As a multi-dyslexic person in the World Of Dyslexia™
🙋♂️ Not an English reader? Here is the French version
I don't want to elicit pity; I simply aim to provide a genuine glimpse into my world. The World Of Dyslexia™. (This article is my contribution of the World Dyslexia Awareness Day)
Me, Myself, and Dyslexia
I love this aspect of myself. This is who I am and what defines me. Dyslexia is like an imaginary friend that no one believes exists.
I was diagnosed with dyslexia (a specific learning disorder) in 1989. If you had clumsy hands, difficulty reading, speaking, comprehending homework instructions, or struggled with attention, you were labelled as dyslexic in the late 80s.
Of course, in front of your 9-year-old self, the therapist already explained to your parents that you would need speech therapy sessions* as long as dyslexia hindered your learning. Before highlighting the positive side, which is that your education shouldn't incur excessive costs or last very long.
Naturally at this point, many parents of dyslexic children then imagine that they will have to steer their children towards low-skilled jobs.
Today, it's also the same story for every kid but, Dyslexia has a bigger family (some talk about the Dyslexia constellation), and each member has their own characteristics and labels.
These labels are beneficial for better understanding the challenges faced. This allows therapists to better balance treatment and rehabilitation. This allows parents to understand them better and find more suitable tools and ways to address dyslexic difficulties.
The Dyslexia family:
Let me introduce to you: Dyslexia, Dysorthography, Dyscalculia, Dysphasia, Dyspraxia, Dysgraphia, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity.
- Specific learning disorders include:
- Specific learning disorder with impairment in reading (commonly known as dyslexia)
- Specific learning disorder with impairment in written expression (dysorthography)
- Specific learning disorder with impairment in mathematics (dyscalculia)
- These disorders are associated with:
- Oral language disorder (dysphasia)
- Developmental coordination disorder (dyspraxia), including certain forms of dysgraphia (a writing disorder)
- Attention deficits with or without hyperactivity (ADHD or ADD)
Like many, I am blessed and have more or less the full package.
Game on, here is my Dyslexia inventory from the World Of Dyslexia™.
| Multi-Dyslexia | Percentage | Diagnosed |
|---|---|---|
| Dyslexia | 80% | Yes |
| Dysorthography | 100% | Yes |
| Dyscalculia | 10% | Yes |
| Dyspraxia | 10% | Yes |
| Dysgraphia | 30% | Yes |
| Attention deficits | 50% | Yes |
| Hyperactivity | 50% | No |
Important Rule: When you're tired or stressed, roll a 20-sided icosahedron die and add the result to every dys-feature (blame the Game Master). Calculate your odds, and on days of bad luck, embrace the unexpected challenges and continue your quest. 🗡️
The unexpected "challenges":
- Difficulty memorizing information.
- Speaking in reverse or like Yoda.
- Struggling to maintain focus during crowded conversations.
- Merging words or letters when writing.
- Seeing letters, words, or lines jump or move while reading.
- Adding or removing negations in sentences (heard or read).
- Confusion between "d," "b," "q," and "p" letters.
- Experiencing brain fog and having difficulty making simple choices.
- Having intrusive thoughts that disrupt focus on a task or a conversation.
- Became clumsy, bumped things and lost balance more easily.
Game master: "Now you have to defeat a Dragon!"
Me: Sigh…
Living in an ableist world.
It took me a long time to realize that I was living in an 'ableist world.' I had never heard the term 'ableist' until I became interested in web accessibility topics. I was aware that I had an invisible disability, but I never saw myself as stigmatized by a system. I knew that this world often lacked understanding and support for dyslexic individuals like me, but I didn't know that there was a word to describe what disabled people have to face in this world.
— Ableism
When I discovered and understood it, it was like receiving a diagnosis. Everything made sense. It was a relief and a disappointment at the same time.
Invisible disability
For outsiders, an invisible disability is hard to understand at first, even when they are informed.
For a person who does not write well, makes spelling mistakes, or has a herky-jerky reading, it's easy to label them as "this person is not very intelligent."
Dyslexic individuals need to be extra careful to avoid being judged and denigrated. Early in school, we learn to stop reading, stop writing, show as if we were less capable, or play the clown to hide behind a smokescreen.
Game Master: "Roll a die."
Me: "Come on, I didn't do anything!"
Game Master: "Roll - A - Die!"
Dyslexia is incompatible with the educational system because what we do at school is evaluate what a person with dyslexia can't do. Learn by heart, read, write… It's basically like trying to evaluate the flying capability of a rock. 🪨💨
— "Yeah, Rock, why don't you make a small effort and try to fly next time?"
Ableist is hidden in the remarks.
Here are some of the remarks that I heard:
- From a schoolmate: "I'm not a native speaker; how can you make that spelling mistake repeatedly?"
- From a teacher: "You'll never pass, sir; see you next year in the same grade."
- From homework tutors: "My goodness, it's not that complicated!" "Did you do it on purpose?" "I don't believe you can't make a difference." "Really, you don't see the mistake?" "Are you unintelligent?"
- From another teacher: "As expected, you receive a negative grade for your dictation."
- From a coworker talking to the audience and pointing out my slides during a meeting: "I'll offer 1 bonus point if you can point out the spelling mistake."
- From another coworker: "I know that you are dyslexic, but I wonder how you can do what you do then?"
I don't hold onto resentment for all those people, especially not for the last one. I know that he has a heart of gold.
I understand that it's challenging to witness a genuinely nice person continually grappling with the same issue, but there's no need to be unkind.
I've never understood why some people have the habit of highlighting my mistakes in front of an audience. I've learned the hard way that growing up with constant self-criticism from peers can be devastating for your self-esteem.
As an example, I am 40 years old, and only now am I allowing myself to read and write without feeling totally ashamed.
Game Master: "Okay, I update your character"
Your character gains a new characteristic! ✨
| Multi-Dyslexia | Percentage | Diagnosed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| self-esteem | 50% | not needed | decreases by 5% each round |
Me: "Yay, thanks… this is helping me a lot…"
Being part of the Dyslexic community.
As my children went back to school, it reminded me of my own struggles with dyslexia. What made it even more challenging was seeing one of my two boys showing signs of dyslexia too.
The school system, with all its challenges, resurfaced. This time, I felt worried for my kids. I wanted to protect them from the difficulties I faced.
However, going through this journey with my children brought me closer to the dyslexic community. I realized the strength that comes from sharing similar experiences. We understand the battles and the unique strengths that often come with dyslexia.
In this community, I found support and guidance from others who've been through the same. Parents, teachers, and individuals with dyslexia offered help. Together, we work to make the education system more aware and accommodating for people with dyslexia.
I know my children won't face these challenges alone. We're part of a community that supports and advocates for those with dyslexia. Together, we aim to create a world where dyslexia is seen as a unique perspective rather than a limitation.
Tools for Dyslexia.
Today, we have helpful tools to make life easier for people like myself (with dyslexia). These tools provide practical solutions for our challenges and boost our confidence. I won't provide any tool names here. Maybe in a future article.
Game master: "Okay, then increase self-esteem by 5% each round…"
One useful tool is assistive technology. It can read text aloud, making it easier for us to understand. It's like having a friendly assistant ensuring we can grasp what we read. I like to use the new Reading Mode from Google, that app alone helps me read en understand faster any article on the web!
Another great tool is Artificial Intelligence. It checks our writing for mistakes, improving our work and boosting our confidence. I'm not a big fan of the AI tread, but I have to admit that I can review my writing in no time without asking my wife or a trusted co-worker!
Game master: "F*ck! You found a magic potion that boost your self-esteem by 30%"
Me: "Bwahaha!"
Let's wrap by embracing Dyslexia
By sharing my dyslexia in this article, I hope to shed light on the challenges dyslexics face and the unique strengths we possess without seeking pity.
Dyslexia is a part of who I am like an invisible 'friend' often misunderstood by others.
Today, the dyslexic community supports and advocates for awareness, aiming to present our condition as a unique perspective, not a limitation.
Today, we are fortunate to have tools such as assistive technology and artificial intelligence that reduce barriers and boost our confidence. But these are all tricks to compensate for the lack of support for dyslexia in schools.
I know that dyslexia doesn't limit us; it's the educational system that early on shows us that we're not good enough. I wish I could say that today's schools adapt to their students' difficulties, but unfortunately, that's not yet the case. The priority today is that we need to help dyslexic children regain confidence in themselves and believe in their abilities. Only then does dyslexia make us resilient and incredibly creative individuals.
It's with the support of the community and modern tools, with the tricks we discover through our journey in The World Of Dyslexia™, that we can thrive, learn, and succeed, growing stronger with each roll of the dice.
"Tahnks for reeding this, luv you."
If you want to discuss this article, feel free to reach out to me (the link opens a new tab). I'd be happy to hear from you.
🫣
* speech therapy session: AKA (Also Known As) the Wednesday en Saturday school with Doctor Weirdo.