Table of contents for April 2025 in Dystinct Magazine

This issue, a powerful quote from Amy Oswolt, the founder of Conduit Academy really stayed with me: “Free yourself from mourning what might have been, trying to force your child ‘back’ to some arbitrary standard, or feeling grateful when your child merely survives a system that wasn’t designed for them. Survival isn’t success.” It’s a truth many parents of neurodivergent children come to realise, often after years of frustration, tears, and trying to make their child “fit” into a mould that was never built with them in mind. We’re conditioned to measure progress by grades, timelines, and comparison charts, forgetting that these markers often have little to do with real growth. But survival isn’t the goal. Our kids deserve more than just getting by. They deserve to thrive in environments…

Advocating for Change At the sweet age of three, mom thought Taylor would enjoy an opportunity to wear a rhinestone crown and fancy dress to experience the princess program sponsored by the Miss Maryland Scholarship Organization. Taylor’s passion for glitz, glam, and sparkly hats transformed her love for something much more profound. The seed that was planted and sown over time sparked Taylor’s passion and purpose at the age of 13 to volunteer, raise awareness, and advocate for change on behalf of dyslexic students. Now 21, Taylor is using her Community Service Initiative D.N.A Dyslexics Next Achievement to change the narrative for students with dyslexia. Dyslexia is a neurobiological condition that has been around for over 140 years. It is still misunderstood, underdiagnosed, and not taken seriously by school administrations…

“Screening doesn't tell us everything, but it gives us a reliable place to start the important work of developing all students' literacy skills. The sooner we know about a student’s risk for literacy difficulties, the sooner we can effectively do something about it. Some of our youngest learners will never even experience difficulties in reading because of this process. Universal screening has a fundamental role in multi-tiered systems of support, reducing bias and increasing equitable access to support for learners who are at risk for or currently experiencing literacy difficulties. While the value of a systematic approach to literacy assessment (including universal screening as a first step) has been well established in research for some time, every jurisdiction varies in its approach WHAT IS UNIVERSAL SCREENING? WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?…

Amazing app! This app is really wonderful because it spreads awareness to the Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia and Dysgraphia community. They share personal stories and artwork. By sharing those, it really helps people feel less alone and find similarities with others. Definitely check out Dystinct mag! So Informative and Uplifting Dystinct is a brilliant publication. It provides practical articles from specialists that inform and gives really positive insights into SLDs. The fact that it includes the artwork and stories of people with learning differences is so lovely. Great advocacy at work here. Dyslexia Informative, celebratory and up to date. A magazine worth reading for those living with dyslexia, for family members supporting and advocating, for educators and for those pushing for change. Fabulous platform-inspiring content Neurodiversity is every bit as important…

Journalist & Illustrator Ava Eldridge Age 12 Dyslexia & ADHD NSW, Australia Ava loves art, animals, cooking, her family, playing the piano and she really enjoys reading! Her newfound love of aerial acrobatics keeps her busy. Illustrator Addyson Age 12 Dyslexia North Dartmouth, United States Addyson is a sixth grader who loves art and has dyslexia. Dyslexia is one of her strengths. The reason why she is participating in this is because she feels like art can help you talk about things that you might not know how to say in words. Illustrator Celina Hamdani Age 21 London, UK Social anxiety disorder & ASD Celina is a self-taught digital artist. She studies art media and design at John Ruskin College, Croydon and is enrolled in an animation course with Danimation…

”Why was it so easy for them but so difficult for me? I still remember sitting in my school classroom, watching my peers breeze through their work while I struggled to keep up. It wasn't that I wasn't trying - I was trying harder than most. But no matter how much effort I put in, reading, spelling, and processing information took me significantly longer than it did for my classmates. I felt the weight of frustration and self-doubt pressing down on me. Why was it so easy for them but so difficult for me? My parents and teachers shared my concerns, and when I was around nine years old, they decided to have me assessed for dyslexia. The assessment was held in the principal’s office—a place I had never stepped…

Tucker Findley Tucker Findley doesn't quite fit the mould. At 15, he’s already sold over 15,000 items online, runs a 2,500 sq ft resale operation, and manages his business alongside an employee who helps ship hundreds of items a day. But it’s not just the business that sets Tucker apart. It’s how he got here —marked by steep learning challenges, a family that refused to give up, and an educator who helped build a school that fit him. This is Tucker’s journey, told by him, his parents, Ryan and Rebecca Findley, and Amy Oswalt, the educator who co-designed a learning model around his strengths. TUCKER’S PERSPECTIVE "I've been reselling since I was 9," says Tucker. "I love finding value where other people don't. Where others see trash, I see treasure.…

Reading Floats in the Sea of Talk, Britton, 1970‌ THIS ARTICLE IS AN EXCERPT FROM AN UPCOMING BOOK FOR SECONDARY EDUCATORS AND LEADERS ON TRANSFORMING LITERACY SYSTEMS AND PRACTICES, BY JEANNE SCHOPF, DUE FOR RELEASE IN APRIL 2026. Secondary students in grades 6-12 are expected to read, write, and comprehend complex texts while developing their language skills through various activities, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening. According to the Simple View of Reading, comprehension arises from both decoding skills and language understanding (Gough & Tunmer, 1986). Strong oral language skills, which include receptive abilities (listening and reading) and expressive abilities (speaking and writing), are crucial for improving reading comprehension and writing proficiency. According to the Council of Chief State School Officers, these standards provide a foundation for college and career…

School is tough, that I know,imagine it ten times as slow.I try, and I try, yet still, I fail,The words jumble, the letters crawl.The words have no meaningEach lesson drags,an hour feels slow,with no place to hide.Reread, reread. That’s all I ever do,the stress is endless.The tests, the tasks, they cut me to my core,echoing through me like a bell.The more you give me, the more I implode.So easy, so easy, peers say with ease.Like if my hard work was meaningless.Yet they don’t see the sleepless nights,just to pass or get the same grade as themYet these repeat through my head.Step in my shoes,See how far you go.Tease me, bully me,I refuse to be as low as you,Yet, in my heart, I know.Despite my disability,I am willing to grow. Personal…

You’ve just been told your child has dyslexia. Maybe it’s something you’ve suspected for a while—those bedtime reading battles, the backwards letters, the endless homework struggles—but now that it’s official, you feel a bit stuck. You know you need to tell them. But what do you say? You want to explain it honestly, but without making them feel like there’s something “wrong” with them. You want them to understand, but not to feel labelled. You want them to feel hopeful, not heartbroken. As a teacher, a dyslexia specialist, and someone who’s dyslexic myself, I know how heavy this moment can feel for parents. You want to get it right. You want to protect their confidence. You want them to see their diagnosis not as a door closing, but as one…

"My dyslexic thinking means I don't just think outside the box… I think outside the planet". Maggie Aderin-Pocock Space Scientist & Communicator. My dyslexic husband, who spends a lot of his time outside in the wilderness, getting the calming benefits from the tranquillity of the wildlife, loves to wear t-shirts with jovial prints. Many of these reveal his dyslexia. He has some great ones: Dyslexics of the World – Untie, Dyslexics Rule KO! However, my favourite is 'Think outside, no need for a box'. Understanding Dyslexia & Learning Differences A new definition for dyslexia came out in 2024 from the Delphi Study: • Dyslexia is primarily a set of processing difficulties that affect the acquisition of reading and spelling. • In dyslexia, some or all aspects of literacy attainment are…

I get calls daily from confused and concerned parents overwhelmed with all the school options in North Carolina. It’s not a surprising feeling, we have a plethora of options. And it isn't just North Carolina. Many areas of the country also have growing school options, from magnet to charter, and a variety of different types of independent schools. Though overwhelming, in many cases, these options can be a blessing to families, especially for students with learning differences. Wall learn in different ways. And education is certainly not one size fits all anymore. Maybe your current school is not a good fit, or you have a rising kindergartner who you want to set up for success, or maybe you are approaching middle school and thinking about a change. Knowing your options…