Dyslexia help and advice, information, contacts, research and articles about dyslexia; dyslexia in the workplace and at college; books amd software; and assessment for adults who may be dyslexic or have difficulties with spelling.

DYSLEXIA ADULTS
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Tell us about ways in which you manage.

This page is your page, so please send us methods, little tricks you have developed, and other ideas you find helpful in dealing with the difficulties that accompany dyslexia. (You may choose to be anonymous.)

Left And Right.

Left and right - I am right handed so when I get confused as to which way is left and which way is right, I pinch my fingers together in my right hand like I'm holding a pencil. I remember that I write with my right hand. (Joe, Belgium).

Left and right - I get confused with my right and left, so to help this I wear a rubber band on my left wrist. So I always know that's my left. (B.H., New York).

Left and right - I have a problem with left and right, so I wear my watch on my right hand to remind me. I also have friends point when giving directions in the car. (JW, UK).

Left and right - Instead of using the words 'left' and 'right', I name the side the person I'm with is on. For example, if I am driving I say: "Turn on Beth's side", or "Turn on my side". If I'm alone, I say it out loud. (SRH, USA).

Finding the right hand - Your left hand with fingers at a right angle to the thumb make a "L" for left. This is how I remember quickly the right is just the other hand. (WJS, UK).

Left or right when driving - when in the car and going some where with some one i ask them to say your way or my way for which way to go.(Mel, WI, USA).

Problems with marching - I have numerous problems that I have gotten help with over the years. But when I was in the military, I had serious problems with left/right when marching. So I learned to keep a small rock in my pocket. When we marched, I would hold the rock in my left hand and squeeze it when they said left. This helped a lot, and no-one was really the wiser about my difficulty. (S.S., Tacoma, WA, USA).

Right and Left - big problems with right and left: I wear my watch on my right wrist so that I remember that's my right hand side / or this side, that side, when teaching, e.g. kayaking or canoeing (Max, Scotland).

Right and Left - what I do is look at my hands palms down. The left one makes the L. It works for me because L is not one of my problem letters. (DieHappy, Springfield, MO).

Maybe not the most elegant solution, but both my sister and I have this problem with left and right, and we need to gently slap the hand of the direction we want to head...I've gotten it to be quite quick -- slap, "Left!"

I have problems with "left and right", especially when using a wrench or screw driver. I always say the phrase:"Righty tighty, Lefty loosey". I use this to tell me what direction I want to "Tighten or loosen" the bolt or screw I'm working on. (D.M., Glendale, Arizona).

I always have trouble telling left from right, especially on the fly. A trick I have used for a while is to make an "L" with my left index finger and thumb to help me know which way is left. (N.D.W., Cols., Ohio).

I know I "WRITE" with my "RIGHT" hand..... The left one is just the other. I pinch my fingers together in a pencil grip to remember right from left. Shhhh! No one is the wiser!!

I always have difficulty with left and right, especially when I am driving and someone says "Turn left!". My method is to look at my hands, as I always wear my wedding ring on the finger of my left hand. It makes left and right much easier! (T.B., Boston.)

Left and right tattoos. I have put tattoos on my wrists. The letter L is on the left and R is on the right. L is red and R is blue. As I am working, my wrists are always in front of me and I can take a hint for left or right. It also works for the faucet/tap where hot water is turned on when you turn the thing to the left and cold water on the right. I look for the color red for hot water and blue for cold water. It works when I see my wrists but in the dark I am still lost! (A.K., Turkey.)

I always had a tight grip on my pencil when I write, resulting in a calis on the middle finger of my right hand. When having to determine which is right or left, I have always rubbed my index finger briefly against my middle finger on both hands, knowing that the hand I felt the calis on was my right hand. If you wear something on one finger consistently (such as a ring) that you can briefly touch it quickly to orient yourself. Iit can be very helpful in quickly discerning right and left no matter what you are doing at the moment, and without anyone else noticing.

A method that you use.

Please send us an email with details of your own technique. Please put 'Dyslexia Adults Link - Hints and Tips' in the title of your email.