TPP 253: Advocate and Author Jonathan Mooney on Why Normal Sucks

I’m so excited to bring you this powerful and gut-punching conversation with Jonathan Mooney, a self-described “do-gooder,” speaker, and writer who didn’t learn to read until he was 12-years-old. Growing up with Dyslexia, Jonathan faced a number of low expectations: he was told he would be a high-school dropout and likely end up in jail. Instead, he earned a degree in English Literature, started his first non-profit organization in his college dorm, and has gone on to write a number of books, including his latest title Normal Sucks (which, side note: should be required reading for everyone). He’s been a champion for neurological and physical diversity for more than two decades, and his award-winning advocacy projects have been featured in major media outlets across the US. 

We cover so much ground in our conversation—all about the implications and prescriptions of “normal”—from the painful messages Jonathan received in his early life, to some of the disturbing research he came across while writing his book. But we also talk about the kind of powerful things that can happen for our kids when we set aside typical conventions, timelines, and expectations, and celebrate their differences. It’s not about just flourishing outside the box, it’s about shattering the box completely.

THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• The powerful messages, both positive and negative, Jonathan heard from the adults in his life as a child with dyslexia
• What is means to pathologize difference, and how even well-meaning organizations participate in this
• The difficult and disturbing historical outcomes for differently-abled people, including the ideas and legacy of the Eugenics movement. 
• How the idea of “normal” has evolved since Jonathan started his advocacy work
• Why Jonathan believes that learning differences are a gift and why this is such an important concept
• What parents and teachers can do to help children to see their differences as strengths

RESOURCES MENTIONED: 

• Jonathan Mooney’s website
• Jonathan Mooney’s email: jonathanmooney@me.com
• Normal Sucks: How to Live, Learn and Thrive Outside the Lines by Jonathan Mooney
• The Short Bus: A Journal Beyond Normal by Jonathan Mooney
• Learning Outside the Lines: Two Ivy League Students With Learning Disabilities and ADHD Give You The Tools For Academic Success and Educational Revolution by Jonathan Mooney and David Cole

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