Hello everyone—welcome to Dyslexiafriend.com. If you're new here, pull up a chair. I'm Luqman Michel, a guy who's spent 20+ years tutoring kids labeled "dyslexic." No fancy degrees in education—just real talk from fixing reading roadblocks one kid at a time. Today? Let's unpack why the big brains in dyslexia research often shut down good questions... and how everyday wins from my students are changing the game.
Picture this: Back in 2010, I emailed over 20 top professors and researchers. My big question? Why do we blame dyslexia on something called a "phonological awareness deficit" (PAD for short)? That's the old idea that these kids just can't hear or mix sounds in words—like blending "c-a-t" into "cat." But hold up—I've seen kids with "dyslexia" zoom through reading in languages like Malay or simple Chinese (Pinyin) without a hitch. In English? They crash. Why? Not because of broken ears, but because English teachers teach sounds of letters with extraneous sounds. I shared stories from my classroom. What did most of them do? Nothing. Or worse: "Who are you to question this? Got a PhD?" No! Then, they either block or delete.
Fast-forward: I didn't quit. I wrote. And wrote. My Dyslexia Friend blog? 1,077 posts strong now, plus comments everywhere. No magic bullet—just steady stories and proof from kids. Slowly, the chatter shifted. Folks stopped saying PAD causes all dyslexia. Wins? Yes, quiet ones. No parades. Take Tim Shanahan—a smart prof I admire, ego bumps and all. In 2015, he blogged: "Tons of studies show 86% of reading troubles are from sound-mixing issues." Solid, right? By 2017? He softened it: "Maybe not as common... depends on the group." No shout-out to my emails. No "Thanks for the nudge!" Imagine if he'd said it loud—moms and dads could've skipped years of chasing "sound drills" that don't fit every kid.
Shout-out to Joseph Torgesen, a reading rockstar. Unlike most, he emailed back in 2010. He nudged: "Got data on your kids' sound skills before and after?" That's a fair question—we saw different sides of the puzzle. He did not block me. If more experts did that? Fewer kids would be left behind.
But too often it's Stonewalls. On social media, I share a kid's win or a language twist. Their Response? "What are your credentials?" Then poof—I am blocked. That's what happens in 'expert land'. It's "my way or block." Schools keep pumping out strugglers because questions get quieted.
Got a "why can't they read" moment? Share below. Let's listen to the little experts. They lead the way.
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