Psychologist, psychoanalyst, best-selling author and television commentator Dr. Gail Saltz has a refreshingly different perspective when it comes to diversity. In her recently published book, “The power of different: the link between disorder and genius,” she makes a powerful and inspiring argument about the link between great talent (genius) and skills that are generally described as limitations or disorders.

[expand title=”Read more“] With a neuroscientific perspective, Dr. Saltz shows that the conditions that cause children and adults to struggle in school, the workplace and social situations are inextricably linked to their creative, artistic, empathic and cognitive abilities. She analyzes scientific research on the subject and, during Dyslexia Week, takes us through the stories of famous geniuses from the past and stories of people like you and me whose brains are wired differently.

She shows that these people are strongly inclined to look for their specific talents, are particularly resourceful when it comes to ways of coping with their disability and actively seek a (work) environment in which their specific talent can best be expressed. [/expand]

Dr. Karen Heij has been working at Bureau ICE as Managing Director after completing her studies in Applied Linguistics. Bureau ICE aims to provide honest insight into everyone’s development of knowledge and talent and develops products and services that support this vision.

[expand title=”Read more“] On April 21 she received her doctorate from the University of Technology as an external PhD student of the Netherlands School for Public Administration on her research into the attainment test for primary education (‘From the cat and the bell, counting and telling with the attainment test for primary education’). The final attainment test in primary education determines the life chances of children to a large extent. Early selection in the Netherlands is widely defended by pointing to the objectivity and fairness of the selection process. But to what extent is this true? In her dissertation Karen Heij investigated whether and to what extent the final test can realize its intended functions and what consequences the final test has for equality of opportunity and justice. In her lecture she will take you through her findings. What is interesting is to what extent the findings also apply to the final tests of dyslexics.[/expand]

When UK-born Marcia Brissett-Bailey was diagnosed with dyslexia as a 16-year-old, she went looking for more information about dyslexia, for a place to go with her questions and concerns about her dyslexia, for peers. Although she found that information and got in touch with others, she often felt misunderstood and never quite found the answers she needed there for the challenges she was facing.

[expand title=”Read more“] She soon realized that this was because dyslexia is really only viewed from 1 perspective: the white, middle-class perspective and that there was little attention paid to the challenges that dyslexics from minority groups, such as herself, face. Since then, she has been working to bring attention to the cultural perspective of dyslexia. One of the ways she does this is by looking for role models from minority groups.

As well as being an inspirational speaker, Marcia is a special educational needs and disability officer advisor to the council and has 15 years’ experience as a careers coach for 16 year olds and students. She is a co-founder of the Cultural Perspective Committee of the British Dyslexia Association.

During Dyslexia Week, Marcia joins Machil Deinum to discuss the cultural perspective of dyslexia.[/expand]

His whole life revolves around dyslexia. Even his name contains a misspelling due to his dyslexic father. His learning disability quartet of dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and ADD defined his entire school and college years. Through many wanderings, he earned two bachelor’s degrees after high school.

[expand title=”Read more“]Because of the mountain of negative experiences he had and the fear of failure that resulted, he did not dare to take on a master. Something that still bothers him today.

Machil Deinum works at the Hogeschool Utrecht as a policy advisor in the field of studying+ (studying with a disability). There he uses his experience expertise to search within the organization and together with students+ for the most inclusive form of higher education.

Furthermore, Machil is a (freelance) journalist for several media. At the moment he mainly writes about dyslexia and studying+ related topics. A few articles about dyslexia have been published in the magazine and on the website of Impuls&Woortblind.

One of the articles he is most proud of is “Dyslexia and people with a migration background”. As a youth worker, Machil worked with young people of different learning levels. They had been referred on the basis of a range of diagnoses including dyslexia. But not a single child from a migrant background turned out to have that diagnosis. How could that be? He dove in and stumbled upon an example of unintentional discrimination. During Dyslexia Week, he will update you on his research and talk to Marcia Brissett-Bailey about the cultural perspective of dyslexia.[/expand]

Angela Fawcett once started looking into dyslexia when her son was diagnosed with dyslexia. She was told that her son was not trying hard enough and needed a kick in the pants. Professor Angela Fawcett has since become a leading international researcher on dyslexia and other developmental disorders, making a wide range of theoretical and practical contributions.

[expand title=”Read more“]Typically, her approach is broad and interdisciplinary: from child and cognitive development, to education-related screening and interventions, to developmental cognitive neuroscience. She also holds various positions in her field, including Professor at Swansea and Sheffield University, Research Advisor to the Dyslexia Association Singapore and Vice President of the British Dyslexia Association. She is also directly involved with Dyslexia, an international journal of research and practice: from 2004-2010 as editor-in-chief and since then as executive editor.

In her great work, her motivation is: to make sure that dyslexics recognize and use their strengths and that they do not fall victim to their challenges. During Dyslexia Week, Professor Fawcett will reflect on what stress does to dyslexics. A recognizable story in which you as a parent, teacher and dyslexic gain many new insights. [/expand]

Professor John Stein is a leading researcher and professor at the University of Oxford. He has specialized in research into the visual, auditory and genetic basis of dyslexia.

[expand title=”Read more“] Together with Dr Sue Fowler he founded the Dyslexia Research Trust which encourages and supports scientific research into (the causes of) dyslexia. The most prominent research is that into the magnocellular theory which assumes that dyslexia is the result of a deficit in auditory and visual temporal information processing skills. In addition, the Trust is committed to ensuring that people with reading difficulties (particularly young children) get the best out of themselves. Professor Stein will talk more about this during Dyslexia Week.[/expand]

Milene Bonte is professor at Maastricht University in cognitive neuroscience and does brain research on language development in children with and without reading disabilities. She is also one of the task force members of NeurolabNL within the theme Education. She noticed that not all children with reading difficulties benefited equally from the dyslexia interventions.

[expand title=”Read more“] Professor Bonte therefore considers it very important to gain more insight into the individual development of these children. For this purpose further research is needed with a large number of children with and without dyslexia, from the beginning, or even prior to the reading development, with different behavioral measures and brain scanning techniques. In this way the reading intervention can not only be personalized, but also more insight into, for example, early indicators of reading problems will follow. Another important goal is to broaden her reading and dyslexia research, for example by including factors such as self-confidence and motivation. A very interesting and for many an important new twist in dyslexia research! During the Week of Dyslexia she will tell us more about the latter.[/expand]

Professor Amanda Kirby was a family physician until one of her children was diagnosed with dyspraxia. Her search for the best support in the education and care system became a frustrating journey through an almost impenetrable jungle of rules and impossibilities. She heard a lot of “no,” “can’t” or “you shouldn’t be with us for that.”

[expand title=”Read more“]She decided to change her career as a GP and to share her experience and knowledge of the jungle with other parents (and children). Thus was born, already 25 years ago, an interdisciplinary center from which mainly practical support is offered to neurodiverse children (and later adults), where she shares her experience and insights and from where she works with passion to raise awareness.

Professor Kirby is a professor at the University of South Wales, where she is known for her scientific research and for her work in the clinic. She lectures worldwide on neurodiversity. She has written nine books, both for children, for parents and for health and education professionals.

Today she is a director of DO-IT solutions, a socially engaged company that develops customized software that supports neurodiverse children and adults in a broad context (education, prisons, workplace), within its own borders but also far beyond.

Be inspired by her experience and knowledge in the field of neurodiversity and the broad picture of dyslexia. Plus her practical approach is directly applicable and a must see for parents, partners, teachers and employers.[/expand]