Big picture thinker This strength can make it easier to spot patterns and see trends in data. People with dyslexia have the ability to see how things connect to form complex systems, and to identify similarities among multiple things.
Nothing affects your chances at succeeding in school like not having the skills to read, spell, and write. This is, unfortunately, what dyslexia is all about. It can be the one impediment to achieving one's goals in work and life.
Some dyslexic individuals are especially good at spatial reasoning. Putting together three-dimensional spatial perspectives is easy for them. They may work in design, 3-D art, architecture, be engineers, builders, inventors, organic chemists or be exceptionally good at bagging your groceries.
People with dyslexia are known for their lack of fine detail strengths – the strengths that result in accurate and precise reading and spelling. On the flip side, the wiring of the dyslexic brain results in global big picture strengths such as strengths in comprehension, word associations, context and gist.
Many people with dyslexia often think in images as opposed to words, which is attributed to the unique activations in their brains. People with dyslexia are also more likely to form 3D spatial images in their minds than non-dyslexic people.
Use multisensory input and activities to give learners more than one way to make connections and learn concepts. For example, use flash cards, puppets, story videos and real objects in the classroom. When learners use more than one sense at a time, their brain is stimulated in a variety of ways.
There is a common misconception that dyslexia only affects the ability to read and write. In reality, dyslexia can affect memory, organisation, time-keeping, concentration, multi-tasking and communication.
“Dyslexic thinkers have soft or power skills like creative thinking, problem-solving, communication, people and team building, all of which are vital for building and running successful businesses.”
Some common dyslexia symptoms in teens and adults include: Difficulty reading, including reading aloud. Slow and labor-intensive reading and writing. Problems spelling.
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.
Differences in brain parts that are related to reading and comprehension. Exposure to stress at a very young age. Though dyslexia is present at birth, adults with brain injury, stroke, or dementia may develop the symptoms of dyslexia. Dyslexia may worsen with age.
Dyslexics' social immaturity may make them awkward in social situations. Many dyslexics have difficulty reading social cues. They may be oblivious to the amount of personal distance necessary in social interactions or insensitive to other people's body language. Dyslexia often affects oral language functioning.
Dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering information they see and hear, which can affect learning and the acquisition of literacy skills. Dyslexia can also impact on other areas such as organisational skills. It is important to remember that there are positives to thinking differently.
Dyslexia and Problem Behaviors
Children with dyslexia often feel as though they are letting others down because they are unable to perform at the same levels as their peers. Some problem behaviors that children with dyslexia are vulnerable to include: Arguing and fighting with peers and siblings.
An often unconsidered and undetected consequence of dyslexia, anxiety is widely considered as a secondary symptom of dyslexia. Specific situations, tasks or events can trigger stress, anxiety and other negative thoughts in dyslexics.
Dyslexia works by causing difficulty recognizing and processing the sounds in language. Kids with dyslexia might reverse letters, like reading pot as top, have trouble sounding out new words, and struggle to recognize words they know. Dyslexia is the most common learning disorder.
Often people with dyslexia have an excellent long term memory. To remember something like a phone number, or how to spell a word, you need to transfer it to your long term memory. The best way to do that is through spaced repetition. That is, try to recall a fact with longer and longer gaps between testing.
Most people with dyslexia are, at least, average or above-average intelligence. Often children who fail to read and spell don't think of themselves as bright. It's very important that “dyslexic” students develop all their strengths.
Dyslexic strengths
All dyslexic people will have strengths. Skills such as big-picture thinking, lateral thinking and problem-solving, visual strengths and an intuitive understanding of how things work are often the hallmarks of successful dyslexic people.
Dyslexia starts in childhood and lasts throughout life. There's no cure, but coaching and accommodations can usually help people who have it. Estimates show that most adults with dyslexia don't know they have it.