Dyslexia is a word I can almost never type correctly the first time.  (Dyselxia!) It’s also the thing I didn’t realize I had until college!

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a learning disorder that “manifests itself primarily as a difficulty with reading and spelling”.  Scientists believe that it is a neurological disorder, which kind of makes sense because it pretty much feels like you have some wires crossed upstairs.

It is important to note that dyslexia does not indicate either an impaired or advanced intelligence such as Aspberger or Down Syndrome.  Anyone, at any level of intelligence, can have dyslexia!

Signs and Symptoms

The problem, whenever it comes to the brain, is that there is almost never a definitive symptomology for a neurological disorder.

Everyone’s brain “evolves” differently and in large part to individual stimuli.

So while we can point to chicken pox, we can only say that someone appears to be exhibiting behavior indicative of a specific disorder and that behavior will vary between individuals.

(To find a general outline of symptoms by age, go here.)

Does it stop with Dyslexia?

Dyslexia often “co-occurs” with other neurological disorders though the medical community does not know if they share an underlying cause.

Dyslexia can also be exacerbated by “auditory processing disorder” which is basically where I hit the mother lode.

Auditory processing disorder is essentially when something goes in one ear and comes out mangled because your brain doesn’t always correctly process what it hears.

You can imagine how much fun that was when I was receptionist whose job it was to take messages and write down numbers all day.  In fact, that was when I actually realized I had a problem!

The Brain Farts

Until that job, I was never in a position where I so comprehensively dealt with data.  So when I had issues before, I simply chalked it up to a mental slip and kept on trucking.

It wasn’t until I made stupid mistake after stupid mistake that I realized there was something bigger happening.

Head Investigator

The brain is pretty amazing and infinitely adaptable.  This means that it is more than possible to circumvent our mental handicaps!

Difficulty with word retrieval or naming problems. This one drives me absolutely crazy as someone who has a larger-than-average vocabulary.  I can almost taste the word I want, I just can’t…touch it but I can sense what it feels like.

And you can’t just plug in any old word with a similar meaning because the texture and denotation of the original is lost!

Nothing is more frustrating than being stopped dead in your linguistic tracks because your brain won’t work.

HOW I HANDLE THIS:
Immediate use of the internet and online thesaurus.  If I can’t remember exactly what I want, I can usually work my way sideways toward the information I want.

SURPRISE BENEFIT:
I’m an amazing researcher.

Slow or inaccurate reading. This doesn’t usually kick in until I need to read for specificity.  Then my brain goes all foggy and my focus keeps sliding away from the details.

I am actually a pretty fast reader (almost 2 pages a minute) but only because I learned to read in “patterns” when I was a child.  I don’t actually read word for word but skip through a sentence absorbing the ’sense’ of each word that is then assembled into an actual story.

HOW I HANDLE THIS:
If I need to read for accuracy, I have to take notes.  I first use textual clues to create and outline of important information and then fill in the outline by breaking my reading down into organically occurring sections.

I also have found that it is easier to read “paper” than a screen for detailed and technical information.  So I print anything that I have to plow through for detail.

SURPRISE BENEFIT:
I can categorize and organize information quickly and efficiently.  Also, I’m awesome at trouble shooting printers.

Poor spelling. Honestly, this is why writers have editors.

HOW I HANDLE THIS:
Spell check!

SURPRISE BENEFIT:
Learning enhanced methodology.  Write, review, spell check, review on paper, come back and review in an hour.  I always assume I’ve made a mistake which sometimes makes them easier to find.

Difficulty with time keeping and concept of time. I always always always substantially underestimate the time it takes me to do things, drive places, or finish projects.

HOW I HANDLE THIS:
I try not to ever keep projects.  I do them as soon as possible and hand them back as quickly as I can.

Additionally, I try to avoid estimating how long it will take me to do but instead estimate when I will return it.  (Like “first thing in the morning” versus “20 minutes”.)

I also do my best to keep from “cutting it close”.  It’s almost impossible for me to do this without being late and I definitely hate being rushed.

SURPRISE BENEFIT:
People respect my time because I can establish firm boundaries regarding project completion.

Difficulty with organization skills. People will be surprised that I’ve had difficulty with this because I am an organizational goddess.

But the fact is that I had a very hard time with handling my stuff until I went to a foster home and the process of internalizing organizational methodology wasn’t really complete until I left for college.

HOW I HANDLE THIS:
First, I don’t own too much stuff.  It is infinitely harder to organize a lot than a little.

Second, I put things back immediately.  I mean immediately.

Third, I keep the memory of my childhood home as motivation for why.  It was awful and I mean awful.  My father is a hoarder, as is my brother, grandmothers, mother, aunts and uncles.  Every home I lived in or visited was so full of junk there was no room to live.

SURPRISE BENEFIT:
My home is zen.  And I’ve learned how to use systems and methodology to compensate for my mental funkiness.

Difficulty comprehending rapid instructions, following more than one command at a time or remembering the sequence of things.

The most heartbreaking embarrassment I’ve ever experienced occurred when I tried out for our local magnet school’s dance program in middle school.  Not only did I not make it, I flamed out.

The try out consisted of a demonstration of a quick series of steps which we were immediately expected to repeat.

I probably could have saved myself the trouble and just twirled around in a circle until the music stopped.

HOW I HANDLE THIS:
I carry paper and pen, even to the bathroom!  I can’t tell you how invaluable this was at work.  It didn’t matter that you were at lunch or on your way to the restroom if an attorney wanted to make sure you followed up on something.

I also use my waitressing days to effectively assist this process.  When you wait tables, you always recite the order back to confirm that you have a mutual understanding of what you are going to deliver.

Being able to do this from writing has saved my bacon at the office more times than I’m comfortable with!  Remember, the burden of proof is always on the subordinate.

SURPRISE BENEFIT:
I almost never ‘lose’ any of my creative ideas because I have paper and pen permanently on my person.  Also, I know how to CYA like a muthafucka.

Reversals of letters (b for d) and a reversal of words (saw for was). This is pretty rampant, especially when I am writing or typing in a stream-of-consciousness style.

HOW I HANDLE THIS:
I pretty much know that I will mix up specific pairs of words like know and now, their and there.

So I stay vigilant for these words!

SURPRISE BENEFIT:
Most of the time I can prevent myself from looking stupid and illiterate.

Living with dyslexia isn’t always easy, but it doesn’t have to torpedo your success or inhibit your abilities if you can creatively work around it!

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