DYSLEXIA ADULT
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Secretary: John Bradford

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Reading the word 'chair' .

I am often asked the question (when I tell people I have dyslexia), “what is dyslexia?” or “what does that mean?”   Here’s the answer:  the average person’s minds eye, is locked in one place, meaning it never moves. So for example, if I say the word “chair” you would see a picture of a chair in your minds eye.  My minds eye however is constantly on the move, in other words, it’s all over the place all the time.  So when I say the word “chair”, I see the bottom of the chair, the top of the chair, the left, the right, the front, the back of the chair, and just about every other angle imaginable.  They all go flashing through my minds eye do to the fact that it is always looking at the picture from different places.

This makes reading and writing extraordinarily difficult because I look at a word and it is constantly changing angles. The letters in it are costly reversing and flipping and sometimes the whole sentence is jumbled. (R.N.)

Developing my own compensations.

As a dyslexic adult who grew up in an era before anyone knew what dyslexia was, I have had to develop a lot of my own compensations. Here are a few of them:

1. Scrap right and left altogether. Use north-south-east-west. Curiously I have no problem at all with using compass directions. I still have to ask folks to point if they want to use right and left.

2. Talk to yourself. It's said that those of us who talk to ourselves are crazy. Rubbish. Repeating directions out loud can often help focus one's attention in ways that just reading them silently doesn't.

3. Think visually. Nearly all of our education is verbal. To copy a number from the chalkboard (whiteboard?) you must see the symbol, translate it into a word, remember the word, then look down at your paper and translate the word into an impulse to write the symbol. Ditch the words alltogether. See the symbol, memorize it, then write the symbol on the paper. Make a conscious effort to NOT say "two" in your head, just focus on the symbol "2". There's simply no difference between adding up a column symbols and adding up a column of words. We're almost brainwashed to believe everything has to be verbal, and ignore a powerful visual co-processor that most of us have but never develop.

4. I agree with the fellow who says classical music helps. It helps focus and concentration greatly. (S.R.., Texas, USA).

School days.

My years in school are not something that I would ever like to re-live. Actually, my elementary and middle school years were okay, it was the high school years that I absolutely loathed. The way the teachers taught back when I was in high school would make it very difficult for dyslexic children.

Teachers would often tell the students verbally what the assigned homework was for the day or week. Rarely was it written on the board and most of the time it was hollered at you after the bell had rung to change classes as the students were leaving the room. This auditory approach wouldn't work for some.

During class only keywords would be written on the board and never usually in an organized manner. In English class I was expected to write long essays and research papers yet the instructors must have assumed that we learned how to write in middle school. Maybe so, but I don't remember getting any instruction as to the format of a paper.

Subjects were always assigned but not one teacher went over the proper format for writing. I often wondered if they knew how to write themselves but didn't know how to teach people to write. So by trial and error I made it through, but I can say that I was still learning because I got a "D" on my first college research paper. Many of my tests were in the essay form.

Many teachers also would load on the work thinking it was better when in fact it was a waste of time. I was always asked to read out loud in front of the class yet I never volunteered. I even went so far as to put my head down and not make eye contact. I would still get picked. Competitive games sometimes were played in the class to help kids review for a test or something. Very stressful. (N.F., Maryland, USA).

Difficulty spelling.

I was invited to attend a quiz with some friends. We were in teams of four, and in the car on the way there we were deciding on our team name and who would write the answers etc.

Inwardly cringing, I sat in the back of the car waiting for someone else to offer to write the answers. One of the friends in our team has openly admitted to certain writing problems and she jumped in and said she didn't want to do it, this was quickly followed by excuses from the other two members of the team.

The next thing I knew I was being volunteered. They asked me what my handwriting was like and, not wanting to admit to anything, just laughingly said it was "unpredictable".

The atmosphere was jovial after all it was a "fun" event. As the quiz got underway, I realised that this was not one of my better days. I had difficulty in spelling the answers, and when I asked my friends to spell them for me I couldn't remember what they said. The general hubbub in the room didn't help and I found myself getting more and more confused as the evening wore on, my spelling getting steadily worse.

My problems are slight, but what is difficult is that people think that because I am an Engineer, because I have achieved various things in my life, I must be a more capable person than I actually am. No one would guess there is a problem, but the perception is different to the reality. Up until this point these friends had only seen the "outer shell" the surface of normality. It is unnerving to think that people expect more from you than you are capable of doing. I am aware of my limitations, and try to prepare to get around my various problems, but when faced with this sort of situation there is no option but to "brazen it out".

My failings were laid bare for my friends to see, but I got through the evening by treating it as a joke, trying to make my inadequacy the evening's entertainment. At the end of the evening I felt mentally tired, and although a strong way of putting it, it felt quite harrowing. My consolation is that my friends are kind people and I can only hope that after that evening they will realise the amount of effort I have to put into the things I do in life.

My line manager of 20 years retired this year and I have taken over some of his responsibilities. I live in hope that my speed of producing written work doesn't become too obvious to my new line managers! (Stephanie Millard).

Spelling the words as they sound.

Isn't it a pity that the words are not spelt as they sound! For example, 'of' could be spelt 'ov'. This would make life a lot easier! (A.V., Birmingham).

Good news from Tallahassee!

My fiance has dyslexia and I have found numerous organizations in Tallahassee or the counties in which you live who will help you. In Tallahassee, they have the Dyslexia Research Institute, which is wonderful. They offer testing and schooling for adults and children. Each county's health department will offer a free assessment and free testing and help in finding a job along with help in filling out applications. It's wonderful. ! (C.D., Tallahassee, Florida).

Dyslexia assessment?

I'm a 27-year old women with a husband and daughter. I work full time and would love to go back to school one day. I have some fears . . . yes more than one. As young as I can remember I have never done well in school. I remember in second grade getting in "trouble" for skipping some math problems. I said I didn't see them, so I got my eyes checked. They were fine. I graduated High School on time but I had to re-take some classes, meaning I failed a sem or so in a couple of classes - English and History.
I have never done well in English. It's my worst subject. I don't know grammar, punctuation, or spelling. I hate to read out loud because I can't pronounce some words, especially if they are not everyday words. I failed a college English course and yet I tried so hard: I started to do my term paper two months before it was due and yet I was always in tears trying to do it. In 8th grade I was pulled from a class to get my speech checked, I was told I had a small speech problem but not enough to pull me out of class.
I never learned phonics. My daughter is in 2nd grade and when I read out loud to her and there is a word I can't say she tries to sound it out and correct me. This is something I think about every day: grammar, spelling and, of course, at work I joke about it and with the customers I get tongue tied. It's not that I stutter but more hesitate. I don't want to go and get tested and be told that I don't have dyslexia but am just stupid; or that I am dyslexic but there's not really anything we can do. So, to make a long story short, should I or shouldn't I?
P.S. I can hear. I'm not losing my hearing: I actually hear too well - the little noises drive me nuts, but to me I feel like things sound muzzled and I think that I'm saying things correctly, but then I'm not.
>>> Thank you for your very interesting e-mail. Threee points:

1. When you say that the little sounds drive you mad, this could be a sign of some hearing loss, as your ears are not able to distinguish the 'upfront' sounds from the background noises, resulting in a blurring and unclear hearing.

2. If your hearing loss was present when you were very young, it would account for your difficulties with reading, as you would not have developed proper 'phoneme awareness' - the ability to clearly hear the individual sounds within each word. e.g. bag' = the sounds b-a-g.

3. You are clearly not stupid, as anyone can see from the contents of your e-mail. A dyslexia assessment (for example with www.dyslexia-test.com) would clarify matters for you, but, perhaps more importantly, provide you with recommendations of particular techniques and methods you can use when you take up study again.

Boyfriend is dyslexic.

My boyfriend is dyslexic and I am in search of any information that will help me understand my place with him. I understand the disability/gift. But when I assist with writing and reading am I enabling him or helping him. My basic question is how do I help him with reading and writing? He wants to be independent with such things, but is this too much to ask?
>>> I think that a dyslexic person appreciates any help that they can get, but it needs to be handled sensitively, as writing and spelling are associated with a lot of painful experiences in the past, especially at school. Sometimes the best way can be to offer to help if help is wanted, but not to push help upon him. There are two software items - TextHelp and Dragon Naturally Speaking - which can make life a lot easier for a dyslexic adult, as well as a spellchecker, of course. There are details at: www.dyslexia-adults.com/a14.html and some helpful coping techniques at: www.dyslexia-adults.com/a6.html

A way to tackle algebra.

My name is Julie and I am a 36-year old mother who has returned to college. When I was younger, Dyslexia was virtually unknown. I do remember having some difficulty in school - reading, writing, and math. However, I can repeat just about everything I have ever heard verbatim. In high school I took a typing class and I have to say, being able to type saved me. As long as I don't watch what I'm typing on my computer screen, I am fine. I have memorized the placement of the letters on the keys, and my computer is my primary form of written communication. I am a much better speaker than a writer or reader. As for math, I never did well in it - especially algebra. I repeatedly failed math in high school, and now I am in college trying to tackle it again for a degree. Algebraic equations with all of those numbers, symbols, and letters together are not discernible to me. I have learned to compensate for this disability in areas of reading and spelling, but I cannot seem to find a way to tackle the algebra. This algebra class is the only thing standing in the way of obtaining my degree. No one at my college has any suggestions either. They are not very helpful and look at me with a suspicious eye.

To this day I find reading a book incredibly frustrating, and nine times out of ten, I end up with a migraine headache. That's okay, I just don't read books. I get them on tape and listen to them. My computer keyboard helps me with my written skills, but how can I deal with math? The best I have ever been able to do with numbers is memorizing telephone numbers. Naturally, I "store" them in my brain backwards. When I recite them, I must also recite them backwards so they come out in the correct order. For example: my telephone number to me is 8125614. When anyone asks what my telephone number is, I have to visualize and count on my fingers backward so it comes out 416-5218, which is the correct order. This is a little trick that I've taught myself and it seems to work....but I am thoroughly stumped on what I should do with algebra. Do you have any suggestions?
>>> From your description, it certainly does sound as if you may be dyslexic. There is another specific learning difficulty called 'dyscalculia', which is similar to dyslexia, but affects the parts of the brain which deal with numbers, making it that much harder to understand numerical concepts. I wonder if there is any kind of student support service at your college which might be able to help you with study skills, especially in the area of reading textbooks/reference books, etc. and thorough training in the use of your computer spellchecker. However, judging by the quality of your e-mail, you write extremely well.
As far as the algebra is concerned, there are two suggestions you might try: first, enlarge the textbook page on a photocopier so that all the little letters in each equation are clearer and can be marked by you if needed with coloured pens, arrows, or whatever will help. Secondly, some people are helped by wearing tinted or coloured glasses, which reduce the glare of the white page. You can be tested for this at a specialist optometrist There is a web-page with information about this: Reading through colored filters.

I would like some anonymous advice.

I am forty years old, female, and would welcome your advice as for sometime I have wondered whether I may be slightly dyslexic. I find it very hard to concentrate on reading: if I am faced with a page of writing I am loath to read it. Reports at work get "filed" in a drawer without being read. I don't remember having a problem learning to read, in fact initially things went very well but then tapered off when I was about 9 years old.
If I try to analyse it I think I find it hard to read when faced with large paragraphs, to read it bit by bit, if there are several words the same length I get confused. Sometimes words from the line below get in the way and I have to concentrate to sort it out in my head. Because this involves concentration I have to be in the right frame of mind to do it, and as over the years my job has involved more mental thought, so read less and less, particularly for leisure. Gradually it has dawned on me that all my friends and family around me enjoy reading whereas to me it is something I dread, and I am in the minority.
I think I have a fairly short memory for some things, for example when I went to boarding school I kept loosing things because if I put something down in an unfamiliar place I couldn't find it again. Also for example the other week I felt embarrassed as I was taking orders for drinks at a reception and could only remember two at a time.
I can't say that I suffered badly at school, I passed 7 'O' Levels but couldn't cope with the amount of reading necessary for 'A' Levels ,so I left school. Through day release and night classes I have studied to become a Structural Engineering Technician, which did not involve a lot of reading.
I am left handed, as are my father and aunt. I don't know of any family history of Dyslexia.
When I started to learn to write I did "mirror writing". To this day I can still write like that fairly comfortably. When I was 8 I remember having to practice doing my numbers from 1 to 9 over and over again at school because I would often get the numbers the wrong way around. Spelling wasn't brilliant but probably not below average however there are the same words that time and time again I can't remember how to spell. If I write speedily I put the "stalks" upwards instead of downwards and letters in the wrong order.
I am sorry if I am troubling you unnecessarily, but would like some anonymous advice. I don't feel I would like to discuss this face to face with someone in case I am wrong.
>>> I found your letter a beautiful description of what it is like to be an adult dyslexic. All of the symptoms you mentioned are classic or standard symptom.
Take note of the comments on our main web-page: Dyslexia can be a positive advantage, and, although frustrated by difficulties with reading, you will have talents in other directions like creativity, empathy, reading other people's motivations, sometimes physical co-ordination. These are the areas of your brain that have developed above the average while the language centres have not developed so well. Some adults find it a good idea to take a career advice interview with this in mind.

Will dyslexia hamper my chances?

I work as a receptionist and I feel even before I was working that I don't see things as they are. I saw the letters ICM today and thought they were CIM and I can even take a letter in the middle of the word and think it's the first one e.g. I saw the film cover NIKITA and thought it said KINITA. It sounds very stupid but it worries me and I have always been so afraid of English classes: I can't read aloud at all ,my eyes are half-way through the sentence, and I can't keep them on the word I'm reading.
I don't feel incapable of doing my job, well not to an extent where anyone has commented on it. I believe they think I do it quite well. The problem is that I want to start a course and I was interested in Public Relations. I feel I am an extrovert, I love people and socialising. The reason I tell you this is because I read that people with Dyslexia can be very shy and can be introverted. Now when I was in school I was very afraid of English and having to read aloud in general, but my question is will the fact that I may have Dyslexia hamper my chances in the course? And if I have Dyslexia would I find it hard to learn in general because I didn't find it hard to get on in any other subject. While I was in school I got a pretty average leaving cert. with 300 points but I just wonder if I had found out I had Dyslexia would I have done better due to the help I would have received?
>>> It is good to hear you being so positive about your future! I am sure that is the most important thing. If you accept that, as a (probably) Dyslexic person, the reading and writing part of your course may be that bit harder than for an average student, I am sure you will be fine. There are lots of Dyslexic people who go on to do all kinds of courses and university degrees with great success. It might be a good idea to mention to the course organisers that you are probably Dyslexic, as they may give you extra consideration when it comes to written assignments and extra time in exams.
I don't know how well you organise yourself, but you may need to pay extra attention to filing, ordering, labelling and arranging your papers if you start the course. Remember that we all have our strengths and weaknesses, and I am sure your strengths in creative ideas and empathising with people will carry you a long way in Public Relations.

I think I may be somewhat dyslexic.

Hi, I was looking at your website and I think I may be somewhat dyslexic but I'm not sure. I am 18. I can spell and I love to write. But when I read I don't understand anything I have read, then I have to go back a number of times to try and figure it out. I never thought about it, but when I was younger I had these kinds of problems too. I thought it was just normal I guess. I've pretty much always failed on tests, because it's hard to understand them. Also with math, it's hard for me to sit there and look at numbers, like when I would have to do one of those end-of-the-year tests. I'd have to go back and make sure I put the numbers in the right spots and everything for every one I did. I did okay in elementary and junior high but in high school I started failing a lot and they put me in an alternative school. And when I drive if someone tells me what street to turn on, I usually miss it or almost miss it because I don't understand. I can't talk that well when I'm driving, either, because I can't concentrate. I've mixed up times for important dates, like my driving test. And one of the biggest things besides the reading one is when people talk to me a lot of times I will have to ask what they said, especially if they've talked longer than a few sentences. I try and make it click in my head what they are telling me but I can't remember what they have just said, and I just don't understand. My stepmom told me last summer that she thinks I am because she works with dyslexic kids all the time and my stepbrother is also dyslexic. I don't know if dyslexia may be what I have described here, but I just wanted another opinion.
>>> From your description it does sound as if you may be dyslexic. You could think about having an assessment, which will make matters quite clear.

Support groups in the US.

As a young child I was diagnosed with dyslexia. I would guess that I fit in the severe category. I believe this because of my early diagnosis. I was in first grade. The fact that it was the mid 70s when Learning Dissability LD class rooms were rare also tells me that I must be a severe case. I was one of the first children in the state of ... to receive services in a class room that was exclusively for LD children.
I made it through high school and college and have been well employed in the workforce for 8 years. By many people's standards I have overcome my challenges. Looking back on my education, teachers taught me coping mechanisms to help me learn. I had this help all through my childhood and some in college. Now as an adult I am coping with LD alone. I have found that Dyslexia is not limited to academics; it permeates all aspects of my life. I have struggled in both my career and socially.
I am interested in educating my self about Adult LD. I would like to understand why I am the way I am. Perhaps you could help by recommending a few good books. Do you know of a support group/seminars in the ... area? Do you know of a therapist that specializes in counseling adults with LD? This is a very touchy subject for me. Anything you could recommend would be greatly appreciated. (A.D. USA).
>>> There is a listing of good books about dyslexia on our Books page, as well as at Dyslexia Teacher.
Your local or state Dyslexia Association in the US can probably be found through one of the following websites:

Thank you.

I just want to say thank you. I can't afford the adult dyslexia test, but I found this website and these tips -- thank you so much! Now I know it's not "just me."!!! The coping tips, information, links, resources -- all wonderful. I never thought I had reading, writing, or spelling problems ..... but I just learned that I have been compensating for things for years and never thought about it (computers and spell checkers are wonderful). Some of these coping techniques I do already -- some are new and very helpful. Thank you for this website -- it is helping someone like me who can't afford diagnostics to "self-treat", and to know that I am not alone in this. It's not "just me" anymore :-) . (Kim, PA, USA).

This is the best website I have ever seen!! Doing a report on dyslexia and being dyslexic this has really helped me. As a college student I just wish I had this when I was a kid growing up with dyslexia, but at least now I have somewhere to go! Thank you so much for this page. It makes me feel better about my disability. (Katie, Los Banos, CA).

Your newsletter.

I feel very appreciative that you publish this wonderful newsletter every month. I have in the past nine months learned that I am dyslexic. I'm 43 years old and always stayed away from words if I was around other people. I still have nervous energy when it comes time to speak and write in front of people outside of my family but at least I can see a light at the end of the tunnel!

I have sent your web newsletter to many people to try to help and educate others. At times I become very emotional when I think of how much my life has been affected by my dyslexia and how I really, really appreciate the articles and information. (Justine M. Perez) - Newsletter.

Your helpful website.

Hi, I have just been looking at your website and found it very helpful. I am a
postgraduate student who has recently been told that I have mild dyslexia.
I have gone through life thinking that I was the only one who had these problems. Since my diagnosis my eyes have opened into a whole new world where people experience the same problems. Even though I have a degree I always felt stupid because I needed to use elimentary ways to remember certain tasks.

I have enjoyed looking through your website and reading other people's tips
for coping some of which I use without realizing why. A huge thank you ( Mandy UK)

Special Education Learning Centers.
Learning Disabilities Professionals Directory.
International Dyslexia Association.

A list of local Dyslexia Associations in the UK is to be found at British Dyslexia Association.