Tabla de contenidos para July 2025 en Dystinct Magazine

This quote from Leslee Allen’s article really stayed with me. We talk a lot about motivation. But the truth is, motivation often comes after success, not before. And yet, so many of our children go to school each day feeling like they’re failing, measured against systems that don’t reflect how they learn best. We expect them to stay motivated, to keep showing up and trying hard, even when nothing feels like it’s working. What if we flipped the script? What if we focused on creating opportunities for success first? That tiny win. That first sentence read without stumbling. The maths problem that finally makes sense. The project they never thought they could finish. These are the moments that build belief. They shift how a child sees themselves. And that shift…

For many struggling readers, particularly those with dyslexia, reading narrative text can feel like navigating a maze without a map. Students expend so much cognitive energy on decoding words that comprehension often takes a backseat. In addition, about 50% of students with dyslexia also have developmental language disorder, underscoring the high rate of comorbidity between these two conditions (Pennington & Bishop, 2009). This raises an important question: how can we support both language development and comprehension while simultaneously strengthening decoding skills? One evidence-based approach to fostering comprehension is teaching story grammar, a structured method for understanding the framework of narrative texts. When explicitly taught and used intentionally, story grammar helps readers organize their thoughts, anticipate key story elements, and make meaningful connections to the text. In my work with struggling…

Over the holidays, I found myself asking a question that wouldn’t let go. If evolution is real, and I believe it is, then why do conditions like ADHD, autism, and dyslexia still exist? If they were really as disadvantageous as some people make them out to be, wouldn't our genes have bred them out by now? Why would nature preserve something that doesn't serve us as a species? That question didn't come from doubt. It came from curiosity. The kind of restless, pattern-seeking curiosity that my neurodivergent brain thrives on. It’s the same drive that makes me lose time researching, connecting dots, following ideas all the way down the rabbit hole. Some call that hyperfocus. I call it being true to myself. “THE SO-CALLED "DISORDERS" (ACCORDING TO THE MEDICAL LEXICON)…

Writing can be a daunting task for both students and educators because of its complexity. The well-researched theoretical model, titled “The Not So Simple View of Writing,” introduced by Berninger and Winn in 2006, has been around for almost 20 years. Yet many educators have never heard of it, nor have they read the research. Historically, teachers in the United States have taught writing using a writing workshop model. Teachers assign a writing task, model writing, and set students off to write. Published writing using this model requires that students utilize the writing process steps: planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Although the steps are explicitly modeled to support students in successfully completing writing pieces, many students struggle to implement them effectively due to weaknesses in foundational writing skills. WHAT…

Frustration and despair. When I was diagnosed, it was more of a general diagnosis. Other than Dyslexia, specific learning disabilities such as Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia were not mentioned. My dad remembers the school telling him that I would never understand math beyond a basic level. By age 5, it was determined that I would not be a mathematician. My Elementary school years were the hardest for me. I had to repeat the grade in another school in our district and began to receive specialty instruction. I spent my mornings in specialty instruction in all subject areas, including math, reading, and writing. The instruction was in a small group, focusing on what I needed to learn. My afternoon was spent in a Kindergarten class. I can remember feeling frustrated and in despair…

“How many times have you picked up your child after a day at school, asked them what they did that day, and promptly received the reply "Nothing" or "I can't remember"? While, as parents, we are inclined to think they are simply avoiding the discussion, the reality is that it is very likely they have completely forgotten about it. FORGETTING CURVE What is known as the 'forgetting curve', first identified by Hermann Ebbinghaus, could explain why we get the response we do. The forgetting curve model indicates that within an hour of new learning, people have forgotten approximately 50% of what was covered; within 24 hours, this percentage can increase to around 70%. By the end of the week, people tend to recall only about 25% of the intended learning.…

Her mum, Stephanie Shockley, recalls that when London was a toddler, she would sit perched in the shopping cart during grocery trips, waving and smiling at everyone who passed by. It only took a quick grin and a little wave before people were laughing. "She had this extraordinary ability to connect with people," Stephanie shares. "She could transform someone’s day with just a look." As a preschooler, London hit all her milestones right on time. She walked and talked early, always seeming eager to explore the world around her. Her mum remembers how tiny she was. She was so small that baby doll clothes fit her, and she absolutely loved dressing up in them. “SHE HAD THIS EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE. Looking back, the memories from those early…

Hey, I'm Alexis. I'm a mum, a wife, an artist, and I run a successful agency with my husband. I live a full and colourful life, but it hasn't always been that way, especially not inside my own head. I'm also neurodivergent, with ADHD and dyslexia. These parts of me have always been there, quietly shaping my experiences, from childhood through to motherhood. I was diagnosed as a child, long before ADHD became the hot topic it is today. Back then, no one really knew what to do with kids like me. I have the inattentive type of ADHD, the daydreaming kind. I spent most of my school years gazing out the window or scribbling drawings in the margins of my books. My body was in the classroom, but my…

What if just 15 minutes a day could transform your child’s reading ability, boosting progress by two to three years in a single year? It’s possible with a simple technique called dyad reading. Dyad reading is a reading intervention parents and educators can use with students in grade 2 and up to grow their reading skills. It is derived from the Neurological Impress Method (Heckelman, 1969), in which an adult tutor and a developing reader chorally read a challenging text, yielding an average increase of two grade levels after only seven and a half hours of intervention. It was then adapted by Eldredge and Quinn (1988) to use student pairings instead of adult tutors, allowing the practice to be used in the whole-group classroom setting. Since then, additional evidence of…

If you think that you or someone you know has RSD, this article is designed to be a resource for understanding, managing, and improving the symptoms of this disorder. What is RSD? It is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. Let’s RIS THE FEAR THAT SOMETHING WE DO OR SAY WILL BE MET WITH A SIS TAKING A LIMITED AMOUNT OF DISCOMFORT TO CAUSE A NEGATIVE RESPONSE. DIS GENERALIZED DISSATISFACTION WITH LIFE OR IN THIS CASE REJECTION. The word dysphoria comes from an ancient Greek word that describes a strong, if not overwhelming, feeling of pain and discomfort. RSD is not an officially recognized symptom or diagnosis, but it is still a term that experts use in connection with recognized conditions. What are some signs of RSD? People with RSD typically have traits…

When I first sat down to write about dyspraxia, I found myself thinking back to some of my early career teaching experiences. I initially trained as a Physical Education teacher before working in specialist and inclusive education – and I’m sure there’s still part of me that loves being outdoors, active and moving more than anything! When I first trained in Physical Education, I realised that many of the people I was learning alongside were highly skilled at their chosen sports, and they tended to pick up new movement skills quickly and easily. They moved from the cognitive stage of motor skill acquisition to the mastery stage quickly. They responded quickly and effectively to feedback about their movement skills and could apply that feedback to refine their movements. Once mastered,…