Dyslexia, just means you are s**t at spelling, right?
Wrong. Dyslexic brains just process information in a different way to non Dyslexics. We tend to process what we hear and see in a more out of the box and creative way, which I personally love!
However, Dyslexia is still a very misunderstood condition and it makes me sad to see that in 2018 the below comments are still being reported
Dyslexia is just the long word for stupid — BBC Documentary
Dyslexia is a middle class excuse for low achievement — The Daily Mail
Dyslexia is a pretentious word for thick — The Spectator
I hope in this blog to educate people that Dyslexia is not about being “stupid” or not being able to spell and what is really like to have dyslexia and how to manage it in the workplace.
So, what is my story then?
After years of struggling at school and being told I just “wasn’t trying hard enough”, with thanks to my parents (not the school!) I was diagnosed when I was around 10 years old.
I struggled at school as the educational system just wasn’t designed for dyslexic thinking, your time at school is quantified by how accurately you relay the facts you have learnt over a year all condensed down to one hour long written exam. Most dyslexics will struggle with this, not because we are stupid, just because our brains are just not wired that way.
I couldn’t agree with that more. I left school with just 1 G.C.S.E in Drama, I then went to college to study Art and Design followed by Media Studies, Marketing and Performing Arts. I passed them all with distinctions.
The reason why Dyslexia can be hard to “treat” is because each individual’s challenges are different and vary in severity. The things that I struggle with on a daily basis are:
- Difficulty in putting my thoughts into the written word, I can verbally tell you without any problems 😤
- Sensory distraction: an inability to screen out irrelevant or unrelated visual or auditory stimuli 🙉
- Persistent and continued reversing of letters and figures, e.g. ’15’ for 51, ‘b’ for d, which in turn leads to spelling mistakes, which really annoys me 😬
- Words moving around on the page and therefore I take way longer than average person over written work, because I have to keep re-reading it as every time I read it I read it differently 🙈
To give you an idea, here is an example of what it can be like for someone with Dyslexia to read
So yes, we can struggle with spelling, reading and writing but we are pretty awesome at a lot of other things!
VISUALISING: Interacting with space, senses, physical ideas & new concepts. (75% of dyslexics are above average at Visualising)
IMAGINING: Creating an original piece of work, or giving ideas a new spin (84% of dyslexics are above average at Imagining).
COMMUNICATING: Creating vivid & engaging experiences and assessing situations/information and an ability to explain clearly to other people (71% of dyslexics are above average at Communicating).
REASONING: Understanding patterns, evaluating possibilities & making decisions, seeing past detail to gain a strategic (big picture) view of a subject or problem, whilst understanding, taking apart & simplifying complex ideas & concepts. (84% of dyslexics are above average in Reasoning).
CONNECTING: Understanding & interpreting the verbal, physical & emotional reactions of other people, managing, influencing & inspiring constructive emotions in other people. Empathising: sensing, understanding & responding (emotionally and/or practically) to how people feel. (80% of dyslexics are above average at Connecting).
EXPLORING: having a curiosity for finding out new things and learning new skills, being so passionate about something it gives a buzz and tenacity to learn about it in a constant & energetic way. (84% of dyslexics are above average at Exploring).
Source: Made By Dyslexia
Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a living . . .
The wonderful world of technology has helped people overcome the challenges faced in the workplace. Computers have made typing the norm and opened up the world of the spell checkers 🙏🏼 and by proxy most of us have learnt to touch type, for this the brain uses muscle memory in the hand and fingers which then support spelling skills.
I have now been working for 24 years (gulp!) and most people are unaware of my Dyslexia, not because I try to hide it but because I have learnt to manage it.
If you are a Dyslexic struggling in the workplace or about to start you career here are my top tips that might help you.
- Understand your challenges Write down what your challenges are in the workplace once you have identified where your dyslexia will cause you problems you are able to plan ahead to avoid or reduce problems when those challenges may arise
- Ask for help This has helped me throughout my career, I have always asked people to check what I am writing whenever I am writing something very important or longer than a couple of paragraphs and I always explain why, never feel embarrassed.
- Plan for extra time You will know what tasks will take you longer, so allow extra time for these, don’t give yourself time pressure based on other people’s abilities
- Listen to music If I am concentrating on something, I plug myself in and turn up the volume, loud! This helps with my sensory distraction and allows my brain to really focus. For you, it might be some Cafe Del Mar chill out Ibiza tunes or maybe hardcore 80’s rave! Try different things until you find what works for you!
- Be organised To avoid feeling overwhelmed, stay organised and manage your tasks wisely, I am always writing a To Do list, it helps make me feel in control
- Choose fonts that work for you One font does not work for all. Simple fonts are normally best such as Verdana or Helvetica. It will always take me longer to read something that is written in Times New Roman vs Verdana. The brain is a funny thing!
Big Up the Dyslexics
As I mentioned at the beginning our brains are wired a little different, but this can actually be to our advantage.
Made By Dyslexia reported that “4 out of 5 dyslexic people attribute their success to their dyslexic thinking. There are a large percentage of dyslexics in fields like Entrepreneurship, Engineering, Creative and Tech industries, and in organisations like the British Intelligence agency (GCHQ) actively recruit dyslexics for their Reasoning skills”.
Dyslexia should never be seen as a disadvantage, it seemed to work out ok for
Steven Spielberg
Steve Jobs
Whoopi Goldberg
Albert Einstein
Henry Ford
Lewis Hamilton
Keira Knightley
Richard Branson
Jim Carey
Holly Willoughby
Orlando Bloom
Harvey Cushing
Michael Faraday
Walt Disney
The list is endless.
Final thoughts
To non Dyslexics — Just a polite note to say maybe just think twice when pointing out written mistakes to people in a public manner, think about it first as maybe there is a reason. No one likes to feel like they are 10 years old and back in the classroom, go and speak to them or let them know privately. We all have our weaknesses, some just more obvious than others.
To fellow Dyslexics — Never feel embarrassed or worth less then anyone else, reading and writing has nothing to do with how intelligent you are, it is just one of many ways of receiving and recording information and we just do that a little differently. Embrace every part of that.
Finally, Thank you to my fellow colleagues Helen Shovelar and Ben Horsley-Summer, who I am constantly asking to check things I write!
