Best of the Web: How a beehive helped a teen with dyslexia, and more

(Maani Truu, ABC News)

‘I might struggle writing long essays, but I know how to keep hundreds of thousands of bees alive,’ says Logan, a 14-year-old from outside Shepparton, Victoria.

As the author explains, Logan, who has dyslexia, might find school ‘boring’ but he knows more about bees and beehives than most people and says there’s ‘always more to learn…’.

As Dr David Armstrong, dyslexia and inclusion expert, told the author, ‘Many people with dyslexia claim they understand and process information differently, they have different ways of making sense of the world.’

For Logan, bees gave him a pathway to learning differently.

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(Ellen Fanning, The Guradian)

For any parent navigating the path of a disability diagnosis with their child, the last thing they need to hear from well-meaning friends is ‘don’t worry’ – because all they do is worry.

The author spoke to Claire, the mother of Connor, who recently received a diagnosis of global developmental delay, where a child takes longer to reach some development milestones than other children the same age.

‘The fact that he is a brilliant, amazing human being is never in question,’ says Claire. ‘I don’t really need strangers to tell me my own son is a good kid.’

Mitch Wallis, a psychologist and mental health expert, explains the golden rule of supporting anyone is ‘understand first, solve second…and solving isn’t mandatory. Most people, most of the time, are looking to feel heard rather than be fixed. And it’s the connection that heals.’

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(Jeffrey Kass, Medium)

Growing up in a family that struggled financially, the author say he ‘identifies as broke’. He learned to fend for himself and develop street smarts.

‘But most importantly, I learned through my own struggles to never think that I’m better than anyone else. To instead empathise with and understand others’ challenges.’

Now, financially stable with three children of his own, he faced a critical parenting challenge. ‘How would I raise these kids to learn the importance of empathy like I did — the hard way? To learn to take care of themselves. To care about others. To not think they are better than anyone. All while giving them everything I never had?’

He shares five life lessons to help instill these values and ultimately ‘value all people in life’.

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