See it all at https://dys4dys.org
Festival brings dyslexia community together
An organisation supporting people with dyslexia in Leeds is holding a major event at Pudsey Civic Hall in July.
The Yorkshire Dyslexia Festival — organised by Yorkshire Rose Dyslexia (YRD) — is set to bring the dyslexia community together with speakers and a range of exhibitions, at their event at Pudsey Civic Hall on the 5 July.
More details HERE
AI Handwriting Analysis May Catch Dyslexia and Dysgraphia Early
Summary: A new AI-driven tool developed by researchers could revolutionize how educators and clinicians screen for dyslexia and dysgraphia in children. By analyzing handwriting samples from K–5 students, the system detects behavioral cues, spelling errors, motor difficulties, and cognitive issues with remarkable precision.
Unlike traditional screening, which is time-intensive and often condition-specific, this method is faster, scalable, and could ease the burden on the nation’s limited speech and occupational therapy workforce. The research underscores the value of using artificial intelligence for early intervention, particularly in underserved communities.
Read the full article HERE
Why Students Forget—and What You Can Do About It
In a recent article published in the journal Neuron, neurobiologists Blake Richards and Paul Frankland challenge the predominant view of memory, which holds that forgetting is a process of loss—the gradual washing away of critical information despite our best efforts to retain it. According to Richards and Frankland, the goal of memory is not just to store information accurately but to “optimize decision-making” in chaotic, quickly changing environments. In this model of cognition, forgetting is an evolutionary strategy, a purposeful process that runs in the background of memory, evaluating and discarding information that doesn’t promote the survival of the species.
Read all about it HERE
Books as Medicine
The latest data from the 2024 Nation’s Report Card is a sobering indictment of the state of American education. While slight improvements in math scores offer a glimmer of hope, the continued decline in reading proficiency — particularly among fourth-graders — is cause for urgent concern. To frame this solely as an education crisis is to miss the broader implications: This is, in every sense, a public health emergency.
As a pediatrician, I’ve long understood that literacy is not just an academic skill — it’s a vital developmental sign. In the exam room, alongside questions about sleep, vaccines, and nutrition, I ask about reading routines. That’s because brain development in early childhood is not a passive process. It’s actively shaped by human connection, responsive interactions, and, perhaps most powerfully, the simple act of reading aloud.
Read the full post by Terri D. McFadden, MD, FAAP HERE
Isolating & lonely: What living with a learning disability is like
While dyslexia is a learning disability, it doesn’t just affect one’s academic life, the impact of the disability pervades a person’s socio-economic life and their relationships too.
Due to a lack of awareness, learning disabilities are often associated with only academic impairment, which is why their impact on other aspects of life often goes unnoticed or is not understood very well, even by people who’ve been diagnosed with them.
Read the full article HERE