Dystinct Magazine - Issue 15 | May 2023

In this issue

The May 2023 issue of Dystinct Magazine brings to you:

1. Dyslexia: Creating a Safety Net at School- By Dr Kelli Sandman-Hurley (Dyslexia Advocate, Author and Co-founder of the Dyslexia Training Institute

2. Nature is Awesome- by Shane Feinstein

3. Creating Neurodiversity-Affirming Families: Where do we start? - by Dr Joanne Riordan (Educational Psychologist (Neurodiversity Specialist) and Director of Dr Joanne Ltd )

4. Is it Dysgraphia, or Is it Missed Learning? - by Kelli Fetter (Occupational Therapist, Certified Handwriting Specialist & Founder of Handwriting Solutions, LLC )

5. Dystinct Report Interview of Dr Dan Peters - by Flynn Eldridge (Journalist at Dystinct.org

6. When Good Enough is Good Enough: Dyslexia, Intervention, and the Whole Child - by Melia Keeton-Digby (Author & Speech Language Pathologist)

7. Dystinct Journey of Bayley Garnham (Fitness Instructor & Personal Trainer)

8. Writing Sensational Sentences - by Nancy Fetzer (Curriculum Expert and Staff Development Trainer)

9. Achieving Educational Excellence Through the Science of Reading - by Greg Clement (Author, Reading Science in Schools Advocate & Educational Consultant)

10. Setting Up Success: How to build language and literacy skills - by Wendy Savaris (Structured Literacy / MSL Specialist Educator )

11. Take Charge of Your Child's Education: A Guide to Personalized Learning - by Mary Resenbeck (Educational Consultant, Author, IEP Parent Coach & Advocate)

Dystinct Magazine Description:

Dystinct Magazine seeks to find the extra ordinary that lies within the ordinary. Every dyslexic child is blessed to be distinctively different. We have set out to identify and nurture these differences to instil a strong sense of achievement in children who are often forgotten about. We also bring to you relevant up to date advice from leading experts in the industry to help you navigate the path to success.

1 in 5 children who pass through our one size fits all education system are on the dyslexia continuum, diagnosed or not. They are repeatedly dismissed as too dumb or unaidable leaving desperate parents with very few avenues to turn to. Our beautiful children are broken by the very system that is meant to nurture and raise them. These are promising young minds who are made to feel worthless over and over again because the system has failed to recognise their differences. Their struggles are often brushed under the rug or the system recognises their existence but lacks the capacity to make the changes necessary to accommodate their uniqueness.

There is a need to change the narrative around dyslexia from that of ‘slow’, ‘not working hard enough’, ‘lazy’ to one of hardworking, passionate, uniquely different and worthy.

Dystinct Magazine aims to instill a strong sense of self-worth in dyslexic children who have had unfair opportunities chipping away at their self-esteem throughout their existence. Our mission is to foster a community that celebrates the difference of dyslexia.

Not every dyslexic child is magically a genius. Oftentimes, we spend hours looking for the genius or outside the box thinking in our dyslexic kids failing to realise that it was in them all along, hidden in plain sight under the years self-doubt and shame that the society ingrained in them for not matching up to their peers. We aim to peel back at these negative layers of damaged self-esteem and provide the children with a platform to truly appreciate their uniqueness, take pride in their difference and revel in the knowledge that within their difference, lies their strength.

We are here with a commitment to empower dyslexics and their champions so that, they can discover the strengths within themselves and appreciate the uniqueness that dyslexia has offered them.