Bozeman Magazine

Montana State University will host a two-day symposium in October that spotlights the strengths of the dyslexic mind. Organizers say the event, which is free and open to the public, goes beyond the challenges of spelling and reading to focus on the advantages of dyslexia, including out-of-the-box thinking, 3D spatial processing and recognition of complex patterns.

Dyslexia and Innovation: Symposium of Changemakers, or DXI, will take place Oct. 28-29 and will be offered fully online to reach more communities across the state. The virtual event will feature nationally recognized keynote speakers, group panel discussions and workshop sessions with successful dyslexics. It is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 28, and 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, Oct. 29.

The speakers for this year’s DXI Symposium will include published authors, explorers, X Games athletes, innovators in film industry special effects, and a cultural trend futurist. Panel discussions will include educators who work with dyslexic students; perspectives and experiences of students with dyslexia; and children’s book authors who write dyslexia in an authentic and positive way.

The symposium, which showcases the neurodiversity of dyslexia, is an interdisciplinary collaboration of MSU professors Jeffrey Conger in the College of Arts and Architecture and Sarah Pennington from the College of Education, Health and Human Development. The symposium is a collective community effort including the DXI advisory board and the symposium’s Council of Twelve, with the mission of engaging a new conversation around dyslexia that fosters cultural and systemic change.

The symposium is free and open to participants in Montana and across the country including students, educators, parents and members of the community. Registration is required and the event is limited to 500 participants. To register visit montana.edu/dxi.

The Dyslexia and Innovation Symposium is made possible through support of the Office of Vice President of Research and Economic Development and the Office of the President.

For more information contact Conger at jeffrey.conger@montana.edu or Pennington at sarah.pennington2@montana.edu