True Confessions of a Dyslexic…

A dyslexic head of school?? Surprised? You shouldn’t be, but most folks are. The perception of dyslexia in society is one of people crippled by the inability to spell, read, or write. In fact, ask someone what dyslexia is, and they might say something like “switching ‘d’ for ‘b’.”  While this perception may have some basis in reality, it falls short of a true understanding of dyslexia, its manifestations and its implications. The only things crippling about dyslexia are the misperceptions of it.

Clearly, I can write. I can also read and spell (sometimes). To be truthful, I write best when I use a keyboard and read more slowly than most unless I am reading material that interests me deeply. I will probably never be a good speller; my handwriting is atrocious and labored; and yet I have managed to graduate from both Wellesley and Harvard.

Perhaps my favorite book on this subject is Overcoming Dyslexia by Drs. Sally and Jonathan Shaywitz from the Yale Center for the Study of Learning and Attention. I am not an anomaly. Most dyslexics are highly creative, often bright, and damaged more by how society deals with them than by their particular brain wiring

It is not unusual for dyslexics to be able to keyboard at lightning speed but struggle with handwriting and spelling. It is not unusual for them to be able to read even highly technical material if it is in an area of their passion (even while they struggle with less interesting texts). There are brilliant dyslexic scientists, doctors, lawyers, actors, musicians, artists, politicians, even teachers. It is a learning difference, not a disability.

The truly disabling factors to those who are dyslexic are not being diagnosed: the crippling effects of being dismissed as lazy or stupid. If dyslexia is viewed by parents or educators as a pathology—a deficit—if dyslexics are treated as broken, as opposed to simply having a different set of wiring with its own set of advantages and disadvantages, then and only then will children with dyslexia be at a disadvantage. Dyslexics should never be limited in their life choices. Their paths may be atypical, but no path is a priori off-limits

I look at my dyslexia now as a gift: It permits me to create and see things that others often miss. But it wasn’t always this way—I graduated from high school with an ulcer. It took me three times as long to do the same work my peers did, and I internalized messages about being lazy, not working hard enough, and being “dumb.” Once I learned the true origin of my difficulties, it was like being freed from a prison. I could learn coping skills and alternate ways of doing things once I knew what didn’t work and why.

Children with dyslexia today have so much technology at their disposal, so many ways of accessing and delivering information, that there is no excuse for them not to succeed, feel successful, whole, and empowered about their abilities, regardless of difference. They simply need to understand their brain and what strategies to employ to optimize their leaning.

A young woman in high school who was struggling with her own dyslexia wrote to me and asked for advice. I composed a short list that I hope was helpful to her. I share it here because I believe it can help anyone else with dyslexia or any parent of a child who is learning about this condition. Parents need to advocate for their children to help support them and get them services as needed. Particularly as their children get older, these bits of advice may well come in handy.

10 Pieces of Advice from One Dyslexic to Another

1. Let people know without apology or shame that you have dyslexia; it is what it is, like being left-handed.
2. Keep your sense of humor. Sometimes the mistakes are just plain funny.
3. Being dyslexic doesn’t mean you are damaged goods; it means your brain is wired entirely differently–and that’s a good thing. Most dyslexics are creative, out-of-the-box thinkers, and therefore especially effective in settings that require those skills.
4. Find the right environment that values the skills you have. It’s probably not going to be bookkeeping, editing, or phone dialing–but it may well be arts, creative writing, design, astrophysics, etc.
5. Don’t let the little people get you down. There are some clueless folks out there who think if you can’t spell, you must be dumb or poorly educated. This perception stems from their ignorance, not some inherent failing of yours.
6. Force yourself to read in any format you can (comic books, political cartoons, trashy novels, audiobooks, anything). Reading, as hard as it is, is a good thing; it may always be work, but it will, in the end, help you.
7. Always use a spellchecker or have others help you edit your work.
8. Surround yourself with the best technology you can to support your work.
9. Never give anything less than your best effort, so you know you will have done what you can. If you haven’t given your best effort, admit it. Don’t use the dyslexia as an excuse.
10. Don’t let dyslexia stand in the way of any dream.

Nationally-recognized visionary in the areas of educational system improvement and innovation, educational consultant Marja Brandon has been a teacher, head of school, and founder of Seattle Girls School. She volunteers to offer advice and writes articles for TeensParentsTeachers.

Like most of the pictures on TeensParentsTeachers, the picture posted with this article is courtesy of a free download from Pixabay.com.