Embracing Your Different Ability with Katey Fortun | Ep. 177

Connect with Samantha:https://everybrainisdifferent.com/   Connect with Katey: Website: https://yourdifferentability.com/ Book: https://yourdifferentability.com/book Book Preview (Katey made this free for this podcast's listeners!): https://yourdifferentability.com/welcome Instagram: https://instagram.com/kateyfortun Personal Website: https://kateyfortun.com/   Samantha and Lauren welcome back disability advocate and dyslexic speaker Katey Fortun to discuss her newly published book, "Embracing Your Different Ability," available in standard print, dyslexic-friendly print, and audiobook, along with her "Different Ability Podcast." Katey shares that she was inspired to write the book after feeling prompted on a walk in late 2023, committed in early 2024 to doing “one new thing,” and self-published through Amazon with support from a book-coaching team, ultimately releasing it on March 26, 2024—the same date she signed up to begin the process. Written initially for her eight-year-old self, the book aims to help kids feel seen and understood while also supporting parents, guardians, and teachers, including chapters from Katie’s mother to show both child and parent perspectives. They discuss distinguishing “won’t” vs. “can’t” by defaulting to “can’t” and investigating, the hidden struggles of kids who appear “fine” at school, the trauma of forced reading aloud, and how diagnosis can be validating and unlock resources; Katey also shares a free “welcome package” with sample chapters and resources at her website.   00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 01:33 Why She Wrote It 04:45 Who the Book Is For 09:21 Won Versus Cant 16:25 School Trauma and Diagnosis 21:43 Dyslexia Strengths and Success 25:24 Closing Questions and Hope 27:16 Where to Find the Book 29:34 Final Advice and Wrap Up   Connect with Samantha Foote!Website: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everybrainisdifferentYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@everybrainisdifferent