President's Letter

Adults with Dyslexia
Recently, I read a New York Times article about Gavin Newsom, current mayor of San Francisco, that noted his rather elaborate system of managing the reading he needs to digest each day. The article states that "Newsom struggled with severe dyslexia as a child" and describes some of his compensatory strategies. As he states, "learning in unconventional ways leads a person to adapt in ways that nurture creative solutions. Doing so can also promote audacious goals that many would dismiss as irrational." I would guess if Mr. Newsom told one of his elementary school teachers his goal was to be mayor of San Francisco (or governor of California), they might not have thought it possible!

Recently, two adults with dyslexia approached NCBIDA offering their help and wanting to share their stories. So, realizing the value of learning from someone who has walked in those shoes, we took them up on it and put them to work! These two young adults with dyslexia will be part of a panel at our fall event, leading an informal question and answer session with parents. You can read more about Sara Leggett in her article, A Wish For My Children, and our winter newsletter will feature an interview with Ryan Luther. We are pleased to have them both lend their talents to our branch.

Other Events 2009-2010
We have two events to celebrate Dyslexia Awareness Month in October. Diane Shepard will be back by popular demand, talking to teens and their parents about organizational and study skills. You may recall that Diane, besides being a learning specialist, is also a magician. She will keep the energy and enthusiasm high in The Magic of Success at Mercy High School in San Francisco on Saturday, October 24. Trying to cater to the "teen inner-clock," this presentation will be in the afternoon from 1:00- 4:30 pm. And as mentioned earlier, there will be a breakout session for parents, featuring several young adults with dyslexia who can answer questions and share their secrets of success in high school and college.

On Thursday evening, October 29, we are very excited to be presenting a book reading with Joan Ryan, a former San Francisco Chronicle sportswriter. She will be discussing her latest book, The Water Giver: The Story of a Mother, A Son and their Second Chance. This book chronicles her experiences caring for her learning-disabled teen after a serious skateboard accident. Joan is a terrific speaker, and her book has received excellent reviews. We are currently negotiating a site for this event, and will let you know the exact details by email shortly.

Winter will bring us to Star Academy in Marin County, where Nancy Cushen White will give a morning presentation called Teaching Reading: What Works And Why, followed by a dyslexia simulation in the afternoon.

Next spring, NCBIDA is looking forward to presenting its first Dyslexia Dash, a 5K run/walk to raise awareness of dyslexia and related learning disabilities. The final location and date of the event will be announced soon, but be ready for a morning of fun. We encourage teachers and tutors to bring their students out to run/walk the route together, and enjoy the festivities. We will provide more information shortly.

Teacher Training Scholarships Awarded
Under the leadership of NCBIDA Board member Jennifer Rabalais, the Scholarship Committee awarded seven partial scholarships to students attending month-long Slingerland trainings this summer at a variety of locales in the San Francisco Bay Area. Additionally, NCBIDA was pleased to co-sponsor a three-day Wilson Reading System training in Berkeley in August. Check our website for information about future trainings in our area.

Spotlight on a Volunteer
In each newsletter this year we will give some background on one of our board members or other volunteers. What is their real job? How did they become interested in working with NCBIDA? What have they gained from that experience? This month our story is on Leslie Woodward, our immediate past president.

Research on our Dyslexia Simulation
NCBIDA's simulation kit, "Put Yourself in the Shoes of a Person with Dyslexia," was used recently in a research study at Southeastern Louisiana University. See the simulation article in this newsletter for a summary of the results, which were very positive indeed!

Thank You to Martha Renner
Martha Renner, the backbone of the Northern California branch of IDA for the last 30 years, has regrettably decided to step down from the Advisory Board. There are no words that can adequately express the gratitude we have for her gentle guidance over the years. Besides being an integral part of this branch, she has served in many roles on the national level, including acting as Program Chair of numerous national conferences, and historian of the organization. She is certainly the only person from our branch to have a room named after her at the IDA headquarters in Baltimore! The Northern California branch of IDA could never have maintained its strong presence in the SF Bay Area without Martha's guidance and unwavering leadership. We are exceedingly grateful for all she has done over the years. Thank you, Martha!

Sincerely,
Nancy Redding
NCBIDA President