Code Read talks about Dyslexia on Sky News with Jacinta Tynan

On the 27th of October 2018, Code Read Dyslexia Network was invited to Sky News Australia to discuss Dyslexia during Dyslexia Awareness Month.

This was an excellent opportunity to highlight the difficulties faced by people with dyslexia, but also to highlight the need for better instruction for all students in Australia.

Journalist Jacinta Tynan understood the issues faced by people with dyslexia and gave us a platform for discussing the early indicators and the importance of early screening, diagnosis and early intervention.

We were also given the opportunity to clarify the misinformation that surrounds dyslexia such and ensure that the message gets out there that dyslexia and IQ are not related, and that people with very high IQ’s can still struggle to learn to read, and the importance of a ‘dyslexia champion’ in their lives. A dyslexia champion can be a parent, a teacher, or anyone who helps that person and offers protection for the individual’s self-esteem and helps them to understand their skills and abilities and helps the individual to soar.

The interview highlighted that scientific research has revealed a lot about dyslexia and what needs to be done about it, but unfortunately this research is not filtering through to the teachers, and Code Read has this firmly on our agenda.

Code read aims to raise awareness through its campaigns such as the Red Paper Plane Challenge and the Light it Red Campaign. Our Red Paper Plane Challenge involved schools using STEM knowledge to build planes and encourage those impacted by dyslexia to soar. We awarded prizes to schools and individuals with prizes being donated by Harvey Norman and Decodable Readers Australia.

During the story pictures of individuals with red planes were shown as well as buildings lit up red for the Light it Red Campaign. We explained that this campaign began in 2015 with a group of dedicated parents, in a very short space of time, approaching significant buildings and monuments throughout Australia to light up red and how this has grown to include more than 55 structures glowing Red to raise awareness in October of each year.

Jacinta asked us to explain how we are ALL impacted by dyslexia and we discussed how important it was that ALL teachers be given training to understand how to teach students with dyslexia. Any teacher that understands the needs of a dyslexic students will have detailed knowledge on how to teach reading according to scientific research and that will help raise Australia’s literacy rates.

In order to continue this valuable work we need the help of the community through donations and support of our awareness raising campaigns.

Julie Mavlian – Founding Member Code Read Dyslexia Network