
189. What Dyslexia Research Can Unlock for YOUR Autistic Learner
Non Linear Learning - Rethinking Education for Neurodivergent LearnersShow Notes
When we think of dyslexia, most people imagine a reading problem. But the real story is far more complex and non linear - and the lessons from dyslexia research can open new doors for autistic learners (yay!).
In this episode, I talk with Russell Van Brocklen, founder of Dyslexia Classes and known as The Dyslexia Professor. Russell shares why dyslexia is less about reading and more about how the brain organizes ideas - and how strategies that work for dyslexic learners may also translate to autistic students who think and learn in unique ways.
We explore: Why dyslexia is not just a reading issue but a brain organization issue.
How focusing on a child's special interest unlocks motivation and comprehension.
Why writing (typing) before reading is the breakthrough many students need.
The crossover between dyslexic and autistic learners as specialists, not generalists.
And of course, what you can do RIGHT NOW!
Listen, I know your autistic child may struggle outside their super special interests - and you may be struggling with how to help them move laterally to a different topic. THIS conversation will give you some ideas to think about.
Here's the freebie Russell mentioned in the podcast: https://dyslexiaclasses.com/nonlinearlearning/
You are a non linear parent, and you deserve a non linear path!
Next Step: Get on the waitlist for my course, Non Linear Education, where I teach parents how to build advanced, age-appropriate learning for their kids with disabilities. And if you found this episode helpful, please leave a review. Your words may be exactly what another parent needs to discover this podcast and know they're not alone.
More from Non Linear Learning - Rethinking Education for Neurodivergent Learners
Your child isn't choosing to melt down. By the time behavior shows up, the brain has already decided, and the thinking brain is out of the room. Dr. Lisa Riegel explains why schools most often miss this, and what to do instead.
Why spelled communication is not a guessing game:
We don't make a neurotypical kid prove they can read before we hand them a book. We just teach them to read.
You've talked to 10 therapists. Tried 20 strategies. And your child still goes from calm to crisis in 30 seconds - for reasons no-one understands. Understanding a body requires that we understand the sensory information coming in. And Dr. Dana Johnson - OT, PhD, and founder of the Spellers Center - tells us that there are not 5 but 8 senses. Dana joins Non Linear Learning for the 3rd time to talk about interoception: the eighth sense, the one almost nobody gets taught, and the one that might explain what's been happening in front of you all along. Listen along to learn: Why your child's meltdown appears so sudden
We talk a lot about what our students can't do. But something that educators have found over the years is that there is a scatter to the skills we see in our students. The wildly uneven profile that we see could actually be a blessing. Mark Talaga, counselor, speaker, and founder of the Center for Identity Potential, joins the podcast to talk about asynchronous development in gifted and twice-exceptional learners. And here's what hit me: we're working the same problem from opposite ends. Where there is a sharp strength, there is often a significant deficit, but the opposite is true as well! This conversation got under my skin in the best way. Tune in to this episode to learn: What "asynchrony" actually means in gifted and disabled learners