Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hi, I'm Maggie.
[00:00:01] Speaker B: And I'm Nicole. Welcome to the DAC Dyslexia in Coffee Podcast. We're so happy you could join us. We're both moms and dyslexia interventionists who want to talk about our students and children. What dyslexia is, how it affects our kids, strategies to help and topics related to other learning disabilities will all be covered in this podcast. Parents are not alone, and we want to give voice to the concerns and struggles we are all having. This. This is a safe place to learn more about how to help our children grow and succeed in school and in the world. Grab a cup of coffee and join the conversation.
[00:00:35] Speaker A: Hey.
Okay, listeners, buckle up.
Welcome to episode 100.
Oh, my gosh.
It is episode 100 of Dyslexia and Coffee Podcast, and we're just so thrilled.
I am smiling to ear, like, ear to ear today, because I feel like, 100. What an accomplishment and what a fun kind of dream this has been to really host this podcast and talk about
[00:01:15] Speaker B: stuff that we love talking about. Yes.
[00:01:18] Speaker A: It feels so fun to just be able to have this really special time to connect with people this way.
So I'm so, so, so excited that it's episode 100, and we're just here to have a little fun today.
[00:01:34] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:01:35] Speaker A: Which I feel like we need some fun in our lives right now.
Things can feel heavy. We are in, like, the doldrums of summer.
[00:01:45] Speaker B: Correct.
[00:01:45] Speaker A: Where it's all unstructured all the time,
[00:01:50] Speaker B: and that summer slide is happening regardless whether we want it or not, because our kids will not work with us.
[00:01:56] Speaker A: It's just a whole thing.
It's a whole thing.
So I'm excited to have some fun with everybody today.
But guess what? We're gonna start today's episode like we always have from the very, very beginning. And that is with the concept of the week. So the concept of the week is our opportunity as practitioners to come kind of peel back that curtain a little bit and let everyone in to an intervention session.
We like to talk about things that either we would directly teach our students or we would direct their parents or caregivers.
So today's concept of the week is a special one.
I looked it up because I couldn't remember.
I was like, what did we cover? The very first episode? And guess what, guys? Makes a lot of sense. We talked about what is dyslexia?
[00:02:50] Speaker B: So we thought that'd be really cool to see what we said.
[00:02:53] Speaker A: Yeah. So what is dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a difference in the brain structure and wiring that mainly affects the ease at which a person reads, writes, and spells. It is estimated that up to 20% of the population has dyslexia.
That is obviously a very simplified definition of dyslexia.
[00:03:18] Speaker B: We've done a whole couple series on the definition, so
[00:03:24] Speaker A: I think that it holds up fairly well. It does. While very oversimplified, I think it holds up very well and does match a cursory understanding of what is dyslexia.
What is fun is. During the time that we have had this podcast, the International Dyslexia association has
[00:03:48] Speaker B: actually changed the definition.
[00:03:50] Speaker A: The definition of dyslexia, which we went
[00:03:52] Speaker B: over in a podcast. We sure did.
[00:03:55] Speaker A: Theirs is like a very nearly whole page of.
[00:03:58] Speaker B: Correct. So it took us a while of. Break that baby down. We did.
[00:04:04] Speaker A: I. I had some real feelings when they first released that definition.
I think I've come around to some of the changes that they have made. I just still feel like the wordiness is a lot.
Their definition is a lot. And if you're interested to dive into some episode archives, like Nicole said, we have done an entire episode about that updated definition where we actually broke it down almost line by line and just kind of gave our thoughts.
That would be a fun re. Listen, I think, for Nicole and I, because I'd be willing to bet my thoughts then are different, are different now,
[00:04:48] Speaker B: because I know mine are probably.
[00:04:49] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:04:51] Speaker B: So, yeah. Maybe that should be one of our upcoming episodes of comparing what we said
[00:04:56] Speaker A: then to what we say now.
[00:04:58] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:05:00] Speaker A: Isn't that one of the fun things about having 100 episodes of content to look back on?
[00:05:05] Speaker B: Right.
[00:05:06] Speaker A: Even in the couple of years that we've been doing this, I think my opinions, because I am a human, have kind of evolved and changed over the time.
[00:05:18] Speaker B: Correct.
So in past episodes, we've talked a lot about disability, dyslexia, the reading brain, how our children are impacted, strategies to help our students and our children. We've talked about executive functioning. We've talked about different research articles that are out there.
We've talked about different definitions.
So we've talked about a lot of different things.
[00:05:46] Speaker A: Yes, we are really.
We really have. We really have talked about so many things and have had a lot of fun along the way.
[00:05:58] Speaker B: Me, too.
So, Maggie, what was the most fun episode that you.
[00:06:04] Speaker A: Okay, so I think the most fun episode that I got to do was the episodes that we did with our kids.
[00:06:10] Speaker B: I agree.
[00:06:11] Speaker A: I loved that.
[00:06:12] Speaker B: I did, too. I learned a lot, too.
[00:06:14] Speaker A: I did, too. I did, too. I mean, I loved That I think the episode with Carolyn was so. So.
Her thoughts were so good and so deep. And I mean, knowing Carolyn, the way I know Carolyn, I'm not surprised by that at all.
And the episode we did with Wilson
[00:06:36] Speaker B: and Aiden, and we, of course, it wasn't as smooth as.
But, you know, that's real life, guys.
[00:06:45] Speaker A: I think that.
I think those kind of episodes honestly kind of encapsulate, okay, why do we do what we do?
[00:06:53] Speaker B: Correct.
[00:06:53] Speaker A: Right. Yes. Those are our own personal children.
But we want our listeners to understand that while we are experts in this field and have the credentials to do what we do and all of that, we're also real human beings with real live children.
[00:07:21] Speaker B: That definitely make it more interesting every single day.
[00:07:24] Speaker A: Every single day.
So I feel like those episodes just really hit it.
We were like our true mom selves, I think, on those episodes. Don't touch that.
[00:07:35] Speaker B: Don't do that.
Wait, wait. Don't hit that.
Stop hitting the microphone, please.
[00:07:42] Speaker A: But I really, really loved it. I. I thought that was
[00:07:47] Speaker B: also impactful. It was.
[00:07:50] Speaker A: And something I think they'll remember doing.
[00:07:53] Speaker B: I think so, too.
[00:07:54] Speaker A: So I don't know. Those, I think, hits all the fun sweet spots for me.
[00:07:57] Speaker B: Me too.
[00:07:58] Speaker A: Yeah.
Yeah. I just definitely. Those ones that include our kids, those were my favorite.
[00:08:07] Speaker B: Those are my favorite, too, I think.
[00:08:09] Speaker A: What about the most, like, interesting episodes?
[00:08:14] Speaker B: For me, I think it's the ones when we have guest stars.
[00:08:17] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:08:18] Speaker B: Because I love to learn about their dyslexia journeys and what they offer the world and how it relates to me and my family and how it impacts the world. And I always get surprised when we ask questions to people.
[00:08:34] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:08:34] Speaker B: And then you never know what's gonna happen.
[00:08:38] Speaker A: Yeah. I totally agree. I mean, our guests that we've had so far. Right. We've had our gentleman from decodable reads.
So shout out to our friends. Hi, guys.
And then with Lisa, too, hearing about her really unique journey.
We are planning on having her back, too.
[00:08:59] Speaker B: Yeah, we are.
[00:09:00] Speaker A: And our children as guests.
[00:09:02] Speaker B: Yes. Definitely learned a lot that time.
[00:09:04] Speaker A: Oh, for sure.
I also got a lot out of the episode that I got to interview you as an OT and really talked about what that is. Right.
But I always feel like I learn by talking to other professionals. And I think. I think our listeners got a lot out of that episode, too. Of what it is kind of on our kind of greatest hits list, so to speak, which we'll get into in a little bit, because that's fun. Yes.
[00:09:42] Speaker B: Well. And I think, too, occupational therapy is not well known.
[00:09:45] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:09:46] Speaker B: For a lot of different reasons.
[00:09:47] Speaker A: People's understanding of occupational therapy, I think, is not much like dyslexia.
[00:09:54] Speaker B: We're kind of.
You make an out and not definable.
[00:09:59] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, agreed, agreed. And I think while I think people maybe have an understanding of special ed, maybe in a better way that occupational therapy is understood, I often feel that way about special education. I don't think many people outside of that have a real, true picture of the first of all, scope and breadth of things a special education teacher has to do. Has to do, Right?
[00:10:31] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:10:31] Speaker A: And is equipped to do.
[00:10:33] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:10:33] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:10:34] Speaker B: Yeah.
I think another group of episodes that I think were some of the most interesting for me were the research ones.
[00:10:43] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:10:43] Speaker B: Because I got to fall down the research hole that I really love.
[00:10:46] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh.
[00:10:47] Speaker B: Yes. And then actually talk about it and try to share that knowledge with everybody. Because, I mean, there is a lot of research out there that doesn't get talked about. And it should, because it's very good at explaining what we do and why we do it and helping people understand who we are as humans.
[00:11:09] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, anytime I can really, like, dig into a research article, I'm having a fun day. I'm not gonna lie.
Yes.
I, you know, I. I am a person who really enjoys that academic text of really? Okay. That's a dense text that I actually have to think about and actually have to piece it apart. Right.
I also feel like if I'm going to bring research to this show, I am looking at things like the population size, did they. Were they able to replicate it? Was this a meta study or was this a case study?
What if you don't understand those definitions?
[00:11:54] Speaker B: We do go over them in some of our early episodes.
[00:11:57] Speaker A: We do, but I think it's made me a better practitioner.
Because if I'm going to come on this show and I'm going to talk about a study, one, I'm going to represent it the best that I can. I'm going to be straight with the listeners if I think there's some funny business going on with that study.
And two, I just am a more critical reader when I am preparing to present information.
So I feel like that has had an impact for me.
I also feel like the episode we did very early on where we really broke down kind of by age and stage.
How do you explain dyslexia to a child?
Someone who has dyslexia? Like, what. What can you say? What is age appropriate at each stage? Because I really think that was really
[00:13:04] Speaker B: impactful for us to do and for our listeners, because us doing it made us really think about how we talk to our students and our families and our clients, but also how we would want to explain it to our own children.
So I think. Yeah, I agree. That one was.
[00:13:24] Speaker A: I just. I think it was a really good
[00:13:25] Speaker B: episode, and I think it really shows that you can't say the same things to every. Right.
[00:13:32] Speaker A: You can't. Right. I mean, I think we gave a good framework for people to be able to pick up and use it, but it wasn't so scripted that it was, like, strict.
And like you said, it was a good exercise for us as practitioners, because, frankly, we talk a big game about how we should use the word dyslexia. And kids should know what they.
If that is a diagnosis that they have, kids should know that kids should be able to say that, and eventually they have to be able to be the one to explain it.
And I think, like, we talk a good game.
[00:14:17] Speaker B: Right.
[00:14:18] Speaker A: But sometimes giving those words to those ages and stages is really important. So I don't know. I think that. I think that, too, actually made me a better mom. I think that episode made me a better mom.
I did.
[00:14:34] Speaker B: I think I did for me, too.
[00:14:36] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:14:38] Speaker B: So we're gonna do the top 10 geographic stats of all of our.
[00:14:45] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh, this is gonna be so fun, you guys.
[00:14:48] Speaker B: Which kind of surprises us every time.
[00:14:50] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:14:51] Speaker B: Because number one is Delfield, Wisconsin, which is really close to where we actually record this.
[00:14:57] Speaker A: Yeah. That one's not a surprise.
[00:14:59] Speaker B: That one's not a surprise.
That's not a surprise.
[00:15:02] Speaker A: Essentially where we live. So not surpr.
[00:15:05] Speaker B: Surprising that. That's number one. Number two, though, is the capital of Vietnam. Vietnam.
Which I guess we didn't realize we were that popular there. I don't.
[00:15:21] Speaker A: We are so international.
[00:15:23] Speaker B: We are. And we're really excited that, like, they're in our top 10 and they're actually number two.
And then number three, we come back to Wisconsin and Menominee Falls, where Nicole lives.
[00:15:35] Speaker A: So not surprising.
[00:15:36] Speaker B: Not surprising.
Then we go to Sterling, Virginia, which is in the east coast of our nation.
Then Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which is pretty close to where we are at.
[00:15:47] Speaker A: Yep.
[00:15:48] Speaker B: Brookfield, Wisconsin. We have a center in Elm Grove, which is like Borders. Brookfield, so that's not that surprising.
Then we jump to New York, New York, again on the east coast.
Boston, Massachusetts, and then Vista, California. So now we jump to the west Coast.
[00:16:06] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:16:06] Speaker B: And then Hong Kong.
[00:16:10] Speaker A: So wild.
[00:16:12] Speaker B: So wild.
So many things to say.
[00:16:16] Speaker A: Wow. Thank you, all of our international listeners. We see You. We actually can see you.
[00:16:23] Speaker B: Yes. It would be very interesting if you would email Maggie. Yes. Please tell her what literacy is like for you guys. Because I know that it's very different sometimes.
[00:16:33] Speaker A: I love to do an episode like that, so. Honestly love it.
[00:16:38] Speaker B: So then we looked up the all time episodes top 10.
[00:16:44] Speaker A: Let's start with number 10.
[00:16:46] Speaker B: Oh, we're gonna go. Okay. We're gonna go.
Oh, she just flipped that up.
[00:16:50] Speaker A: I really did.
[00:16:50] Speaker B: You did.
[00:16:51] Speaker A: I really did.
[00:16:51] Speaker B: Number 10 was episode 36, error correction.
[00:16:55] Speaker A: Yay.
[00:16:56] Speaker B: Yay.
Number nine was episode 13, the difference between a 504 plan and an IEP.
[00:17:06] Speaker A: Yeah, that one probably should have made the impactful list. I've gotten a lot of questions about that one.
[00:17:10] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah, me too.
Episode number eight. Oh, my gosh. She's making me do math backwards on a day that I don't normally work. Sorry, guys.
Is part of our summer series and it was episode 42, executive functioning emotional identification.
[00:17:29] Speaker A: Oh, yeah.
[00:17:31] Speaker B: Yeah.
Number seven was episode 32. How did we test for dyslexia?
[00:17:37] Speaker A: Good episode, actually.
[00:17:39] Speaker B: Sorry. Number seven was episode one, which is us introducing each other.
Number six was how do we test for dyslexia?
Number five was episode 38, which is what we do with our own kids over the summer.
[00:17:58] Speaker A: And that was not even this summer.
[00:18:00] Speaker B: That was last summer. Yeah.
Episode 29 is number four, and it's ages and stages picking appropriate books for students for our kids.
Number two is episode 25, which is spelling and infoting. Yeah, that's an interesting one.
And then episode one of all time is episode two, which is discussing dyslexia with our kids.
[00:18:29] Speaker A: Wow.
I love that. That's still our number one listen to of all time.
[00:18:37] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:18:37] Speaker A: Because I agree. I think it's such an impactful one and I'm really proud of it. And that was only our second episode.
[00:18:45] Speaker B: I know, right?
We knew what we wanted to say right away.
[00:18:49] Speaker A: Yeah, we really did.
[00:18:52] Speaker B: So you know what episode two was? October 1st of 2024. Wow.
Can you believe this? October will be two years in.
[00:19:01] Speaker A: That's amazing.
I'm so proud of us. That's.
[00:19:04] Speaker B: That's wild.
[00:19:06] Speaker A: That is really wild.
How fun.
[00:19:10] Speaker B: That is very fun.
So, yeah, I mean, if in every post we have Maggie's email if you guys want to comment or send us a topic that you're really interested in. We would love to hear from you because I think that just makes us better because. Absolutely know what everybody wants to know. We can really kind of broaden what we're doing and we Plan to keep doing this.
[00:19:38] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:19:38] Speaker B: Even though really we made how much? A dollar in 40s?
[00:19:41] Speaker A: Yeah. Yeah. This is not a.
Yeah. It's not a money maker for our company, but it is really impactful. And when we go to conferences and when we're talking to parents and talking to other professionals, it is definitely a fun thing to slip in there. Like, also, we host a podcast and yes, there's a lot of oohing and ahhing and.
[00:20:05] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:20:06] Speaker A: And I'm really proud of it because I think that we are contributing good information
[00:20:13] Speaker B: where we're stamping out those myths, hopefully.
[00:20:17] Speaker A: Right.
Yeah. Busting those myths all over the place.
And, you know, I would love. So, like, I think if I have a goal for where I want this podcast to be in another 50 episodes, so, like, roughly a year from now, I would really like some listener engagement. Right. Like more listener questions. I would love to be able to do like a ask us anything kind of episode where we get a wide variety of questions and we're able to just be on and bring it on. I love it. I think it's so much fun.
Yeah.
[00:20:59] Speaker B: I mean, if we knew that we could get the people around live, we could do a live one, wouldn't that be fun?
[00:21:06] Speaker A: That would be so much fun.
So much fun. I love it.
[00:21:11] Speaker B: We'll try to. We'll try for it, guys.
We'll put that in our to do list.
[00:21:15] Speaker A: Yes. We have a very long, the ever growing to do list that we do have.
I just want to say also a heartfelt thank you to our listeners.
[00:21:25] Speaker B: Thank you so much.
[00:21:26] Speaker A: Thank you for being in this with it. It is a real pleasure.
[00:21:33] Speaker B: It is.
[00:21:34] Speaker A: That we get to do this show.
I also want to say a heartfelt thank you to Nicole for letting me have this crazy, harebrained idea.
I was forcing her to pack us equipment and go on this journey with me because I have just absolutely loved it. I think that while this is not a money making arm of our business, I do think it is a time for, like, us to connect and to really make an impact.
[00:22:12] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:22:13] Speaker A: I think it's been a fun way to get to know each other even more than we did. And I just actually feel like it has made our team, like the you and I team, even stronger. So thank you for letting me have crazy ideas and not saying no to me, even though I encourage you to say no to a lot of things, but not to me.
[00:22:40] Speaker B: Okay.
All right, Maggie, what's happening beyond dyslexia?
[00:22:48] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh, Nicole. All the things are happening Outside dyslexia.
My. My life is scattered and let's see what is happening. So right now, as we record this, it is a weird day because it is actually a Sunday, so we're not usually here.
And because of all the smoke, we are stuck indoors, which really stinks.
We have had a very busy but good time this summer.
Yesterday we were at a birthday party all day outside and my poor daughter got just like fried, the poor thing.
And so really I feel like this is my cop out answer every time we talk about beyond dyslexia. But like so many things and then also nothing because it's also summer, right? So it's that, I'm not gonna lie. I'm not ready for true back to school. Like, I'm not ready for like the supplies and the money and all of that, but I am ready for like, they need a routine now.
[00:24:06] Speaker B: Yeah, they do, don't they?
[00:24:08] Speaker A: I'm ready for some routine and some sense of normalcy.
That's what I'm ready for. How about you?
[00:24:19] Speaker B: So recently I've been honored, which has been very funny to me, for the inaugural class of the V list honorees.
So over 1000 people were looked at and only 200 women were selected.
And basically we build human first purpose driven businesses. And that is what I was honored for.
So it was kind of a shock, I honestly have to say.
[00:24:50] Speaker A: I didn't think not to be.
[00:24:52] Speaker B: But yeah,
[00:24:55] Speaker A: so.
[00:24:55] Speaker B: So it was a national thing and I'm very honored to be on it and I think it's really cool that you picked and yeah, I think it's kind of fun to watch all the
[00:25:10] Speaker A: well deserved and I'm just one. The fact that this recognition exists because, yeah, you are an excellent like female boss, right, who has really built this business to serve others, but not in such a way that like, I don't even know what I'm trying to say, Nicole, but like you give so much to others but also are not trying to deplete your own value. And I think that's rare and very cool and I am honored to be your number two.
It's really been amazing.
Thank you guys so much for listening and being with us for all of these 100 episodes.
Please follow us on social media and reach out if you have questions or would like us to discuss a topic.
If you do like our show, please follow and rate us on your favorite podcast player.
That is how we reach more listeners and then we get to help more families. So thank you everybody.
[00:26:20] Speaker B: Thank you.
