyone is using the same strategies consistently. At the Integrated International School, we provide a collaborative learning environment suitable for special needs education that benefits individual students as teachers, support specialists and parents work closely together to achieve their academic and social potential.

Take a look at our helpful infographic to better understand this behaviour, you can download it here.

Find out more about our dedicated Support Services by clicking here.

At the Integrated International School, we recognise that every person is different, and each have their own strengths. We embrace individuality and understand that learning is not a one-size fits all approach, and we love that uniqueness! IIS provides a learning environment where out-of-the-box thinking is encouraged and celebrated. For students who are on the autism spectrum (ASD), our special needs education specialists understand that an autistic mind is often complex and reveals the power of neurodiversity. There are so many positive traits often associated with those on the autism spectrum, including but not exclusive of:

Take a look at our helpful infographic to better understand this behaviour, you can download it here.

Find out more about our dedicated Support Services by clicking here.

Self-stimulatory behavior also known as stimming, is repetitive or unusual body movements and/or noises.

Most people tend to stim, for example, it may be that they play with their hair while talking to a friend or cracking their knuckles before a task. However, when stimming interferes with everyday activities and learning, it is often a symptom of Autism. Many children and teenagers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) stim and may continue to stim throughout their lives.

The amount and type of stimming varies a lot from individual to individual. For example, a child may just have mild hand mannerisms, whereas another may spend a lot of time stimming.

Take a look at our helpful special needs infographic to better understand this behaviour, you can download it here.

Find out more about our dedicated Support Services by clicking here.

A tic is an uncontrolled sudden, repetitive movement or sound that can be difficult to control. It’s a condition that affects many people before the age of 18. Tics that involve movements are called motor tics while tics involving sounds are called vocal tics.

The type of tics a person has may change over time. How often tics happen also may change. Tics often come and go and can get worse when a person is stressed or anxious. Sometimes a person will have one kind of tic — like a shoulder shrug — that lasts for a while and then goes away. But then he or she may develop another type of tic, such as a nose twitch. It’s perfectly normal to worry that a tic may never go away. However, in most cases, tics are temporary.

The amount and type of stimming varies a lot from individual to individual. For example, a child may just have mild hand mannerisms, whereas another may spend a lot of time stimming.

Take a look at our helpful special needs infographic to better understand this condition, you can download it here.

Find out more about our dedicated Support Services by clicking here.