The Dyslexic Advantage: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain [Hardcover]

Brock L. Eide (Author), Fernette F. Eide (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 18, 2011

Two neurolearning experts reveal the hidden benefits of having a dyslexic brain.

In this paradigm-shifting book, neurolearning experts Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide describe an exciting new brain science that reveals that people with dyslexia have unique brain structure and organization. While the differences are responsible for certain challenges with literacy and reading, the dyslexic brain also gives a predisposition to important skills, and special talents.

While dyslexics typically struggle to decode the written word, they often also excel in such areas of reasoning as mechanical (required for architects and surgeons), interconnected (artists and inventors); narrative (novelists and lawyers), and dynamic (scientists and business pioneers). The Dyslexic Advantage provides the first complete portrait of dyslexia.

With much-needed prescriptive advice for parents, educators, and dyslexics, The Dyslexic Advantage provides the first complete portrait of dyslexia. Supporting their claims with groundbreaking science and interviews with successful dyslexics and innovative teachers, the authors of this essential book show how the unique strengths of dyslexia can be captured for success at home, at school, and at work.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Probably the most helpful material ever published on dyslexia..." - Manuel Casanova MD, Gottfried and Gisela Kolb Professor of Psychiatry
"A compelling call to action." - Scientific American Mind

"I recommend it highly!" -Thomas Armstrong PhD, The Power of Neurodiversity

"Required reading for parents, teachers, dyslexics, anyone with an interest in the enigma of dyslexia..." - Angela Fawcett, Emeritus professor, Swansea University

From the Inside Flap

If you ask contractors, engineers, rocket scientists, or even famous mystery novelists if they had trouble with reading in school, an astonishing number will answer: "Yes, how did you know?"


Authors Brock and Fernette Eide know why people in these professions tend to have had difficulties with reading and writing. The cause is simple: their brains are different.  Individuals who have dyslexia, whether it is mild or severe, think uniquely about what they see and learn in their everyday lives, whether it's in a classroom, at a job, or in their own home.  


In this revolutionary book, the Eides use new brain science and their expertise in neurology and learning disorders to explain how individuals with dyslexia not only perceive the written word differently, but also conceive space more intuitively, see connections between unrelated objects, and are able to make great leaps creatively that others simply miss.  


Presenting a variety of case studies and true stories to support the science, The Dyslexic Advantage demonstrates that each individual with dyslexia is unique, and faces specific challenges while, at the same time, experiences remarkable talent and ability.  Carefully explaining how four areas dyslexics excel in appear in the activities of children and adults, the Eides provide useful advice on how to maximize an individual's potential in: material reasoning (used by architects and engineers); interconnected reasoning (scientists and designers), narrative reasoning (novelists and lawyers); and dynamic reasoning (economists and entrepreneurs.) 


Putting emphasis on the advantages of the dyslexic brain rather than the well-trod challenges with reading and writing, the Eides blend advice from successful individuals who learned to excel at "being dyslexic" with findings from their research that parents, educators, and individuals with dyslexia can use to help maximize their dyslexic advantage.


Providing the first complete portrait of dyslexia, the Eides show that it is not a condition people have, but rather a part of who someone is―which can be cultivated as a great strength.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Hudson Street Press; 1 edition (August 18, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9781594630798
• ISBN-13: 978-1594630798
• ASIN: 1594630798
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #286,119 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

We're physicians and authors of The Dyslexic Advantage (2011) and The Mislabeled Child (2007). We have an international referral practice in the Greater Seattle area seeing children, teens, and young adults with learning differences. We have a special interested in Dyslexia, Giftedness, and Creativity, and how education can change for the better.

http://dyslexicadvantage.com
http://neurolearning.com
http://facebook.com/dyslexicadvantage

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

135 of 136 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally - a scientific look at the advantages of dyslexia August 22, 2011

By D. A. J. VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Now "THIS" is the book I have been waiting for. As a dyslexic myself and the parent of at least one dyslexic (and gifted) child - this book is life changing, especially in terms of the educational outlook for my children. The Eides have done what so many "claim" to do in their books, but never really get there. They show clear, concrete, and proven advantages to the way the brain works for dyslexics, and shows why those advantages have "trade offs" when it comes to learning things such as reading, writing, and spelling. Basically, the way the dyslexic brain works, people with dyslexia tend to be much, much better than average in four particular areas - described as the M.I.N.D. areas. These cover things such as being able to see objects in 3D and manipulate them on ones mind (a great skill for Engineers, designers, builders, etc.), the ability to see advanced and complex connections between things (an amazing skill for systems engineers, entrepreneurs, psychologists, lawyers, etc.), amazing long term memory, etc. While these advantages are amazing, great, needed, and should be utilized to the best of ones ability - these advantages are there because the dyslexic brain is wired in such a way to support them. The down side is this wiring is the most inefficient way to learn the skills of reading, writing, and spelling. While those are true downsides, that doesn't mean dyslexic individuals can't learn to read, write, and spell - most do. The Eides just show a much better route to those skills.
Another BIG thing I love about this book is how they extensively cover accommodations (like speech-to-text software and digital books). In most dyslexic individuals, there will be a point in which one reaches diminishing returns in terms of reading, writing, and spelling - no matter how much intervention they won't get any better than that point. However, that doesn't mean their learning must stop - the proper accommodations will allow these individuals to reach their full potential in life. And surprisingly, the full potential of a dyslexic is actually more "successful" than a non-dyslexic. Dyslexic individuals are over represented in the top tiers among almost all professions - especially the sciences, engineering, and creative fields (writing, acting, art, music, etc.). Yes, dyslexics who struggle with reading and writing turn out to be amazing writers of everything from fiction to fantasy books (and I suppose one accommodation is hiring a good editor who can see past the spelling mistakes to the amazing content).
The last part of the book deals with the best ways of teaching reading, spelling, and writing to dyslexic individuals - from elementary to college to adults in the workplace. The advice and tips are amazing and I plan on incorporating many of them immediately into our homeschooling plans. They also cover proper accommodations depending on the skill and level of the individual. Another important point of this section is to also encourage the strengths of individuals with dyslexia. Again - there is going to be a point of diminishing returns in teaching reading and writing based skills - so also focus on those areas in which dyslexic individuals thrive.
Another area is the best educational options for gifted individuals. Now this will be the area many parents will struggle with. The truth is traditional school environments are NOT set up to accommodate dyslexic individuals. It isn't for lack of want, but many educational institutions just don't fully understand dyslexia for what it is, and what it isn't. As a result, the best fits for dyslexic students (at least for some time in their for educational years) might be special education classrooms (those that focus on education and not so much behavior I am assuming), schools that specialize in teaching dyslexic students, private schools that allow children to work at their own pace (think Sundry or Reggio or Montessori), and finally homeschooling.
The final chapter and another gem of this book is the resources section. It has websites and resources to cover the tips they described in the text.
A lot of thought and and research, and I believe passion and love went into this book. Again, it really will be a life changer for many individuals with dyslexia (heck, there is even a section that covers adult dyslexics in the workplace!)

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Especially helpful for parents of dyslexic children! August 26, 2011

By S. Richter

Format:Hardcover

Any parent of a dyslexic child soon learns two things: 1) their child is very bright but thinks and learns differently from peers, 2) the educational system does not serve them very well. Our struggles as parents are often immense as we work to advocate for our dyslexic child in a society that, more often than not, discards a dyslexic intellect as inferior and unlikely to succeed in life. This wonderful book explains through example after example how the complete opposite is the case. Dyslexic minds may have troubles with conventional ways of "doing things" but it is for that reason that they have been the pivotal forces behind discoveries and innovations that have led our culture forward for centuries (if not millennia).

This book is not just for parents of dyslexic children, but for anyone who is interested in in deepening their understanding of the human mind/brain and especially those who are interested in correlations between mentation and society. This is an engaging read, full of beautiful thoughts by many of the most influential minds of contemporary society. The Eides (both MDs) bring their extensive knowledge together in a book unlike any other on the market. It will change the way you look, not just at dyslexics, but at how we, as a society, are all too quick to judge those who are "different".

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Forests of the Mind: Dyslexia September 3, 2011

By Luiza Moreira

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is about how to see dyslexia as a forest, rather than as the trees or branches we are most familiar with: the humiliating branch of learning to read slowly, the embarrassing branch of illegible handwriting, the exasperating branch of never quite being able to recall a multiplication fact. When dyslexia is seen as a forest, it is, well -- breathtaking.

In the central section of the book, the Eides show that there are 4 broad patterns of strength in the dyslexic brain: Material thinking, helpful for engineers and others who need to visualize in 3-D; Interconnected thinking, great for seeing connections rather than simply facts in isolation; Narrative thinking, which is good not just for storytellers, and Dynamic thinking, a truly amazing skill to make predictions based on incomplete information. The 4 talents together spell: MIND. Yet those strengths are the flip side of the familiar, painful dyslexic challenges. The Eides devoted a chapter to each of the traits. First they discuss the strengths, then they move on to the trade-offs that come with each talent. Their discussions are clear, packed with information, and very logical. I learned a lot from this part of the book - and I knew a fair amount about dyslexia to begin with - but I needed to stop and think after each chapter. I found the logical and clear movement of their argument from strengths to challenges to be (again) breathtaking.

An introductory section of the book explores the neurological differences that underlie dyslexia, and includes fascinating summaries and discussions of recent research. The concluding section lists excellent resources for dyslexics, and will come in very handy to dyslexics and their families.

The Eides based this book on their broad knowledge of current research on dyslexia in various fields and countries, on their extensive clinical experience with dyslexics, but also on numerous fascinating interviews with dyslexics who figured out how to take advantage of their own talents. The result is an accessible and readable book. It is remarkable for its power of synthesis. _The Dyslexic Advantage_ paints a broad, flexible, yet very precise image of this vast forest, which only now we begin to see in its outlines.