S5E13: Dyslexia Doesn't Stop at School

In this episode, Brent and Juliet discuss the realities of dyslexia, the importance of awareness, and how societal perceptions and school systems impact those with dyslexia. They explore the significance of understanding, accommodations, and the ongoing fight for better resources and recognition.

 

Chapters

 

00:00 Introduction and episode overview

02:05 The significance of Dyslexia Awareness Month

04:07 Legislation and resources for dyslexic support

05:54 The symbolism of the color red in dyslexia awareness

08:00 Challenges faced by students transitioning to college

10:02 The importance of early intervention and support

12:00 Misconceptions about dyslexia in schools

14:01 The need for ongoing accommodations and understanding

16:04 Personal stories and real-life struggles

17:49 The societal perception of dyslexia and support systems

19:59 The future of dyslexia awareness and advocacy

 

Transcript

 

00:00:09:22 - 00:00:32:10

Unknown

Yeah, but don't you have, like, some leaves falling in, like, some different leaves? Fall. But this weekend was like Friday was 77. Yesterday was it was like 77, 80, 82. Supposed to be like 81 today. Well, you guess wasn't the Chicago Marathon because I saw some people running it with really all those idiots were running. Yeah. Like yeah.

 

00:00:32:11 - 00:01:02:06

Unknown

And it was really warm. Yeah. Not me. No. There's not something that's ever competitors of I am with like that kind of stuff. Running a marathon sounds like this is not a running body. Never has and never will be. I was a sprinter, but not a long distance runner. I think my internet is weird. Okay, so we're we're taping on Columbus Day, Indigenous Day, however, Thanksgiving.

 

00:01:02:07 - 00:01:17:17

Unknown

Let's just. And I was gonna say that way, am I did you lead with that? Sorry. Because I wanted you to tease. And then I was gonna. I wanted you to say what you were going to say, and then I was going to switch it and be like, but it's your Thanksgiving, see? Fucked up my my whole intro.

 

00:01:17:19 - 00:01:42:11

Unknown

My wife won't cook the heart and gizzards on the turkey, though. Oh, and you like those, right? Oh. So good. Yeah. You liked it. Yummy. Yeah. Gross. My sister Elizabeth, when she was little, that's like, was her favorite thing. My grandfather used to save those for her. Me too. Yeah, it's a little weird. But aren't we all?

 

00:01:42:12 - 00:01:46:19

Unknown

We all. We all have stuff.

 

00:01:46:21 - 00:01:50:04

Unknown

This weekend.

 

00:01:50:06 - 00:02:01:22

Unknown

And even, like. I mean, since we last recorded, I think this will still be going out. Dyslexic awareness month. I feel like we've had. So.

 

00:02:02:00 - 00:02:11:20

Unknown

It's like interesting the waves of things. Right. Like school as we talk like New York is just. Yeah, like a month in, which is kind of crazy.

 

00:02:11:22 - 00:02:33:08

Unknown

People are reaching out. People are saying, thank you for the podcast. People are saying thank you for the dyslexic star boxes. And if you're like, what are those? Go to the website. You can see them. So many people just feel seen and are like sharing it more, which was really it's nice. It's nice. That's. Yeah, that's why we do it.

 

00:02:33:09 - 00:02:38:15

Unknown

That's why we always, you know, as a dyslexic.

 

00:02:38:17 - 00:02:42:17

Unknown

You know, you never seen and heard.

 

00:02:42:19 - 00:03:09:12

Unknown

And obviously, you know that's what the dyslexic smart you know boxes forward is to be seen, be heard. Feel it feel special because that's something we never do, you know, because we had beaten down in class. And, obviously there's more podcasts out there. And, you know, the word dyslexia is being thrown around a lot more. Yeah.

 

00:03:09:14 - 00:03:28:12

Unknown

So people are starting to listen more in certain trying to understand a little bit more. And I guess the people that are getting diagnosed now, there's resources out there to to learn what that is. I think that's the one that's I think that's the I don't think dyslexia is in a better place today than it was 30 years ago.

 

00:03:28:13 - 00:03:44:06

Unknown

Not even close. Actually I would probably would say it's worse. But the one thing that is there's some places out there where you can get the information. Yes.

 

00:03:44:08 - 00:04:06:21

Unknown

You know, so that's and that's why we do the podcast and that's why, you know, we talk about it and we, we, we keep it real with our issues, because we live in one still living and it's not, you know, kind of made up, you know, I had a conversation the other day. I'm getting not a message about the legislation that's being put in from the Dyslexia Act.

 

00:04:06:23 - 00:04:13:06

Unknown

Oh, my God, this is awesome. No it's not.

 

00:04:13:08 - 00:04:27:12

Unknown

No it's not. You gotta look into it a little bit more. You gotta understand it a little bit more. There's nowhere in that act where kids are getting diagnosed.

 

00:04:27:14 - 00:04:52:19

Unknown

You know? So we could dive into that and, you know, you know, later on. But it was all the information is out there. That's why we we do what we do and why we talk about it. And, you know, obviously Dyslexia Awareness Month, shouldn't be a month. It should be through 65 because there isn't a day that, we get relief from this, right?

 

00:04:52:20 - 00:05:18:13

Unknown

Oh, can you share how how you found out the color? Because we've talked about that. Right. Is it's interesting. So I was talking to Jared. We were catching up and know how things are and talk about being dyslexic wearing this month. I'm like, who picks read and like, why read? He's like, well, I don't know who picked it, but I know why.

 

00:05:18:15 - 00:05:27:14

Unknown

And he said, because of all the red marks, you know, the teacher uses a red pen to grade papers.

 

00:05:27:16 - 00:05:50:21

Unknown

You know, so that's why they picked that, that one. And he said, also, somebody picked up some people do gray and it's in gray. I, I don't know if I have. No, I haven't because a brain matter you know, the brain matter in your, in your brain, I'm like and that's the whole point of this lecture, right?

 

00:05:50:22 - 00:06:12:07

Unknown

Like we're trying to get so creative that nobody even understands it. Right, right. The red though I like that I'm in red is my favorite color first of all. So I liked that for the start. Yeah that's right. Here we go. See. Well that's that's the point of word of selection. We still didn't have the understanding to that.

 

00:06:12:09 - 00:06:37:15

Unknown

Like right. Because no one right. No one talks about it. It's just like nobody talks about it. And you know it's all right. Like obviously, you know we talk about this all the time October you know save the booby month right. Breast cancer pink everywhere you see and I fell or when watched a friend's daughter play play and they all had pink, you know, that's that's all you see we're going to do for lacrosse to.

 

00:06:37:16 - 00:07:04:01

Unknown

Yeah. Yeah. They're getting to Worf and fellows. Got guys got pink everywhere. Like, this is what October is. So trying to compete with something like that, we're never going to win. But to pick something that has a red color, people would never call. Correlate. Yeah, correlate. Thank you. The bread with pen. You know, with the teacher marking.

 

00:07:04:03 - 00:07:34:12

Unknown

Right. Because they didn't get the red and get the red marks. Right. And again I hate school. So I know I got shut down when it when it comes to anything that. Why couldn't we just make it you know some crazy. So it catches your attention that's you know it's got get to ask questions and like why would you do I'd be you know for me be some like, you know, something crazy neon.

 

00:07:34:13 - 00:07:54:22

Unknown

Right, right. Just to. Yeah. Just so people would ask a question like, you know, you know, I see I think, you know, the, you know, like, you know, certain places they're using red lights, but nobody knows what that is like. There's no correlation with that. Like, how is that drawing attention to dyslexia awareness. Well and that's the thing like talking about it.

 

00:07:54:22 - 00:08:10:12

Unknown

Right. But the during this month I've also seen like a just a day. Then I saw a dyslexic day and I was like you know and we we've talked about we can we can pull out like and we're going to talk about it, we're going to say maybe don't a day. Right. I don't know what day. I'm sure.

 

00:08:10:12 - 00:08:40:16

Unknown

Right. Right now there's like five days, 100%. There's always something. But I think you what you said is I think the red is actually like, okay, that's clever, but like, it needs to be talked about, like it needs to be the why. Right. The why we talk about the why. It's it was interesting. This weekend I was with my sister and Shiela with a bunch of my nephews and, and talking about college and stuff, and it's really as much as like elementary school.

 

00:08:40:18 - 00:09:02:00

Unknown

They talk about, oh, they're doing so much for a reading intervention, and we're doing so much right. Like, you could talk about the different ages of people where they will say, or the different states, like, oh, yes, this is you know, they're talking about dyslexia and oh, I get this and you'll run into people that really will say, oh, my school's doing it now.

 

00:09:02:00 - 00:09:25:14

Unknown

These are the people that don't completely understand the struggle. Right? But on the college level, talking now to a number of different people in the college level with their accommodations, it is like it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because guess what? Life is hard and you're going to have to figure it out. So we're not going. You're going to have to fight extra hard to get your accommodations and keep your accommodations, and no one's there.

 

00:09:25:14 - 00:09:44:07

Unknown

So that's where it's so important for the understanding and us talking about it. Because that kid, then when they get to college and how many of them do right. How many of them? I actually was talking to my one nephew and he goes, angels. I'm not going to he's he go and I, we actually I was like, well honey, it's a law.

 

00:09:44:08 - 00:10:01:22

Unknown

They have to follow it. And he's like, you don't understand. He's like it. And and his just is really getting in his way. And I was like, okay, but you have to fight for it. And he got like frustrated. And he was like, I'm like, it's not that easy. Like in Montgomery was there, you know, he's like, it's not like where someone can it's not.

 

00:10:01:23 - 00:10:16:07

Unknown

He's like, they don't get it. It's like old school. The school was 19 or the 1716. Like it doesn't matter. They don't give a shit. They don't care. Shit. And I was like, yeah, but honey, it's the law. And can we talk about this more? And then he definitely was like, I am not talking about this anymore with you.

 

00:10:16:07 - 00:10:31:01

Unknown

And Montgomery just kind of started laughing. But I was like, yeah, but honey, I'm. And even my sister was kind of like, you just you gotta let him do it. But I was like, well, no, I want like, this is there has to be a person that's in the accommodations office. You have to be able to do it.

 

00:10:31:01 - 00:10:51:05

Unknown

It is the law. And he's like, I'm sure there is. But they're going to make it so much harder. I'm going to have to like it's going to be. And I'm right now trying to stay afloat. Like, I can't be fighting with that too. And I was like, oh, I get it. Like I get it. But that's like, it's as much as we talk about, oh, the advancements then, like if you had it if you were a kid.

 

00:10:51:06 - 00:10:58:15

Unknown

Okay, let's just talk about this. If you were a kid that was diagnosed early.

 

00:10:58:17 - 00:11:25:04

Unknown

Got the intervention, see it as a superpower and, you know, have the struggles, but you have like it's like, okay, I get it, right. You had the teachers that helped. Maybe you went to a dyslexic school, maybe this and that, and then you go to university and they're like, yeah, no, I don't anything that you do. It's like again, yeah, it's real life, but it doesn't need to be made this hard.

 

00:11:25:04 - 00:11:41:05

Unknown

If someone needs an accommodation to even the playing field, like you don't need to be like, these professors are like, sorry. Yeah. We all, you know, we all have our struggles and stuff. They don't fucking get it. No, they don't get it. But you know.

 

00:11:41:07 - 00:12:05:10

Unknown

You you know, you talk about you guys are talking about elementary and stuff like, oh, our school is just like school. What is that? What does that mean? Right. They maybe like because because we we just had this, you know, just recently. Right. So, somebody moved, right. And moved states and they said they're dyslexic school. But then they asked questions.

 

00:12:05:11 - 00:12:31:09

Unknown

What? You know, okay. Our kid is dyslexic. What does that mean? Well, you only get you get an intervention. You know, and it does. You're reading this, this and this. Oh, that's not helping, right? That's not good. So just because and that's where everybody thinks because the word dyslexia is getting thrown around more that it's good.

 

00:12:31:11 - 00:12:41:02

Unknown

Nine and a half to nine and three quarters times out of ten it's not. It's just a buzzword.

 

00:12:41:04 - 00:13:09:19

Unknown

It's making it look good. We've got this okay. Really. Let's let's dive into it a little bit more since we have some understanding behind this, what does that mean? And the individual now we're referencing is very, you know, obviously is dyslexic and is very influential and knows as dyslexic world stuff because that's what he does every day. He's like, what do you mean that that's not what it's supposed to be.

 

00:13:10:01 - 00:13:15:00

Unknown

It's not about, you know, so.

 

00:13:15:02 - 00:13:51:06

Unknown

He'll college are assholes. Professors are. I've never met a nice professor. Sure there is. You know me, you know. Here I go. But you know, somebody come and go. We had this, you know, Lyla or I had to get involved. And you're a professor. You're. You're smarter than everybody. I do it my way. So you do it your way, and the kids have to, adapt to your way because you're always the best.

 

00:13:51:07 - 00:14:23:02

Unknown

Oh, okay. Okay. Not that, you know, that's great. Yeah. So, yeah, every college is going to have the, you know, you know, have a place to go, but you want to make it that tough. They're lucky that didn't run into me more, right? There'd be more bodies buried that well. But this is the thing. So like, every point that you just brought up and I'm talking about.

 

00:14:23:04 - 00:14:43:11

Unknown

And I'll paint this scenario and I know you'll you'll talk about this, but your kid gets diagnosed. The school is the one that says, hey, I think we, you know, we have something. The parent, maybe he's not dyslexic. And they're like, okay. Oh, wow. Okay. Oh, the child's getting some, you know, Wilton. Well, or Gillingham or Wilson in the school.

 

00:14:43:12 - 00:15:01:02

Unknown

Right. And that and the kids like, okay, you know, I'm making progress and the teachers, like, they're doing great, and it's like, okay. And the parents like, this is great. I'm, you know, the school work, they have someone that's helping them with their homework. They're lessening their homework. They're following the things that, you know, maybe someone said, and they're doing this all through the school.

 

00:15:01:02 - 00:15:21:23

Unknown

They didn't go outside to get the neuroscience right. And they're like, no, my school has like, they're on it, right? And then there's always the time when school gets harder and we always know and it's like, you know what? I'm I'm I'm happy for those parents and children. That and I shouldn't say the children because you're going to appreciate this.

 

00:15:21:23 - 00:15:41:05

Unknown

But I'm happy for the parents that they're not feeling the anxiety and stress and that they're like, oh, my kids being taken care of. Now the kid is sitting there in school and they're getting the help, but they feel different. They're still struggling, they're getting frustrated, things are getting harder and harder, and then they're getting more frustrated and more frustrated.

 

00:15:41:05 - 00:16:01:03

Unknown

And then all of a sudden they're in the harder grades. And then the parents like, well, wait a second. I thought that, like, your dyslexia was like, what is the word? What do you mean remediated? Remediated? And they're like, because the school helped, right? And then you go back to the school and you're like, well, excuse me. They, they, they passed all these like, right.

 

00:16:01:04 - 00:16:29:23

Unknown

They, they got all these check marks. You said that that they were okay. And that's when. Yeah, they had it. But dyslexia is it doesn't matter how much support and all of that you have. As things gets harder, there's going to things that need to be adjusted. And when it's not the understanding behind it, that kid that has been like, okay, I'm going along kind of unaware because it's I'm young and it's like, oh, this doesn't feel great, but you know what?

 

00:16:30:01 - 00:16:52:16

Unknown

I'm doing, okay. I'm having my friends, I'm hanging out, right? And then all of a sudden it gets harder and harder and that kid is like, well, we just second now, what's wrong with me? Why is this not why am I, you know, and and then it's like that parent understands. I mean, I can't how many middle school parents do we work with that they're like, well, wait a second, this is what it was, right?

 

00:16:52:18 - 00:17:17:13

Unknown

You were lucky. You were one of the lucky ones. Well, you know, I just think of just as as you change, you know, you know, as a kid and, you know, every year you got to buy, buy new clothes, right? Because you're because you're growing. So, you know, so is your deluxe dyslexia, right? So just you're changing your wardrobes or, you know, your clothes or your shoes or, you know, using that as a reference.

 

00:17:17:19 - 00:17:28:20

Unknown

Your dyslexia is changing because you know, you're getting older and things are getting different. And there always has to be there always has to be adjustments. And.

 

00:17:28:22 - 00:17:50:00

Unknown

Nothing stays the same. And being dyslexic is always there's always a struggle, right? You go from and let's go from middle school to high school. Oh my God, I'm in the big school. Right, y'all? I'm on my own lockers. All y'all. All that kind of stuff. At least that was that was for me. I'm the holy shit.

 

00:17:50:00 - 00:18:06:19

Unknown

And I got to remember a combination. Yeah, I never I always had my books because I never could remember. My God, I never could do it. But. So now you're. There's another thing you got to worry about, you know? And then I got to get here and then this and that. Those are exact same things that we we fight every day.

 

00:18:06:19 - 00:18:25:05

Unknown

And, you know, being a dyslexic and then. Okay, now, now start dating as a kid. Right. It's hard enough. It is while being dyslexic, we think differently. You know, obviously, I'm still been known as a weird guy. Like, you're such a weirdo, right? Things that you did. All right. That's. That was my dyslexia. How did you get around things?

 

00:18:25:05 - 00:18:45:00

Unknown

How do I go? Like, how do I navigate? How are they going to do this or how to do this? You know, the one thing I do get all the time is, you know, dyslexia. We know we we're different, right? We don't fit in. And then we'll try and be cool and try and do cool things. Right. Trying to be funny, trying to fit in, trying to figure.

 

00:18:45:03 - 00:19:10:04

Unknown

And then you know what what what we think is, you know, trying to be funny and make, you know, my teammates laugh or, you know, you know, now kids have the group Snapchat or whatever, and you're like, what are you talking about? Like just stopping dumb, right? And then you get then you're just trying to fit in and then you go back and then now you're being dumb and then, you know, but as annoying as everything I just said, that's our world.

 

00:19:10:06 - 00:19:13:07

Unknown

00:19:13:09 - 00:19:27:12

Unknown

Came on grace is. Yeah. She's. Yeah she's in rare form this morning and she gets after we're done. That's I, we get to go to the vet. Let's go. Let's keep a here's a.

 

00:19:27:14 - 00:19:34:07

Unknown

Some rushes. She's been beating to our own drum.

 

00:19:34:09 - 00:20:03:06

Unknown

She fits in. Oh yeah. In this house 100%. She, she had an attitude yesterday. Put a little, tick and, Neck collar, and that smells all the time. Yeah. She was not happy about that. Yeah. Central oils around it. Yeah. She was she was not. Yeah. She wouldn't come near us, you know, back to us. Yeah.

 

00:20:03:06 - 00:20:31:17

Unknown

Yeah. Oh, my gosh, that's so funny. Dogs. Dogs are funny. But I mean, just as you said, like it is, it's one of those things that there are people that talk about it. They say there's more that's out there, but when we really all think about where we are and the kid in the chair, the kid in the chair is still drowning on days, you know, maybe not every day, maybe not every day, because it's like, oh, someone talked about dyslexia.

 

00:20:31:17 - 00:20:56:12

Unknown

Well, you know what? But it it it builds up and as we're, we're going to talk about our five D collective, which this is probably gone out afterwards. But what it's like to be an adult with dyslexia and then in the real world and the thing that you mentioned and then I'm going to leave it at that. But one of the things that's interesting, when the kid, you know, we talked about, like how Montgomery can memorize everything, right?

 

00:20:56:12 - 00:21:14:15

Unknown

And like he's like, oh, wish I had that skill. Still. I'm like, great, but you have real life in your head now. Like, yeah. And it has, you know, with, with with Truman. I remember him never being stressed or me asking Dan, like when you were little, were you like, kind of like never stressed and just everything. He's like, yeah, no, I didn't have anxiety.

 

00:21:14:15 - 00:21:32:15

Unknown

And I'm like, oh, that's so nice. I mean, you know, some of us are just born with it, right? But or the tendency to have it and he's like, yeah, I didn't have any like worry until like I got older. And then really when I was in charge of a family, you know, he's like, even when I was in my 20s, it's just like all of those things pile up and that's in your brain.

 

00:21:32:15 - 00:21:55:01

Unknown

And. Yeah, but, you know, and we don't have to worry, but a lot of times is we don't know how we have that feeling. We don't know what that feeling is, how to articulate, you know, saying, oh, I've never worried and stressed, again, we'll put it back, you know, on me. You know, I always had to be hours early like I was at the game.

 

00:21:55:01 - 00:22:17:20

Unknown

If I didn't do this, I didn't do this. If I didn't go this way, if I didn't do this, and that's it. Oh, totally. Now I can look back, you know. So I had it for, for years without knowing what it was. Yeah. Now, now I guess obviously I can correlate That's why like you know, why did the deal.

 

00:22:17:22 - 00:22:43:00

Unknown

Now I know what I'm doing. So you know when you're two and three years old, four years old, five, you know you're just kid, you don't have life like you don't have those worries. But there's certain things you start doing and you don't know why. You know, you just do them and you don't correlate until you get older and going, so there was, you know, there was more to what I was doing and why.

 

00:22:43:01 - 00:23:01:22

Unknown

But, you know, kids, that's why, you know, they can go and have the energy and they got nothing in their head, nothing else in their head. Right. But there are kids that are more anxious kids, period. Right. Like, I mean, I Montgomery is like an anxious don't even know they they know they are they didn't but they didn't.

 

00:23:01:23 - 00:23:16:04

Unknown

They can't verbalize that. They don't know what you know what that is. Right? Like I used to feel my mom would say. You would say my heart skipped a beat and she'd be like, okay, I'm sure you're fine. Oh, maybe I'm having, you know, like there's I know I was like, so in tune to my body, I felt everything.

 

00:23:16:05 - 00:23:32:11

Unknown

Oh my God, I could feel it, I still do. It's so really. Oh, I skipped a peak. Yeah, I could feel that when I was little. And I would say I could feel my. Or like, you know, when your heart like, flutters. No. Yeah, well, I can feel all of that. I can feel everything that moves inside my mind.

 

00:23:32:12 - 00:23:51:12

Unknown

It's really. It's. There's all the drugs and they've never, you know. Oh, I could feel all those two, but meaning I never my heart, you know, even when my heart was the highest I've recorded. My heartbeat was 210 beats. Right. Let's save.

 

00:23:51:14 - 00:24:08:10

Unknown

That's insane. But I'm saying some kids are more in tuned to. But. Right. They don't have a word to it. But as a parent, you could tell, oh, there's an anxious kid versus none like Truman and Dan were not anxious. They were like, oh, this is great. Like it was great. Penelope and Montgomery probably had a little bit more.

 

00:24:08:12 - 00:24:26:15

Unknown

Penelope was more internal, which she didn't like. Now she was like, oh yeah, I was anxious about this and that. Montgomery was like me would talk about, well, what if I remember Truman one time saying, like, you know, when you're like flying an airplane or Montgomery flying an airplane? Well, what if this happens? Like, what if the bird goes in the motor and it was like, well, it would stop.

 

00:24:26:15 - 00:24:43:08

Unknown

Well, if it stops, what happens? Well, we would crash, you know, like he I remember Montgomery asking that and then being like, well, does that ever happen? And then we didn't like, you know, well, it's very rare. But you know, then he would ask when we got an airplane, but then you were like, okay, well, you can't talk about he's not going, then he's going to be anxious, not get an airplane.

 

00:24:43:08 - 00:25:08:00

Unknown

So you had to be very like, oh, that doesn't happen. That's in the movies, right? Because they would see it anyways. So it's just an interesting thing. But there is progress. But we as a community of dyslexics need to continue to talk, to talk to the kids, talk to the parents. And that's why we do this. And every Monday and blabber.

 

00:25:08:02 - 00:25:36:20

Unknown

Favorite thing to do. And let's reconvene on a color. What color do you think would stand out to get them to ask a question like? Ask, why did you pick obviously neon pink obviously breast cancer. Right. So it's when I would be out there. Yeah we'll think about that. So everyone listening send us messages. Thank you for joining.

 

00:25:36:21 - 00:25:49:23

Unknown

Word blindness dyslexia exposed. You know what to do like review and share. And if we're still in October, even if we're not donate Sobel Foundation. It helps us be able to do what we do and help the people that we do.