A creative approach to dyslexia

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MONTANA LIVING — A new symposium in Bozeman will look at how people with dyslexia have powerful mental advantages.

Montana State University will host a free, two-day symposium this fall that is designed to change the narrative around the emerging culture of dyslexia.

This new event goes beyond the challenges of spelling and reading to focus on the powerful advantages of the dyslexic mind including imagination, spatial awareness and creative thinking.

The 2019 Dyslexia & Innovation symposium is set for Oct. 29-30 on the MSU campus. The event will include speakers, panels and performers from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29, in Norm Asbjornson Hall’s Inspiration Hall. It will also include speaker workshops Wednesday morning, Oct. 30, in the Strand Union Building ballrooms. Each workshop will be presented twice, with the first workshop session set for 9 a.m. and the second set for 10:30 a.m.

 Hip hop artist Supaman to speak at the MSU event on dyslexia

Symposium speakers include professional  skier Lynsey Dyer, who is the co-founder of the youth empowerment nonprofit SheJumps; Christian Parrish Takes the Gun, known professionally as Supaman, a Native American hip-hop artist and member of the Apsaalooke Nation; and Cliff Weitzman, the creator of Speechify, a mobile and desktop app that lets users listen to documents and books instead of reading.

Panelists include Linda Siegel, a professor emeritus and dyslexia expert from Canada who has authored more than 200 publications; John Cech, president of Carroll College in Helena; and TerraBeth Jochem, a reading specialist from Billings with more than 25 years of experience.

Cliff Weitzman, the creator of Speechify, a mobile and desktop app that lets users listen to documents and books instead of reading

The panel moderator is Suzanne Walsh, former deputy director at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation who now serves as president of Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina.In addition, architect in training Marley Robb, an MSU alumnus from the firm Miller Roodell Architects, will offer a workshop on intuitive drawing during the Wednesday morning workshop session.

The symposium is free and open to all students, educators, parents and members of the community. Preregistration online is required as the event is limited to 250 participants.

More information and online registration is available at montana.edu/dxi2019/. Questions may be directed to symposium co-chairs Jeffrey Conger at jeffrey.conger@montana.edu or Sarah Pennington at sarah.pennington2@montana.edu.