Are you easily distracted by the tapping of your co-workers pencil, by your family member talking loudly on the phone, or by a barking dog?

Researchers have been investigating the differences between people with different levels of distractibility, or levels of ” sensory gating”. Turns out people with low sensory gating or “leaky filters” are correlated with higher levels of real world creative achievement.

In this episode with creativity researcher Darya Zabelina we get into an in-depth conversation about what constitutes a creative processing style. We talk about the neurobiology of creativity, if you should force your self to focus more- and if so what are the possible trade-offs, the problem with many creativity tests used in psychology studies, how to make school and work environments more creativity friendly and more!

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Dr. Peter Gray is a research psychologist, viral TEDx presenter, professor at Boston college, author, and a brilliant and controversial learning theorist. Dr. Gray’s research specializes in the role and importance of play in learning, and how non traditional student-driven educational environments affect students in the long term, like the Unschooling and Sudbury movements.

In this episode, we discussed a range of topics and questions, including:

• Do kids need school to become well educated? (Dr. Gray’s research indicates that they do not!)
• What techniques can we use to infuse a sense of play and intrinsic motivation in your child and in every day adult life?

Listen and tell us what you think on Instagram @thedyslexiaquest! 

"When traditional schools kill a child’s motivation, you can help regain it by involving more play both in and out of the classroom, throughout all aspects of learning. Focus on the process of learning, not just the end goal.” — Dr. Peter Gray

Renee Jain is the founder and chief storyteller of Go Zen. She teaches skills of happiness and resilience through fun media that engages kids — and parents too! She is a mama herself and podcast host who believes feeling good is actually a skill we can practice and develop.

Renee discuss why we should practice things like gratitude, shift our mindset about stress, and parenting myths such as, “it’s not your job to reassure them.”

Curious? Want to know what you can do to help your child feel good? Listen as we discuss practical tips to use with your child to help them relieve anxiety and learn strategies to feel good. Tell us what works for your child! Reach out on instagram @thedyslexiaquest!

We are taking advantage of the summer months to re-air our "BEST OF..." episodes! (This episode originally aired Sept. 2017!) What do you think of this idea? Did you relate to this story? Share your thoughts – Rate and review on iTunes! We LOVE hearing from you as always- Connect with us on Instagram or Facebook!

Jessica Hamman comes on to talk about why so many schools struggle to identify and properly accommodate dyslexia. You will love hearing her explain and give advice on what parents can say and do to support the schools and teachers in getting the proper resources they need to help your child.

Founder of Educator Learning Lab, Jessica started her advocacy journey over 30 years ago! She grew up in a family of education professionals with a deep interest in learning disabilities (her father was a special education attorney and child advocate-- and gathered the committee who helped develop the definition of dyslexia that's accepted in most states!! Her mom was an Orton Gillingham therapist, trainer and professor at the Center for Dyslexia Studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University in NJ!) They embarked on a journey advocating for her brother, and two decades later, Jessica found herself in a similar situation advocating for her own son. During this time she found there was such a lack of understanding surrounding dyslexia (almost as much as before!). Why was there still such a disconnect between the research to practice?! It became her mission to help bridge this gap! Listen along as we chat with this fascinating, brilliant, creative mom!

Are you the kind of dyslexic individual that knows you have skills, talents and abilities?  Do you want to manifest success and purpose in your life? Maybe you feel trapped because the traditional career paths don't seem right for you? Do you know you want to create something on your own terms but it seems so daunting or overwhelming  and you do not know where to start? If you are recently out of college, choosing not to go to college or you are transitioning careers and looking to do work that taps into your truest potential, then this episode will be a treat for you!

We jam out to the process of thriving in your work and manifesting success in your life. We discuss being a dyslexic in the workforce and the advantages of this processing style. Christopher is a powerful professional speaker who is passionate about demystifying the myth of dyslexia and teaching others how to become the best versions of themselves. He talks through personal growth, purpose, abundance and money and more. Listening to this episode will leave you with many practical tips and insight - so don't miss it!

Don't forget to share what you are grateful for and tag @thedyslexiaquest and @ChristopherDedeyan on Instagram or iTunes! 

Margaret Rooke is a mother to a daughter with dyslexia, and their own journey is what catapulted her to write two amazing books! The first was "Creative, Successful, Dyslexic: 23 High Achievers Share Their Stories" where she talked to prominent famous people (Like Richard Branson!). The latest is "Dyslexia is My Superpower (Most of the Time)", which features interviews with more than 100 children and young adults with dyslexia from across the world. The crazy thing about this book is that it is the first book that speaks from the narrative of the actual children that have dyslexia!

Doesn't that blow your mind?!

There is such a wealth of wisdom when we slow down and actually listen to the students and what they are experiencing. For a long time the only people talking about dyslexia were researchers and academics... but now the internet has given a platform and a voice to parents, so we started hearing about dyslexia from parents, and even adult dyslexics who share about their dyslexia .... It's fascinating that now we are able to hear from the perspective of the children themselves. We hope you enjoy this amazing talk. Let us know your thoughts on this one!

You can review this episode on iTunes or Instagram!

Easily a favorite episode — Listen as we get into the STRENGTH SWITCH with author, professor and psychologist, Lea Waters. Lea’s work inspires parents (and others) to shift to a strength based perspective of children. Her insight is extremely moving! Perhaps you remember the feeling as a child of not having the language to describe your strengths. Strengths seem to be categorized in the areas of academia, arts and athletics…. but what about the many other strengths which make us so unique? Perhaps this is what your child is going through now. If you are interested in knowing more about the specific strengths that make one a unique individual then this is the show for you!

Share your thoughts and experiences with us on iTunes or Instagram!

Rate and review on iTunes! We LOVE hearing from you – as always- Meet us (and a community of over 10,000 questers! ) on Instagram or Facebook!

AND……Do you have a question for Lea? Send us your question for our mini series!

The Strength Switch HOW THE NEW SCIENCE OF STRENGTH-BASED PARENTING CAN HELP YOUR CHILD AND YOUR TEEN TO FLOURISH by Lea Waters

https://www.leawaters.com/

Strength Switch Course

Visible Well-being Course

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We often hear advice for younger students through high school....but there is another leap in development that happens when dyslexic students get to college! This episode is all about how to crush it in college as a dyslexic student. There are many different ways to support students at the college level- and Kim helps us discover them! We talk about tips, strategies, aps, and ways to gain accessibility and accommodations in this new life chapter!

Plus... we diverge into other interesting areas like our own experiences in college, mental health/ wellness... and Kim's new book for kids that was "written with accessibility in mind and uses multi-sensory learning!" You don't want to miss it!

7 marathons - on 7 continents - in 7 days! Our fascinating guest, Jared Blank, has accomplished this amazing feat- the World Marathon Challenge! Jared has been running for the IDA (international Dyslexia Association). Guess what he calls his superpower? Jared attributes his resilience and endurance to his childhood experience grappling with dyslexia. He shares with us how his mindset was developed by these experiences. We get into how childhood and school experiences have contributed to the person he is today.

We wrap up with advice for parents that you won't want to miss! Listen till the end to find out more!

https://www.instagram.com/thedyslexiaquest

Will Richardson is changing the way we think about education. He quests with us about the role of school. We unpack the unacknowledged truth about most schools today and how it's impacting our kids future.  

What is the purpose of sending kids to of school ANYWAYS?! We get into what we are REALLY trying to accomplish through schooling in the long run. What do we expect schools to do and what can we imagine schools to be...now and in the long run? 

Not only does he share something beautiful, he also gives interesting advice from a parent's point of view. Dive into this broader philosophical discussion with us- we hope it will inspire you too!

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