Issue 06: November 2021 Dystinct Magazine

On the cover is Benjamin Russo.

This issue features the story of 11-year-old Benjamin Russo from Canada who uses his superpower to create incredible larger than life mosaics out of Rubik’s cubes.

The November 2021 issue of Dystinct Magazine brings to you:

Dr Katrina Marchant talks about her experience growing up with undiagnosed dyslexia and how being diagnosed during her doctoral studies helped open up new horizons for her.

Dr Kelly Cartwright describes how the three core processes of executive control skills- working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control work together to support reading and further explores how supporting cognitive flexibility in word knowledge can improve reading.

April McMurtrey takes a closer look at factors that contribute to children's struggles with learning to read and suggests actionable steps to bridge the gap.

Marcia Harper shares how being homeschooled all her life has allowed her to explore the things that she enjoys doing and has made learning easier for her. Also, mum Mysie Harper shares her views on homeschooling a child with learning difficulties.

Lorraine Hightower talks about the various benefits of working with a tutor, explains the meaning behind the numerous titles held by reading tutors, and discusses how parents can get the most out of sessions with their children’s tutors.

The remarkable story of how Rosalin Abigail Kyere-Nartey went from a miserable child failed by her school in Ghana to the charismatic founder of Africa Dyslexia Organisation ADO AfricaDyslexia.org altering people’s perceptions of Learning Difficulties in Africa.

An interview with the founder of Africa Dyslexia Organisation (ADO) to take a closer look at how the ADO has been making a phenomenal impact for people with learning difficulties in Africa.

Dr Katie Squires discusses the various types of speech errors in young children that can signal poor phonological awareness.

Pete Jarrett examines the definition of dyscalculia and explores the various barriers to engagement with maths learning.

The story of 11-year-old Benjamin Russo (BenjaminRussoArt.com) from Canada who uses his superpower to create incredible larger than life mosaics out of Rubik’s cubes.

Megan proposes and discusses the various aspects of a three-pronged approach that takes recent advances in understanding dyslexia into account, which families can employ to effectively address the needs of children diagnosed with dyslexia.

Laura MacGrath explores what scientific research - The simple view of reading tells us about literacy development and the kind of instruction that leads to the best outcomes.

Lois talks about the importance of fostering resilience in children with learning difficulties who face challenges much earlier in life than their neurotypical counterparts and suggests actionable steps parents can take to build resilience in their children.

Simon Da Roza explores the varied co-occurrences and influences upon the ADHD presentation and investigates some common behaviours which may be displayed by ADHDers in maladaptive attempts to self-regulate.

Adam Searle tells his story of how a young schoolboy with a vivid imagination overcame all the obstacles thrown at him to achieve his dream of becoming an author.

Just like that, we are at the last issue for 2021. This year has been a mixed bag for our family as we were forced to stay away from family and friends for an extended period, but we got to use the time we spent in isolation to launch Dystinct and make plenty of new friends.

On the cover of this issue is Benjamin Russo, the 11-year-old Rubik’s cube artist whose incredibly detailed creations never stop amazing me. Earlier this year, I became friends with his mum, Melanie, the founder of Decoding Dyslexia-Quebec, and I am so excited that Ben created a mosaic of Dystinct for us.

In this issue, we have the remarkable journey of Rosalin Abigail Kyere-Nartey, the founder of the Africa Dyslexia Organisation, who is altering people’s perceptions of Learning Difficulties in Africa.

There are also many other articles from specialists and Dystinct journeys to inspire you. I hope you enjoy reading this issue.

Please get in touch with me if you have any feedback, ideas, or stories to share to change the narrative surrounding learning disabilities.

Thanks

Zahra Nawaz Shafeeq