S4E5: Dyslexic Awareness Month - A Call to Action

In this episode, Juliet Hahn and Brent Sopel discuss the significance of Dyslexic Awareness Month, reflecting on their experiences and the importance of understanding dyslexia. They share insights from a recent golf event aimed at raising awareness and funds for dyslexia, emphasizing the need for open conversations about the condition. The hosts explore the complexities of dyslexia, its intersection with autism, and the importance of distinguishing between different learning differences. They encourage listeners to engage with the dyslexic community, ask questions, and educate themselves about the condition.

 

Chapters

 

00:00 Introduction to Dyslexic Awareness Month

03:02 Reflections on the Golf Event

05:52 Encouraging Conversations About Dyslexia

08:56 Understanding the Complexity of Dyslexia

11:36 The Intersection of Dyslexia and Autism

14:34 The Importance of Distinguishing Learning Differences

17:38 The Need for Awareness and Education

20:26 Closing Thoughts on Dyslexia Awareness

 

Transcript:

00:00:07:02 - 00:00:39:17

Unknown

Welcome back to word Blindness. Dyslexia exposed. Just as Juliet Hon with my co-host Brant Sobel and a lovely Monday. How are you? Lovely. Monday. I'm trying to be positive. I know it's Monday. Here we go again. Here we go again. Right now. Another week. It's dyslexia awareness month, which. Yeah, is absolutely crazy that it's October already. I feel like we're.

 

00:00:39:18 - 00:00:57:18

Unknown

So let's let's preference. Also, we did a lot of recordings. We took our break. We did hit our hands 100 episodes, and then we waited for season four. And we did a lot of because we're both going in so many different directions. We were able to take a little time and record, which was great. And then we both have had like a number of things again.

 

00:00:57:18 - 00:01:18:08

Unknown

And so we haven't recorded in number weeks. And now we're like, we have one still, you know, in the hopper is what I call it. But we are like, okay, let's, let's think of a couple different things that we want to talk about. And we're like, oh shit. It's October Dyslexic Awareness Month, and I guess that's for, you know what we're about to start.

 

00:01:18:10 - 00:01:44:11

Unknown

You know, it's been it's been like a year since like died. My tips and yeah, all those little things and it's like, he's it's crazy. No year of a golf event. Couple of weeks, you know, the next and next couple events. So it's seems like it was yesterday, but also it seems like it's been, you know, ten years, ten years.

 

00:01:44:13 - 00:02:09:12

Unknown

It does right now. It's so crazy how that that works. But, let's touch on the because we recorded let's touch a couple different things about because we didn't go into detail about the golf event like any of the details when we recorded, it was I mean, you guys did another incredible job. You know, I loved that we had some different volunteers and then some same volunteers.

 

00:02:09:12 - 00:02:29:12

Unknown

We had some different sponsors and some same sponsors. And so it was just another great group of people that were like, I didn't know this about dyslexia. I didn't know this about dyslexia. You had another couple different kids speaking. It was really special. I got I mean, just the it was magical energy and. That's right. Like I said, like a couple times.

 

00:02:29:12 - 00:02:46:17

Unknown

And when I said it, people are like, it actually is very magical. Magical. I don't know if I yeah, I liked magical, I think group text, I think somebody, somebody came up magical. Like I think I said magical and it was like it really was though now it was, you know, obviously, the weather is perfect to your mother.

 

00:02:46:17 - 00:03:11:06

Unknown

Nature's been really good to us for that, you know, for that. Know, we end up on 100 and he was 110 golfer. So, a few little less than, last year, we played some extra people in the end, some new things, you know, try and make it spicy and fun every time. And the car in the middle of the fairway was fun.

 

00:03:11:08 - 00:03:31:04

Unknown

People enjoyed the hecklers, you know, people are saying that we should just sell, sell seats, put grandstands behind the hecklers and not people pay to, come the golf event. Just listen to the actors all day long because they're right now they're they're pretty funny. They were funny. We did. You know that the one guy's name is Montgomery?

 

00:03:31:06 - 00:03:49:02

Unknown

Yeah. You see, so it was so funny because he went up to Penelope and he's like, did you say your brother's name? Montgomery. And she's like, I did, and he's like, that's so cool. And we were like, oh. And then he goes, my name is Montgomery. And we were like, oh! He goes, But I'm called Mont because everyone in his family has four letter names.

 

00:03:49:04 - 00:04:07:14

Unknown

And he was the last one, and they named him Montgomery, but his nickname is Mont. So he goes, I've been going by Mont. He goes. And then he literally goes, does he go up and introduce himself as like, hi, I'm Montgomery. And we were like, yeah. And he goes, that's so cool. And Penelope's already done. Yeah. He was like, I need to do that.

 

00:04:07:14 - 00:04:32:08

Unknown

That's like the coolest thing. That's so cool. And I was like, what's his name? The cow, you know? And he's like, I said, he does go by Monty sometimes, you know, but he does introducing themselves as Montgomery and then, you know, some teammates in college and all that stuff. We'll call him Monty. Just. Yeah, you make up, you know, that's self-proclaimed in your own nickname.

 

00:04:32:10 - 00:04:47:01

Unknown

Exactly. That's not how it goes. Yeah, but he was really funny because he's like, God, I wish I didn't listen to my parents and do the four letter, but everyone was named four letters, and then they had me. Yeah. And while we were just going, you know, from four letters to that, I know I was like, that's like ten letters.

 

00:04:47:01 - 00:05:06:19

Unknown

That's like, not even like five or not round four or no. Yeah. Big jump. Right. Like he was great. You know they're both you know, pretty funny. We we heard some of the jokes, but we're, we're they're, the one whole just the one time was probably pizza. So, it was. Yeah. I didn't get to hear their jokes.

 

00:05:06:21 - 00:05:34:01

Unknown

Oh, they're, they're they're pretty funny. Yeah. So, guys, I found that, you know, obviously our events are always different and unique to nobody else before. And next year will be, big. No different already. Elizabeth came up with an, an idea at the end. Oh, I love that. Carry on with the car. So that already initiated that conversation with the golf course.

 

00:05:34:01 - 00:05:47:20

Unknown

So, next year we'll have a little more fun break a few more things. Oh. That's cool. I mean, the golf, the the car was very cool. I mean, people were like, I wish I was sitting there because I was like, how many people? But no one smashed the windows. That's what I was like. Are you hitting it harder?

 

00:05:47:20 - 00:06:08:19

Unknown

Like, are you angry on this, on this whole. And everyone's like, why? It was harder, you know, I yeah, I hit it clean. A couple people bounce it off, but, you know, it probably 110 people hit, missed it. So yeah, it wasn't, was 200 yards out. So it wasn't as easy. And, you know, as a lot there's a few that just kind of hit it.

 

00:06:08:21 - 00:06:25:07

Unknown

I was the only one that hit the window. I love that, but it didn't break that. No, I hit it hard to let me know. I thought there was going to be, at least cracked glass, but couldn't couldn't do that next year. It was made me. Well, finish it off. Yeah. Made. Well, Okay, so I love that.

 

00:06:25:07 - 00:06:53:04

Unknown

So again, you guys go to the website because there's always updates on stuff. There's always things that we're doing. Really the website has, but social media, if you're not following the social foundation on Instagram, that's where a lot of, you know, different things come up. So we're over 100 episodes in word blindness. We are in Dyslexia Awareness Month, and you're not going to be dying in your hair or doing any of that.

 

00:06:53:06 - 00:07:18:10

Unknown

Well, we got to think of something like, we got to think of something. Maybe you guys are listening. Can can, give us some ideas of what he can do for the second half of the month? One of the things that I, I want everyone to really think about in Dyslexia Awareness Month is go out of your way to learn something or talk to someone that has dyslexia, but ask them questions about it.

 

00:07:18:12 - 00:07:49:00

Unknown

Like, I really want the listeners to go and ask a specific question to someone with dyslexia. Like that's everyone's job in Dyslexic Awareness Month, and then talk about it. Interesting. Of course you're going to talk asking questions. First let me think, because, you know, there's people out there that don't feel comfortable asking questions because they don't want to make the person feel bad or they don't know if it's like, if they don't want to feel dumb asking a question that they are like, oh, that's not dyslexia.

 

00:07:49:01 - 00:08:12:00

Unknown

And so I want people to kind of really challenge themselves. Yeah. Because everybody just thinks that you're obviously talking about this million times flipping your BS and DS. Yeah. So no majority of them obviously leave without a question. And we always get led with and it'd be interesting, you know, how many people say yes because that's not mine.

 

00:08:12:00 - 00:08:32:11

Unknown

I don't do you know I don't do that. Right. So there's you know, there's one, you know, one or easy question. Right. And and I mean, that's the thing it's, it's not everyone does it. And everyone's dyslexia is very different. And also how you kind of and I don't want to say mask it, but like how you got around things, everyone does something different, which is really cool.

 

00:08:32:11 - 00:09:05:19

Unknown

And having conversations with people, you know, a lot of times it's the parents that's like, I don't think it's in our family. But then we start talking. They're like, oh shit, wait, I mean, that happens all the time. Or it's a grandparent asking for their, you know, you know, their their child who it's their grand child. And it is one of those things that there's so many things about dyslexia and the five D's, because I even write with, with just, with dysgraphia and dyscalculia, like, I thought there was some stuff with, with dysgraphia that was more of an ADHD thing.

 

00:09:05:21 - 00:09:24:10

Unknown

And just with getting everyone in my house diagnosed, I realized that there that that's not it's more of a dysgraphia thing where the, the ADHD I kind of always put as the umbrella because that was the first thing I was diagnosed with. So I was like, oh, that's my ADHD and really not separating it. So that's what I want everyone to do.

 

00:09:24:12 - 00:09:49:08

Unknown

There's a lot to it. You know, it's just not ADHD. Like 1 or 2 points. You know, there's probably 52 different points on underneath a underneath each brella, you know. So I'm sure if you write all the way to the bottom, you know, you always see somebody post some, I'll read all the way bottom off because there's things in that bottom list that you, you have any knowledge that you might do what you did.

 

00:09:49:09 - 00:10:09:20

Unknown

You know, there's a lot that goes to, to each one. The brain seems to be complicated. They say, it's it's just it's there's it's so complicated. I mean, that leads in, you know, that leads right into points. Point number two, what was, all the uproar of Tylenol and autism? I'm not here to pronounce either.

 

00:10:09:20 - 00:10:45:17

Unknown

Which way, but I'm. It got me thinking about how are we? Combined with autism as much as we are when our brains are wired differently. So it's very different what we're going through than what they're going through. No. Yeah. So when you asked me this, I knew exactly what you were, what you were saying because it so and again, we're not saying whether it's I'm going to preface there, this is the studies that have come out.

 

00:10:45:22 - 00:11:03:09

Unknown

There are studies that have been out since 2017, 2019 saying that this is one of the causes. We know that autism a number of years ago was 1 in 300. It is now one in like three, like 1 in 12 and then 1 in 33. For girls and 1 in 12 for boys or something. Really? Yeah. I don't know if that.

 

00:11:03:11 - 00:11:24:20

Unknown

Yeah. That, that. Okay. So we know that there's environmental factors. There's something that's causing it. So like whether you believe it's the vaccines, whether you believe it's that we're not here's a different theory. Exactly. It's not hereditary, not a gene. It's not a gene mutation or whatever. You know, that's that's the difference between what I'm saying is believe whatever you want, but it's not it's not hereditary.

 

00:11:24:23 - 00:11:43:02

Unknown

It's not, it's not. All right. And so this is where when we talk about the five D's and neurodiversity or and and you guys have heard us say this and if you haven't, if you're new listening, we don't like the word neurodiversity for dyslexia. I'm not saying that I'm against people with knowledge personally. I'm not saying that at all.

 

00:11:43:04 - 00:12:07:10

Unknown

I'm saying I don't like it for dyslexia. And there's a number of reasons why we don't like it. And this is a a huge example is when you are autistic, there's something that has caused that when you are dyslexic or ADHD or just graphic or just calculate or dyspraxia, you are born with it. It is inherited, your wires are crossed, right?

 

00:12:07:10 - 00:12:29:00

Unknown

Your brain is different, it is developed different. It's not something environmentally that has caused you to have this. Where autism, there is something environment, there's an outside source that causes it. Whether you are predisposition, I have my own theories. I think people just like with autoimmune and all of this, I think people have predispositions for it and something can trigger it and set it off.

 

00:12:29:02 - 00:12:45:16

Unknown

With dyslexia, there's nothing triggering it. You're not like all of a sudden like, oh, I was dropped on my head, right like that. I might even need to, but that's why I want to do it. You know, I kind of, you know, led into it from what we're talking about. You know, there are a lot of things under the umbrella of dyslexia and, you know, all sides.

 

00:12:45:16 - 00:13:13:02

Unknown

Well, now let's start digging under the umbrella of why we're combined. Right. And it's and again, someone could say, and I know I kind of feel like I would love people to write in and tell us like whether it's through the, the social foundation Instagram, whether it's through Brent's, Brant dot so Paul Instagram, whether it's mine, I am Juliet Hahn or if you're email which is info at Sobel Foundation dawg.

 

00:13:13:04 - 00:13:49:06

Unknown

Any any which way you can get us and we're happy for all questions and answers. And then if you have one of our text, you can also do it that way. One of the things that you really have to think about is. There's so much and the reason why we get so angry at like the, the, the diversity of it is because in school we always feel like, okay, there is and just stay with me for a second because I know I'm like stuttering around this because I'm trying to develop it in my head, how I, how exactly I want to say it now I'm knocking my headphones out.

 

00:13:49:08 - 00:14:08:12

Unknown

When you're in school and there's labels, right? So it's like you have learning differences or you have an Aldi. That's what they call an Aldi, a specified learning disability. For a teacher, that's really difficult to know what the child has. It's like a guessing game. It's like, okay, and there's so many different things that you can be learning, like you can learn different.

 

00:14:08:13 - 00:14:26:13

Unknown

So the same with dyslexia, with the five days and then autism, like how can you say and I think that schools are going to try to take this word. That's why I get really and I don't know. But I feel like they're going to try to take this word and then label it even bigger. But like under neurodiversity, there's anxiety.

 

00:14:26:13 - 00:14:47:15

Unknown

There's all of these other disorders that are not learning styles. Yes, anxiety can play into learning where you're anxious and you're not taking a great test. But dyslexia is a specific way we learn. We learn different, we are wired different. And so it really can't be put in these same buckets. Now I know what people are going to say.

 

00:14:47:15 - 00:15:11:20

Unknown

And this is what I started to say is because we all do not we're not typical. So that's why neurodiversity, autism they're different. Dyslexia you're different. You're not a typical learner. You're not a typical but really is anyone? I mean, if we really think about it as anyone normal, I mean, if you want to say normal working what is normal and I'd always it takes its own a different, you know, rabbit hole.

 

00:15:11:20 - 00:15:40:03

Unknown

But our brains are wired, you know. Neuron. Right. So neuron what's our brain. Right. We're talking about a brain known neurodivergent. You know, I just. Saw that, you know, when I heard it, you know, was was the talk mode. I'm like, hey, that brought me to thinking a little bit differently on this one. And I'm that curious, you know, great that they deserve all the, everything they get.

 

00:15:40:05 - 00:16:12:14

Unknown

It's, I think obviously there's a lot of understanding with it. Obviously there's schools way more than access. And then what dyslexics have. But we have we're different from them. You know, so we are so buried by them now, we don't get in any of the dollars, their resources or, you know, we've talked about this, you know, on here, but the fact that it's, you know, narrow divergent goal wherever, you know, five days, that's our brain.

 

00:16:12:16 - 00:16:39:11

Unknown

That's just a position to be hereditary. Yeah. I think it just really separates these conversations. Bigger than, you know, than I ever thought. Yeah. No, it really does. I think the bigger the better for us. So we get more you know, this gets start getting some acknowledgment. But we we we never will if we continue to fall under the same umbrella as them.

 

00:16:39:12 - 00:16:59:12

Unknown

And as you just said, which I think I want people to really listen to that and really think about that is our brains are wired different. It's not something that happens in utero. It's not something that happens. Environmental and autism, where there studies science, it's not us coming up. It this it's not us making this up. It's science.

 

00:16:59:12 - 00:17:25:03

Unknown

There are science showing that there is something environmentally outside happening that changes the disposition of their brain. And there's going to be people that sometimes say like, well, okay, my uncle was autistic. And again, you could have a predisposition for it, but it's not that you are. It's not hereditary. It's like you could have like people can get a virus and it can trigger stuff, right?

 

00:17:25:03 - 00:17:41:08

Unknown

There's people can get a virus and they can get an auto immune. People can get a vaccine and get an autoimmune. People can get, you know, there's many different things that happen that you can trigger something in your body if it's lying dormant and it is in there. Right. Dyslexia. That's not what it is. You are born that way.

 

00:17:41:08 - 00:18:01:13

Unknown

We are born the second we come out. We are learning different. We're interpreting, we see things. You know, so is is is autistic. Yeah. Autism and auto immune. No I don't think so but I don't know. So that's we're also asking you guys questions. What are your brain. You know if you're if you're if you have it your brain's wired.

 

00:18:01:15 - 00:18:21:10

Unknown

Does it really. Does it rewire your brain like you know, it's not it's quite like I know a lot about autism and autism, but I don't know, I never really thought about, like, so does this cause of rewriting of the brain? I think it causes something different to happen in the brain. But is it from the brain or right?

 

00:18:21:10 - 00:18:44:09

Unknown

Is it? Who knows? And that's what we would. I would love to know more about that. And just like you said when Liz was talking, it was talking about that. I'm just like, all right. Just now, I've never thought about this way till just the other day. That's why I, you know, I pose this question because I really don't know what the four truth, what it is and how does it make me.

 

00:18:44:09 - 00:19:12:21

Unknown

Maybe the whole conversation is wrong. Maybe it does rewire brain instantly. I don't, you know, I truly don't know if you're if you have knowledge or you're a doctor or whatever and you have knowledge about this, we would love to know a little bit more. But what you said in the beginning is very true, though. It is like and that's it's just another reason why when people categorize things and make generalizations about certain, I mean, really anything certain races, certain styles.

 

00:19:12:21 - 00:19:32:19

Unknown

But yeah, we all we all do. It's not. So like, I guess this goes back, you know, to being, you know, it's education, you know, a self a little bit more on it, by asking those questions, I suppose, or because you're, you'll be very surprised of what the answers are going to be if you are not dyslexic.

 

00:19:32:21 - 00:19:55:20

Unknown

Right. And here's another question, because there are definitely, you know, people I've known and I've met them through the foundation and also met them through doing this work that have the five days. And then they're also on the spectrum, so they're ADHD. So that's the thing because this the that one article I read, you know, it's autism and ADHD that they, they talk about this.

 

00:19:55:22 - 00:20:21:21

Unknown

But again ADHD is hereditary right. So now is it if you have an environmental factor does your ADHD get worse. I mean you know is it is it? I know for myself I know what makes my ADHD worse. I know what makes it better, but is that the same sort of thing with autism like so yeah, ADHD some from what I've understand, people say it.

 

00:20:21:21 - 00:20:45:05

Unknown

That's the spectrum. But, autism has its own spectrum. But ADHD is a you know, it's a then when it's it's on the same sort of spectrum, but it's hereditary. So and a lot of times when you have one of the five DS which we put ADHD in there because, you know, we both have it and 80%, 40% of dyslexics do.

 

00:20:45:05 - 00:21:08:17

Unknown

So it's a high percentage. Right. And so how is that different than right? I mean, because because that article has it. So there's so much unknown there's so much out there. And that's that's is also what's so crazy is that we know so much about the brain. But do we really. Right. I know I've heard people reference the brain and say, we know less than you know, 10% know.

 

00:21:08:17 - 00:21:40:03

Unknown

All right. I go just going off with that. And I've heard that's true. Yeah. That's there's a lot of percentage untouched in the brain. And that's where the, the, knowledge base of having it leads and wins in these conversations. Because if you don't. See, you maybe studied, you got your masters in and we'll call whatever. And I'll never call your doctor.

 

00:21:40:05 - 00:22:09:17

Unknown

But there's a piece you don't know that you don't have that. We are, you know, speak a lot to it, but then you break it into the brain. That means, you know, like that much, right? And it's fascinating. And again, as we said, there's so much that everyone's dyslexia, everyone's experiences, everyone's upbringing, where they went to school, there's all there's so many different levels and factors, that you don't know.

 

00:22:09:17 - 00:22:35:13

Unknown

I mean, and the ADHD portion, you know, I mean, Korea is how many of them are getting, you know, diagnosed by their attention or, you know, just going to, you know, primary care doctor where it's like, okay, here's your five questions or you've got it right. Like, I, I disagree with that completely. Like, you know, that's some that shouldn't be going again.

 

00:22:35:13 - 00:22:56:09

Unknown

That's the brain, right? Should be getting diagnosed at pediatricians or primary care should be able to go next step for that. Right. Because they're also how many times have you heard, if I have it in a conversation or something in reference to ADHD, someone's like, oh, don't we all have ADHD? And I'm like, okay, well, yeah, a lot of people have attention issues.

 

00:22:56:09 - 00:23:25:10

Unknown

I am actually diagnosed like I have like there's a lot of things under the hood that you don't realize are associated with ADHD. And it's it's and it makes me a little crazy when people do that because I'm like, well, I'm, you know, it's because the accessibility of getting tested likes it by these people. Y'all, has made it a word that's out there, usually said easily, easily understood better.

 

00:23:25:12 - 00:23:47:06

Unknown

But then to that point is those comments come from, too many people shouldn't be diagnosed with it. Yeah. And that's a whole nother. That's a whole nother. That's a whole nother thing. So there's a lot there's a lot of things to think about what we just said. And so like, again, dyslexia awareness Month, ask questions and no question is stupid.

 

00:23:47:06 - 00:24:02:13

Unknown

If someone is comfortable with their dyslexia or comfortable enough, you can ask the question and I'll just bring it to that. Remember the person on the plane that said to me, I you know, before they knew I was dyslexic, they're like, you know, my son, I don't know, he went to a special school, but I don't know that he really ever was dyslexic.

 

00:24:02:13 - 00:24:18:14

Unknown

But it was back, you know, I think it was like in the 70s or 80s, whatever it was, he's like. And I walked into the class and everyone seemed really normal, like. And my, my son was fairly normal and I was like, sweet. You're saying like, the dyslexic kids are normal. And he's like, yeah, I mean, like, you wouldn't know that they had dyslexia.

 

00:24:18:14 - 00:24:35:22

Unknown

And I said to him, would you know that I had just like say. And he said, what? I said, yeah, I have four, you know, four of the five D's. I have two that are undiagnosed. But I know because they're diagnosed now, I mean, I like, you know, with my kids and all the work that I'm doing, and he said, oh, my God, you seem so like, like smart.

 

00:24:36:00 - 00:24:53:04

Unknown

And then he went, oh my God, I'm so sorry. And then I went, it's okay, I know what you're saying. So but that's where people don't understand. They assume you learn different or you got bad grades, that you're dumb or you learn differently. What do you hang from a ceiling upside down in the corner in the classroom? Real bad now.

 

00:24:53:05 - 00:25:20:18

Unknown

And yeah, yeah, I mean he was like, so oh my God. Wait, you don't see Mike. And I know Montgomery gets that all the time, right? And it's all it's just, The awareness and understanding of of it and, who's saying they know what they're doing and who's saying they're not, and. Oh, welcome to dyslexia. It's. Yeah.

 

00:25:20:20 - 00:25:36:10

Unknown

Okay. We're going to we're going to leave it at that. We're gonna leave with that. So you guys you know what to do like rate review and share. But find that find the community find and ask questions and learn a little bit about in this dyslexic awareness month. And then maybe share that knowledge that you learned with someone else that doesn't know.

 

00:25:36:10 - 00:25:51:15

Unknown

Because that's what our goal is in this, I mean, really all the time. But let's let's heighten it in October. So like rate review and share and see if it's Dyslexia Awareness Month. Yeah, exactly. For another episode of word blindness, dyslexia stands for.