When I was small, 4ish, we got a dog. Sadly, Sally the dog, died many years ago when I was 20 but, at 16 years, she had a very long life for a dog.
I really didn’t understand much of what people were telling me when I was a kid. I suspect this is more common for dyslexic kids than is spotted by neurotypical teacher type people. They seem to think that repeating the same, meaningless, phrase increasingly sternly will make it easier to understand rather than just make the experience more scary…
So I spent a good deal of time being with Sally – two pups learning about their world. She was a very clever, collie cross, super curious, playful, caring, loyal. Together we learned a great deal about the smell and taste of all substances likely to be encountered in a house, a garden, on a road or in a wood.
Luckily for Sally, she was allowed to learn in the environment that best suited her. I was forced to go to school.
I also chewed and sniffed most things in school until I learned that this also attracted the attention of teachers – people best kept far away.
Phil Pool - Art and Protest 