Dale Susan Brown
Monday, December 6th, 2004
dale-brown@mindspring.com
Dale Brown is a well-known author in the disability world. Her most recent book is Job-Hunting Tips for the So-Called Handicapped or People Who Have Disabilities, a book she coauthored with Richard Nelson Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute? She has written four other books; Steps to Independence for People with Learning Disabilities, Employment and People with Learning Disabilities, I Know I Can Climb the Mountain and Learning A Living, A Guide to Planning Your Career and Finding A Job for People with Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia, and Attention Deficit Disorder. She has authored hundreds of articles on various aspects of employment.
Dale Brown had a major role in founding the self-help movement for people with learning disabilities in the early 1980’s. She founded the Association of Learning Disabled Adults, which became a model chapter for the nation. Several years later, she became the first President of National Network of Learning Disabled Adults. These groups were critical to making the case that learning disabilities were not outgrown and remained problematic in adulthood. She wrote autobiographical stories, which were published throughout the field. These stories helped make the case for accommodating children with learning disabilities in the mainstream classroom. Many of these stories are on this web site. She was a key player in developing the Americans with Disabilities Act in the 1990’s.
She has spoken at over one thousand national, state, and local conferences and symposia regarding people with disabilities. Topics include employment, job accommodation, self-help, and other related issues. Every year since 1987, Dale has led self-help groups for the International Dyslexia Association.
She has an area hosted by ldonline, titled Dialogue with Dale, where she advises thousands of people with learning disabilities on how they can improve their lives.
She is the winner of numerous awards including:
- Ten Outstanding Young Americans Award, United States Junior Chamber of Commerce
- Flemming Award for excellence in civil service administration, United States Junior Chamber of Commerce
- Individual Achievement Award, National Council on Communications Disorders
- Personal Achievement Award, Department of Labor
- Margaret Rawson Award, National Institute of Dyslexia
Contributions to LD Resources
- A Story I Wrote in 4th Grade
- Auditory Perceptual Problems – My Story
- Learning Despite Learning Disabilities
- Learning to Work: A Story By A Learning Disabled Person
- Making Employment A Reality
- The Handicap That Had No Name
- Marketing Your Disability
- Learning To Dance
- Making A Difference in the Federal Bureacracy
I HAVE EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING LEARNING DISABILITIES (A DYSFUNCTION IN FRONTAL NETWORKS, AND CERTAIN FORMS OF ADD. I AM 34 AND AM JUST COMING OUT OF DENIAL THAT I WAS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE AND SPENT 15 YEARS TRYING TO FIND WORK THAT I THOUGHT I COULD DO, BUT COULDN’T. CAN YOU RECOMMEND 1)A VOCATIONAL COACH OR EMPLOYMENT SERVICE FOR L.D.,ADD TO HELP ME FIND THE TYPE OF WORK I CAN DO AND CAN FIND PLACEMENT FOR ME IN CHICAGO. CAN YOU HELP OR POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION ?
I am a university graduate student with auditory processing as well as generalized working memory difficulties that make social interaction particularly hard for me. I would very much like to meet others for social support, people who can empathize and perhaps advise me on my social interaction. Are there any online support groups, especially chat rooms, or other organizations in the Buffalo, NY area or in general that I could ask you for?
Jamie: I’d look into local chapters of LDA or IDA, they generally sponsor adult support groups.
http://www.interdys.org/
http://www.ldanatl.org/
I would suggest that you go out there and look into LD Blogs. Lots of people are blogging today and they write their thing and then leave room for comments. http://ldblog.com/ is one example.
Then you can always try the forums on LD Online http://www.ldonline.org/xarbb/?catid=769 which has a forum for adults. And, don’t forget…you can always start a group…
Also, here at LD Resources, you can post comments and get into all kinds of great supportive conversations. Just read the personal stories.
Good luck!!!
Hi Dale. Jone Bycel emailed me about your new post with LDOnline, and the possibility of our collaborating with AET’s journal and LDOnline. I have always wanted to meet you (have been working with adults with LD/ADD and other comorbid disorders for 22+ yrs). Please be in touch and let me know if you would like to speak on the phone. By the way, I’m the editor of the journal, The Educational Therapist. Jane
I would love to talk to you, Jane! I am surprised to find your comment here on LD Resources, but am honored you got connected with me.
Thank you for all that you do.
My son 10yr old was recently diagnosed with dysgraphia and central auditory processing disorder. We are having huge homework struggles and I could really use some support. I can’t find any chat rooms that would help me. Any suggestions?
Chat rooms? What are you looking for?
I’m looking for support, ideas, help,etc. I don’t let him see it but I get so frustrated.
I don’t seem to find much support for parents with LD.
I’ve found a wide range of information to help adults with LD to find employment, or for parents with LD children, but nothing on how to manage ones LD and ADD as a parent.
I’m a single parent of a four year old, and I’m finding my own organizational problems, LD and ADD disabilities make getting from day to day very difficult.
Are there resources out there to help me set up some kind of structured system I can implement to make our lives more livable?
Hmmm, I don’t know about a structured program. However, I did write a story on dyslexic parents of dyslexic children which is on LD OnLine http://www.ldonline.org/article/16767 I remember when I wrote it, I was concerned by not being able to find more. I feel like I’ve read stuff in the ADD and Women literature. But I don’t know of anything off hand that would directly make suggestions about ordering your life as a parent. I wish I could be more helpful. Take notes as you work the problems through. Maybe you can write it. Thanks.
Hi Dale,
I was unable to meet you at the national LDA conference two weeks ago, but your speach was great. Do you speak at other LDA state conferences, and if so can you contact us? Thanks and take care.
I want Information on Dyslexia.
Thank you for writing me about whether or not I speak at state conferences. I love speaking on learning disabilities and would be delighted to contact you.
Thank you for asking.
hi lm from tasmania and l cant find any help for my son who has dyselexia he is very sad thankyou