In honour of Neurodiversity week, I have decided as a Dyslexic myself to give insight on what Dyslexia is, dispel the common myths and misconceptions of being a dyslexic and even provide some detail on what Irlens syndrome is as well which is more often than not gets confused with Dyslexia
Dyslexia Unveiled: Beyond the Surface
The official NHS site describes it as a “common learning difficulty that mainly causes problems with reading, writing and spelling.” Just because you have Dyslexia, doesn’t mean you are any less intelligent, in fact, we just see the world and learn in a different way.
In fact, a lot of famous people have this learning disability. To name a few: Orlando Bloom, Pablo Picasso, Jennifer Aniston, Albert Einstein, Agatha Christie and many more!
What are the signs of Dyslexia?
The most common signs of Dyslexia may reveal themselves in many different forms, such as:
- Read/write slowly
- Confuse similar-sounding words and even mispronounce
- Find it hard to focus
- Unable to recall sets of instructions
- Have to re-read the text in order to understand it
- Find it difficult to spell
- Trouble remembering dates, names and lists
Of course, not everyone who has Dyslexia finds it difficult with everything listed, and some may have trouble with everything. This isn’t a complete list, but I have linked the NHS site that lists more associated problems organised by age range.
My Journey
Many people are often diagnosed when they are young, and I was diagnosed when I was around year 5 of primary school. I always loved to read but often found it frustrating that I couldn’t keep up with my peers, tripping over my words as I attempted to discern whether that b was a d.
I also found myself getting into trouble when I couldn’t recall a sequence of instructions, or even forget them entirely. This always left me feeling embarrassed and ‘dumb’ at times for not being able to remember the simplest of things.
Luckily, it was caught early on, but many still go without being diagnosed or recognised until well into their lifetime. My stepmother wasn’t fully recognised as dyslexic until her 50s!
Feeling left behind or inadequate hasn’t gone away entirely, and at times I do get frustrated when I’m attempting to converse with someone and I forget just the right word or use the wrong one entirely. It’s important not only to be patient with people who have Dyslexia but also to understand that we are not less intelligent because of our learning disorder, on the contrary, they have proven to be great at interconnective reasoning and creativity.
I personally have skills in recognising patterns, am great at observation and have great problem-solving abilities. Dyslexia isn’t only part of who I am, but I have had to battle to get where I am today.
Navigating the workplace
Navigating the workplace with Dyslexia has presented various challenges that may not always be so obvious to others. It can be different for each individual, but here are some of the issues that I personally have had in the past and how I have adapted.
Challenges with communication:
This can be verbally as previously mentioned, writing messages to others within the business, writing and reading emails and other lengthy text, documents or reports. When reading large amounts of text, I will often times break the text up if they are in large paragraphs. When writing emails, I tend to list the main subjects that need to be mentioned before fleshing it out.
Meeting Participation:
I can have difficulty taking notes in a fast-paced meeting, or even fully understanding its content because of how quickly topics are covered. To counter this, ask for written agendas beforehand, use text-to-voice software, ask for a summary after the meeting and if held on Teams, you can use subtitles to help digest the content.
Spelling and Grammer:
Writing and spelling can be difficult, Grammerly is a built-in plugin and software that helps me personally whenever I am writing an email, content or even sending off a message. Because I often miss misspellings or grammar mistakes, Grammarly helps me to pick up on these inaccuracies or even when things do not make sense.
Misconceptions:
- Reading and writing letters backwards is the main sign of Dyslexia
- ‘You just need to try harder’ or ‘You just need to read more’
- Dyslexia is a vision problem
- Dyslexia can be outgrown
- It doesn’t exist
- It is rare/uncommon
Advocacy
It’s important to be open about your Dyslexia if you can, as you may have to request some accommodations that have to be considered. By being open and honest about my struggles, I know that my colleagues understand my struggles and are able to accommodate these needs.
I would love to know your experiences with Dyslexia and if you have any queries please let me know!
What is Irlens Syndrome and why does it get confused with Dyslexia?
Irlens syndrome gets confused with Dyslexia a lot, and this is mainly because some of their symptoms and signs overlap. Irlens is a problem with the brain’s ability to process visual information and can manifest differently within each individual.
Signs of Irlens syndrome:
- Reading difficulty (including music)
- Light sensitivity
- Headaches/Migrans and eyestrain
- Concentrations issues
- Depth perception
- Difficulty with maths
- Difficulty with copying
- Struggle with reading coloured/low-contrast text and even high-contrast text
- Losing place when reading
- Difficulty writing on a line
To put it simply, it can manifest itself as words becoming distorted, moving, becoming blurry and can ultimately lead to headaches/migraines. Regarding myself, I misjudge the depth of close objects and I always have a bruise somewhere for knocking into things or tripping over my own feet.
What I do to help
When I was diagnosed with Irlens syndrome, I had a test done to calibrate with coloured overlays and in the end had glasses specifically made with that colour. This helps immensely with not only concentrating but with actually being able to read large amounts of text and sheet music. Another symptom that is less widely known, is motion and car sickness, and I have found that wearing my glasses while travelling has helped immensely in this regard.
Other things that people with Irlens syndrome can do are:
- Dimming lighting in a room or screen
- Using coloured backgrounds or even working in dark mode
- Frequent breaks and changing tasks
- Avoiding bright colours or overly busy patterns
Conclusion:
I’ve shared my insights into Dyslexia, debunking common misconceptions while shedding light on the lesser-known Irlen syndrome. Dyslexia isn’t a barrier to intelligence; it merely offers a unique lens through which we perceive and navigate the world. By understanding the signs, sharing personal journeys, and advocating for accommodations in the workplace, we empower ourselves and others with dyslexia to thrive!
Similarly, Irlen syndrome, often overshadowed by Dyslexia, presents its own set of challenges rooted in visual processing. Yet, through personalised interventions like coloured overlays and glasses, individuals can mitigate symptoms and unlock their full potential.
As we continue to nurture inclusivity and understanding, let’s celebrate the diverse ways in which our minds perceive and interact with the world.
If you wish to contact me, please find my details here >
Resources:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dyslexia/symptoms/
https://www.understood.org/en/articles/common-myths-about-dyslexia-reading-issues