00:00:17.200 --> 00:00:19.910
In 1896, Dr. W.

00:00:19.910 --> 00:00:21.720
Pringle Morgan published the

00:00:21.720 --> 00:00:23.370
first description of dyslexia

00:00:23.370 --> 00:00:25.360
in the English language,

00:00:25.360 --> 00:00:27.010
the case of a 14-year-old

00:00:27.010 --> 00:00:29.190
boy named Percy.

00:00:29.190 --> 00:00:30.270
Despite seven years

00:00:30.270 --> 00:00:31.540
of instruction,

00:00:31.540 --> 00:00:32.830
Percy could only read at

00:00:32.830 --> 00:00:34.860
the most basic level,

00:00:34.860 --> 00:00:35.920
even though his teachers

00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:37.340
believed him to be the smartest

00:00:37.340 --> 00:00:38.980
lad in the school.

00:00:38.980 --> 00:00:40.450
Since then,

00:00:40.450 --> 00:00:42.880
research on dyslexia has focused

00:00:42.880 --> 00:00:44.805
almost entirely on discovering

00:00:44.805 --> 00:00:46.280
the nature of the problem that

00:00:46.280 --> 00:00:48.130
prevented Percy and other

00:00:48.130 --> 00:00:50.000
individuals with dyslexia

00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:52.104
from learning to read.

00:00:52.105 --> 00:00:53.265
There has been little attention

00:00:53.265 --> 00:00:55.160
paid to why many individuals

00:00:55.160 --> 00:00:57.380
with dyslexia possess remarkable

00:00:57.380 --> 00:00:59.200
strengths and creativity,

00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:01.150
innovation and problem-solving,

00:01:01.150 --> 00:01:02.900
and are prominently represented

00:01:02.900 --> 00:01:04.358
among the greatest creative

00:01:04.360 --> 00:01:07.200
minds of our time.

00:01:09.220 --> 00:01:10.610
If I could talk to my dyslexia,

00:01:10.610 --> 00:01:11.900
I would tell it how much I love

00:01:11.900 --> 00:01:13.570
it and how much I appreciate it.

00:01:13.570 --> 00:01:16.350
I am my dyslexia and everything

00:01:16.350 --> 00:01:17.630
that I am to this day is

00:01:17.630 --> 00:01:18.920
owed to my dyslexia.

00:01:18.920 --> 00:01:19.910
Dyslexia,

00:01:19.910 --> 00:01:21.550
beyond a shadow of a doubt,

00:01:21.550 --> 00:01:23.040
has made my career.

00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:24.315
Without dyslexia,

00:01:24.315 --> 00:01:25.620
I would not be a filmmaker,

00:01:25.620 --> 00:01:26.280
I would not be the

00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:27.220
artist that I am,

00:01:27.220 --> 00:01:27.760
I would not be the

00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:29.155
person that I am.

00:01:29.155 --> 00:01:30.540
If somebody came up to me and

00:01:30.540 --> 00:01:32.870
said, "Hey, Jack," bink,

00:01:32.870 --> 00:01:34.940
"I have this magic wand,

00:01:34.940 --> 00:01:36.535
and with one stroke,"

00:01:36.535 --> 00:01:39.000
"I could cure your dyslexia.

00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:40.560
Would you like me to do that for

00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:44.480
you?" I would run from this

00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:46.350
person as fast as I

00:01:46.350 --> 00:01:47.370
possibly could.

00:01:47.370 --> 00:01:49.350
This is not a disease.

00:01:49.350 --> 00:01:49.940
It's a gift.

00:01:52.260 --> 00:01:54.000
These statements may not align

00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:55.540
with the traditional view,

00:01:55.540 --> 00:01:56.830
but the people sharing them

00:01:56.830 --> 00:01:58.980
don't deny that being dyslexic

00:01:58.980 --> 00:02:02.800
creates significant challenges.

00:02:02.800 --> 00:02:04.985
The hardest years for dyslexics

00:02:04.985 --> 00:02:06.870
is usually elementary school

00:02:06.870 --> 00:02:08.239
when you're trying to learn how

00:02:08.239 --> 00:02:09.554
to read and sort of learn those

00:02:09.555 --> 00:02:11.270
basic language and writing

00:02:11.270 --> 00:02:13.470
skills. From there,

00:02:13.470 --> 00:02:14.730
I developed a sense,

00:02:14.730 --> 00:02:16.730
a real sense that I needed to

00:02:16.730 --> 00:02:18.530
hide this part of myself and I

00:02:18.530 --> 00:02:20.060
needed to do everything

00:02:20.060 --> 00:02:21.830
I could to appear

00:02:21.830 --> 00:02:27.620
not slow, to appear normal.

00:02:31.560 --> 00:02:33.465
After all those spelling

00:02:33.465 --> 00:02:35.360
tests coming back with

00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:37.390
just check marks,

00:02:37.390 --> 00:02:39.240
red check marks,

00:02:39.240 --> 00:02:41.620
after sitting there and watching

00:02:41.620 --> 00:02:45.450
all my classmates be able to,

00:02:45.450 --> 00:02:46.760
to do

00:02:46.760 --> 00:02:48.350
their,

00:02:48.350 --> 00:02:49.275
their multiplication

00:02:49.275 --> 00:02:51.300
tables from memory,

00:02:51.300 --> 00:02:53.160
the easiest explanation

00:02:53.160 --> 00:02:55.310
for this is that there

00:02:55.310 --> 00:02:56.165
must be dumb kids,

00:02:56.165 --> 00:02:59.540
and I guess I'm one of those.

00:03:04.060 --> 00:03:05.900
I first learned I had dyslexia

00:03:05.900 --> 00:03:07.510
immediately after my first

00:03:07.510 --> 00:03:08.450
step examination,

00:03:08.450 --> 00:03:09.450
which is our licensing

00:03:09.450 --> 00:03:11.190
examination in medicine.

00:03:11.190 --> 00:03:12.380
I was studying, you know,

00:03:12.380 --> 00:03:13.400
14-hour days,

00:03:13.400 --> 00:03:14.390
just kind of sitting in front

00:03:14.390 --> 00:03:15.370
of the step guides,

00:03:15.370 --> 00:03:16.390
reading cover to cover,

00:03:16.390 --> 00:03:17.990
learning each concept over

00:03:17.990 --> 00:03:18.870
and over and over again,

00:03:18.870 --> 00:03:19.700
not really retaining

00:03:19.700 --> 00:03:21.130
as much as I can.

00:03:21.130 --> 00:03:24.310
So what is dyslexia really?

00:03:24.310 --> 00:03:27.170
A disorder? A gift?

00:03:27.170 --> 00:03:28.445
Or might dyslexia,

00:03:28.445 --> 00:03:29.835
in different ways and

00:03:29.835 --> 00:03:31.270
at different times,

00:03:31.270 --> 00:03:32.640
be a little of both?

00:03:32.640 --> 00:03:33.640
Nautilus, Nautilus,

00:03:33.640 --> 00:03:35.870
this is Bob Ballard. Come in,

00:03:35.870 --> 00:03:36.820
please.

00:03:36.820 --> 00:03:38.205
That's the question learning

00:03:38.205 --> 00:03:40.330
experts Fernette and Brock Eide

00:03:40.330 --> 00:03:42.410
started asking when they noticed

00:03:42.410 --> 00:03:43.795
something interesting about the

00:03:43.795 --> 00:03:45.730
families with dyslexia who

00:03:45.730 --> 00:03:46.780
visited their clinic

00:03:46.780 --> 00:03:49.380
near Seattle.

00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:54.330
Even though we were seeing the

00:03:54.330 --> 00:03:55.580
same problems with reading and

00:03:55.580 --> 00:03:57.585
spelling over and over again,

00:03:57.585 --> 00:03:58.800
we were also seeing similar

00:03:58.800 --> 00:04:00.305
patterns of strengths,

00:04:00.305 --> 00:04:01.420
like strengths in spatial

00:04:01.420 --> 00:04:02.665
reasoning and creative

00:04:02.665 --> 00:04:04.330
problem-solving.

00:04:04.330 --> 00:04:05.260
In science,

00:04:05.260 --> 00:04:06.285
when you see two things

00:04:06.285 --> 00:04:07.125
occurring together

00:04:07.125 --> 00:04:08.360
again and again,

00:04:08.360 --> 00:04:09.460
you begin to wonder whether

00:04:09.460 --> 00:04:10.460
those things are connected

00:04:10.460 --> 00:04:11.865
in some essential way.

00:04:11.865 --> 00:04:13.520
So we begin to ask whether the

00:04:13.520 --> 00:04:14.740
strengths and the challenges

00:04:14.740 --> 00:04:15.870
that we saw occurring together

00:04:15.870 --> 00:04:17.459
in people with dyslexia were

00:04:17.459 --> 00:04:18.910
connected like two sides of the

00:04:18.910 --> 00:04:21.809
same neurological coin.

00:04:21.809 --> 00:04:23.425
The Eides searched the medical

00:04:23.425 --> 00:04:25.310
and scientific literature for

00:04:25.310 --> 00:04:27.305
evidence of dyslexia-associated

00:04:27.305 --> 00:04:28.310
strengths.

00:04:28.310 --> 00:04:30.050
They also looked for why such

00:04:30.050 --> 00:04:31.685
strengths might be connected

00:04:31.685 --> 00:04:34.560
to dyslexic challenges.

00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:35.540
They looked for three

00:04:35.540 --> 00:04:37.370
types of evidence:

00:04:37.370 --> 00:04:38.900
evidence of differences in

00:04:38.900 --> 00:04:40.940
dyslexic brain structure,

00:04:40.940 --> 00:04:42.260
evidence of differences in

00:04:42.260 --> 00:04:44.180
dyslexic brain function,

00:04:44.180 --> 00:04:46.140
and real-world strengths shown

00:04:46.140 --> 00:04:48.985
by people with dyslexia.

00:04:48.985 --> 00:04:50.535
They described their findings

00:04:50.535 --> 00:04:52.430
in their 2011 book,

00:04:52.430 --> 00:04:54.760
The Dyslexic Advantage.

00:04:54.760 --> 00:04:56.730
They cited evidence showing the

00:04:56.730 --> 00:04:58.815
ways dyslexic brains are folded

00:04:58.815 --> 00:05:00.290
and the ways the cells in the

00:05:00.290 --> 00:05:02.310
brain's cortex or gray matter

00:05:02.310 --> 00:05:04.275
are organized differ from

00:05:04.275 --> 00:05:06.830
non-dyslexic brains.

00:05:06.830 --> 00:05:08.970
These differences help dyslexic

00:05:08.970 --> 00:05:11.300
brains excel in global or

00:05:11.300 --> 00:05:13.170
big-picture processing,

00:05:13.170 --> 00:05:14.840
rather than in processing

00:05:14.840 --> 00:05:16.740
fine details.

00:05:16.740 --> 00:05:18.990
They also cited evidence showing

00:05:18.990 --> 00:05:20.870
that although dyslexic minds are

00:05:20.870 --> 00:05:22.500
slower in forming the kinds of

00:05:22.500 --> 00:05:24.470
rote and automatic memories

00:05:24.470 --> 00:05:26.850
needed to master basic academic

00:05:26.850 --> 00:05:29.850
skills, like decoding, spelling,

00:05:29.850 --> 00:05:31.540
and memory for non-contextual

00:05:31.540 --> 00:05:32.680
facts,

00:05:32.680 --> 00:05:34.190
they excel in remembering

00:05:34.190 --> 00:05:35.570
certain kinds of personal

00:05:35.570 --> 00:05:38.930
experiences. Finally,

00:05:38.930 --> 00:05:41.220
they cited research showing that

00:05:41.220 --> 00:05:43.825
dyslexic individuals are found

00:05:43.825 --> 00:05:45.560
up to four times more often than

00:05:45.560 --> 00:05:46.970
the general population in

00:05:46.970 --> 00:05:49.410
training programs in art,

00:05:49.410 --> 00:05:51.770
design, engineering,

00:05:51.770 --> 00:05:53.555
and among entrepreneurs and

00:05:53.555 --> 00:05:55.080
self-made millionaires.

00:05:57.980 --> 00:05:59.765
Drawing on both research and

00:05:59.765 --> 00:06:01.870
their own clinical experience,

00:06:01.870 --> 00:06:03.960
the Eides identified four

00:06:03.960 --> 00:06:05.770
distinct patterns of strengths

00:06:05.770 --> 00:06:08.370
linked to dyslexia.They call

00:06:08.370 --> 00:06:10.500
these the mindstrengths.

00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:14.910
The first mindstrength

00:06:14.910 --> 00:06:16.280
is mStrength,

00:06:16.280 --> 00:06:18.500
for material reasoning.

00:06:18.500 --> 00:06:20.410
mStrength is essentially

00:06:20.410 --> 00:06:22.400
3D spatial reasoning,

00:06:22.400 --> 00:06:23.760
or reasoning about the

00:06:23.760 --> 00:06:25.320
three-dimensional properties

00:06:25.320 --> 00:06:27.690
of material objects.

00:06:27.690 --> 00:06:29.340
Individuals with prominent

00:06:29.340 --> 00:06:32.160
mStrengths basically have a 3D

00:06:32.160 --> 00:06:34.310
spatial grid in their minds

00:06:34.310 --> 00:06:36.160
which they can use to simulate

00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:37.520
the shapes and movements

00:06:37.520 --> 00:06:39.690
of objects.

00:06:39.690 --> 00:06:41.314
One example of a person with

00:06:41.315 --> 00:06:43.705
strong mStrengths is emergency

00:06:43.705 --> 00:06:45.155
room physician and medical

00:06:45.155 --> 00:06:49.710
device inventor, Dr. Chris Ford.

00:06:49.710 --> 00:06:52.580
I feel as though I excel more so

00:06:52.580 --> 00:06:54.080
at the spatial reasoning aspect

00:06:54.080 --> 00:06:55.180
of the mindstrengths.

00:06:55.180 --> 00:06:56.510
that is where I excel the most,

00:06:56.510 --> 00:06:57.810
and a lot of that really plays

00:06:57.810 --> 00:07:00.130
a role in sort of my medical

00:07:00.130 --> 00:07:01.715
devices as well as

00:07:01.715 --> 00:07:03.095
conceptualizing different

00:07:03.095 --> 00:07:04.190
procedures that we have to

00:07:04.190 --> 00:07:06.170
do in emergency medicine.

00:07:06.170 --> 00:07:07.565
Chris first discovered his

00:07:07.565 --> 00:07:09.710
dyslexia after a frustrating

00:07:09.710 --> 00:07:11.710
performance on step one of his

00:07:11.710 --> 00:07:14.460
board exams for medical school.

00:07:14.460 --> 00:07:16.130
The day when I took that exam,

00:07:16.130 --> 00:07:16.770
I passed,

00:07:16.770 --> 00:07:18.560
but I didn't do as well as the

00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:19.520
work that I was putting

00:07:19.520 --> 00:07:20.660
in would suggest.

00:07:20.660 --> 00:07:21.720
I was pulled to the side by my

00:07:21.720 --> 00:07:23.440
learning mentor at that time

00:07:23.440 --> 00:07:24.540
at the medical college,

00:07:24.540 --> 00:07:25.600
and then he gave me a couple

00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:26.460
learning assessments,

00:07:26.460 --> 00:07:29.085
and through that I habitually

00:07:29.085 --> 00:07:31.810
scored 98 out of 100 in terms of

00:07:31.810 --> 00:07:34.120
all the categories for dyslexia.

00:07:34.120 --> 00:07:35.645
Even though Chris had always

00:07:35.645 --> 00:07:36.900
struggled with slow reading

00:07:36.900 --> 00:07:38.500
and poor spelling,

00:07:38.500 --> 00:07:40.195
he'd been able to compensate

00:07:40.195 --> 00:07:41.510
because he was extremely

00:07:41.510 --> 00:07:42.725
self-disciplined and

00:07:42.725 --> 00:07:45.560
hardworking.

00:07:45.560 --> 00:07:47.465
When he reached medical school,

00:07:47.465 --> 00:07:48.550
there were no longer enough

00:07:48.550 --> 00:07:49.820
hours in the day to keep

00:07:49.820 --> 00:07:50.890
compensating through

00:07:50.890 --> 00:07:52.760
determination alone.

00:07:52.760 --> 00:07:54.920
That led to his diagnosis,

00:07:54.920 --> 00:07:56.405
which is common for many

00:07:56.405 --> 00:07:57.705
highly intelligent,

00:07:57.705 --> 00:07:58.970
hardworking students

00:07:58.970 --> 00:08:00.970
with dyslexia.

00:08:00.970 --> 00:08:02.900
So discovering I was dyslexic

00:08:02.900 --> 00:08:05.660
was a game-changer in terms of

00:08:05.660 --> 00:08:07.220
my personal and professional

00:08:07.220 --> 00:08:07.690
life.

00:08:07.690 --> 00:08:09.010
The best way that I learn is

00:08:09.010 --> 00:08:09.830
through auditory and

00:08:09.830 --> 00:08:10.680
visual learning,

00:08:10.680 --> 00:08:12.620
by listening to podcasts,

00:08:12.620 --> 00:08:14.985
by watching videos.

00:08:14.985 --> 00:08:17.000
I would sit hours at a time and

00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:18.510
read cover to cover and not

00:08:18.510 --> 00:08:19.724
really retain it. However,

00:08:19.725 --> 00:08:21.005
if you sit me down with a video

00:08:21.005 --> 00:08:21.805
and I'm able to kind of

00:08:21.805 --> 00:08:23.125
conceptualize and put myself in

00:08:23.125 --> 00:08:24.110
the middle of that structure

00:08:24.110 --> 00:08:24.835
and learn, you know,

00:08:24.835 --> 00:08:26.420
the ins and out of it, I got it,

00:08:26.420 --> 00:08:27.370
right?

00:08:27.370 --> 00:08:28.700
As Chris discovered these

00:08:28.700 --> 00:08:29.660
more personal,

00:08:29.660 --> 00:08:31.080
experience-based forms of

00:08:31.080 --> 00:08:33.808
learning, he began to thrive,

00:08:33.809 --> 00:08:35.039
and by the time his second

00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:37.309
qualifying exam came around,

00:08:37.309 --> 00:08:38.999
he was ready.

00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:41.390
Coming up with the ability to

00:08:41.390 --> 00:08:42.529
learn differently and the

00:08:42.530 --> 00:08:44.100
ability to apply what I've

00:08:44.100 --> 00:08:45.120
learned to my second

00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:46.620
examination, you know,

00:08:46.620 --> 00:08:48.250
was extraordinary in terms of,

00:08:48.250 --> 00:08:50.410
you know scoring better on that

00:08:50.410 --> 00:08:51.580
second examination to

00:08:51.580 --> 00:08:52.784
demonstrate, you know,

00:08:52.785 --> 00:08:54.580
my intelligence at at a

00:08:54.580 --> 00:08:55.954
standardized level.

00:08:55.955 --> 00:08:58.020
Chris also discovered how his

00:08:58.020 --> 00:09:00.010
strengths in spatial reasoning

00:09:00.010 --> 00:09:01.450
could be used in his work

00:09:01.450 --> 00:09:03.900
in emergency medicine.

00:09:03.900 --> 00:09:06.750
So having the ability to orient

00:09:06.750 --> 00:09:08.320
yourself to that anatomy to see

00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:09.944
not only what the pathology is

00:09:09.945 --> 00:09:10.840
or what's going wrong

00:09:10.840 --> 00:09:12.030
in that patient,

00:09:12.030 --> 00:09:13.485
but also the ways that you can

00:09:13.485 --> 00:09:16.460
alter when a complication arises

00:09:16.460 --> 00:09:18.325
is really helpful for any

00:09:18.325 --> 00:09:19.640
provider to have.

00:09:19.640 --> 00:09:21.040
Chris used his ability to

00:09:21.040 --> 00:09:22.990
visualize physical space to

00:09:22.990 --> 00:09:25.764
develop medical devices.

00:09:25.765 --> 00:09:26.530
So this is the Gavomila

00:09:26.530 --> 00:09:27.310
device here.

00:09:27.310 --> 00:09:28.520
The way that it works is it

00:09:28.520 --> 00:09:30.110
affixes to the laryngoscope

00:09:30.110 --> 00:09:31.340
blade that we commonly use

00:09:31.340 --> 00:09:32.600
to do intubations.

00:09:32.600 --> 00:09:34.860
It is designed to provide either

00:09:34.860 --> 00:09:36.630
a learner or someone late in

00:09:36.630 --> 00:09:39.869
their career with enough tactile

00:09:39.870 --> 00:09:41.525
as well as sensory,

00:09:41.525 --> 00:09:42.685
feedback to say, you know,

00:09:42.685 --> 00:09:43.630
you're getting too close to the

00:09:43.630 --> 00:09:44.830
structures and you need to stop

00:09:44.830 --> 00:09:46.260
applying that pressure.

00:09:46.260 --> 00:09:47.810
Chris' heightened awareness of

00:09:47.810 --> 00:09:49.660
learning differences has made

00:09:49.660 --> 00:09:51.765
him a phenomenal teacher.

00:09:51.765 --> 00:09:53.010
He's received a national

00:09:53.010 --> 00:09:54.935
teaching award for his work

00:09:54.935 --> 00:09:57.050
educating students and staff.

00:09:58.600 --> 00:10:00.110
There is something to be said

00:10:00.110 --> 00:10:02.140
about having the ability to sit

00:10:02.140 --> 00:10:04.780
down with students and to learn

00:10:04.780 --> 00:10:07.040
which way they are able to

00:10:07.040 --> 00:10:08.850
facilitate information the best,

00:10:08.850 --> 00:10:10.040
and that can be tough,

00:10:10.040 --> 00:10:11.680
from a teacher's standpoint.

00:10:11.680 --> 00:10:12.160
However,

00:10:12.160 --> 00:10:13.065
that's something that we need

00:10:13.065 --> 00:10:14.645
to continue to push for.

00:10:14.645 --> 00:10:16.365
We could potentially be missing

00:10:16.365 --> 00:10:19.260
a lot of amazing students

00:10:19.260 --> 00:10:22.100
with awesome potential.

00:10:22.100 --> 00:10:23.465
Chris is a part of a long

00:10:23.465 --> 00:10:24.885
tradition of outstanding

00:10:24.885 --> 00:10:27.199
dyslexic doctors in high spatial

00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:29.280
fields, such as surgery,

00:10:29.280 --> 00:10:30.795
emergency medicine,

00:10:30.795 --> 00:10:33.235
and radiology.

00:10:33.235 --> 00:10:34.720
The 3D spatial reasoning

00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:36.140
strengths that allow Chris to

00:10:36.140 --> 00:10:38.530
create innovative solutions to

00:10:38.530 --> 00:10:40.850
complex medical problems are

00:10:40.850 --> 00:10:42.830
also extremely useful in many

00:10:42.830 --> 00:10:45.140
other fields besides medicine.

00:10:45.140 --> 00:10:47.660
... like architecture, design,

00:10:47.660 --> 00:10:49.300
engineering, and art.

00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:53.339
The second mind strength

00:10:53.340 --> 00:10:54.540
is I-strength,

00:10:54.540 --> 00:10:56.030
which stands for interconnected

00:10:56.030 --> 00:10:57.770
reasoning or the ability to

00:10:57.770 --> 00:10:59.470
reason about connections,

00:10:59.470 --> 00:11:01.900
relationships, and systems.

00:11:01.900 --> 00:11:03.535
A great example of a person with

00:11:03.535 --> 00:11:05.680
strong I-strengths is naturalist

00:11:05.680 --> 00:11:09.510
and wildlife artist, Jack Laws.

00:11:09.510 --> 00:11:11.270
Jack is the author of a unique

00:11:11.270 --> 00:11:12.220
field guide to the

00:11:12.220 --> 00:11:13.510
Sierra Nevada,

00:11:13.510 --> 00:11:15.610
designed to help readers easily

00:11:15.610 --> 00:11:17.590
identify all living things in

00:11:17.590 --> 00:11:20.030
nature and understand their role

00:11:20.030 --> 00:11:22.170
in the larger ecosystem.

00:11:22.170 --> 00:11:23.890
This guide evolved from Jack's

00:11:23.890 --> 00:11:25.770
practice of nature journaling

00:11:25.770 --> 00:11:28.290
and his detailed observations of

00:11:28.290 --> 00:11:30.130
the interconnectedness of life

00:11:30.130 --> 00:11:33.730
within the natural world.

00:11:33.730 --> 00:11:34.630
You get a bunch of stuff

00:11:34.630 --> 00:11:35.600
on the page,

00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:37.595
and then all these little pieces

00:11:37.595 --> 00:11:39.880
start talking to each other.

00:11:39.880 --> 00:11:40.665
And you see that, like,

00:11:40.665 --> 00:11:42.115
this idea relates to this,

00:11:42.115 --> 00:11:43.225
and that relates as this

00:11:43.225 --> 00:11:44.355
other question.

00:11:44.355 --> 00:11:46.190
And then this observation

00:11:46.190 --> 00:11:47.500
ties into that, and,

00:11:47.500 --> 00:11:49.804
and about 10 pages ago, yeah,

00:11:49.805 --> 00:11:51.355
there's this other thing that I

00:11:51.355 --> 00:11:53.185
saw and that's kind of

00:11:53.185 --> 00:11:54.540
related to that,

00:11:54.540 --> 00:11:55.730
and now there's a relationship

00:11:55.730 --> 00:11:56.500
between this thing

00:11:56.500 --> 00:11:57.680
and this thing.

00:11:57.680 --> 00:11:59.490
As a young student,

00:11:59.490 --> 00:12:01.020
it was extremely hard for Jack

00:12:01.020 --> 00:12:02.730
to pay attention in class

00:12:02.730 --> 00:12:04.770
because he was so perceptive to

00:12:04.770 --> 00:12:07.330
everything in his environment.

00:12:07.330 --> 00:12:07.960
In school,

00:12:07.960 --> 00:12:09.460
he was labeled easily

00:12:09.460 --> 00:12:10.550
distracted.

00:12:10.550 --> 00:12:11.565
But when he'd go out into

00:12:11.565 --> 00:12:13.180
nature with his parents,

00:12:13.180 --> 00:12:14.475
this ability to notice

00:12:14.475 --> 00:12:16.520
everything around him suddenly

00:12:16.520 --> 00:12:18.850
became an asset.

00:12:18.850 --> 00:12:20.325
Because of his difficulty with

00:12:20.325 --> 00:12:21.660
spelling and writing,

00:12:21.660 --> 00:12:23.620
Jack drew pictures and diagrams

00:12:23.620 --> 00:12:25.680
of the things he saw.

00:12:25.680 --> 00:12:26.650
Over time,

00:12:26.650 --> 00:12:29.145
he became a fantastic artist,

00:12:29.145 --> 00:12:30.780
and his practice of journaling

00:12:30.780 --> 00:12:33.915
opened his mind in amazing ways.

00:12:33.915 --> 00:12:35.780
If you can take part of

00:12:35.780 --> 00:12:37.600
the processes of, of,

00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:39.450
of holding things in your head

00:12:39.450 --> 00:12:40.625
and get that out onto

00:12:40.625 --> 00:12:42.010
a piece of paper,

00:12:42.010 --> 00:12:43.350
whatever you're trying to figure

00:12:43.350 --> 00:12:45.280
out is going to be easier.

00:12:45.280 --> 00:12:45.940
That's the power of

00:12:45.940 --> 00:12:48.240
this notebook.

00:12:53.780 --> 00:12:54.775
My expression of,

00:12:54.775 --> 00:12:58.840
of my dyslexia is looking for as

00:12:58.840 --> 00:13:01.085
many ways to sort of turn,

00:13:01.085 --> 00:13:01.850
to sort of an,

00:13:01.850 --> 00:13:05.210
an old notebook into this

00:13:05.210 --> 00:13:08.280
trampoline for my creativity,

00:13:08.280 --> 00:13:11.940
for my focused observation,

00:13:11.940 --> 00:13:14.445
for helping me ask questions

00:13:14.445 --> 00:13:16.750
that otherwise they would never,

00:13:16.750 --> 00:13:18.365
never come to me if I weren't

00:13:18.365 --> 00:13:19.600
kind of externalizing these

00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:21.340
ideas and getting it out of here

00:13:21.340 --> 00:13:22.500
and onto that little

00:13:22.500 --> 00:13:23.535
piece of paper,

00:13:23.535 --> 00:13:24.945
and making connections

00:13:24.945 --> 00:13:27.470
between those things.

00:13:27.470 --> 00:13:29.920
A delight in exploring the world

00:13:29.920 --> 00:13:30.650
around me and try to

00:13:30.650 --> 00:13:32.064
training myself to,

00:13:32.065 --> 00:13:33.170
to pay attention a little

00:13:33.170 --> 00:13:34.945
bit more carefully.

00:13:34.945 --> 00:13:36.535
So I think it'd be fun to,

00:13:36.535 --> 00:13:38.600
to watch a plant over time and

00:13:38.600 --> 00:13:41.150
see kind of aphid movement

00:13:41.150 --> 00:13:43.850
around on that plant as the

00:13:43.850 --> 00:13:46.850
little group of aphids grows.

00:13:46.850 --> 00:13:48.150
There's so much more that's

00:13:48.150 --> 00:13:49.940
unknown than is known,

00:13:49.940 --> 00:13:51.340
and those mysteries are really

00:13:51.340 --> 00:13:53.045
a delight, and I get to,

00:13:53.045 --> 00:13:54.120
I get to play in those

00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:57.760
on a regular basis.

00:14:04.880 --> 00:14:06.070
Jack's ability to think

00:14:06.070 --> 00:14:08.210
creatively and flexibly about

00:14:08.210 --> 00:14:10.470
complex connections in nature is

00:14:10.470 --> 00:14:12.240
the flip side to his challenges

00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:13.360
in remembering the kinds

00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:15.010
of fixed, symbolic,

00:14:15.010 --> 00:14:16.310
and largely arbitrary

00:14:16.310 --> 00:14:17.820
connections that form the

00:14:17.820 --> 00:14:20.630
basic skills in school.

00:14:20.630 --> 00:14:22.350
The little pathways that our

00:14:22.350 --> 00:14:24.520
brains are taking may make,

00:14:24.520 --> 00:14:26.940
may make spelling things a

00:14:26.940 --> 00:14:28.795
little bit more challenging.

00:14:28.795 --> 00:14:30.810
But at the end of the day,

00:14:30.810 --> 00:14:32.790
that's what spell check is for.

00:14:32.790 --> 00:14:35.215
But generation of ideas,

00:14:35.215 --> 00:14:36.850
of seeing things in a,

00:14:36.850 --> 00:14:38.530
in a different perspective,

00:14:38.530 --> 00:14:39.915
or being able to, to,

00:14:39.915 --> 00:14:42.640
to network and see connections

00:14:42.640 --> 00:14:45.220
that other people miss,

00:14:45.220 --> 00:14:47.155
these are incredibly valuable

00:14:47.155 --> 00:14:49.540
things to whatever you're doing.

00:14:51.510 --> 00:14:52.890
The third mind strength

00:14:52.890 --> 00:14:54.120
is N-strength,

00:14:54.120 --> 00:14:55.350
which stands for narrative

00:14:55.350 --> 00:14:56.285
reasoning,

00:14:56.285 --> 00:14:57.890
the ability to think using

00:14:57.890 --> 00:15:00.740
stories, cases, or examples.

00:15:00.740 --> 00:15:02.100
Filmmaker Lauren Havel

00:15:02.100 --> 00:15:04.200
is a great example.

00:15:04.200 --> 00:15:07.590
Scene 16A, take two.

00:15:07.590 --> 00:15:12.780
And action. I love filmmaking.

00:15:12.780 --> 00:15:14.340
It is my absolute

00:15:14.340 --> 00:15:16.150
passion in life.

00:15:16.150 --> 00:15:18.130
At just 17,

00:15:18.130 --> 00:15:19.360
Lauren is already an

00:15:19.360 --> 00:15:20.964
accomplished filmmaker with

00:15:20.965 --> 00:15:22.315
a growing international

00:15:22.315 --> 00:15:24.120
reputation.

00:15:24.120 --> 00:15:26.020
My whole family is dyslexic,

00:15:26.020 --> 00:15:27.590
and it's just been an amazing

00:15:27.590 --> 00:15:29.795
experience to grow up having

00:15:29.795 --> 00:15:32.060
everyone just understanding the

00:15:32.060 --> 00:15:33.690
way I think and especially

00:15:33.690 --> 00:15:35.080
the way I learn.

00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:36.890
My mom homeschooled me.

00:15:36.890 --> 00:15:38.930
It was very helpful to have

00:15:38.930 --> 00:15:41.190
someone who was receptive to,

00:15:41.190 --> 00:15:41.500
like,

00:15:41.500 --> 00:15:42.460
the ways I actually

00:15:42.460 --> 00:15:44.070
learn things.

00:15:44.070 --> 00:15:45.580
One of the most striking things

00:15:45.580 --> 00:15:47.550
about Lauren's mind is how

00:15:47.550 --> 00:15:49.365
effortlessly she transforms

00:15:49.365 --> 00:15:51.900
personal experiences into vivid

00:15:51.900 --> 00:15:53.640
stories she can clearly

00:15:53.640 --> 00:15:56.105
picture in her mind.

00:15:56.105 --> 00:15:58.285
This ability directly fuels her

00:15:58.285 --> 00:16:00.030
strength as a filmmaker,

00:16:00.030 --> 00:16:01.945
allowing her to visualize scenes

00:16:01.945 --> 00:16:03.895
in rich detail before a

00:16:03.895 --> 00:16:06.280
single frame is shot.

00:16:06.280 --> 00:16:07.650
For Lauren,

00:16:07.650 --> 00:16:10.155
filmmaking isn't just a skill.

00:16:10.155 --> 00:16:12.060
It's a natural expression of

00:16:12.060 --> 00:16:14.580
how she sees the world.

00:16:14.580 --> 00:16:17.235
I am very visual in the way I

00:16:17.235 --> 00:16:19.640
think. When I read a book,

00:16:19.640 --> 00:16:21.450
it's like I'm almost watching

00:16:21.450 --> 00:16:24.110
a movie play out in my head.

00:16:24.110 --> 00:16:25.350
And because of that,

00:16:25.350 --> 00:16:27.160
I remember it

00:16:27.160 --> 00:16:29.810
for years.

00:16:29.810 --> 00:16:30.860
Like Jack,

00:16:30.860 --> 00:16:32.340
Lauren began journaling as a

00:16:32.340 --> 00:16:34.280
young child to help her develop

00:16:34.280 --> 00:16:36.520
her ideas. In her case,

00:16:36.520 --> 00:16:37.994
she was telling stories

00:16:37.995 --> 00:16:39.740
using pictures.

00:16:39.740 --> 00:16:40.595
I did a lot of,

00:16:40.595 --> 00:16:41.775
like

00:16:41.775 --> 00:16:43.755
story-based things.

00:16:43.755 --> 00:16:45.020
So I'd be drawing it,

00:16:45.020 --> 00:16:46.955
but I'd really be coming up

00:16:46.955 --> 00:16:49.568
with stories in my head.

00:16:49.568 --> 00:16:51.286
Lauren began bringing those

00:16:51.286 --> 00:16:53.086
ideas to life on film,

00:16:53.086 --> 00:16:54.516
and it wasn't long before she

00:16:54.516 --> 00:16:56.066
was creating increasingly

00:16:56.066 --> 00:16:57.906
impressive productions,

00:16:57.906 --> 00:16:59.611
like Not Broken,

00:16:59.611 --> 00:17:01.306
the powerful story of a young

00:17:01.306 --> 00:17:02.971
girl coming to terms with

00:17:02.971 --> 00:17:04.746
her own dyslexia.

00:17:04.746 --> 00:17:06.656
This award-winning film has

00:17:06.656 --> 00:17:08.111
resonated with audiences

00:17:08.111 --> 00:17:09.511
around the world,

00:17:09.511 --> 00:17:10.641
reaching over four

00:17:10.641 --> 00:17:12.736
million viewers.

00:17:12.736 --> 00:17:14.016
It can be extremely

00:17:14.016 --> 00:17:14.830
hard at times,

00:17:14.830 --> 00:17:16.675
but it's something that I push

00:17:16.675 --> 00:17:17.671
through because of how

00:17:17.671 --> 00:17:18.556
much I love it,

00:17:18.556 --> 00:17:21.016
and because of how much I know

00:17:21.016 --> 00:17:23.425
the messages can impact people.

00:17:23.425 --> 00:17:25.915
My new film follows a family

00:17:25.915 --> 00:17:27.675
through multiple eras,

00:17:27.675 --> 00:17:30.536
so it goes 1950s, 1960s,

00:17:30.536 --> 00:17:32.256
and then present day.

00:17:32.256 --> 00:17:33.906
It's an extremely fun story for

00:17:33.906 --> 00:17:36.261
me because it's constantly

00:17:36.261 --> 00:17:38.106
jumping eras,

00:17:38.106 --> 00:17:39.596
and extremely challenging as

00:17:39.596 --> 00:17:41.996
well because of that fact,

00:17:41.996 --> 00:17:43.361
and all the props that you have

00:17:43.361 --> 00:17:45.426
to get all the locations,

00:17:45.426 --> 00:17:47.376
how everything has to be so

00:17:47.376 --> 00:17:50.126
perfect for those past eras,

00:17:50.126 --> 00:17:50.621
and I'm definitely

00:17:50.621 --> 00:17:52.046
a perfectionist.

00:17:52.046 --> 00:17:54.335
Storytelling is important not

00:17:54.336 --> 00:17:55.916
only for film and writing

00:17:55.916 --> 00:17:57.006
of all kinds,

00:17:57.006 --> 00:17:58.776
but also for how we communicate

00:17:58.776 --> 00:18:00.576
with each other, educate,

00:18:00.576 --> 00:18:02.516
inspire, persuade,

00:18:02.516 --> 00:18:04.176
and interpret our experience

00:18:04.176 --> 00:18:05.326
to one another,

00:18:05.326 --> 00:18:07.446
and ultimately for how we can

00:18:07.446 --> 00:18:09.496
come together to make positive

00:18:09.496 --> 00:18:13.146
changes in the world.

00:18:13.146 --> 00:18:14.956
The fourth mind strength

00:18:14.956 --> 00:18:16.316
is D strength,

00:18:16.316 --> 00:18:18.686
short for dynamic reasoning,

00:18:18.686 --> 00:18:20.306
the ability to understand how

00:18:20.306 --> 00:18:23.196
processes unfold over time.

00:18:23.196 --> 00:18:24.776
A remarkable example of this

00:18:24.776 --> 00:18:26.396
strength in action is

00:18:26.396 --> 00:18:27.926
oceanographer and undersea

00:18:27.926 --> 00:18:31.006
explorer Dr. Bob Ballard.

00:18:31.006 --> 00:18:32.596
The Eydes were

00:18:32.596 --> 00:18:34.266
on NPR,

00:18:34.266 --> 00:18:35.786
talking about their book,

00:18:35.786 --> 00:18:38.116
The Dyslexic Advantage,

00:18:38.116 --> 00:18:39.576
and I had never heard those two

00:18:39.576 --> 00:18:41.226
words next to one another,

00:18:41.226 --> 00:18:43.866
dyslexia and advantage,

00:18:43.866 --> 00:18:46.576
and it described me.

00:18:46.576 --> 00:18:50.426
I literally sat in that office,

00:18:50.426 --> 00:18:54.326
tears running down my face,

00:18:54.326 --> 00:18:54.816
having

00:18:56.536 --> 00:18:57.885
this book

00:18:57.886 --> 00:19:00.556
explain me to me.

00:19:00.556 --> 00:19:03.096
It was amazing. I went,

00:19:03.096 --> 00:19:05.536
"This is me they're

00:19:05.536 --> 00:19:06.886
talking about."

00:19:06.886 --> 00:19:08.876
The sense of inferiority

00:19:08.876 --> 00:19:10.631
he carried for years,

00:19:10.631 --> 00:19:11.946
struggling to keep up with his

00:19:11.946 --> 00:19:13.056
academically gifted

00:19:13.056 --> 00:19:14.586
older brother,

00:19:14.586 --> 00:19:16.530
began to fade with a powerful

00:19:16.531 --> 00:19:18.146
realization.

00:19:18.146 --> 00:19:19.676
The way his mind works

00:19:19.676 --> 00:19:21.395
wasn't a limitation,

00:19:21.396 --> 00:19:23.006
but the driving force behind

00:19:23.006 --> 00:19:24.846
his greatest achievements,

00:19:24.846 --> 00:19:26.161
including the one he's

00:19:26.161 --> 00:19:28.266
best known for.

00:19:28.266 --> 00:19:30.296
There's no doubt in my mind

00:19:30.296 --> 00:19:33.376
whatsoever that I found the

00:19:33.376 --> 00:19:35.216
Titanic when all before me

00:19:35.216 --> 00:19:37.546
failed because I'm dyslexic

00:19:37.546 --> 00:19:39.566
and they weren't.

00:19:39.566 --> 00:19:41.796
So how did he do it?

00:19:41.796 --> 00:19:44.696
By tapping into his D strengths.

00:19:44.696 --> 00:19:46.146
His talent for envisioning

00:19:46.146 --> 00:19:48.310
future events or reconstructing

00:19:48.311 --> 00:19:49.706
moments from the unwitnessed

00:19:49.706 --> 00:19:52.286
past come from his ability to

00:19:52.286 --> 00:19:53.836
mentally simulate complex

00:19:53.836 --> 00:19:55.146
processes.

00:19:55.146 --> 00:19:56.706
He runs them through his mind

00:19:56.706 --> 00:19:58.686
again and again until he can

00:19:58.686 --> 00:19:59.700
predict how things are

00:19:59.701 --> 00:20:01.886
likely to unfold.

00:20:01.886 --> 00:20:04.321
Bob used this mental simulation

00:20:04.321 --> 00:20:05.756
to reconstruct the final

00:20:05.756 --> 00:20:07.736
moments of the Titanic.

00:20:07.736 --> 00:20:09.756
And my dyslexic mind began to

00:20:09.756 --> 00:20:12.946
imagine that whole process,

00:20:12.946 --> 00:20:14.836
and I realized that the lighter

00:20:14.836 --> 00:20:16.566
debris trailed off in the

00:20:16.566 --> 00:20:19.306
current and fell down as a

00:20:19.306 --> 00:20:21.006
function of how heavy it was.

00:20:21.006 --> 00:20:22.506
The longer it lingered

00:20:22.506 --> 00:20:23.416
in the current,

00:20:23.416 --> 00:20:25.206
the further away it went,

00:20:25.206 --> 00:20:26.416
and I realized it had,

00:20:26.416 --> 00:20:27.966
like a comet,

00:20:27.966 --> 00:20:30.400
a trail most one nautical

00:20:30.401 --> 00:20:32.786
mile long.

00:20:32.786 --> 00:20:34.435
So instead of looking for the

00:20:34.436 --> 00:20:37.026
Titanic with a sonar,

00:20:37.026 --> 00:20:38.261
I will look for it with my

00:20:38.261 --> 00:20:40.916
cameras and see if I can pick up

00:20:40.916 --> 00:20:44.176
the debris field. We came in,

00:20:44.176 --> 00:20:45.341
picked up the debris field.

00:20:45.341 --> 00:20:47.366
I knew exactly where to go,

00:20:47.366 --> 00:20:48.346
north,

00:20:48.346 --> 00:20:51.076
and there was the Titanic.

00:20:54.756 --> 00:20:56.306
Bob credits his ability to

00:20:56.306 --> 00:20:58.381
mentally project into the future

00:20:58.381 --> 00:20:59.766
and envision where the next big

00:20:59.766 --> 00:21:01.876
discoveries will emerge as the

00:21:01.876 --> 00:21:03.756
secret to staying ahead in a

00:21:03.756 --> 00:21:06.926
highly competitive field.

00:21:06.926 --> 00:21:09.916
Dyslexics see the future.

00:21:09.916 --> 00:21:12.616
We are fortune tellers.

00:21:12.616 --> 00:21:13.676
When we look in the crystal

00:21:13.676 --> 00:21:15.906
ball, we see something.

00:21:15.906 --> 00:21:16.881
That's our skill.

00:21:16.881 --> 00:21:18.016
That's our advantage

00:21:18.016 --> 00:21:19.736
over non-dyslexics.

00:21:19.736 --> 00:21:21.665
We see the future.

00:21:21.666 --> 00:21:24.266
I'm always out 15, 20 years.

00:21:24.266 --> 00:21:25.905
What's the future gonna be like,

00:21:25.906 --> 00:21:27.521
and how are we gonna get there?

00:21:27.521 --> 00:21:28.895
And then I develop the

00:21:28.896 --> 00:21:30.090
technologies and ...

00:21:30.090 --> 00:21:31.645
assuming a convergence and

00:21:31.645 --> 00:21:33.860
they always converge.

00:21:35.860 --> 00:21:37.310
The problem I was having in

00:21:37.310 --> 00:21:38.920
deep sea exploration,

00:21:38.920 --> 00:21:39.815
it takes a long time

00:21:39.815 --> 00:21:41.270
to get to work.

00:21:41.270 --> 00:21:43.600
The Titanic is at 12,000 feet,

00:21:43.600 --> 00:21:44.580
that's a five-hour

00:21:44.580 --> 00:21:45.950
commute to work.

00:21:45.950 --> 00:21:48.160
I was looking at the different

00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:50.945
technologies microprocessors,

00:21:50.945 --> 00:21:52.370
digital imagery,

00:21:52.370 --> 00:21:54.020
telecommunications,

00:21:54.020 --> 00:21:55.670
and I took all of those

00:21:55.670 --> 00:21:57.010
technologies,

00:21:57.010 --> 00:22:00.430
I dreamed up telepresence.

00:22:00.430 --> 00:22:03.220
How can I move my spirit

00:22:03.220 --> 00:22:05.790
and not my body?

00:22:05.790 --> 00:22:07.725
Bob's pioneering ideas about

00:22:07.725 --> 00:22:09.340
telepresence have become

00:22:09.340 --> 00:22:10.820
standard in modern ocean

00:22:10.820 --> 00:22:12.350
exploration,

00:22:12.350 --> 00:22:14.345
allowing people around the world

00:22:14.345 --> 00:22:16.080
to witness discoveries in real

00:22:16.080 --> 00:22:18.430
time and enabling scientists

00:22:18.430 --> 00:22:20.550
across the globe to collaborate

00:22:20.550 --> 00:22:22.820
on critical missions.

00:22:22.820 --> 00:22:24.670
Innovations like this draw

00:22:24.670 --> 00:22:26.230
not only on D strengths,

00:22:26.230 --> 00:22:28.790
but also on I strengths,

00:22:28.790 --> 00:22:30.950
the capacity to see patterns and

00:22:30.950 --> 00:22:32.730
weave ideas together into

00:22:32.730 --> 00:22:35.259
powerful systems.

00:22:35.260 --> 00:22:36.330
While we've highlighted

00:22:36.330 --> 00:22:37.780
different individuals to

00:22:37.780 --> 00:22:40.180
illustrate each mind strength,

00:22:40.180 --> 00:22:41.395
in reality,

00:22:41.395 --> 00:22:43.090
most people with dyslexia

00:22:43.090 --> 00:22:45.070
actually shine in more than one

00:22:45.070 --> 00:22:47.845
area. Take Christa Weltner,

00:22:47.845 --> 00:22:50.820
for example, an artist, author,

00:22:50.820 --> 00:22:51.555
puppeteer,

00:22:51.555 --> 00:22:54.045
and stop-motion animator.

00:22:54.045 --> 00:22:54.955
Through her powerful

00:22:54.955 --> 00:22:57.820
storytelling and vivid imagery,

00:22:57.820 --> 00:22:59.600
Christa inspires children to

00:22:59.600 --> 00:23:00.675
understand their learning

00:23:00.675 --> 00:23:02.450
differences and embrace their

00:23:02.450 --> 00:23:06.110
dyslexia in an empowered way.

00:23:06.110 --> 00:23:07.150
Of the mind strengths,

00:23:07.150 --> 00:23:08.860
I most identify with material

00:23:08.860 --> 00:23:10.480
reasoning and

00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:11.870
narrative reasoning,

00:23:11.870 --> 00:23:13.010
but I do think I have a little

00:23:13.010 --> 00:23:14.265
bit of everything.

00:23:14.265 --> 00:23:15.800
I think that I do have strengths

00:23:15.800 --> 00:23:17.905
in all the different categories.

00:23:17.905 --> 00:23:18.955
Looking at the breadth of

00:23:18.955 --> 00:23:20.590
Christa's creative work,

00:23:20.590 --> 00:23:22.090
it's easy to see how both

00:23:22.090 --> 00:23:23.850
strengths play a role.

00:23:23.850 --> 00:23:25.980
Her spatial visualization skills

00:23:25.980 --> 00:23:27.700
have been key to her success as

00:23:27.700 --> 00:23:29.350
a stop-motion animator

00:23:29.350 --> 00:23:31.470
and as a puppeteer.

00:23:31.470 --> 00:23:32.730
But it's the combination of

00:23:32.730 --> 00:23:34.210
those spatial abilities,

00:23:34.210 --> 00:23:35.905
with her flare for narrative

00:23:35.905 --> 00:23:37.095
that brings her stories

00:23:37.095 --> 00:23:39.959
to life so vividly.

00:23:39.960 --> 00:23:42.040
A lot of my work does include

00:23:42.040 --> 00:23:43.875
a lot of my my earlier

00:23:43.875 --> 00:23:44.620
experiences,

00:23:44.620 --> 00:23:46.380
especially with dyslexia.

00:23:46.380 --> 00:23:48.620
I really thought a lot about

00:23:48.620 --> 00:23:49.564
that and what...

00:23:49.565 --> 00:23:51.600
how I could use it in my craft

00:23:51.600 --> 00:23:54.710
in order to connect with people.

00:23:54.710 --> 00:23:56.780
One story through which Christa

00:23:56.780 --> 00:23:58.144
has connected with countless

00:23:58.145 --> 00:23:59.445
dyslexic students and their

00:23:59.445 --> 00:24:01.450
families is her stop-motion

00:24:01.450 --> 00:24:04.350
film, Partially Compensated.

00:24:04.350 --> 00:24:05.210
The film tells the

00:24:05.210 --> 00:24:06.840
story of Violet,

00:24:06.840 --> 00:24:08.260
a young student learning to

00:24:08.260 --> 00:24:11.420
embrace her dyslexic difference.

00:24:13.180 --> 00:24:14.650
I found out I was dyslexic when

00:24:14.650 --> 00:24:16.180
I was seven years old in second

00:24:16.180 --> 00:24:18.035
grade and I had some early

00:24:18.035 --> 00:24:19.630
experiences that sort of

00:24:19.630 --> 00:24:21.305
exposed my dyslexia,

00:24:21.305 --> 00:24:23.070
and it sort of triggered in

00:24:23.070 --> 00:24:25.385
me this this need to,

00:24:25.385 --> 00:24:27.390
to hide parts of myself.

00:24:27.390 --> 00:24:28.890
A lot of dyslexic children

00:24:28.890 --> 00:24:30.685
develop a fear that they will be

00:24:30.685 --> 00:24:32.365
perceived as stupid or

00:24:32.365 --> 00:24:33.410
not intelligent,

00:24:33.410 --> 00:24:34.310
and that's definitely

00:24:34.310 --> 00:24:36.180
not the case.

00:24:43.780 --> 00:24:46.640
Most of my suffering came from

00:24:46.640 --> 00:24:50.350
my internal experience and just

00:24:50.350 --> 00:24:51.860
what was going on in my own head

00:24:51.860 --> 00:24:53.770
for what I perceived the world

00:24:53.770 --> 00:24:56.890
was thinking of me.

00:24:56.890 --> 00:24:58.500
Christa has published a series

00:24:58.500 --> 00:24:59.840
of picture books about a young

00:24:59.840 --> 00:25:01.900
girl named Molly, who,

00:25:01.900 --> 00:25:04.290
like Violet and Christa herself,

00:25:04.290 --> 00:25:06.050
learns to embrace and even

00:25:06.050 --> 00:25:08.450
to love her dyslexia.

00:25:08.450 --> 00:25:09.850
I created these books because I

00:25:09.850 --> 00:25:12.470
felt very compelled to do so.

00:25:12.470 --> 00:25:15.990
The picture book space has a

00:25:15.990 --> 00:25:18.800
severe lack of books for

00:25:18.800 --> 00:25:20.480
children with dyslexia or

00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:21.480
children that want to learn

00:25:21.480 --> 00:25:22.900
about learning differences

00:25:22.900 --> 00:25:24.600
like dyslexia.

00:25:24.600 --> 00:25:26.240
Although people are surprised by

00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:28.670
the idea of dyslexic writers,

00:25:28.670 --> 00:25:30.485
actually there are many.

00:25:30.485 --> 00:25:32.230
Their strengths in storytelling,

00:25:32.230 --> 00:25:33.355
bringing characters and

00:25:33.355 --> 00:25:35.260
situations to life,

00:25:35.260 --> 00:25:37.940
help them excel at their craft.

00:25:37.940 --> 00:25:39.490
I think that my biggest strength

00:25:39.490 --> 00:25:40.980
is creative problem-solving.

00:25:40.980 --> 00:25:44.550
I use it a lot in my writing.

00:25:44.550 --> 00:25:46.650
It feels like a real puzzle

00:25:46.650 --> 00:25:47.354
to me. You know,

00:25:47.355 --> 00:25:49.270
if you need to take out one

00:25:49.270 --> 00:25:50.249
element of the story,

00:25:50.250 --> 00:25:51.280
how does that affect the

00:25:51.280 --> 00:25:52.700
rest of the story?

00:25:52.700 --> 00:25:53.760
How many illustrations do you

00:25:53.760 --> 00:25:55.130
need to tell to convey

00:25:55.130 --> 00:25:56.240
the story?

00:25:56.240 --> 00:25:57.285
What do you wanna convey in

00:25:57.285 --> 00:25:58.370
pictures and what do you wanna

00:25:58.370 --> 00:25:59.760
convey with words?

00:25:59.760 --> 00:26:01.140
These are all questions that

00:26:01.140 --> 00:26:02.470
need a lot of creative

00:26:02.470 --> 00:26:04.260
problem-solving and

00:26:04.260 --> 00:26:05.770
resourcefulness and

00:26:05.770 --> 00:26:06.990
thoughtfulness,

00:26:06.990 --> 00:26:09.260
and I see that as something

00:26:09.260 --> 00:26:12.590
that, that is a strength I have.

00:26:12.590 --> 00:26:13.850
These are the four mind

00:26:13.850 --> 00:26:15.460
strengths first introduced

00:26:15.460 --> 00:26:18.470
by the IDEES in 2011.

00:26:18.470 --> 00:26:19.555
In the second edition of

00:26:19.555 --> 00:26:21.150
The Dyslexic Advantage,

00:26:21.150 --> 00:26:23.260
published in 2023,

00:26:23.260 --> 00:26:24.770
they described how a growing

00:26:24.770 --> 00:26:27.000
body of research has revealed

00:26:27.000 --> 00:26:28.000
that these strengths are

00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:30.150
supported by a shared set of

00:26:30.150 --> 00:26:31.930
systems rooted in

00:26:31.930 --> 00:26:33.860
episodic memory.

00:26:33.860 --> 00:26:35.560
Episodic memory is used to

00:26:35.560 --> 00:26:38.290
recall personal experiences,

00:26:38.290 --> 00:26:40.420
moments we've lived.

00:26:40.420 --> 00:26:42.300
The IDEES noticed dyslexic

00:26:42.300 --> 00:26:44.330
individuals tend to rely more

00:26:44.330 --> 00:26:46.115
heavily on personal or

00:26:46.115 --> 00:26:47.900
episodic memory,

00:26:47.900 --> 00:26:49.420
and use it more frequently than

00:26:49.420 --> 00:26:51.915
non-dyslexic individuals.

00:26:51.915 --> 00:26:53.935
They often use episodic memory

00:26:53.935 --> 00:26:55.790
not just to recall events,

00:26:55.790 --> 00:26:57.620
but to understand and remember

00:26:57.620 --> 00:26:59.470
concepts, ideas,

00:26:59.470 --> 00:27:00.400
and facts about the

00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:02.100
world around them.

00:27:02.100 --> 00:27:04.220
One powerful benefit is that

00:27:04.220 --> 00:27:06.430
dyslexic individuals often have

00:27:06.430 --> 00:27:07.950
an especially rich store of

00:27:07.950 --> 00:27:10.750
episodic memories to draw from.

00:27:10.750 --> 00:27:12.260
These memories aren't just

00:27:12.260 --> 00:27:14.390
used to recall the past.

00:27:14.390 --> 00:27:16.570
Pieces of episodic memory can

00:27:16.570 --> 00:27:18.410
be woven together in new

00:27:18.410 --> 00:27:20.480
and imaginative ways,

00:27:20.480 --> 00:27:22.290
allowing the mind to simulate

00:27:22.290 --> 00:27:23.790
many things;

00:27:23.790 --> 00:27:26.320
objects in space,

00:27:28.220 --> 00:27:32.130
connections between ideas,

00:27:32.130 --> 00:27:39.919
stories-...

00:27:39.919 --> 00:27:41.430
and processes changing

00:27:41.430 --> 00:27:43.230
over time,

00:27:45.310 --> 00:27:46.930
the very things that make

00:27:46.930 --> 00:27:49.330
up the mind strengths.

00:27:51.950 --> 00:27:53.480
This mental simulation is

00:27:53.480 --> 00:27:54.720
a powerful tool for

00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:56.000
problem-solving,

00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:57.490
especially in situations

00:27:57.490 --> 00:27:59.270
that are new, unique,

00:27:59.270 --> 00:28:00.730
or changing quickly.

00:28:00.730 --> 00:28:03.210
Relying on mental simulation can

00:28:03.210 --> 00:28:04.690
be more effective than using

00:28:04.690 --> 00:28:06.710
logic or formulas.

00:28:06.710 --> 00:28:08.260
For people with dyslexia,

00:28:08.260 --> 00:28:09.700
this isn't just an occasional

00:28:09.700 --> 00:28:10.895
strategy,

00:28:10.895 --> 00:28:12.220
it's a way of thinking they

00:28:12.220 --> 00:28:14.285
use all the time.

00:28:14.285 --> 00:28:16.100
This constant practice of mental

00:28:16.100 --> 00:28:18.415
simulation seems to fuel greater

00:28:18.415 --> 00:28:20.490
creativity and innovation,

00:28:20.490 --> 00:28:22.144
especially in situations that

00:28:22.145 --> 00:28:24.495
call for fresh approaches.

00:28:24.495 --> 00:28:26.140
This preference has important

00:28:26.140 --> 00:28:27.845
consequences.

00:28:27.845 --> 00:28:29.970
Episodic memory is the driving

00:28:29.970 --> 00:28:31.370
force behind divergent

00:28:31.370 --> 00:28:32.675
creativity,

00:28:32.675 --> 00:28:34.520
the ability to think of remote

00:28:34.520 --> 00:28:35.730
and creative answers

00:28:35.730 --> 00:28:37.350
to problems.

00:28:37.350 --> 00:28:39.114
This is an area where dyslexic

00:28:39.115 --> 00:28:41.860
adults consistently outperform

00:28:41.860 --> 00:28:44.090
non-dyslexic adults.

00:28:44.090 --> 00:28:45.890
For dyslexic students,

00:28:45.890 --> 00:28:47.245
discovering how to tap into

00:28:47.245 --> 00:28:48.410
their strengths in mental

00:28:48.410 --> 00:28:50.610
simulation and experience-based

00:28:50.610 --> 00:28:53.315
learning can be life-changing,

00:28:53.315 --> 00:28:55.055
especially when used in place of

00:28:55.055 --> 00:28:56.555
rote memorization and

00:28:56.555 --> 00:28:58.295
repetitive practice.

00:28:58.295 --> 00:29:00.330
That's exactly what happened to

00:29:00.330 --> 00:29:01.840
Chris Ford when he learned

00:29:01.840 --> 00:29:03.100
how to harness these

00:29:03.100 --> 00:29:04.550
experienced-based forms

00:29:04.550 --> 00:29:06.390
of learning.

00:29:06.390 --> 00:29:08.505
I am able to recall things from

00:29:08.505 --> 00:29:10.970
third year on that, you know,

00:29:10.970 --> 00:29:11.600
it's like I learned

00:29:11.600 --> 00:29:12.285
it the other day.

00:29:12.285 --> 00:29:14.415
And a lot of that is because

00:29:14.415 --> 00:29:16.120
I was able to absorb the

00:29:16.120 --> 00:29:17.395
information in a way that stuck

00:29:17.395 --> 00:29:19.050
with me for the remainder

00:29:19.050 --> 00:29:19.935
of my career.

00:29:19.935 --> 00:29:20.810
And it's things that

00:29:20.810 --> 00:29:21.715
I pull from,

00:29:21.715 --> 00:29:24.190
from that third year on that I

00:29:24.190 --> 00:29:25.415
see presented every day that

00:29:25.415 --> 00:29:26.505
other people may not catch,

00:29:26.505 --> 00:29:27.430
that other people may not

00:29:27.430 --> 00:29:29.410
connect with the presentation

00:29:29.410 --> 00:29:31.160
to this day.

00:29:31.160 --> 00:29:33.320
This ability to grasp complex

00:29:33.320 --> 00:29:34.690
information through

00:29:34.690 --> 00:29:36.460
experience-based memory,

00:29:36.460 --> 00:29:37.515
while still struggling

00:29:37.515 --> 00:29:39.010
with basic skills,

00:29:39.010 --> 00:29:40.270
is at the heart of what the

00:29:40.270 --> 00:29:42.310
Eide's have described as the

00:29:42.310 --> 00:29:44.580
paradox of dyslexia.

00:29:44.580 --> 00:29:48.745
There are things that,

00:29:48.745 --> 00:29:50.035
for many people,

00:29:50.035 --> 00:29:51.684
have been really easy,

00:29:51.685 --> 00:29:54.020
and they've always been a

00:29:54.020 --> 00:29:56.380
real challenge for me.

00:29:56.380 --> 00:29:59.950
And because of that,

00:29:59.950 --> 00:30:01.370
I've had to process things

00:30:01.370 --> 00:30:02.440
in different ways,

00:30:02.440 --> 00:30:03.970
and I've had to learn different

00:30:03.970 --> 00:30:06.250
ways of doing things.

00:30:06.250 --> 00:30:07.530
If I try to learn something by

00:30:07.530 --> 00:30:08.559
kind of looking it up in

00:30:08.560 --> 00:30:10.235
the book, it's really,

00:30:10.235 --> 00:30:11.654
really different for me than

00:30:11.655 --> 00:30:16.090
having searched, and explored,

00:30:16.090 --> 00:30:18.860
and investigated.

00:30:18.860 --> 00:30:21.240
If learning were more active,

00:30:21.240 --> 00:30:22.840
like Jack exploring,

00:30:22.840 --> 00:30:24.165
or Chris learning directly

00:30:24.165 --> 00:30:25.650
from professionals,

00:30:25.650 --> 00:30:26.635
the knowledge would

00:30:26.635 --> 00:30:28.240
stick for life.

00:30:28.240 --> 00:30:29.210
This highlights an

00:30:29.210 --> 00:30:30.510
important truth:

00:30:30.510 --> 00:30:33.500
dyslexic minds are not disabled,

00:30:33.500 --> 00:30:35.140
they're specialized.

00:30:35.140 --> 00:30:36.680
They're wired to learn best

00:30:36.680 --> 00:30:38.715
through direct experience,

00:30:38.715 --> 00:30:39.900
not through print or

00:30:39.900 --> 00:30:42.475
rote repetition.

00:30:42.475 --> 00:30:44.720
The strategies that,

00:30:44.720 --> 00:30:46.160
that we sometimes have

00:30:46.160 --> 00:30:48.530
to find as dyslexics

00:30:50.090 --> 00:30:52.494
can get us to investigate and

00:30:52.495 --> 00:30:54.315
think about things in ways that

00:30:54.315 --> 00:30:55.985
other people don't have to.

00:30:55.985 --> 00:30:57.470
And sometimes those approaches

00:30:57.470 --> 00:30:58.690
that we take

00:30:58.690 --> 00:31:01.320
are useful not just to us,

00:31:01.320 --> 00:31:03.220
they're useful to everybody.

00:31:03.220 --> 00:31:06.920
Dyslexia makes me take different

00:31:06.920 --> 00:31:08.150
alternate routes.

00:31:08.150 --> 00:31:10.760
That's incredibly useful

00:31:10.760 --> 00:31:12.560
as an explorer.

00:31:12.560 --> 00:31:14.580
The central role of exploration

00:31:14.580 --> 00:31:16.695
in dyslexic thinking aligns with

00:31:16.695 --> 00:31:18.690
a compelling theory recently

00:31:18.690 --> 00:31:19.885
proposed by British

00:31:19.885 --> 00:31:21.590
anthropologist, Dr.

00:31:21.590 --> 00:31:24.650
Helen Taylor. Dr.

00:31:24.650 --> 00:31:26.660
Taylor suggests that dyslexic

00:31:26.660 --> 00:31:28.430
minds are specialized in

00:31:28.430 --> 00:31:30.040
exploratory learning,

00:31:30.040 --> 00:31:31.730
discovering and creating new

00:31:31.730 --> 00:31:33.540
knowledge using predictive

00:31:33.540 --> 00:31:35.585
models and inference.

00:31:35.585 --> 00:31:37.220
She argues that this way of

00:31:37.220 --> 00:31:38.720
learning is an integral

00:31:38.720 --> 00:31:40.740
part of a system,

00:31:40.740 --> 00:31:42.650
a collective intelligence that

00:31:42.650 --> 00:31:44.404
drives human innovation

00:31:44.405 --> 00:31:45.619
and adaptability.

00:31:47.230 --> 00:31:51.140
Being dyslexic is definitely an

00:31:51.140 --> 00:31:53.190
advantage for an explorer.

00:31:53.190 --> 00:31:55.240
Most of my career has been going

00:31:55.240 --> 00:31:56.540
to places no human being

00:31:56.540 --> 00:31:57.970
has ever been to.

00:31:57.970 --> 00:31:58.804
It's a very comfortable

00:31:58.805 --> 00:31:59.570
place for me,

00:31:59.570 --> 00:32:01.564
I like to leave society and

00:32:01.565 --> 00:32:02.970
boldly go where no one has gone

00:32:02.970 --> 00:32:04.334
before on Planet Earth,

00:32:04.335 --> 00:32:07.440
and most of that's underwater.

00:32:07.440 --> 00:32:09.455
My first submarine dive off of

00:32:09.455 --> 00:32:12.770
Florida in 19... this was 1969.

00:32:12.770 --> 00:32:14.660
My first dive in Alvin,

00:32:14.660 --> 00:32:15.115
Project ...

00:32:15.115 --> 00:32:17.340
famous on plate tectonics.

00:32:17.340 --> 00:32:18.150
The NR1,

00:32:18.150 --> 00:32:20.070
which is a submarine I spent

00:32:20.070 --> 00:32:21.660
30 years in and out of,

00:32:21.660 --> 00:32:22.615
that we don't ...

00:32:22.615 --> 00:32:23.340
you're not hearing

00:32:23.340 --> 00:32:24.670
a lot about it.

00:32:24.670 --> 00:32:26.195
Most people think of me as the

00:32:26.195 --> 00:32:27.620
guy who found the Titanic,

00:32:27.620 --> 00:32:30.200
but that's as far as I'm

00:32:30.200 --> 00:32:32.650
concerned interesting.

00:32:32.650 --> 00:32:34.840
But my greatest contribution has

00:32:34.840 --> 00:32:36.330
been the discovery of new life

00:32:36.330 --> 00:32:38.420
forms when we found hydrothermal

00:32:38.420 --> 00:32:39.850
vents and rewrote the

00:32:39.850 --> 00:32:40.680
biology book,

00:32:40.680 --> 00:32:42.020
because we'd been told that all

00:32:42.020 --> 00:32:43.360
life on our planet was due

00:32:43.360 --> 00:32:44.965
to photosynthesis,

00:32:44.965 --> 00:32:46.345
and yet we were able to,

00:32:46.345 --> 00:32:47.289
in the darkest depths

00:32:47.290 --> 00:32:47.930
of the ocean,

00:32:47.930 --> 00:32:49.410
find a completely different

00:32:49.410 --> 00:32:51.160
ecosystem living not

00:32:51.160 --> 00:32:52.270
off the sun,

00:32:52.270 --> 00:32:53.400
but off the Earth's energy

00:32:53.400 --> 00:32:54.880
itself through a process

00:32:54.880 --> 00:32:57.290
called chemosynthesis.

00:32:57.290 --> 00:32:58.700
I threw out the geology book

00:32:58.700 --> 00:32:59.945
when I worked with a team from

00:32:59.945 --> 00:33:01.725
France in Project FAMOUS in the

00:33:01.725 --> 00:33:04.464
'70s to take a theory called

00:33:04.465 --> 00:33:05.730
plate tectonics,

00:33:05.730 --> 00:33:07.080
and then go out and prove

00:33:07.080 --> 00:33:08.970
it to be reality.

00:33:08.970 --> 00:33:10.760
And then I also discovered

00:33:10.760 --> 00:33:12.600
unbelievable underwater

00:33:12.600 --> 00:33:13.530
high temperature,

00:33:13.530 --> 00:33:14.960
what we call black smokers,

00:33:14.960 --> 00:33:17.200
spewing out amazing chemicals,

00:33:17.200 --> 00:33:18.950
because before we made

00:33:18.950 --> 00:33:20.570
that discovery, we,

00:33:20.570 --> 00:33:21.820
we couldn't explain it why the

00:33:21.820 --> 00:33:23.960
ocean had the chemistry it had.

00:33:23.960 --> 00:33:25.950
My proudest moment particularly

00:33:25.950 --> 00:33:27.115
of being dyslexic,

00:33:27.115 --> 00:33:29.220
is to throw away books and that

00:33:29.220 --> 00:33:30.610
is in the case of biology,

00:33:30.610 --> 00:33:32.350
geology, and chemistry.

00:33:32.350 --> 00:33:33.500
That's the power of being

00:33:33.500 --> 00:33:34.360
dyslexic here.

00:33:34.360 --> 00:33:35.290
You're not afraid of the

00:33:35.290 --> 00:33:38.400
unknown. Not afraid at all.

00:33:38.400 --> 00:33:40.630
I love discovering

00:33:40.630 --> 00:33:41.330
something new.

00:33:41.330 --> 00:33:41.950
And this doesn't have

00:33:41.950 --> 00:33:42.410
to be like, "Oh,

00:33:42.410 --> 00:33:43.475
this is a bird I've never seen

00:33:43.475 --> 00:33:45.640
before." But can I get myself to

00:33:45.640 --> 00:33:46.985
look at this bird that I've seen

00:33:46.985 --> 00:33:49.015
a thousand times before and

00:33:49.015 --> 00:33:50.200
notice something different

00:33:50.200 --> 00:33:51.185
about it,

00:33:51.185 --> 00:33:52.225
notice something that I

00:33:52.225 --> 00:33:53.870
haven't seen before?

00:33:53.870 --> 00:33:56.160
And all nature is infinitely

00:33:56.160 --> 00:33:57.880
complex.

00:33:57.880 --> 00:33:59.610
Chris Ford's invention of new

00:33:59.610 --> 00:34:01.925
medical devices and the powerful

00:34:01.925 --> 00:34:03.610
stories created by Lauren and

00:34:03.610 --> 00:34:06.000
Krista can all be seen as acts

00:34:06.000 --> 00:34:09.400
of exploration and discovery.

00:34:09.400 --> 00:34:11.330
If dyslexic minds are truly

00:34:11.330 --> 00:34:13.090
optimized for exploration

00:34:13.090 --> 00:34:14.590
and discovery,

00:34:14.590 --> 00:34:16.110
instead of focusing solely

00:34:16.110 --> 00:34:17.969
on fixing weaknesses,

00:34:17.969 --> 00:34:19.135
shouldn't we be creating

00:34:19.135 --> 00:34:21.420
opportunities that develop and

00:34:21.420 --> 00:34:23.659
celebrate their strengths?

00:34:25.620 --> 00:34:26.940
Most adults who have become

00:34:26.940 --> 00:34:28.940
successfully dyslexic,

00:34:28.940 --> 00:34:30.094
who've discovered how they

00:34:30.094 --> 00:34:31.929
learn, how they think,

00:34:31.929 --> 00:34:33.250
and what they're truly capable

00:34:33.250 --> 00:34:35.603
of, will tell you this:

00:34:35.605 --> 00:34:37.435
Their success has not come from

00:34:37.435 --> 00:34:39.100
fixing their weaknesses,

00:34:39.100 --> 00:34:40.960
but from focusing on building

00:34:40.960 --> 00:34:42.590
their strengths.

00:34:42.590 --> 00:34:44.429
What really changed my life when

00:34:44.429 --> 00:34:46.690
I discovered that I'm dyslexic

00:34:46.690 --> 00:34:48.889
was what I'm not good at and

00:34:48.889 --> 00:34:51.685
"Don't go down that road."

00:34:51.685 --> 00:34:52.830
And I don't.

00:34:52.830 --> 00:34:53.710
I think parents and

00:34:53.710 --> 00:34:55.670
educators can

00:34:55.670 --> 00:34:59.810
do better for dyslexic kids by

00:34:59.810 --> 00:35:01.000
providing them with the

00:35:01.000 --> 00:35:02.390
resources they need in reading

00:35:02.390 --> 00:35:03.470
and writing, spelling,

00:35:03.470 --> 00:35:04.470
all of that, getting them,

00:35:04.470 --> 00:35:06.080
getting them the proper

00:35:06.080 --> 00:35:07.290
education and teaching them the

00:35:07.290 --> 00:35:08.320
way that they learn would

00:35:08.320 --> 00:35:09.570
be a big help.

00:35:09.570 --> 00:35:11.945
But also just providing them

00:35:11.945 --> 00:35:14.220
with opportunities to exercise

00:35:14.220 --> 00:35:15.790
their creative talents,

00:35:15.790 --> 00:35:18.130
and then noticing where,

00:35:18.130 --> 00:35:20.150
where they shine and where their

00:35:20.150 --> 00:35:22.040
interests lie and encouraging

00:35:22.040 --> 00:35:23.400
those things.

00:35:23.400 --> 00:35:24.860
Keeping their self-esteem up is

00:35:24.860 --> 00:35:26.300
gonna be the biggest challenge,

00:35:26.300 --> 00:35:29.080
and I think they can't spend

00:35:29.080 --> 00:35:31.260
their entire childhood trying to

00:35:31.260 --> 00:35:32.255
learn how to read and write.

00:35:32.255 --> 00:35:33.225
They have to do other things,

00:35:33.225 --> 00:35:34.030
too.

00:35:34.030 --> 00:35:36.360
My advice to other dyslexics

00:35:36.360 --> 00:35:38.410
would be to get help in the

00:35:38.410 --> 00:35:40.525
areas that you are weak at and

00:35:40.525 --> 00:35:42.660
then spend most of your time

00:35:42.660 --> 00:35:44.380
pursuing the things that

00:35:44.380 --> 00:35:45.790
you're really good at.

00:35:45.790 --> 00:35:47.530
If I could make one major

00:35:47.530 --> 00:35:49.295
improvement in the educational

00:35:49.295 --> 00:35:52.600
system I had to go through,

00:35:52.600 --> 00:35:54.980
it would be early detection.

00:35:54.980 --> 00:35:56.630
If I'd had only known

00:35:58.140 --> 00:35:59.510
what I was good at and what

00:35:59.510 --> 00:36:00.805
I was not good at...

00:36:00.805 --> 00:36:02.130
Like my daughter, fortunately,

00:36:02.130 --> 00:36:02.860
they

00:36:02.860 --> 00:36:04.720
got her early,

00:36:04.720 --> 00:36:06.370
and she went off in a field and

00:36:06.370 --> 00:36:09.110
has thrived in that field.

00:36:09.110 --> 00:36:11.274
We asked the teacher if they

00:36:11.275 --> 00:36:13.210
would test her orally,

00:36:13.210 --> 00:36:14.285
and they did, and then she goes,

00:36:14.285 --> 00:36:14.450
"Oh,

00:36:14.450 --> 00:36:17.480
she knows everything." Just

00:36:17.480 --> 00:36:19.950
because she could articulate it

00:36:19.950 --> 00:36:21.990
orally. And they went, she...

00:36:21.990 --> 00:36:22.300
"Oh,

00:36:22.300 --> 00:36:23.090
we thought she didn't

00:36:23.090 --> 00:36:24.440
know the material."

00:36:24.440 --> 00:36:26.080
Dyslexia's not a reflection

00:36:26.080 --> 00:36:27.180
of intelligence.

00:36:27.180 --> 00:36:29.300
We know from a scientific

00:36:29.300 --> 00:36:30.280
standpoint,

00:36:30.280 --> 00:36:32.550
it only is a difference in the

00:36:32.550 --> 00:36:33.400
way that you interpret

00:36:33.400 --> 00:36:34.049
information,

00:36:34.049 --> 00:36:36.004
and it's only a difference in

00:36:36.005 --> 00:36:37.560
the way that you synthesize and

00:36:37.560 --> 00:36:38.790
create a product based on the

00:36:38.790 --> 00:36:39.800
way that your mind

00:36:39.800 --> 00:36:41.070
is able to work.

00:36:41.070 --> 00:36:42.545
When I was able to tap into

00:36:42.545 --> 00:36:43.770
the way that I facilitated

00:36:43.770 --> 00:36:44.295
information,

00:36:44.295 --> 00:36:46.220
when I was able to lean into the

00:36:46.220 --> 00:36:47.960
fact that I do have this

00:36:47.960 --> 00:36:48.680
learning ability,

00:36:48.680 --> 00:36:49.930
which is dyslexia,

00:36:49.930 --> 00:36:52.140
I was able to excel beyond,

00:36:52.140 --> 00:36:52.640
you know,

00:36:52.640 --> 00:36:54.600
any potential dream that

00:36:54.600 --> 00:36:57.100
I had growing up.

00:36:57.100 --> 00:36:58.275
This is how scientific

00:36:58.275 --> 00:36:59.850
theories change.

00:36:59.850 --> 00:37:01.300
Observations are made that can't

00:37:01.300 --> 00:37:02.940
be explained by the old theory,

00:37:02.940 --> 00:37:04.805
so a new theory is proposed that

00:37:04.805 --> 00:37:06.050
better accounts for all

00:37:06.050 --> 00:37:07.960
the observations.

00:37:07.960 --> 00:37:09.890
Once we begin to see dyslexia as

00:37:09.890 --> 00:37:12.210
a form of specialization rather

00:37:12.210 --> 00:37:13.820
than as a disability,

00:37:13.820 --> 00:37:14.520
we begin to see

00:37:14.520 --> 00:37:16.575
dyslexia-associated challenges

00:37:16.575 --> 00:37:18.380
as a kind of trade-off,

00:37:18.380 --> 00:37:19.755
which result from a pattern of

00:37:19.755 --> 00:37:21.520
brain organization that's aimed

00:37:21.520 --> 00:37:22.610
at creating strengths.

00:37:24.120 --> 00:37:25.030
Viewed in the light of

00:37:25.030 --> 00:37:26.320
this new perspective,

00:37:26.320 --> 00:37:28.250
a lot about dyslexia that seemed

00:37:28.250 --> 00:37:31.770
mysterious began making sense.

00:37:31.770 --> 00:37:32.950
Seeing dyslexic reading

00:37:32.950 --> 00:37:34.510
challenges as secondary

00:37:34.510 --> 00:37:36.610
consequences of a specialization

00:37:36.610 --> 00:37:38.025
in mental simulation or

00:37:38.025 --> 00:37:40.160
exploratory thinking helps us

00:37:40.160 --> 00:37:41.970
account for both the challenges

00:37:41.970 --> 00:37:43.360
and the strengths that are seen

00:37:43.360 --> 00:37:45.420
in dyslexic people in a way that

00:37:45.420 --> 00:37:46.940
disability-centered models

00:37:46.940 --> 00:37:49.190
simply can't.

00:37:49.190 --> 00:37:50.880
I believe dyslexia helps me

00:37:50.880 --> 00:37:52.320
think differently in the way

00:37:52.320 --> 00:37:55.110
that I am extremely visual.

00:37:55.110 --> 00:37:57.420
It helps me remember stories,

00:37:57.420 --> 00:38:00.875
it helps me create stories and

00:38:00.875 --> 00:38:03.960
just see what I want to bring

00:38:03.960 --> 00:38:06.360
to the screen in my head.

00:38:06.360 --> 00:38:08.320
I have an amazing gift

00:38:08.320 --> 00:38:10.260
called dyslexia.

00:38:10.260 --> 00:38:13.310
And I fortuitously went down the

00:38:13.310 --> 00:38:15.982
right road in life where it-...

00:38:15.982 --> 00:38:18.252
outperforms non-dyslexics.

00:38:18.252 --> 00:38:20.987
I feel like I'm better than

00:38:20.987 --> 00:38:23.692
non-dyslexics in my field.

00:38:23.692 --> 00:38:25.132
My relationship to my dyslexia

00:38:25.132 --> 00:38:26.452
has changed over the years,

00:38:26.452 --> 00:38:29.342
and part of my mission with my

00:38:29.342 --> 00:38:32.852
books is to relieve some of that

00:38:32.852 --> 00:38:35.552
in children much earlier than I

00:38:35.552 --> 00:38:36.932
was able to experience

00:38:36.932 --> 00:38:38.432
that relief.

00:38:38.432 --> 00:38:38.992
Growing up,

00:38:38.992 --> 00:38:40.692
dyslexia was thought to be an

00:38:40.692 --> 00:38:41.772
entirely different thing

00:38:41.772 --> 00:38:42.692
than it is now,

00:38:42.692 --> 00:38:44.742
which is the beauty of what

00:38:44.742 --> 00:38:45.882
Brock and Fernette have,

00:38:45.882 --> 00:38:47.122
have really brought to the table

00:38:47.122 --> 00:38:48.572
in terms of dyslexia.

00:38:48.572 --> 00:38:49.242
Let it be something that

00:38:49.242 --> 00:38:49.922
you're proud of.

00:38:49.922 --> 00:38:51.057
Don't be ashamed of it.

00:38:51.057 --> 00:38:51.966
Don't think that there'll be any

00:38:51.967 --> 00:38:53.672
repercussions based on it.

00:38:53.672 --> 00:38:55.262
Absorb it, embrace it,

00:38:55.262 --> 00:38:56.062
and make sure that you're doing

00:38:56.062 --> 00:38:57.872
all that you can to tap into the

00:38:57.872 --> 00:38:58.772
full potential of your

00:38:58.772 --> 00:39:00.992
learning ability.

00:39:00.992 --> 00:39:02.257
If you've just figured out that

00:39:02.257 --> 00:39:05.167
you're dyslexic, I, I,

00:39:05.167 --> 00:39:05.667
want you to,

00:39:05.667 --> 00:39:07.482
to really understand this.

00:39:07.482 --> 00:39:11.022
Number one, you're not broken.

00:39:11.022 --> 00:39:12.422
You're not broken.

00:39:12.422 --> 00:39:13.372
There are some things that are

00:39:13.372 --> 00:39:15.652
difficult for you right now,

00:39:15.652 --> 00:39:16.652
but

00:39:16.652 --> 00:39:18.962
through this struggle,

00:39:18.962 --> 00:39:21.452
you are developing your

00:39:21.452 --> 00:39:23.152
own superpower,

00:39:23.152 --> 00:39:24.842
something that is uniquely you,

00:39:24.842 --> 00:39:27.002
something that is going to

00:39:27.002 --> 00:39:29.922
surprise everyone else.

00:39:29.922 --> 00:39:33.682
Through this work,

00:39:33.682 --> 00:39:35.957
you will emerge as something

00:39:35.957 --> 00:39:37.632
unique and special,

00:39:37.632 --> 00:39:39.502
and absolutely beautiful and

00:39:39.502 --> 00:39:42.237
really useful in this world.

00:39:42.237 --> 00:39:43.422
"Trying to understand what

00:39:43.422 --> 00:39:44.907
dyslexia is all about while

00:39:44.907 --> 00:39:46.177
overlooking the talents that

00:39:46.177 --> 00:39:48.512
mature individuals with dyslexia

00:39:48.512 --> 00:39:50.537
characteristically display is

00:39:50.537 --> 00:39:52.467
like trying to understand what

00:39:52.467 --> 00:39:53.922
it's like to be a caterpillar

00:39:53.922 --> 00:39:55.087
while ignoring the fact that

00:39:55.087 --> 00:39:56.422
caterpillars grow up to be

00:39:56.422 --> 00:39:58.782
butterflies." Isn't

00:39:58.782 --> 00:40:00.407
that beautiful?

00:40:00.407 --> 00:40:01.762
Yeah.

00:40:01.762 --> 00:40:04.852
That is awesome.