Can a person overcome dyslexia?

Some people work around their dyslexia, but it takes a lot of effort and extra work. Dyslexia isn’t something that goes away on its own or that a person outgrows. Fortunately, with proper help, most people with dyslexia learn to read. They often find different ways to learn and use those strategies all their lives.

The International Dyslexia Association defines dyslexia as a neurobiological disorder characterised by difficulties in accurate or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. Additionally, according to Sir Jim Rose’s report, other characteristics of dyslexia may include poor phonological awareness, verbal memory, and verbal processing speed.

For this reason, dyslexics may experience more difficulty learning to read, write, spell, and, in some cases, even do math. However, it is rarely because of low intelligence or lack of effort. The “dyslexic brain” is wired differently, not that it is more stupid or that there is necessarily something wrong. This is also why there is no “cure” to dyslexia, at least not in the traditional sense of the word.

Dyslexia affects about 10 percent of the population in Singapore. That’s roughly 3 to 4 students per class in a mainstream school! For some children, it also does not get picked up until they are much older due to their adoption of strategies to mask their reading and spelling difficulties.

Finally, dyslexia is more of an umbrella term rather than a fixed set of learning difficulties. Again, no two dyslexics are the same, not even twins—I speak from personal experience, having taught three pairs of twins over the years. As such, students with dyslexia will have different experiences and learning profiles.

The negative aspects of dyslexia

Dyslexic students may struggle to keep up with their peers in school, especially in Singapore where the academic pace is fast. In my experience as an educational therapist, I have observed students to struggle more during their kindergarten or primary school years. Common subsets of problems may include:

• Phonological deficits, where one has trouble encoding/decoding the sounds of a word;
• Visual processing difficulties, where one has letter reversal or transposition difficulties;
• Poorer fine motor skills, where one finds it harder to write legibly;
• Lower self-confidence as a result of the above can cause them to misjudge their true potential and think negatively of themselves.

Research has also shown that dyslexics tend to rely more on the right hemisphere of their brains to process information, which involves activities such as reading and solving math questions. This is different from neurotypical individuals who tend to use more of the left hemisphere for such activities. It is why younger students with dyslexia get overwhelmed when it comes to spelling, or quickly forget how to spell certain words after memorising them the night before.

Additionally, dyslexia may be accompanied by co-morbidities (i.e., other learning challenges). These may further hinder one’s learning in a mainstream school. Examples include:

• Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Students with ADHD may find it harder to stay focused on tasks that are overly challenging. In a mainstream setting where they are expected to stay seated and read their material quietly, they will have a higher tendency to “switch off”.
• Autism Spectrum Disorders: As autism is a spectrum of learning difficulties too, it’s difficult to say exactly how it will affect a dyslexic’s profile. However, reading comprehension tends to be one of the areas that is more noticeably affected.
• Auditory Processing Disorder: This will likely affect students’ ability to tell phonograms and cluster sounds apart, which in turn affects spelling.
• Dyspraxia: It mainly affects a student’s motor skills, and thus affects their ability to write legibly and coherently. As language acquisition often requires input (listening and seeing) and output (writing) simultaneously, this will make certain tasks like copying notes from the whiteboard or writing longer texts more challenging for the student, especially when they go on to secondary school.

At this point, it all probably sounds quite overwhelming. However, I have some good news for you.

Looking at dyslexia positively

Here’s the thing: dyslexics can function as well as neurotypical people, maybe even better in some areas. There is a cliche that says many dyslexics can see things that non-dyslexics do not.

That’s… not entirely false, but it’s not entirely true either.

Like every other person in the room, a dyslexic’s area of expertise is built on his/her attitude, aptitude, and personal experiences. I’ve had dyslexic students do well in Art, Math, English, and any other subject you can think of. Some were born with artistic gifts; others worked on their strengths by turning their negative experiences around.

Whatever the specifics, most are “built” like non-dyslexic people.

Just, you know, a little weaker in language acquisition at the beginning.

Ultimately, in the long run, it’s not the dyslexia that makes or breaks a person’s success. It is what they make of the strengths they already have and how they draw new ones from learning experiences.

And that’s all one would need to know for now at least. Not that overwhelming, eh?

So, with a better understanding of dyslexia, the follow-up question is: how do we overcome dyslexia?

Overcoming dyslexia

Step One: Get a formal psychological assessment

As clichéd as it sounds, the first step to beating dyslexia is to get your child tested for it. If you think your child might have dyslexia or any other kind of learning difficulty, you should get an assessment done ASAP.

Some parents might resist the idea of having a “label” as they think it stigmatises their child, but this is unwarranted. A formal report can give a better idea of the type of help that your child needs. It also identifies their strengths and weaknesses, and gives teachers and therapists a better idea of how to help them progress. In fact, many dyslexia organisations like the Dyslexia Association of Singapore and Swords & Stationery require students to have a formal diagnosis before they can be accepted into their programmes.

I cannot stress enough how important this is. Though it can be costly and there is a misconception that having a diagnosis equates to putting a label on the child, it will pay off. For one, it helps your child recognise the fact that they are not stupid, but rather wired differently. I have seen students who were full of anger and confusion because they did not know what was wrong with them. Ignorance is not bliss here.

Furthermore, you will need a diagnosis if you intend to apply for access arrangements (e.g., extra time for exams). This will provide your child with additional support if he or she is struggling in school.

Remember, having the “label” is not necessarily a bad thing. If you want peace of mind for yourself and your child, get them tested for dyslexia.