Learning Outside the

Lines
author: Jonathan Mooney
disability: Dyslexia
by: Maressa McDonald
Then one day, in his own good time, Leo
bloomed! He could read! He could write!
He could draw! He ate neatly! He also
spoke! And it wasnt just a word. It was
a whole sentence. And that sentence
was I made it! _ Leo the Late Bloomer

Dyslexia

Falls under the IDEA category of

Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
Brain-based condition: difficulties
with reading, writing, spelling, and
sometimes speaking
Exists on a continuum: mild to
severe
lifelong condition
Tends to run in families
Average to above average IQ

Characteristics may include:

Difficulty matching letters & sounds;

blending
Difficulty sounding out unfamiliar words
Trouble rhyming
Trouble writing or copying letters,
numbers, and symbols in the correct
order
Confusion when pronouncing words or
phrases
Difficulty reading automatically

Thinking in Pictures, 3-D

Can you think of any images to

represent abstract words such as:
the, that, is, if, and
referred to as sight words
make up 45 to 60% words in a
paragraph
Without a picture, it is hard for
such learners to understand the
meaning!
Leads to confusion, frustration,
fatigue for the reader who thinks in
pictures
Interferes with comprehension

Dyslexia as a Gift & Potential Career Areas

Spatial reasoning: 3-D spatial perspective
(design, 3-D art, architecture, inventor, engineer)

Interconnected reasoning: analogies, multiple

perspectives, make connections
(interdisciplinary fields like business and industry or specialist in
multiple fields)

* Narrative reasoning: Remember facts as experiences,

examples, or stories rather than abstractions
(historian, teacher, trial lawyer, writer, sales)

Ability to reason well when facts are changing or

incomplete (business or science fields)

Statistics
Other Skills Affected
Up to 17% of U.S. school-aged
children
Up to 85% of students with
learning disabilities have
dyslexia
Boys are identified 2x more
than girls

Mental Health
frustration
low self-esteem
loss of motivation

Social skills: feelings of

inferiority
Listening comprehension:
filtering out background
noise
Memory when reading
Navigation: directions such
as left vs. right
Time management

Introducing...Jonathan Mooney

Graduate of Brown University

Holds an honors degree in
English Literature
National Rhodes Scholarship
finalist
Winner of the Truman
Scholarship for graduate
studies in creative writing &
education
Writer, author of several books
Co-founder of Project Eye to
Eye, mentoring program for
students with disabilities

Why am I stupid? I cant read; all the

other kids can read. Whats wrong with
me? --Jonathan Mooney

In just a short time, I had gone from being an energetic, joyful child
to a depressed little man.

2nd Grade with Mrs. C.

In her class, school was no longer a safe place

blue jay reading circle group

knew he was in a lower group
kids laughed at him
teacher preferred the higher level kids
forced to read aloud, hid in the bathroom

During reading I was so angry and ashamed I could taste my stomach

acid come up into my throat and seep behind my nostrils any time I
burped. I used to imagine killing the teacher.

weekly spelling tests

3 hours a night studying, failed each one
Mom argued with the teacher weekly
You are destroying this kid.
Mom allowed him to take mental health days

Kids have to learn

how to spell. Those are
the rules. There are no
exceptions.

Mental Health Days

Zoo visits: One of the few bright
spots in my life, when the pain
would stop.
Rub his eyebrows raw anticipating
going back to school
You are smart, and they dont
know who you are.
Reminder from his mom that
always stayed with him

Successful: (3rd & 4th grade; Mr. R.)

Building a relationship: What do you like to do? - Mr. R.
Connected at the beginning of the year
Responded: Soccer, building things, stories
Classroom environment: UDL
Project-oriented, thrived in social-studies and science
No spelling tests, spelling did not count against him
Technology: used a computer for writing
No reading groups, worked at individualized pace
Still struggled with reading, did not feel humiliated
Respect
Sat next to him when he struggled with reading
Included him in parent-teacher meeting
Noticed the discrepancy between his performance in language
arts and his cognitive ability
Referred him for special-education testing, diagnosed with
dyslexia

Special Education: 4th grade

Resource Room x2 week for reading support
Understood he was falling behind his classmates, but
didnt understand why he struggled so much despite
his effort
Considered the Resource Room a Band-Aid; & what
he truly needed was a new learning environment
Stigma: His classmates gave him looks when he left to
resource room, embarrassing
GATE kids: called him stupid, laughed at him

Family Tension
Mom:

Jons advocate: attended

meetings all the way through
college
Helped w/homework through
college
Allowed mental health days
Reassured him:Youre a late
bloomer. -Leo the Late
Bloomer book
Identified with his learning
struggles; possible she had
undiagnosed dyslexia
School = conformity,
discipline, power

Dad:

College valedictorian; MA & law

degrees
Jon felt his dad was ashamed of him
Insisted that Jon shouldnt need
academic help
Parents argued: how much should
mom help vs. how much should Jon do
independently
Bonded over Jons soccer success,
was his coach; lost stigma on the field
I wanted my dad to be proud of me
and to love me, but I didnt know
what I could do to make him think I
was smart.

Grades 6-12
Protective Factors:

Risk Factors:

Used computer for written assignments

Spelling was not counted against him
Did all of his reading at home (slowly)-had memorized many words, skipped what
he didnt know
Thrived in science & social studies:
project based
Took positive risks: enrolled in public
speaking class, joined the newspaper
club, joined Honors English class
Mom = advocate
Hobbies: Excelled in soccer, peer
counselor
Friends
Supportive teachers w/qualities similar to
Mr. R. from 3rd/4th grade
Determination, hard-worker

Lack of formal accommodations in

grades 6-12 (SDC or gen. ed only offered
in high school; private middle school)
Inflexible teachers w/qualities similar
to Mrs. C. from 2nd grade
Family pressure to succeed in soccer,
get a scholarship

Mental Health:

Depression, soccer injury

Poor coping skills: excessive drinking
his senior year
Anger from comparing his lack of
academic success to others
Suicidal thoughts

College: Finding his Identity

Loyola Marymount Univ. (LMU):
3.98 GPA

Did not initially identify as needing

accommodations, so he didnt receive
any.
Re-diagnosed with dyslexia; Department
of Disability Support Services (DSS)
allowed him to use a computer, but not
given extra time and spelling and grammar
counted against him
DSS Director discouraged English major
Continued to struggle with feelings of
stupidity : good writer & worked hard,
but technical aspects interfered with his
grades
Mom = advocate, helped proofread his
paper

Brown University:

Transferred from LMU; needed a

change--turning point for him
Admission interview: explained his
struggles, passions, and victories as a
person with dyslexia
Graduated with an honors degree in
English Literature

Leo the Late Bloomer

Strategies for Academic Success according to Jonathan

Academics:

Organize materials
Personalize your notes
Understand relevant vs. Irrelevant information
Review class notes
Engage in class discussion
Talk to the teacher, be honest about needs
Utilize different reading strategies for your
purpose: skimming, scanning, etc.
Use the writing process: thesis, outline, fluency,
evaluate
Learn test-taking strategies
Incorporate project-based learning

Other skills:

Self-reflection
Resiliency: evaluate setbacks
Creativity
Emotional preparation: relax
Hobbies, friends

Take Aways....
Dyslexia tends to run in families
Effort vs. ability (Marzano)
Teacher flexibility & UDL practices
matter!
Family tension: parents may not agree
Mental health: coping skills
Identity & taking positive risks
Personalized learning

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