Claim OwnershipUnmasking Dyslexia with Carleen Ross, M.Sc.
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Unmasking Dyslexia explores the lived experience and untold strengths of dyslexic minds.
Hosted by Carleen Ross, Positive Psychology Practitioner and coach, each episode blends personal stories with science-backed insights from psychology and neuroscience.
Discover practical tools, reframe the narrative, and reconnect with what it truly means to thrive with dyslexia.
15 Episodes
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Send a text Do you really need a formal diagnosis to understand yourself — or to deserve support? In this episode, Carleen questions the current diagnostic model used in neurodiversity and mental health, and why so many people are required to struggle or reach crisis before being allowed access to accommodations. Drawing from personal experience with her child, Carleen explores: • The difference between diagnosis and classification • Why the DSM-5 relies on a medical model of struggle • How...
Send a text Do dyslexic challenges stay the same throughout life? No — and that realization can be life-changing. In this episode of Unmasking Dyslexia, Carleen explores the critical psychological difference between trait and state, and why dyslexic challenges can feel stronger at certain times — without meaning anything is “wrong” with you. You’ll learn: • Why a dyslexia diagnosis reflects a moment in time, not your entire capacity • The difference between dyslexia as a trait and dyslexic...
Send a text In this episode of Unmasking Dyslexia, Carleen explores one of the most debated and misunderstood topics in neurodiversity: What do dyslexia and autism actually have in common — and where are they fundamentally different? Drawing on graduate-level research and neuroscience, this episode examines how dyslexia and autism are often diagnosed based on behavior, rather than brain structure, and why this may be leading to widespread misdiagnosis. You’ll learn: Why dyslexia is not the s...
Send a text Can exercise actually improve dyslexic traits like working memory, executive functioning, and focus? In this episode of Unmasking Dyslexia, Carleen explores a 2024 study out of London showing that moderate exercise can increase cognitive functioning and working memory — even in individuals with cognitive impairments. While dyslexia has not yet been the direct focus of this research, the findings raise an important question: If exercise improves cognition in dementia and typical br...
Send a text Many dyslexics struggle with memory, word recall, executive functioning, overwhelm, and chronic stress — but what if poor sleep is making everything worse? In this episode of Unmasking Dyslexia, Carleen explores why sleep impacts the dyslexic brain more intensely and how common habits like late-night screen time, caffeine, irregular schedules, stress, and sensory overload quietly sabotage cognitive functioning. You’ll learn: Why psychology diagnoses focus on behaviour — not brain ...
Send a text In this episode of Unmasking Dyslexia, Carleen breaks down a widely circulated (and often misquoted) statistic claiming that dyslexics have a “high chance” of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s. But what does the research actually say—and what does it not say? Carleen explains the 2024 genetic study that linked dyslexia to a specific Alzheimer’s subtype, why many people confuse learning disability statistics with dyslexia, and how misinformation spreads when context is missing. Yo...
Send a text Most people think of dyslexia as a reading and writing difference, but auditory dyslexia reveals an entirely different side of how the dyslexic brain processes the world. In this episode, I share what it’s really like to have a brain that sometimes hears the wrong words—even when you know what the person actually said. Auditory dyslexia can make similar-sounding words blend together, make pronunciations harder to interpret, and turn everyday conversations into a full-brain decodin...
Send a text In this episode, we dive deep into the idea that none of us are only one identity—not even our strongest ones. I share why I say “I am dyslexic” rather than “I have dyslexia,” and how my dyslexic brain filters everything I see, feel, understand, communicate, and create. Drawing from psychology, neuroscience, positive psychology, spirituality, and shamanic practices, we explore how our identities function like lenses—shaping the way we experience relationships, emotions, safety, co...
Send a text Most people think of dyslexia as a reading and writing difference, but auditory dyslexia reveals an entirely different side of how the dyslexic brain processes the world. In this episode, I share what it’s really like to have a brain that sometimes hears the wrong words—even when you know what the person actually said. Auditory dyslexia can make similar-sounding words blend together, make pronunciations harder to interpret, and turn everyday conversations into a full-brain decodin...
Send a text In today’s episode, I share one of the most powerful studies I came across after my own diagnosis — a 2021 study by Virginia Stern and colleagues titled Enhanced Visceral Motor Emotional Reactivity in Dyslexia and its Relation to the Salience Network. Though the name might sound complex, the findings are profound: dyslexic individuals—especially those with phonetic processing differences—may experience heightened emotional and social awareness. This episode explores how: • Dyslex...
Send a text In this episode, we’re diving into the terms neurotypical and neurodivergent — where they come from, what they actually mean, and why the definitions we’ve been given don’t always tell the full story. Who decides what’s “typical” or “average” anyway? And how does the DSM-5 shape our understanding of difference? We’ll also explore: • The origins of the term neurodivergent — from Harvey Blume (1998) to Judy Singer’s advocacy. • Why separating neurotypical from neurodiverse can crea...
Send a text In today’s episode, we’re stepping outside the usual conversation about dyslexia. This isn’t about the classroom. This isn’t about work. This episode is about how dyslexia influences our relationships, our communication, our identity, and our lived moments with the people closest to us. We explore what happens when the dyslexic brain moves into the social world — how we interpret tone, language, meaning, and intention differently, and why this often leads to misunderstanding betw...
Send a text Positive Psychology is the science of well-being — it asks, what makes life good? What helps us grow, even when life challenges us? In this episode, you’ll learn how Positive Psychology has evolved over time, from Martin Seligman’s focus on strengths to Paul Wong’s integration of shadow and struggle, and into newer waves that explore culture, meaning, and spirituality. I’ll also share how these frameworks shape the way I support dyslexic individuals — using both resilience and p...
Send a text In this episode, Carleen explores how our understanding of dyslexia has been shaped by different frameworks — and why it’s time for a shift. From the traditional medical model that focuses on what’s “wrong,” to the social model that highlights how environments shape identity, and finally to the neurodivergent model that embraces dyslexia as a unique way of processing the world — this conversation challenges us to rethink what it truly means to be dyslexic. Carleen also shares ins...
Send a text In this first episode of Unmasking Dyslexia, host Carleen Ross shares her personal journey of discovering her dyslexia at 49 and rewriting her self-story. Through the lens of positive psychology, she explores how embracing all parts of ourselves leads to healing and self-acceptance. Join her as she unpacks both the struggles and strengths that come with seeing the world through a dyslexic brain. Thank you for listening to Unmasking Dyslexia. This podcast is dedicated to reframing ...
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