Although most children with dyslexia are not depressed, they are at higher risk for intense feelings of sorrow and pain. Perhaps because of their low self-esteem, children with dyslexia are often afraid to turn their anger toward their environment and instead turn it toward themselves, which can result in depression.
Although dyslexia is not an emotional disorder, it can lead to feelings of anxiety, anger, low self-esteem and depression. Anxiety is the emotional symptom that adults with dyslexia experience the most. They become fearful because of their constant confusion and frustration at work or an educational setting.
Another common trait in dyslexic individuals is higher emotional intelligence. In a 2020 study done by the University of California, researchers found that children with dyslexia showed a stronger emotional response to visual images and clips than their non-dyslexic peers.
The same study reported that one out of two dyslexics has lower school self-esteem than the average of the “control” group. In another study, low self-esteem was found in dyslexic children between the ages of 8 and 15. The self-esteem level was inversely associated with the severity of anxiety and depression disorders.
Many adults with dyslexia see themselves as more emotionally sensitive than other people. In its most extreme form, high levels of emotional sensitivity are both a blessing and a weakness. The positive features of this trait helps adults build meaningful relationships with others.
Public speaking is one to the most common phobias in the world and reading aloud is public speaking! So a really good way to annoy someone who has difficulty with reading is to get them reading aloud. People with dyslexia love that sense of foreboding as they wait their turn.
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed. Dyslexia occurs across the range of intellectual abilities.
Left untreated, dyslexia may lead to low self-esteem, behavior problems, anxiety, aggression, and withdrawal from friends, parents and teachers. Problems as adults. The inability to read and comprehend can prevent children from reaching their potential as they grow up.
You probably will read slowly and feel that you have to work extra hard when reading. You might mix up the letters in a word — for example, reading the word "now" as "won" or "left" as "felt." Words may also blend together and spaces are lost. You might have trouble remembering what you've read.
They think in a different way. The majority of people think mainly with their brain's left hemisphere, whereas dyslexics think predominantly with their right hemisphere. This leads to a different kind of thinking and learning style that we call conceptual thinking.
Dyslexic strengths include:
High levels of empathy. Excellent big-picture thinkers. Good at making connections. Strong narrative reasoning.
Common Areas of Struggle for the Person With Dyslexia
Some dyslexic kids have difficulty in social situations. They can be emotionally and socially immature, which can effect the quality of their relationships, which can cause lack of confidence over time.
Individuals with dyslexia may experience marked anxiety in situations in which they feel they will make mistakes, be ridiculed, or made to feel foolish in front of others. Severe anxiety or fears are known as phobias.
The frustration that individuals with dyslexia experience often stems from their inability to succeed, no matter how hard they try. Parents and teachers see a bright, enthusiastic child who is not learning to read and write.
Adults with dyslexia often have a wide range of nonspecific mental health, emotional, and work difficulties. They may have low self-esteem, experience shame, humiliation, or lack confidence in their ability to perform at work or school.
In stressful situations, their coping mechanisms may not work and they could struggle to keep up with their peers. People with dyslexia are also often unorganized with messy hand-writing, messy workplaces, messy bag-packs etc. They may also suffer from discrimination and bullying.
Dyslexia in adulthood
Dyslexia is a complex condition that affects the way the brain processes and interprets information. Dyslexia can impact reading, writing, and spelling. Dyslexia may also affect organizational skills, concentration in noisy environments, planning, and prioritizing.
Many dyslexic people remain constant with their thoughts and are considered rude. Dyslexic people also sometimes behave insensitively to others' body language. They find it tough to remember the right names of people and things. This increases their chances of facing embarrassment.
Confusing similar looking letters and words
Common mistakes when reading and spelling are mixing up b's and d's, or similar looking words such as 'was' and 'saw', 'how' and 'who'. Letters and numbers can be written back-to-front or upside down. The most common numbers for visual dyslexics to reverse are 9, 5 and 7.
Use simple sentences as instructions. Empathise with your dyslexic partner without displaying any undue sympathy. Encourage them to add special dates such as birthdays and anniversaries to digital or manual calendars or set reminders for them. Be cautious when your dyslexic partner shows low self-esteem or self-pity.
People with dyslexia may say a wrong word that sounds similar to the right one (like extinct instead of distinct). Or they may talk around it using vague words like thing or stuff. This kind of mental hiccup can happen when they're writing too. Trouble finding the right word is one of the most common signs of dyslexia.