One difficult characteristic of dyslexia is that it is not always immediately noticeable. As a result, this “invisible” disability is not easy to recognize—in fact, some individuals do not even know that they have dyslexia. Since this learning disability can lead to reduced self-confidence, fear of failure, motivation problems, and lower performance at school, it is vital to pick up the right signals in time.
If someone has constant problems with reading, writing, or spelling, he or she may be dyslexic. Dyslexia can cause some individuals to omit or add letters, and rhyming is often difficult. However, an individual with dyslexia may also have problems tying their shoelaces or reading an analog clock.
There are many other symptoms, but not all occur in every individual, and the severity will vary.
Treat Someone with Dyslexia as a Normal Person
Individuals with dyslexia are no less intelligent or gifted than others. Their school career is usually more difficult because of their learning difficulties, but this fact does not mean that they cannot be successful in life—on the contrary, they often excel in their own way of conceptual thinking.
There is an impressive list of celebrities with dyslexia, including Leonardo da Vinci, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Albert Einstein, Richard Branson, Steven Spielberg, Keira Knightley, and Jamie Oliver. Do not think that your only option is mothering them or—worse—treating them as though they are not intellectually capable.
Know That Many Dyslexics Love to Read
Why wouldn’t someone with dyslexia enjoy an exciting story? These individuals can also be just as excited as anyone else to look up facts in an interesting reference book to feed their hunger for knowledge.
Some libraries have a special space reserved for children with reading difficulties. Librarians may put all the books in this section in a tray so that both the spines and covers are visible. The books are sorted according to subject and theme to make browsing easier. Texts in such books are usually alternated with pictures for a pleasant reading experience.
Would you like to please someone with a good book? Think of picking up an audiobook or a book with a larger font, wider line spacing, and fewer characters per line.
Consider Prism Glasses
Prism glasses may make the letters in texts dance less or help a reader focus on the text. Visit a certified optician to construct a pair of customized spectacles. The difference in price compared to other corrective spectacles is minimal.
Understand How Light Therapy Can Bring Relief in Winter
Everyone has a harder time in the darkest season of the year, but it seems that this phenomenon hits individuals with dyslexia even harder. They may have problems meeting their deadlines, find it harder to concentrate, or need longer to recuperate after strenuous exercise. Why this trend occurs is still unknown—a lack of vitamin D may be the cause, but there is too little research to be certain.
Get out into the open air or go for a walk or bike ride: these habits are helpful for individuals with dyslexia and anyone struggling with darker days. Consider buying a daylight lamp, which can help some individuals to become noticeably calmer and concentrate more easily.
Play a Game of Dyslexic Scrabble
Dyslexia does not mean that you cannot have fun with letters. Take a standard Scrabble game and make one exception to the rules: allow phonetically correct spellings. For example, players can spell dyslexia as dysleksia, dislexia, dislecsia, etc.
Go on a Mind Mapping Course Together
When learning something new, you may find it natural to write everything down neatly. Because someone with dyslexia has difficulty doing exactly that, they can benefit greatly from mind mapping instead of writing.
A picture says a thousand words and may be easier to commit to memory. A mind mapping course will boost your memory, too, and you may discover how enjoyable it is to work with colors, symbols, keywords, and diagrams.
Consider a Specialized Course or School
Contact us at Encinitas Learning Center to determine whether a family member or acquaintance has dyslexia. Do not forget yourself: many adults do not realize that dyslexia is at the root of their past learning difficulties.
