Issue 29: Looking Back to See Forward | Ava & Flynn Eldridge

We reached out to some of our past contributors to see how things have been going since they last shared their stories with us. They shared what has changed and where things are heading next.

A big thank you to Dr Dan Peters, Heather Down, Dan Colquhoun and Sharon Scurr for taking the time to record a short ‘selfie’ update and for continuing to contribute to conversations that matter to the dyslexia and neurodivergent community.

After listening to these updates, one thing is clear. Progress doesn’t happen all at once. It happens when people keep showing up, keep learning and keep trying.

Dr Dan Peters

At the end of 2024, Dan finished his podcast Parent Footprint with Dr Dan. In the new year, he started a new podcast called Make It a Great One with Dr Dan. This podcast focuses on hope, connection and meaningful conversations that help people be better versions of themselves and make a positive impact on the world.

Dan continues his work at the Summit Center and has also moved into leadership coaching. He believes we need more leaders who lead with honesty, authenticity and care.

His message is that everyone has potential and possibilities. He encourages people to be themselves, to show up as their authentic selves and to bring what makes them unique into the world.

Heather Down

Since writing for Dystinct Magazine in 2023, Heather Down from Love Literacy in New Zealand has been very busy. In 2024, she presented at two Sharing Best Practice conferences in New Zealand, where she spoke about dyslexia. In 2025, she received the Nessy Science of Reading Teacher of the Year Award.

Heather also shared that her card game YEET, which started as a small idea to support learners through play, has grown into 14 card packs that help teach spelling, from early words through to more complex spellings. She also worked with her friend Tiana to create a Māori version of YEET.

In 2025, Heather launched a podcast called Love Literacy Inspired, where she shares real stories about literacy and learning. She continues tutoring children and supporting families across New Zealand. Heather’s message is that progress looks different for every learner and that every small step matters.

Dan Colquhuon

Since his interview with Dystinct Magazine, Dan Colquhoun, also known as Rocking Dan Teaching Man, has had a very exciting time. In 2024, he received the Dyslexia Aware Global Teacher of the Year Award from Nessy.

In 2025, Dan was the keynote speaker at the Building Readers for Life Literacy Nest Conference. His keynote, Rock, Move, Read and Spell, focused on how music and movement can help children learn through the science of reading and learning.

Dan also released his fourth studio album, Everybody’s Dancing to the Syllables. The songs support important literacy concepts such as syllables and digraphs, and help children learn through music and movement.

Dan joined the board of the Code Red Dyslexia Network and donated all the profits from his Rocking Dan merchandise sales on Oz Music T-shirt Day to support their work. He also spent time travelling and performing shows in schools.

Dan is now back in the classroom teaching a Year 2–3 class at Riverwood Public School. His update shows how fun, music and movement can help children feel excited about learning and build strong literacy skills.

Sharon Scurr

Since her last contribution to Dystinct Magazine, Sharon Scurr shared some important changes happening in New Zealand for dyslexic learners. New Zealand is now the first country in the world to make structured literacy a required approach in every primary school. This means teachers are being trained to teach reading and writing using evidence-based methods.

Another big change is that Reading Recovery is no longer funded or used in New Zealand schools. This happened after many years of advocacy and strong evidence showing that it did not work well for dyslexic children. Intervention teachers are now being trained in structured literacy to support students early and effectively.

Sharon also shared that a phonics check has been introduced after the first 20 weeks of Year 1. This helps schools identify children who need support earlier, instead of waiting until they fall behind. Early results show children are making progress and getting help sooner.

Sharon’s message is to keep advocating, bring others with you and keep working together to create real change for children.

Moving Forward Together

Each of these updates tells a different story, but they also show something in common. Progress happens when people keep going, work together and believe that things can be better for neurodivergent learners.

Looking back helps us see how far the community has come. Looking forward reminds us that real change is made by people who keep showing up, speaking up and taking action.

At Dystinct, we are proud to keep walking alongside people doing this work, and we’re excited to see what comes next.

Extracts from Dystinct Magazine