3.0
The Adult Side of Dyslexia
ByPublisher Description
Kelli Sandman-Hurley, Ed.D. is an author and co-founder of the Dyslexia Training Institute. She is the author of the well-received book, Dyslexia Advocate! How to Advocate for a Child with Dyslexia within the Public Education System and Dyslexia and Spelling.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe Adult Side of Dyslexia Reviews
3.0
“The author, a teacher of people who are dyslexic, interviewed a number of adults about their thoughts and feelings about how the education and business worlds have failed them, or how they failed in the present organizations.”
“I have two main issues with this book -
One, it is too anecdotal. As useful as it is reading lived experiences, hard evidence (scientific studies, peer reviewed papers etc.) is more useful from the perspective of someone wanting to make genuine change.
Two, A LOT of blame is (unfairly) placed on teachers and educators for missing signs of dyslexia. Speaking as an educator there ARE issues with the system that is letting down our students, but the issues are institutional and not the fault of the individual teacher.
The author says at one point “I have witnessed teachers telling parents to read more to their children.” This is GOOD advice that is proven to help children develop enjoyment in reading. Just because a child has dyslexia doesn’t mean they don’t benefit from listening to stories. Yes, some teachers are guilty of what they are being accused of (saying students lack motivation, lacking empathy or awareness) BUT the author completely fails to address the issues within the system itself that are a larger factor in harming a child’s development - the reliance on formal expressions of “knowledge” through reading/writing instead of practical demonstrations, the too stringent testing culture that sets up neurodivergent students to fail. She mentions repeatedly the time delays in diagnosing students and putting support in place without acknowledging that a large part of this is because of systems and processes that aren’t fit for purpose - the teacher identifies who needs help but they have to jump through too many hoops to get that help secured. Also lack of funding can further affect this.
At one point the author discounts the voice of adults with dyslexia who have found positives by saying her experience (talking to people) has told her differently. As she doesn’t have dyslexia herself I find that is a bold statement and perhaps not her place to make.
Overall although I see why this book may have its uses I think it is definitely flawed and I would be looking elsewhere for dyslexia support in the future.”
“Thanks to Jessica Kingsley Publishers for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
Firstly, whoever decided on the spelling of ‘dyslexia’ was a cruel, cruel person.
For someone who was reading practically straight from the womb and makes sure to write everyday, it was a shock to be diagnosed with dyslexia during my final year at university, aged 20. Mine focusses more on silent letters and my memory, than 100% struggling to read. Luckily, my dyslexia never particularly affected me, creeping in mainly when I was tired, so it’s a real eye-opener seeing how it destroyed so many people’s childhoods and schooling - the most important part of our life in terms of our development.
This is well researched with very human stories. It is not just facts and statistics, Kelli has included anecdotes from real-life people with dyslexia to give it more of a human element, and it’s fascinating to read dozens of different experiences. It shows dyslexia is not a one-size-fits-all, put in a box kind of condition, which can make support a difficult thing to master.
Adults are often very embarrassed when they have to admit they struggling with reading and/or writing, so it’s important our children get the help they need when they’re young so it doesn’t impact their adult life quite as much as it could.
Princess Beatrice recently said she considered her dyslexia to be a gift, and wouldn’t mind if her daughter developed it. This may be hard to hear for people with severe dyslexia, but I do understand her point. Being dyslexic - however mild or severe - means you have to utilise different skills and be more creative, and in some situations, that really can be a gift.
It was slightly repetitive at times and read more as a research paper at times than a book, so you do need to get in that mindset, but it was still an enjoyable and fascinating read. There is quite a long introduction before you get to the crux of the writing, but it is important you stick with it and read it in its entirety, as it gives you more of an understanding as to Kelly’s involvement with dyslexia.
I think this book needs to be available in all schools, colleges, universities, prisons, hospitals, work spaces - so that everyone with a ‘limitation’ can realise it’s not because they’re stupid, and they can be just as successful in everything they do as someone without dyslexia.”
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