A Dyslexic’s Experience
- kianazavus
- Sep 22, 2023
- 6 min read
Updated: Oct 28, 2024
As a young girl, I had tons in common with
Lucy, a dyslexic young giraffe character in my picture book. She knows she’s missing out on a magical treasure when she cannot read. Lucy watches her friends happily reading a new book, but when she can’t unlock that story, she becomes frustrated and upset.
These feelings are often experienced by dyslexic children. I too felt left out, discouraged, and I was keenly aware that a story was a magical thing. I wanted that story for myself, but it was out of my grasp.
I had a busy family and nearly nothing for support from my early schools.
...Except for a volunteer substitute teacher. She recognized my struggle with words during second grade. She helped me learn new ways for recognizing words and tricks to remember how to spell them. She began seeing progress in me over a few short months with simple, once-a-week visits.
Then, wise and gentle from a long life of many years, she passed away. I failed my next spelling test, and most spelling tests thereafter.
One of my older brothers, sympathized with my frustration and inabilities. He set out to find me age-appropriate chapter-books. He hoped WIND IN THE WILLOWS would capture my passion for reading so much, I could overcome my dyslexia. Unfortunately, that start discouraged me further. It wasn’t I lacked passion, it was that I couldn’t read. I desperately wanted to know what this toad on the cover was up to, but there was limited pictures in the book and I couldn't grasp the story on words alone. I felt like the lame, longing to run and leap.
I struggled in school, though my intelligence level was not an issue. My anxiety built up and being asked to read aloud in class caused me physical pain from panic attacks. I quit school severely early because of the overbearing stress.
However, my brother’s persistence and insistence that I keep trying never faltered.
My brother didn’t know an introduction to phonics or practice with rhyming words, or starting back at ground zero might be the most beneficial. Very little conclusive studies had been issued on dyslexia at the time. So little was truly known or even agreed upon until the early 2000’s. But thanks to my brother’s constant encouragement and support, I found a breakthrough after consistent and prolonged reading practice.
Yet, even after I could finally read novels relishing their adventures, or satisfy my curiosity by reading every odd fact about animals, I still Could...Not...Spell...Words!
Then something unprecedented happened in my lifetime: The invention of spell-check! Computers had just started making a debut in schools during my generation and most of those computers were incredibly basic compared to what we use today. And then, spell-check came out and helped correct every word in the script!
I cannot begin to describe all the doors that unlocked for me at that moment! For example, I began a short career in graphic design and advertising—something I would never have had the capability of doing, or at least, not have been taken professionally seriously previously. Who wants to advertise with someone who writes like a seven-year-old?
Finally, thanks to the generous time of adult-educators and their encouragement I secured my G.E.D. and took my S.A.T.’s.
Soon after, as a single mother with three young sons in-tow, I applied to a university in my home state of Montana. Dyslexia couldn't confine my curiosity any longer.
Thanks to the grace and support from dozens of amazing professors, I made the Dean’s List and graduated with honors.
And I have learned to spell most words without the aid of spell-check, by now. (Though I had to really focus to remember the spelling of “secure” just above here. Some words I may never learn to spell properly, like "necessary.")
Today, I’m a married, middle-aged, successful mother of four bright sons, yet I still need to take a moment to remember which is left and which is right. I need to take long moments to remember which word is a verb and which is a noun. Grammar kills me. I’m sure many of the grammatically inclined reading this will cringe multiple times. These are things I still struggle to accept about my limitations. I don’t want to write embarrassing sentences or mistake “to” for “too.” Trying to remember the difference between affect and effect could give me a migraine.
... I really wish I was joking.
I often use the wrong word when speaking to someone. A recent conversation with my husband went like this:
“Did you see the obstetrician about your subscription?”
“You mean, Did I see my optometrist about my prescription? Yes.”
This too becomes embarrassing if I can’t laugh it off. (And thankfully, my husband likes a good laugh, as well.)
Dyslexia can be a daily challenge. That struggle is manageable for most dyslexics with the proper supports. We can learn to read and write. We don’t see letters blurry or backwards, though we may stare at them until we’re cross-eyed, and we don’t lack intelligence.
Reading one-on-one to a child from infancy, will help alleviate some dyslexic symptoms, as it starts the word repetition a dyslexic needs to imprint words into their memories. Though my children each had over 50% chance of being dyslexic, not one has exhibited signs of dyslexia. Each child had an early foundation of books, letters, and some form of phonics-teaching before ever entering kindergarten. Now, some children who have all of these same supports continue to exhibit dyslexic limitations. Early reading and phonics is not a cure-all, rather, an extra support that could be extremely beneficial.
Much is still being learned about dyslexia. And there's much we just don’t know.
• Dyslexia is a neurodiversity.
• Often times, symptoms go unnoticed. Dyslexics are creative at hiding their symptoms and unfortunately this hinders studies and a dyslexic’s chance of finding the supports they need.
• Dyslexia varies widely in each person. Some people carry minor symptoms, while others display a high degree of difficulty reading, writing, recognizing patterns, and code-deciphering.
• Many dyslexics are misdiagnosed—most especially young boys of color, who are far too often written off as unruly or hyperactive or unfocused, creating a negative environment for cultivating learning. This upsetting trend has been shown to exhibit lifelong obstacles, including low-self-esteem, poverty, and disproportional incarcerations. Truly children of all backgrounds deserve a proper diagnosis and education!
There is hope for all levels of dyslexia. Reading and writing are both possible, though in some cases it may take 100-200 times the amount of practice it takes someone else. This can be discouraging.
Yet, on the upside,
• Dyslexics are well-practiced problem-solvers. • Dyslexics often think outside the box, and have creative tendencies.
• Dyslexics tend to have equal, if not higher, IQ’s compared to their peers.
And thanks to new studies and research, there is more hope than ever for dyslexics in modern society.
It is commonly believed now that up to 20% of the population in any nation around the world exhibit some symptoms of dyslexia. It’s likely 1 in 5 children have some level of dyslexia.
Dyslexia is the most common learning-disability children face. So today, it’s important to keep the conversation going. Talk about dyslexic difficulties and help educators create the best tools possible to support every child’s ability to read and write and open that magical world of literacy.
As a child, I loved stories so much I made them up verbally to tell my friends. My mother encouraged me to write picture books long before I could write a single sentence. I still struggle with dyslexia, but writing a picture book used to seem impossible when I was drowning with illiteracy in school. Today, that "impossible" not only is possible, creating stories has become my passion.
If you or a family member might struggle with dyslexia, I’d value your comments and learning more of your story. Please, feel free to drop a note below and keep the conversation going!
To learn more please visit the Resources section from the link below:
Or to view some signs of dyslexia, please explore:
Follow studies in the USA, here:
Find a ton of helpful tools here:
Lastly, one of my favorite Information Links:
I encourage you to explore each of the link sites above to learn more.
Stay hopeful. Be encouraged.
🐢 Even a tortoise can cross the finish line!
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