Being dyslexic can be funny but also difficult for some folks to take seriously.
When I was at school ( a very long time ago) teachers wrote in my reports that I was bright but lazy. I found writing difficult and even in the age of the spell checker I find typing difficult. The joke is I a write a column in my local newspaper.
If you are dyslexic do tell me your experiences of coping with it.
If you have ever been certified as dyslexic you could use the National Library Service (NLS) to download unabridged audio books, which you cn play with the BARD phone app, and all for free.
I myself am currently in the middle of listening to "Fire and Fury".
For anyone else readign this, NLS provides audio books for the blind dyslexic or any other print disabilty.
I didn't realise that I am dyslexic until I started learning a language (Hebrew) that reads from right to left, whereas English and the European languages are read from left to right. I had tremendous difficulty reversing letters, and could not read any Hebrew that was written on a blackboard (rather than on a page in front of me). At that time, I realised that since childhood I had managed dyslexia by kind of grabbing each word with my eyes like a gestalt, not looking at its individual letters. That is, I had learned to work around my dyslexia. I learned to read slowly, in the 1950's, back before reading specialists diagnosed dyslexia and other reading problems.
I am now fluent in Hebrew (and some other languages) but when I am tired, I have difficulty reading: the letters reverse. I also find (when writing) that I commonly reverse letters within words, although I am a good speller.
By the way, I stopped believing a god who responds to prayer while attending the Univ of Chicago Divinity School and looking closely at the theodicy problem. I lost respect for theologians. So I am now now post Christian, appreciating some aspects of Christianity and rejecting other aspects. I appreciate some aspects of Buddhism (which does not have a god) and I practice compassionate mindfulness, with an emphasis upon being very active in social justice endeavors, including care for the earth and great concern about global warming.
I always had trouble reading, it was a real chore, never read a book for enjoyment until I was 30.
All my life I saw trucks driving around with signage such as "A&B Smith Shoplifters" I was puzzled, when I was about 11 I assumed they must raise commercial premises up above the ground for some reason, I mean surely if they were what I called Shoplifters, they wouldn't go around advertising it. I never said anything, and even now that is how I see the word. When I was about 19 I realised the were "shopfitters" My biggest issue is eye to hand, I can't type something I am reading, and big one I can't dial a phone number that is written in front of me. Double digits ie 22 33 etc really cause a problem. So naturally I spent 20 years working in banking and finance. Once the industry was computerised people wondered how I knew every general ledger account number as well as account and phone numbers for about 4000 customers. I had no choilce that was the only way I could work. Now I read more than a book a week, but I don't read words and sentences, I read paragraphs, a page in 2 or 3 segments, OK, I miss a lot and get some wrong, but it is the best I have come up with. Thousand pages in a few hours.
As a pre-teen, I was accutely aware of periodic 'reversals,' as they were called at the time. I have no idea whether or not the fact that I write/draw/eat/paint as a lefty, but throw/shoot/hit as a righty affected my devolopment, but I've since moved on.
Yes, I'm very dyslexic.
1.speed-read, using the right hemisphere of the brain, which isn't affected by dyslexia, and gives you photographic memory.
That's how I teach all my remedial reading students..first I teach them to read phonetically, using songs and colored charts to utilize the right side of the brain, which lets them learn the rules effortlessly, almost instantly, then I teach them to speed read within a few minutes. The entire process from reading to speed reading can take as little as 20 minutes, in a preschool class in the US or Thailand.
2.take (Thai herb) derris scandens tablets, which seems to make dyslexia symptoms go away.
It also cures my dysphoria from being partial transmale. You can buy it on amazon.com
3.eat fish for breakfast, which sharpens memory.
4.use a neon orange marker when you read, to stimulate the right hemisphere of your brain.
I am not dyslexic, but a close friend of mine I grew up with is. We’re adults now and he owns a book store. I recall that I would get calls from him in the middle of the night asking me to spell words for him so that he could write romantic letters to young women. I guess I was his coping mechanism.
I had heard of this guy when I was much younger. He had a severe case of dyslexia and his teachers concluded he would never go far. Then he was hired by a hollywood mask making company. From what I understand he was the primary mask maker in just about ever movie for years.
I am not dyslexic, but one of my sons is. And before I knew about it about the second grade, I would try to help him with reading and he could hardly read at all. I would become exasperated and tell him, that he just wasn't trying and give up trying to help. The next year, it was diagnosed and he was given special training which helped him a lot, but reading has always been a challenge, he has told me. He is now 55 and I can tell you...my ignorance and attitude toward my son, hurts me deeply everytime I must bring it to mind, as in your post! The truth may set you free, but the scar remains for a lifetime. Dyslexic is just one of those brain challenges...mine was depression!
@VictoriaNotes I hope that no one is hurt, because of your diagnosis. It is those things that take place out of ignorance, that is so regretful.
Bright but lazy in almost every report card I recieved. I can even mess up b's and d's on the key board, never been able to spell but, I have an amazing memory. I read far slower than most people but, my comprehension is significantly higher than most people I have ever met. Typing was the only subject I failed in high school I could never seem to master it. I had major problem finishing written assignments but, I could ace any test. On tests and quizzes I would beat out all the honour students without studying all I had to do was read the text book once and pay attention in class.
Ihad the very same thing and my fucking dad went to private school and was exceptional at spelling and never missed a moment to fucking correct me. then at school my mind kept up but my spelling and arguably writing didnt and Iwas treated as a dunce and " could of tried harder" Ihave seen the other side at school too as im a very good artist and did really well without really trying so like it or not Iwas the apple of the teachers eye. Ican add that the people who couldnt draw or who didnt try never got berated for crap drawings as Idid for spelling. now it really pisses me off when someone hates bad spelling or grammer especially when Itry my best. the irony is Ican read really well too.
thank you so much, Victoria
erm i think so lol
A teacher at my school once informed the class that in her opinion "dyslexic is a polite word for stupid."
As I was 11 at the time I thought nothing of it, being only vaguely aware that such a thing as dyslexia existed.
I found out I was dyslexic after reading about it in a science journal when I was about 24 or 25. Growing up in rural Alberta we hardly got the cream of the crop as far as teachers go, so of course none of them would have ever even heard of it.
It has been hell on earth.
I never received a diagnosis as a child because a primary school teacher – who was in no way qualified or trained in SEN – made the offhand comment “He is not dyslexic because he can read books”.
Since my parents ignorant and franky quite lazy and disinterested in my education or development they took this at face value and didn’t bother to ask for a second opinion or push it further.
Therefore I had all the difficulties but none of the support, which has hamstrung me ever since, even when I was at university.
The irony is I am now a freelance author, writer, proof reader, editor and copyeditor, and I am currently line-editing my own 600+ page book to boot!
However, I have only been able to do these due to modern technology.
I use a combination of spell checker, Grammarly, Google and text-to-speech software to ensure my writing is not gobbledygook.
NB – Google appears more able to decipher incorrect spelling than Word’s spell checker can, so if you are trying to spell a word, and spell checker cannot work out what you are trying to say, try typing it into Google, you may find it has more luck ?
@VictoriaNotes Thank you
Me as well. Spelling is my bugaboo. I heard the same thing from my mother, who is also dyslexic and bi-polar, and my teachers, not one of whom made the connection I wasn’t lazy but couldn’t read well enough to understand the directions. Plus having ADD my school life was miserable. I’d cut school in high school and go to the library and read, which should have been a clue to someone!!
One of the Greatest Generals in US History who won WW11 was a Graduate of West Point and was Dyslexic. Another of America's most famous writers is also Dyslexic and he went to a private boarding school in New England. I know of a famous teacher who has been nominated teacher of the year 2X and is dyslexic and has an IQ of 150. The teacher is a personal friend so I will with hold any information other than I know this to be confirmed and true. You can look up famous persons who suffered from Dyslexia and go from there.
I believe that dyslexic folk have to develop extrordinary powers of memory in order to suceed in a world that does not register the problems faced by dyslexics. I suspect having highly developed memory helps greatly in many walks of life.
@FortyTwo Pretel? And he was Dyslexic. I was talking about Geo Patton and I read his bio at 64 being a Veteran and having been to West Point on numerous occasions only to find out why they statues of both Patton and Eisenhower are on different parts of the parade field and not facing each other.
@FortyTwo I'm sorry I wasted my time with you and your comment makes absolutely nothing worth further discussion.
@FortyTwo I think your vocabulary would lead to a more serious look into your disorder being that as Dyslexic. This conversation was only intended for intellectual discussion about persons with your concern. You seem to lack the ability to discuss or relate without using profanity as a recourse.
My parents were told I didn't apply myself, tjat I was lazy, stubborn, obstinate & acting out of disrespect. I had to write sentences as punishment, was grounded & generally had to work myself silly to make As & Bs. I had 5 subject notebooks dedicated to a single subject, taki thing my own notes & using class notes & handouts. I was in college before I was tested. It exhibits in anything that requires a formula (maths, science, & diagramming in English). Once i knew what it was, I could get more help with it & focus on areas of strength.