What is Dyslexia?

A health article about Dyslexia from Your Health Online the A to Z directory of dealing with Health Problems & nutritional Self Care Strategies

Dyslexia is often thought of as a childhood problem. Since it is a learning disability, it makes sense that a large portion of the focus is on the education years.

Children with this can struggle in many areas of school, making it difficult to thrive without proper support.

Though childhood it deserves a great deal of attention, dyslexia in adulthood also deserves attention.

In some cases, adults with it may have missed a diagnosis in childhood.

They may know that certain things are harder for them, such as reading, but may not know the root cause of it.

This Guide will dive into what it is like to be an adult with it, the causes and signs of it, how to get treated for it, and more.

History of Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that can make it difficult to read, write, speak, spell, understand or practice math, and comprehend reading.

It’s estimated that 5-20% of the population has dyslexia, with many adults unaware that they are dyslexic.

Dyslexia is not related to intelligence. In fact, many people with dyslexia are very intelligent and hardworking.

Simply put, individuals with dyslexia have trouble matching sounds to letters and combinations of letters.

This difficulty translates to other issues, such as reading fluently or spelling words correctly.

Dyslexia falls under the umbrella of  “neurodiversity.” Neurodiversity is a word that was created to help bring awareness and foster inclusivity toward those who think differently than those who are “neurotypical.” 

Other neurological conditions considered neurodivergent are autism, ADHD, and dyspraxia. History of Dyslexia

The word “dyslexia” was first coined in 1887 by a German ophthalmologist named Rudolph Berlin. The term literally meant “difficulty with words.”

Before Berlin, German physician Adolf Kussmaul referred to it as “Wortblindheit” or “word blindness.”

Kussmaul once noted, “Complete text blindness may exist, although the power of sight, the intellect, and the powers of speech are intact.”

How Children Helped Researchers Understand More About Dyslexia

William Pringle Morgan, a general practitioner, is also credited with developing our understanding of dyslexia. Previously, some researchers believed that dyslexia may be caused by a brain injury or a disease.

Morgan realized that the same symptoms could be found in children who had suffered from neither.

Morgan used an account of a real child to show what dyslexia looks like. He describes his subject, named Percy F., in this manner:

Percy F. – a well-grown lad, aged 14 – is the eldest son of intelligent parents, the second child of a family of seven.

He has always been a bright and intelligent boy, quick at games, and in no way inferior to others of his age.

His great difficulty has been – and is now – his inability to learn to read. This inability is so remarkable, and so pronounced, that I have no doubt it is due to some congenital defect.

James Hinshelwood, an ophthalmologist who also studied dyslexia in children, recounted one of his cases in a similar manner.

A boy, aged 10 years, was brought to me by his father on Jan. 8th, 1900, to see the reason of his great difficulty in learning to read.

The boy had been at school for three years, and had got on well with every subject except reading.

He was apparently a bright and in every respect an intelligent boy… It was soon evident, however, on careful examination that the difficulty in learning to read was due not to any lowering of the visual acuity, but to some congenital deficiency of the visual memory for words.

Both men had concluded that intelligence and eyesight were not the problems with either of these children, who excelled in all other areas, but had no success when it came to reading.

The Influence of Samuel T. Orton

In the early 20th century, American neurologist Samuel T. Orton became interested in dyslexia. In 1925, he developed a theory that dyslexia was the result of the right and left sides of the brain communicating differently.

He believed that the difficulty in reading was caused by what he called “strephosymbolia,” which means twisted symbols.

He went on to work with educator Anna Gillingham to create a program for children with learning disabilities that used “simultaneous multisensory instruction” that they felt benefited children with dyslexia.

When Dr. Orton died in 1949, his wife and colleague June Orton started the Orton Society Foundation, dedicated to researching dyslexia and providing materials and education for teachers to help those with dyslexia.

It’s known today as the International Dyslexia Association.

The 1960s to Today

For a few years, research on dyslexia waned, but it began getting attention again in the 1960s. In 1962, a British doctor named Alfred White Franklin opened The World Blind Centre.

The center brought together leading researchers of dyslexia who were able to continue to better understand dyslexia and provide necessary help and support for dyslexics.

In 1970, a neurologist at the center named Macdonald Critchley published the book The Dyslexic Child.

This book opened the door for the idea of “developmental dyslexia” and helped show the need for official attention.

In 1972, Specific Dyslexia by researcher Sandhya Naidoo revealed a systematic comparison between dyslexic and non-dyslexic children. She argued that early intervention would lead to greater benefits.

In 1985, Texas became the first state to create legislation defining dyslexia. The laws also mandated screening for dyslexia and provided training to teachers. However, the law requiring training for teachers was quickly repealed.

In 1990, the United States government established the Americans with Disabilities Act which prevented discrimination against people with disabilities in workplaces and in public places.

Support for children has dominated research regarding dyslexia, but today there is also support for adults with dyslexia, which will be discussed in greater detail later in this guide.

Types of Dyslexia

There are no officially categorized “subtypes” of dyslexia, and some experts believe there are no subtypes. They believe dyslexia works on a spectrum similar to autism.

However, other experts describe different types of dyslexia that can help identify certain tendencies among those with dyslexia.

These types include:

●        Surface dyslexia. This type of dyslexia is visual in nature, and those with it struggle to recognize words by sight. It also makes it hard to connect words visually to how they sound.

○        One of the key difficulties of surface dyslexia is the inability to read words that don’t sound the way they’re pronounced. Examples of words they would struggle to read would be weight or debt.

○        This type of dyslexia is also called “visual dyslexia” or “dyseidesia.”

●        Phonological dyslexia. This type of dyslexia is related to auditory more than visual. While those with visual dyslexia may be able to understand phonetics, those with phonological dyslexia have much more trouble decoding (reading) and encoding (writing) words.

○        They may be able to remember how to spell sight words but struggle to write them phonetically.

○        Other names for phonological dyslexia include “auditory dyslexia” and “dysphonesia.”

●        Dyscalculia. Those with this type of dyslexia have great difficulty with symbols of mathematics and general difficulty understanding and producing math work.

●        Dysgraphia. This type of dyslexia leads to very messy handwriting, and a struggle to form letters.

●        Dyspraxia. This dyslexia results in trouble with balance and coordination.

Degrees of Dyslexia

Not everyone has the same level of dyslexia or the same symptoms.

Some people may have a very mild form of dyslexia that has gone undiagnosed, while others have a very severe form that is easy to recognize from childhood. The varying degrees manifest in this way:

●        Mild/moderate dyslexia. People with mild dyslexia don’t have severe trouble with reading or writing but may consistently have trouble with spelling or may have taken longer to learn how to read. It’s not completely obvious and may take time and knowledge to diagnose.

●        Severe dyslexia. It’s fairly easy to identify people with severe dyslexia. Even as they age out of grade school, they’re likely to still have some trouble with reading or spelling.

●        Profound dyslexia. Those with profound dyslexia could be teenagers or even adults and essentially illiterate. It’s likely that people with profound dyslexia who have reached adulthood as illiterate were not given the learning support they needed during their formative years, but can still get the necessary support in adulthood.

Facts About Dyslexia

●        Dyslexia is the most common type of learning disability. About 70%-80% of children placed in special education for a learning disability are diagnosed with dyslexia.

●        People with dyslexia are often creative-minded.

●        Reversing letters and numbers is common in young children and is not the main sign of dyslexia.

●        Dyslexia is not tied to IQ.

●        Dyslexia is different from person to person. Some symptoms may be shared, but one person’s experience will not be identical to another.

●        There is a link between ADD and dyslexia. Around 40% of people with dyslexia have ADD, and around 60% of people with ADD have dyslexia.

●        Dyslexia is fairly common. 5%-20% of the population is dyslexic, meaning there are millions of people with dyslexia.

 ●        Many people with dyslexia struggle with confidence and self-esteem. This is felt more acutely when a person struggles academically and is not given the necessary support. Adults, undiagnosed as children, may grow up wrongly thinking they weren’t smart or were incapable of succeeding academically.

●        Children can be in gifted classes and have dyslexia.

●        Dyslexia is not a vision problem. Though dyslexia has been described as “word blindness,” this phrase can be misleading. Dyslexia is not a vision problem, though some people may have trouble seeing, which exacerbates the trouble of reading.

 ●        Dyslexia is not a medical condition. In the early stages of dyslexia research, it was considered medical research. As they learned more about it, it became clear that it wasn’t a medical concern or a disease that could be cured.

It isn’t something that can be cured, and it isn’t something a child will eventually just outgrow.

Risk Factors of Dyslexia 

For years the cause of dyslexia has been debated. The true causes of dyslexia are not entirely known, but experts believe it could be a combination of environmental and genetic factors, as well as differences in the brain and how the brain makes connections. 

There is still a lot to learn about dyslexia and the causes of dyslexia, but there are some things that experts believe may increase the risk of having dyslexia. These include:

●        Genetics. Dyslexia tends to run in families, and there is definitely a hereditary factor. Children with a parent who is dyslexic have a 40%-60% of being dyslexic. Around 40% of people with a sibling with dyslexia also have trouble reading.

○        There is no specific “dyslexia” gene, and how it’s passed down genetically is complex and not well understood.

●        Born prematurely or with low weight.

●        Exposure to drugs, alcohol, or nicotine during pregnancy.

●        Brain injury, stroke, or brain trauma could cause “acquired dyslexia,” which is dyslexia developed after birth.

Dyslexic Brains May Function Differently Than Non-Dyslexics

Something that has captivated researchers is the idea that the brain works differently in those with dyslexia than in those without.

Like Samuel T. Orton’s thoughts about left brain/right brain dynamics, many have theorized that the dyslexic brain is anatomically different or functions differently from other brains regarding language and symbol recognition.

There have been a number of studies revolving around this idea, and with the invention of MRIs, researchers continue to gain knowledge on the subject.

Dr. Guinevere Eden’s Research

In an interview with the National Center on Improving Literacy, Dr. Guinevere Eden, Professor and Director for the Study of Learning Dr. Eden suggests that they’ve seen differences in brain structure in certain regions that might affect reading, writing, and language. She explains:

There are differences in the brains of people with dyslexia that we can measure with brain imaging...and the differences that we see are reflected in the different kinds of analysis we can do with MRI.

The finding that most people agree on is that when you look at the left hemisphere in studies of groups of people with dyslexia and people who do not have dyslexia — and I emphasize it’s really group studies — is that there is differences in the anatomy, primarily in the left hemisphere in regions that are known to serve language and written language. And that’s also where we see differences in activity.

Dr. Eden continues,

...They just aren’t engaging [certain areas of the brain] quite so much, particularly an area in the back of the brain in the areas around the temple and parietal cortex that are involved in helping us understand how words are made up of sounds and how we map sounds to print, but also an area at the bottom of the temporal lobe that’s involved in visual word form recognition.

This is an area that we use when we read and we recognize words by sight. It’s an area that a skilled reader trains up.

That’s how we become automatic readers. And that’s also one area that’s not activated the same way in people who have dyslexia compared to those who do not.Dr. John Gabrieli’s Research

Dr. John Gabrieli, Grover Hermann Professor in Health Sciences and Technology, has done extensive research on brain imaging and dyslexia.

In an article entitled “Brain Imaging, Neurodiversity, and the Future of Dyslexia Education,” he recounted some of the interesting things he had discovered in his research.

In collaboration with Children’s Hospital Boston and Dr. Nadine Gaab, they studied brain differences in people and children who had yet to start school.

They noted that even before school, some people had certain differences in their brains, and some of these differences may account for difficulty in reading.

Dr. Gabrieli describes one of their more interesting finds:

...we have been surprised to discover that the individuals with language learning difficulties who make the most progress in reading have changes in the right hemisphere of the brain.

Usually, language and reading are left-hemisphere activities. So, the expectation had been that effective intervention would encourage the left hemisphere of someone who struggles with reading to look more like the left hemisphere of the rest of the population.

I was quite surprised that those who had the most success with interventions involved plasticity in the right hemisphere - a very different approach to reading and one which speaks to the necessity of education working with where the reader is.

These types of discoveries show that people who fall under the umbrella of neurodiversity are very capable of learning but may need to be taught in a different way than their neurotypical classmates.

Signs of Dyslexia in Adults

While many of the same signs can be found in children, adults who were undiagnosed in their youth will still exhibit signs of dyslexia.

Below is a list of possible signs of dyslexia. This is not an exhaustive list, and it’s important to remember that dyslexia will manifest differently in different people. One person may have a few of the items on the list but not all of them. 

Some signs of dyslexia in adulthood may include:

●        Non-linear thinking

●        Difficulty spelling

●        Difficulty reading

●        Good at visual and spatial thinking

●        Mispronunciation of names or words

●        Trouble summarizing stories

●        Increased creativity

●        Messy handwriting

●        Trouble with serif fonts

●        Trouble with memorization

●        Difficulty with math problems

●        Struggle with foreign languages

●        Low self-esteem

●        Trouble focusing when reading

●        Doesn’t enjoy reading for fun

●        Trouble with memory

●        Problems perceiving something in sequence or remembering a sequence

●        Incorrectly substituting words or being unable to think of the correct word

●        Trouble rapidly naming things like objects or images

●        Sometimes accused of not listening

●        Prone to getting lost or having trouble with directions

●        May have to read something several times to fully understand it

●        Strong imagination

●        Good understanding of abstract ideas

●        Likely to think “outside the box”

●        Tend to remember things that have meaning attached to it as opposed to rote memorization

●        May be considered a dreamer

●        Good at adapting to change

Dyslexia In The Workplace

As teenagers grow up and leave education to enter the workforce, they take their dyslexia with them. Though this doesn’t define them as a person or an employee, it may create unique struggles different from their non-dyslexic colleagues.

Difficulty with reading, writing, and spelling is common in the work environment. In addition, employees with dyslexia might also have a hard time remembering instructions or keeping important appointments. 

For the dyslexic employee, it may take extra time to take in new information when it’s delivered in text form. A noisy environment could compound the issue by making it hard to concentrate on reading.

If the new information is complicated, it may work better for someone with dyslexia to receive instructions through audio or video.

If you or a loved one is dyslexic, you may need to advocate for certain changes as your employer may not know your needs. This can be uncomfortable, especially if you’re concerned it may affect their standing in a company. However, the Americans with Disabilities Act does cover reasonable accommodations at work.

The U.S. Department of Labor outlines what a reasonable accommodation is:

Under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done during the hiring process.

They go on to say:

These modifications enable an individual with a disability to have an equal opportunity not only to get a job, but successfully perform their job tasks to the same extent as people without disabilities.

The ADA requires reasonable accommodations as they relate to three aspects of employment:

1) ensuring equal opportunity in the application process;

2) enabling a qualified individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of a job; and

3) making it possible for an employee with a disability to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment.

Some helpful accommodations in the workplace would include:

●        Verbal instead of written instructions

●        The use of text-to-speech technology when instructions are written on the computer

●        Providing extra time to complete certain tasks

●        Using larger print when providing text documents

●        Use of fonts that are easier to read

●        Highlight information that is extra important

●        Use of visual supplemental materials such as drawings, diagrams, or images

●        Verbal instructions are spoken more slowly if spoken directions are difficult to follow

●        Repeat instructions for complicated tasks

●        Allow for tape recordings of meetings that can be played back later

●        Additional reminders for important deadlines or meetings

●        Access to grammar or spellcheck programs

●        Provide a talking calculator

●        Offer materials ahead of a meeting that can be studied before

●        Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs of text

●        Put dashes between long sequences of numbers

With any job accommodations, it requires a back-and-forth conversation between employee and employer. You explain your needs, and the employer expresses what they can reasonably offer.

Both the employer and employee want the same thing: a smooth, productive work day.

If they’re able to offer reasonable accommodations, this will help both of you achieve that goal.

They may not be able to provide every accommodation, but the conversation can be continued with both sides working together to make the best possible outcome for all parties.

Dyslexia in the Home 

Many people believe that dyslexia simply means inverting letters or struggling to read, but dyslexia can affect a great deal more about a person’s personal life than just reading. The struggles of dyslexia often go well beyond language or the written word.

Dyslexia can make it difficult to remember things, focus on more than one task or thought at a time, or communicate effectively with others. Organization or remembering details can also be a hardship for people with dyslexia.

Don Winn is an author best known for his book Raising a Child with Dyslexia: What Every Parent Needs to Know.

He is very familiar with dyslexia because he was diagnosed with it as a child, though it wasn’t until adulthood that he fully understood all the ways dyslexia might touch his life.

It wasn’t just work that was affected by dyslexia, but also his marriage.

His wife, Elizabeth Winn, wrote an article for his website detailing what it was like being married to someone with dyslexia.

She explained that while dating, she was attracted to his intelligence, wit, and vision. However, she was unfamiliar with learning differences, and it wasn’t until they were married that this became more noticeable.

As she put it, “I was simply never around anyone who had such a thing! Things like dyslexia, ADD, or sensory processing issues weren’t even a blip on my radar. And this lack of awareness and understanding played a huge role in the early years of marriage.”

This is how she explains what it was like living with her dyslexic husband:

He struggled to remember sequences of things, whether they were driving directions or grocery lists. If we were driving together somewhere, he would turn the wrong way most of the time.

Contracts (buying a house) and other lengthy reading tasks involving a short window of time to read and comprehend stressed him out to the point of panic. He had to ask me how to spell many words, and he needed help writing things down.

Communication was challenging. I would think I had his attention, telling him about an invitation or other commitment, and then when the event was near, it would all be news to him.

He wouldn’t remember anything about it! Then a squabble would ensue: “I told you about this, and you agreed!” “No, you didn’t!”

As they worked out their life together, she learned that these difficulties were not intentional. She also learned that there were things they could do differently that would make things easier for both of them.

She continues,

I was humbled by the fact that all the things I had been ascribing to character weren’t matters of character at all! There were all these other variables at play. These factors, unbeknownst to me or Don, were responsible, at least in part, for the perceived ‘gap’ between his intelligence and the length of time and effort it took him to do many tasks.

There was still so much that we didn’t understand, but I had learned enough to be kinder, more supportive, and much more patient, just from knowing that our brains learned and worked very differently.

How to Make Personal Life Easier With Dyslexia

There are a number of things that can help a person with dyslexia navigate life more easily. The dyslexic brain is always working very hard to manage and remember everyday tasks, and there are ways to make these things more manageable.

Here are some ideas:

●        Use a GPS system. If driving or remembering directions is challenging, use a GPS system that gives detailed directions for each location (even if the route is familiar and you feel you should know it by now).

●        Use systems for remembering things. Use phone reminders, calendars, planners, or whatever system works best for you. Don’t assume you’ll remember something -- write it down.

●        Set up reminders for appointments. Ask doctors or specialists to call or text before an appointment to remind you to come in.

●        Get enough sleep. Being tired can make dyslexia symptoms more severe, so try to get enough sleep at night.

●        Get audiobooks. Many dyslexics love learning and love stories, but taking the time to read lengthy books can be very time-consuming and, at times, frustrating. A good alternative is listening to audiobooks.

●        Lean into your strengths. You may have insecurities from thinking or functioning differently than many of your peers, but that doesn’t mean you’re without incredible strengths of your own. Find your strengths and lean into them.

What Does Dyslexia Feel Like?

For the sake of this guide, several anonymous participants were interviewed to give a first-person perspective about what it’s like living with dyslexia.

Interview #: Adult Male in His 30s

The first interviewee explained that he struggled with sequences of numbers and transcribing letters and numbers.

He said long strings of numbers and letters, such as a VIN number, would be nearly impossible to remember and difficult to transcribe.

In his words,

It is almost impossible to remember long strings of numbers. And if I have to transcribe one the best way I can describe it is like in a movie when a bunch of people are trying to get through a door at the same time and everyone just gets stuck. That’s what is happening with the words in my head.

He said one way he works around long strings of numbers is to break them up with dashes, similar to how a credit card number is written.

Interview #2: Adult Female in Her 30s

The second interviewee had been diagnosed with dyslexia in grade school. She explained that she had an IEP for needed support until she was in 10th grade. She learned to use many different tools to cope with dyslexia. She explains,

I didn't ever, and I don't think I ever will, ‘grow out of’ dyslexia. BUT I'm really good at self-managing and finding tools that help me day to day. I started describing it as my superpower when I mess up words or numbers.

Sort of breaks the ice when someone else is around and gives me a second to de-stress with laughter instead of being embarrassed that a 34 year old who is a boss of 75 people can't do simple math sometimes.

She describes the feeling of dyslexia in this way:

Dyslexia for me manifests itself flipping my letters and numbers around positionally within a string of other letters or numbers...I think I would describe having dyslexia and dyscalculia as knowing a language, but it being slightly out of phase.

Interview #3: Adult Female in Her 30s

The third interviewee wasn’t diagnosed with dyslexia until she was in college. She had been in gifted programs in school and had never been approached for screening despite the fact that she struggled with spelling and writing. She says,    

I had always been a slower-paced reader, but was in the gifted program so people didn't really look for disabilities, I guess. My mom was a math teacher, but I also had math difficulty (probably dyscalculia)  growing up, so she was able to give extra support there. Bad handwriting and terrible spelling, but the pieces were never put together.

In college, she was screened for dyslexia and can still remember her test. She states,

One interesting thing about my memory is that it works in pictures and stories - so I would ace the parts where they did word associations I could visualize. In fact, I still remember the pairs of words they gave me like 15 years later...But with the random numbers, I'd fail because my brain can't just associate meaning to them.

She also describes gifts that she feels come along with her dyslexia.

I have amazing spatial reasoning skills and can supernaturally navigate a piece of furniture through tight hallways. I think in pictures and movies, so I am great with just remembering how to get somewhere.

I can vividly recall memories with people that are no longer with us. Not just what we did but remembering how everything looked and felt and smelled in a totally multi-sensory way.

Diagnosis and Treatment for Adults With Dyslexia

Many people with dyslexia are diagnosed as children during grade school or high school, but many people go undiagnosed until college or later adulthood.

If you suspect you might be dyslexic, or you’re wondering if your spouse or loved one might be dyslexic, diagnosis and treatment is available.

Below are possible steps you can take for diagnosis and treatment. Step

1: Take an Online Test or Assessment

There are several simple online tests that can give you an idea of whether or not you show signs of dyslexia. Some might be geared toward children, but the ideas still relate to adults.

The International Dyslexia Association is a good place to start.

Step 2: See a Specialist or Visit a Dyslexic Association

Once you have results from online assessments, you can take those with you to see a specialist or to a dyslexic association such as the International Dyslexia Association. The British Dyslexia Association can also be a good resource.

Specialists that can screen for dyslexia include educational psychologists, neurologists, and other medical professionals. They can give you a formal diagnosis beyond a simple online assessment.

Ways to get in contact with a specialist are:

●        Those who are in college may be able to take advantage of student disability services that can refer you for testing or may be able to provide testing on campus.

●        People in the military may be able to get free testing for learning disabilities.

●        Referrals are possible for low cost or free through Adult Literacy Group or Vocational Rehab Services.

●        Your primary care physician may be able to do early screening to refer you to a specialist.

Step 3: Get Treatment

Dyslexia is not something that can be cured, but there are ways to improve symptoms of dyslexia or learn new ways to cope with difficulties.

Treatment plans might include:

●        Tutoring to help improve reading, writing, and spelling skills tailored for the needs of someone with dyslexia.

●        Occupational therapy to help with things like executive functioning and motor coordination.

●        Speech therapy may help those who have trouble speaking or communicating.

●        Requesting accommodations at work to improve the work environment and quality of work.

●        Using tools to help manage day-to-day needs of people with dyslexia, such as a GPS system, text-to-voice technology, or speech recognition technology.

There are also different programs aimed at helping people with dyslexia improve their reading and spelling skills. These programs, based on Orton-Gillingham’s approach, use multi-sensory techniques to help people with dyslexia.

Programs available using this method are:

●        The Barton Program

●        The Wilson Reading System

●        The Davis ProgramStep 4: Join a Support Group

Joining a support group for people with dyslexia will help get you in touch with others who have experienced many of the same things as you or your loved one.

This can provide much-needed emotional support from people who truly understand.

A good support group can also help provide resources for assessment, programs, and additional support. Why a Dyslexia Diagnosis Is Important

Being diagnosed with dyslexia does not prohibit you from doing many things you want to do with your life. Despite the extra hurdles, there are people with dyslexia who go on to be authors or work in fields dominated by writing.

Although it may come as a surprise or a disappointment to be diagnosed with dyslexia, knowing you’re dyslexic gives you an advantage. Once you understand your diagnosis, you can begin to do things to better your situation.

In an article for Metro entitled “What it’s Like to be Diagnosed with a Learning Disability as an Adult,” Paula Melissa Ugochukwu writes,

When my university disability advisor confirmed that I was likely to have a specific learning disability, thoughts of abandoning a profession in journalism and media bombarded my mind.

What if I was reporting live on TV or radio and could not remember a word or struggled to read the live cues on air? How embarrassing would that be! Some time has now passed and I am so much more at peace.

I have come to realise that I was dyslexic before the dyslexia was diagnosed. This was quite a comforting thought because it reminded me that I have got here despite the ‘disability’ – so why stop now?

Why Dyslexia Can Be Considered a Gift

For some people, dyslexia offers unique challenges but also unique gifts. Many dyslexics are innovative and think differently than others coming up with new ideas to overcome problems.

In this section, we’ll cover some potential advantages that come with dyslexia. Dyslexia and Entrepreneurship

One way that dyslexia gifting manifests is in entrepreneurship. Studies have shown a strong correlation between entrepreneurs and people with dyslexia.

A study conducted by Professor of Entrepreneurship at the Cass Business School in London, Julie Logan showed that 35% of entrepreneurs surveyed identified as dyslexic.

Not only that, dyslexic entrepreneurs tended to grow businesses more quickly than their counterparts, perhaps partly due to their ability to adapt and delegate when necessary. Dyslexia and Creativity

It’s common for people with dyslexia to be drawn to art and creativity. This creativity may come from differences in how the brain works, or it may be that people with dyslexia find new ways to express themselves that don’t involve reading or writing.

They also use creativity to find new ways to problem solve, just as they often have to do to overcome struggles in work or the classroom.

British writer Sally Gardner wrote an essay for the Guardian about viewing her dyslexia as a gift. She wrote:

Dyslexia is not a disability – it's a gift. It means that I, and many other dyslexic thinkers can portray the world through images because we think in images. I can build worlds, freeze the frame, walk around and touch. I can read people's faces, drawings, buildings, landscapes and all things in the visual world more quickly than many of my non-dyslexic friends. I paint with words; they are my colours.

Visual-Spatial Thinking and Dyslexia

Dyslexia is associated with different brain functioning, but the same differences that cause difficulty in reading may enhance other abilities. One of the things that some research suggests is improved with dyslexia is visual-spatial abilities.

Though studies are mixed (some studies showing no improvement or difference between dyslexic and non-dyslexic participants, and some showing a deficit with dyslexic participants), there is some indication that people with dyslexia are prone to being good with visual-spatial thinking.

In an article by Psychologist Dr. Devon MacEachron, she writes,

The scientific evidence has built to suggest that many dyslexics do, in fact, have stronger visual-spatial abilities than their non-dyslexic peers. Dyslexics evidence an enhanced ability to process visual-spatial information globally (holistically) rather than locally (part by part).

This may be why individuals with dyslexia are over represented in fields such as architecture, art, engineering, and the sciences. In discussions with successful dyslexics in these fields the capacity to “see” things differently comes up with remarkable frequency.

Famous People With Dyslexia

There are quite a few highly famous people who have been diagnosed with dyslexia, or that historians highly suspect were dyslexic.  Among that list includes:

●        Albert Einstein

●        Keira Knightley

●        Whoopi Goldberg

●        Daniel Radcliffe

●        Steven Spielberg

●        Cher

●        Octavia Spencer

●        Tim Tebow

●        Henry Winkler

●        Anderson Cooper

●        Robin Williams

●        Pablo Picasso

●        George Washington

●        Henry Ford

●        Thomas Edison

●        Woodrow Wilson

●        Vince Vaughn

●        John Lennon

●        Ansel Adams

●        Andy Warhol

●        Agatha Christie

●        Jim Carrey

Vitamin & Nutrient Associations For General Health.

Even when we try to eat well, we're disadvantaged. The nutritional content of most food has been compromised over the years, not only by deficient soils and modern production, transportation, storage and processing methods, but also by the enormous amounts of chemical and artificial substances added to promote growth, storage life, taste and appearance.

It's for this reason that more and more medical authorities are advocating the use of vitamin and mineral supplements. However, finding them in the right combination can be both confusing and costly.

The nutrition products I am going to recommend you make use of knowledge gained from the botanical world's 6,000 year history. They incorporated health building nutritional herbs with the best modern technology to help our bodies cleanse and detoxify so that the cells - the tiniest living units - can be as fully nourished as possible.

This allows the cells to grow, repair and to perform their functions with the best possible efficiency so that we feel and look better and are more able to prevent and fight disease. Once the body begins to clear itself of toxins it can more efficiently absorb nutrition.

Further reading through our articles on health issues will give you a body of information that will help you decide what options you have to deal with the underlying causes of your problem through giving your body the nutrition products that will assist you body to heal from the inside out.

You can visit our health food products page here: Herbalife Health Nutrition Supplements and learn more about our core nutrition program, the Cellular Nutrition Advanced Program and also check out these targeted products, Florafiber to replace your healthy flora and Aloe Vera Juice to help cleanse your system.

Also using NouriFusion Skin Essentials will clearly help provide you with excellent skincare support for your ‘outer nutrition’.

We wish you well in your search for solutions to this problem and your movement towards better health in all areas.

More Resources available about Dyslexia

Dyslexia in Adults Going Forward

If you suspect that you or a loved one may have dyslexia, it may be helpful to get an official diagnosis. A diagnosis will add context to certain struggles, but it will not take anything away from your special gifting, abilities, or who you are in the world.

There is no shame in a dyslexic diagnosis. Many people with dyslexia are able to overcome their struggles or find creative ways to adapt. In today’s world technological world, there continue to be more tools that offer daily help.

Support groups can offer insights and provide you with other people who understand what it’s like to be dyslexic.

Most of all, know that you’re not alone. There are millions of people in the world who have symptoms of dyslexia. As society becomes more aware of neurodiversity, there will also be continued growth for resources, understanding, and accommodations.

Sources:

https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/adults-dyslexia

https://www.dyslexia.com/question/dysphonetic-and-dyseidetic/

https://www.dyslexia-reading-well.com/phonological-dyslexia.html

https://www.learningsuccesssystem.com/ld/phonological-dyslexia

https://www.readandspell.com/us/different-types-of-dyslexia

https://theliteracybrain.com/tag/dyslexia/page/2/

Below here are examples of Health Success Results other people have had with using a self care strategy for dealing with this condition:

We would be very interested to hear your result stories with your problem if you are using some of our nutrition products. To send us your story just fill out the form below.

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SITE DISCLAIMER: Do these products “cure” anything? Of course not… but it stands to reason that if you cleanse your body and feed it the finest nutrition available, giving it everything it needs in balance, on a daily basis, that your body will do what nature intended, and give you the best possible chance to fend off sickness and disease.

This Dyslexia information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The Dyslexia content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any Dyslexia questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.

The Dyslexia resources on this site are not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. While all attempts have been made to verify Dyslexia  information provided in this publication, neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions or contrary interpretation of the web site Dyslexia subject matter herein.

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