Issue 15: May 2023 Dystinct Magazine

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On The Cover

On the cover is Bayley Garnham.

This issue features Bayley's inspiring journey from struggling with dyspraxia and dysgraphia to becoming a weightlifting champion and now a personal trainer who motivates people to achieve their dreams.

Topics Covered

The May 2023 issue of Dystinct Magazine brings to you:

Issue 15: Dyslexia: Creating a Safety Net at School | Dr Kelli Sandman-Hurley

Dr Kelli Sandman-Hurley discusses how students with dyslexia can feel socially and emotionally unsafe at school due to their struggles with reading and writing and suggests adjustments that could make a massive difference in helping students with dyslexia feel safe at school.

DYSTINCTDr Kelli Sandman-Hurley

Issue 15: Nature is awesome | Shane Feinstein

8-year-old Shane Feinstein’s reflections on his love for trees and how they inspire and help him at school.

DYSTINCTZahra Nawaz

Issue 15: Creating Neurodiversity-Affirming Families: Where Do We Start? Dr Joanne Riordan

Dr Joanne Riordan highlights the importance of creating enabling environments that reduce barriers for neurodivergent children and discusses five questions that parents and caregivers can ask themselves to make changes towards becoming neurodiversity-affirming families.

DYSTINCTDr Joanne Riordan

Issue 15: Is it Dysgraphia, or Is it Missed Learning? | Kelli Fetter

Kelli Fetter discusses how a handwriting assessment can reveal why a child struggles with handwriting and how the insights gained can then be used to guide effective intervention.

DYSTINCTKelli Fetter

Issue 15: Dystinct Report – Flynn Eldridge’s Interview with Dr Dan Peters

Ten-year-old journalist Flynn Eldridge has a chat with Dr Dan Peters, a psychologist, author, and parenting expert, about his work and life.

DYSTINCTFlynn Eldridge

Issue 15: When Good Enough is Good Enough: Dyslexia, Intervention, and the Whole Child | Melia Keeton-Digby

Reflecting on her personal experience of confusion and overwhelm at the beginning of her dyslexia journey with her daughter, Melia Keeton-Digby proposes considering the whole child and seeking balance when making decisions about the remediation finish line.

DYSTINCTMelia Keeton-Digby

Issue 15: Dystinct Journey of Bayley Garnham

Bayley Garnham’s inspiring journey from struggling with dyspraxia and dysgraphia to becoming a weightlifting champion and now a personal trainer who motivates people to achieve their dreams.

DYSTINCTZahra Nawaz

Issue 15: Writing Sensational Sentences | Nancy Fetzer

Nancy Fetzer utilizes her visual step-by-step “Writing a Sentence” chart to demonstrate how to explicitly teach students to write sensational narrative sentences.

DYSTINCTNancy Fetzer

Issue 15: Achieving Educational Excellence Through The Science Of Reading | Greg Clement

Greg Clement stresses the importance of educators being knowledgeable about current best practices for teaching students with dyslexia, and he advises parents on how to choose a school that is best suited to meet the specific needs of their dyslexic children.

DYSTINCTGreg Clement

Issue 15: Setting Up Success: How To Build Language And Literacy Skills | Wendy Savaris

Wendy Savaris outlines the crucial elements required for successful reading and writing instruction and offers practical advice for educators to support learners in developing their language and literacy skills.

DYSTINCTWendy Savaris

Issue 15: Take Charge of Your Child’s Education: A Guide to Personalized Learning | by Mary Resenbeck

Mary Resenbeck shares her personal experiences of dealing with dyslexia and ADHD in her family and emphasizes the need to reconsider traditional teaching methods to unlock the potential of these students by exploring alternative learning approaches.

DYSTINCTMary Resenbeck

Editor's Note

For every issue, I pick my favourite quote to reflect on in my note to all our readers. In this issue, I found a few wonderful quotes that would make excellent talking points, but instead, I choose to share with you the response of 8-year-old Shane Feinstein when I asked him a seemingly simple question, ''What do you think your life will be like in the future?''

His response was as stunning as it was innocent. In the midst of all our adult concerns about career paths and worldly success for our children, Shane simply replied, "Fun."

We constantly strive to mould our children to fit society's expectations while telling ourselves that we do all that we do to give them a future full of happiness and joy. Let us all take a moment to reflect on Shane’s words and remember that life is not just about success and achievements but also about the simple pleasures that make it worth living.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue and all the specialist content covered.

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

Extracts from the Magazine

Featured Illustrations