The Saddest Word in Dyslexic History
I think the saddest word in the history of dyslexic education is despite. For many dyslexic people, despite seems to define them: “If I work harder than anyone else, maybe I can get a college degree despite being dyslexic — I learned to read 150 wpm despite being dyslexic — I passed Algebra II despite being dyslexic.” These are expressions of great personal triumph, of overcoming enormous adversity, but they are also a way of saying, “I am dyslexic first. Everything I do will be despite my dyslexia. I will never be as good as someone without dyslexia.”
Because I am Dyslexic…
I am dyslexic, but because my parents tried technique after technique with tremendous patience and let me be who I actually was, instead of who the public school authorities told them I was, I didn’t grow up covered in despite. Because replaced it and worked much better. In fact, I have a dyslexic advantage!
Because phonics are useless to me, learning to read required alternate methods and more time. But now I speed read faster than most of my non-dyslexic peers. In college my classmates sometimes had me read research material and tell them what it said, if they were short on time. (P.S. I still can’t sound out words and I always use a spell checker.)
Because, as a dyslexic, left and right are much the same to me, I can “flip” shapes and equations in my mind, thus seeing patterns in math that my non-dyslexic peers miss.
Because I struggled horribly with arithmetic, and never did memorize those multiplication facts, but later loved higher math, I held out hope for students I tutored.
Because dysgraphia made writing torturous, I learned to type.
Music theory classes were embarrassingly easy. I didn’t have to search for patterns; because I was dyslexic I saw them at once.
Early School Struggles DO NOT Predict Future Failure!
In my current career, I get to play with mathematical modeling that helps fly our GPS satellites. It’s fun and endlessly fascinating. I can do this work BECAUSE I am dyslexic! It is my hope that the book I co-authored with my mom will give dyslexic people, and their parents and teachers, the tools they need to replace despite with because.
Dyslexia doesn’t have to be chains. It can be wings instead!
Guest blog by
Dr. Alta E. Graham