Advantages of Being Dyslexic

Dyslexic individuals will show similar traits in the classroom as they are learning to read and write.  Many dyslexic students struggle when they learn that the pictures that they have been developing into stories actually already have words that they must read.  Many will try to camouflage this transition; the camouflage will become apparent as students are held accountable for the words on the page.  The signs of dyslexia are there during students’ pre and primary school years.  Testing for phonology and comprehension has become more prevalent during the primary years, which lends to earlier intervention to ease the movement from oral language to written language.  The amount of the book exposure and student environment in and out of the classroom will usually change the symptoms and the intervention process.  Most dyslexics will become accomplished and earn a solid income.  Some of the more prevalent advantages of being dyslexia are noted below.

1. Not visible to most. Classmates cannot usually visually see their “disability.”  Unfortunately, this can also be a disadvantage.
2. Curious. Dyslexic individuals are usually curious.  I have a friend that began experimenting with how items fit together and thought it might be okay to take the screws out of the seat that held up his highchair.  Needless to say, that experiment came to crashing end.  His mechanical curiosity led to rebuilding engines during his elementary school years.
3. Innovative and Creative. Dyslexic individuals are usually innovative and creative.  While your discussing how to use the pencil sharpener, dyslexics maybe trying to understand how the mechanisms within the pencil sharpener work and how they can improve the model.  Many will know how to fix the pencil sharpener without any prior knowledge of how a pencil sharpener works.  Many will create or modify items to suit their needs, as stated by Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, “There’s a creative energy to our approach which I’ve taken to politics to be bold and upfront on issues.  I’m not cautious, I’m not reckless, but I’m happy to take risks and that’s big part of being dyslexic” (Griggs, 2020, p. 3).
4. Kinesthetically Wired. Dyslexic individuals usually see through their hands—kinesthetically.  They have the natural urge to touch and feel things, as it helps them put the item in their long-term memory and to contemplate how it works, what it’s for, etc.  Dyslexic individuals build pictures through their hands.  In addition, most need movement to keep the brain fresh with oxygen.
5. Picture Thinkers. Dyslexic students are usually picture thinkers.  Many dyslexics have a photographic memory that can rewind an event.  Many dyslexic students will not feel the need to take notes, but can recall most of the information discussed.  They recall vocabulary words in pictures.  The pictures usually become attached to the words that describe the picture.  Sir Jackie Steward stated, “My dyslexic strength is attention to detail.  When your attention to detail is good you notice things other people don’t see as important, but these little things make all the difference.”
6. Think outside the box. They have the ability to think or analyze things from different angles than others without dyslexia.   This lends to innovation and creativity in design and problem solving,
7. 3-D vision. Many dyslexics have the ability to see an object in 3-D.  They can usually spin the object around and use this information to analyze the object.  This also lends to a sharper peripheral vision.
8. Self-starters. Many are self-starters.  Individual environment will play a role in whether they use their skill of being a self-starter.  In the book, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, the parents gave their son the freedom and a safe environment to be a self-starter.  He went on the develop windmills out of the scraps/trash pile, which led to his country having the ability to pump water to grow crops and not be dependent on rain water.
9. Perseverance. Many will endure their mistakes or trials before accomplishing their goal.  Many have very thick skin that allows them to endure the ridicule and numerous retries to better themselves and others.  Again, a person’s environment will play a role.
10. Good Oral Language Skills. Many will have exceptional oral language skills. This was a major identifier of dyslexia in the late 1800s, early 1900s—student could have an intelligent conversation, but not be able to read the words in a book that corresponded with the conversation.  Many had, had an adequate education—most thought sitting in a formal school setting was a waste of their time.  Many probably experienced what Philip Schultz felt and described in his book, My Dyslexia, “He looked and spoke only to her, as if I were invisible.  It was the way I felt in school, listening to the teacher talk only to the other children, as if she didn’t think I would understand what she was saying, as if it was a waste of time talking to me” (p. 32).
11. Can Learn. Dyslexics can learn how to use their prior knowledge of oral language to read and write.  Most will need systematic, explicit instruction to become average readers and writers.  Many will need this type of instruction to just hang-on or gain basic literacy skills.  Some will be able to absorb their rich environment to learn how to read.  This often takes different partnerships of teachers, parents, and community individuals, like tutors.  This will depend on the severity of the dyslexic symptoms and the individual’s environment.

References

Davis, R. (1997).  The Gift of Dyslexia.  New York, NY:  The Berkley Pub. Group

Griggs, K. (2020).  5 Reasons Why Dyslexics Make Powerful Changemakers.  LinkedIn post published May 30, 2020.

Kamkwamba, W. & Mealer, B. (2015). The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.  New York, NY: Puffin Books.

Schultz, P. (2011). My Dyslexia. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Co.