Having Dyslexia is Like Being Left-Handed

One of the ideas I worked very hard to reinforce to my kids was that having dyslexia did not mean that there was anything wrong with them.  It’s a genetic variation in how the brain processes information that has its advantages and disadvantages. Unfortunately, the disadvantages are quite obvious in the school years when there is so much focus on reading, memory, and needing to fit into the education system, which means that their self-esteem and self-confidence can take quite a hit.

One of the concepts I used, and still use consistently, is that there is nothing wrong with how their brain works, we just need to find a way of teaching and learning that fits with how they think.  Everyone has skills that they struggle with, and skills that are easier for them.  It just so happens with dyslexia, the skill that gives the greatest struggle is also the foundational skill for all education . . . reading.

It is very, very common for dyslexia to be viewed as a problem that needs fixing.  The best analogy I have is to be left-handed. It is a normal genetic variation that makes some things easier (dominance on the non-traditional side is an advantage in many sports), and some things harder (all safety stops and equipment are designed for right-handed people, or using right-handed scissors).  You just need to find a way to make it work for you.

There are two lefties in our house and we all use a left-sided mouse, from the days when we used a wired mouse and had to pick which side it was on.  It is good for the right handed people to learn to live with some minor inconveniences that lefties deal with everyday, and it also validates that being a lefty is a normal variation.  This hasn’t always been the case.  My father-in-law was left-handed and grew up in the days when being left-handed was considered bad or wrong.  He was forced to use his right hand in school and punished if he used his left.  He eventually became ambidextrous which I think is an advantage in the end, although I don’t agree with the means of how he got there.

I think we are treating dyslexia the same way in today’s educational environment (I’m including public, private, and homeschooling in this definition).  We are trying to force students with dyslexia to learn the same way as non-dyslexic students and it is causing a lot of unnecessary frustration, anxiety, and discouragement.  We need to teach them in a way that matches how they learn.  This isn’t to say that they won’t have challenges and difficulties. They still need to learn to read (and other skills that are difficult for them) and it will be hard work for them.  Facing hard work does not need to be discouraging or demoralizing if given encouragement, support, and also opportunities to use their strengths in the educational environment. 

If you or your child has dyslexia, start with knowing that there is nothing wrong with your, or their, brain.  Just like there is nothing wrong with being left-handed.  Remember, about 10% of the population is left-handed and 10-20% of the population has dyslexia.  Help them to learn about how they learn and then use that knowledge to find different ways of learning.

For example, memory work was a challenge in our house, but I discovered that they memorized music lyrics very easily.  We have music CDs of world geography, biology, geology, math facts, history of composers, etc.  If it was set to music, we listened to it and sang it and they can still sing it today.  Don’t let a struggle with reading limit their growing knowledge base, and at the same time keep working hard at developing reading skills with a program that works for your child.  Above all else, reinforce and constantly remind them that their brain is not broken, it just thinks differently . . . and ultimately that is a good thing!