I Want People to Understand - Dyslexia Is A Gift Not a Stigma!

       

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Apparently something like one in ten people have dyslexia - irrespective of intelligence or background.

I am a professional mentor, working primarily with senior personnel, (both dyslexic and non-dyslexic) in the corporate sector. It was only after-life saving surgery three years ago that I was provided with the opportunity to start work on a self-help book which would allow me to share my mentoring skills and related information with a far wider audience.

'The Achiever's Journey' is based on my experiences, both during the course of my own life and as a mentor. My intention was to weave into the book the personal philosophy behind my mentoring system, which originated with my parents. Being born dyslexic, dyspraxic, with my feet the wrong way round, and put up for adoption at a month old, meant that by the time my parents adopted me at the age of six weeks they really had their work cut out. They could never have foreseen then that their creative methods of dealing with my learning difficulties would become the basis of my own mentoring career, and later a framework for assisting fellow dyslexics.

I wrote the book for the general public, as a self-help manual, not specifically for dyslexics. Little did I know while writing the book that I was embarking on one of the most amazing journeys of my life.

One of my professional colleagues said I must be out of my mind to admit in my book that I am dyslexic and that it could seriously damage my business...

Questions I was asked: "Do dyslexics read a book from the last page to the first?" "How would one know if you were suffering?! from the condition?" "Is dyslexia brain damage?"

I was totally amazed that so many people had differing ideas on what dyslexia actually is. Then I realized that most people have pre-conceived notions of what a dyslexic is; many of these ideas are incorrect.

Unfortunately many people have the same misunderstanding when it comes to dyslexia. But not only is there is no connection between dyslexia and reduced brain power, there is strong evidence of a link between dyslexia and entrepreneurial abilities. One of Britain's best known and most successful international entrepreneurs, Sir Richard Branson, is dyslexic. And recently a two-year arts project was undertaken by Dyslexia Action UK, to explore the relationship between dyslexia and creativity.

I have always stated that Dyslexia is a gift and not a stigma. In my life I have been affected by the lack of understanding. Two particular incidents stand out, both of which had a great impact on my life. Firstly, in school, when I struggled to spell a word, my teacher said in front of the class, "Are you completely stupid?" I answered that my Mum had told me I definitely wasn't. She replied that as far as she was concerned I definitely was. I was then bullied for months by some children, as a direct result of what she had said. As a young child this really shook my confidence. From then on I withdrew into myself and hardly spoke at all during lessons, in case I got something wrong.

The other incident occurred after I had successfully worked my way up through a large corporation, where I loved my job and got on well with my colleagues. A new director arrived and publicly announced the only downside to his new position was that he had found out the person who had been given the job of inducting him into the company was not only a woman, but even worse, a dyslexic. That person was me. I just had to take it on the chin. Sadly, he used his power to bully me relentlessly, until I finally resigned. This only happened to me once in my entire career, and took place several years ago now. Thankfully these days there are systems in place to help deal with a situation like mine.

After revisiting how dyslexia had affected my life, I finally concluded that dyslexia had never actually been a problem for me. I accept myself exactly as I am; dyslexia only became a problem when misperceived by another.

This leads me to the next surprise: I couldn't understand the sudden unexpected interest in a book that I hadn't even finished, and that no one had seen. But somehow through the jungle telegraph, people I didn't know and had never met, were asking me questions about dyslexia. They had heard of my story and that I had succeeded in life, and were looking for re-assurance that their newly-diagnosed dyslexic child could succeed too, in spite of their dyslexia. I also received interest from fellow dyslexics, who realized that I would probably write the book in a way that would be easier for them to follow and as someone who shared the same difficulties. Others thought they might be dyslexic and wanted to know more.

However, the last experience of this journey of writing the book came when I tried to purchase an interesting book on dyslexia from a large book store, and the member of staff serving me asked if the book was for me. Once he knew it was, he asked in a loud voice (some think you are also deaf if dyslexic) how did I expect to be able to read it if I was dyslexic? He then went on to try and escort me to the audio section of the shop. Once I explained I could read and write, and had in fact just written a book, he apologized. However, as I was still waiting in the queue to pay for my book, he went on to ask, "Do you understand numbers, to be able to put your pin number in?!"

In light of everything I have uncovered during writing the book, I decided to address some of the major issues and also provide useful information. For dyslexics I have created a resource section on "The Achiever's Journey" web site, listing the assistance/information that is available from excellent related organizations. And to help educate the general public about what dyslexia actually is, I have provided (from working with professional dyslexic organizations), simple explanations, and prepared some media information on the subject.

Based on what I have learned, I have also made a conscious decision, that after writing the book my busy schedule in future will include dealing with dyslexia. I have also donated free copies of my books to certain organisations and libraries, to reach those who would benefit from my book, but without the means to purchase it.

After my fascinating life journey so far, I now believe more than ever, Dyslexia is a gift and not a stigma.

Genevieve Dawid is a respected mentor offering dynamic, result-oriented approach to mentoring and personal development. She is the author of The Achievers Journey and writes about her own experiences of living with dyslexia.

Learning Disability - Dyslexia

       

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Dyslexia is a specific learning disability and is concerned with writing and reading. Most children learn to read by the age of six, but in children suffering with Dyslexia there is a delay at which the child begins to read, sometimes they are still unable to read even in the second grade.

Some symptoms that a child is Dyslexic are

. Spelling difficulty is a common symptom. Some words commonly misspelled by Dyslexics are many, any, they, said, enough, friend and some words may be spelt in the following way, journey is spelt as jerney, or search as serch and knock as nock.

. Dyslexia is hereditary, that is, it runs in families and is of a neurological origin, that is, it is caused by a failure in the brain that is concerned with language. It is even thought that it may be caused by lack of hearing at an early age probably owing to ear infections.

. The strongest indication that a child may be Dyslexic is that although the child appears to be bright, he/she has problems reading, or spelling or coping with mathematics.

. They get confused between left and right and with directions such as East and West.

. Inability to follow simple instructions.

. They are unable to organize themselves.

. They get confused with b/d and p/9 they therefore tend to write b as capital, that is, B to avoid the confusion.

Dyslexia is not limited to children but it can go on right through into adulthood. It is equally common in both girls and boys and not more prevalent in boys as originally thought to be.

Dyslexics even though they have a problem with writing, spelling and reading are of average intelligence or above average intelligence. They usually exhibit talent in sports, music, art, designing, drama, mechanics, engineering and sales. They are usually considered to be lazy, immature and careless or they may be thought of as individuals who do not try hard enough or may be even termed as having a behavioral problems. Because of their inabilities they often feel frustrated and are emotional and suffer from poor self-esteem. They also tend to have a very short attention span.

How you can help your child who is Dyslexic

You can help your child if he suffers from dyslexia by talking to your child and explaining to him/her what exactly it is and that is not a failing on his/her part. The better your child grasps this, the better he/she will be able to deal with it.

As a parent, you should be supportive and patient and show plenty of love as your child's self-esteem may be affected if he/she suffers from a learning disability. Very often, children who do suffer from a learning disorder are very talented; therefore, his/her strengths and talents should be encouraged.

The home should be made as comfortable as possible for your child to study in. Take care to give him/her a well-organized, quiet and clean place for your child to study. Also have a particular study time for him/her. Also provide plenty of nourishment and rest along with plenty of family support.

Joining a support group thereby staying in touch with parents of other dyslexics will also be an added benefit in providing you with support emotionally and relevant information.

Keeping in constant touch with you child's teacher can be beneficial in that the teacher becomes fully aware of your child's disability and then both parent and teacher can work in conjunction in various ways to help the child.

Michael Russell Your Independent Learning Disability guide.