Dyslexia

According to the Mayo Clinic, "Dyslexia is a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding). Also called reading disability, dyslexia affects areas of the brain that process language."

There are no outward signs that would indicate that a person has dyslexia. You wouldn't be walking through the grocery store, spot a person, and think, I bet that person has dyslexia. It exists solely inside the brain.

Growing up with dyslexia in the 80s and early 90s, I didn't receive any extra help; my teachers didn't even know I had dyslexia. I was simply the kid that frustrated them. I have ADHD as well, so my brain worked much differently than most of my classmates. Reading groups were the hardest. I lost my place often, I stumbled over the words, I mixed them up, I needed more time, but I wasn't often granted those small mercies.

Some of my earliest school memories include frustrated sighs from my classmates as I struggled through the passages; my teachers moving on before I had even finished my turn.

I had to figure out how to live with this and quick, or I was going to fall far behind and never have a chance to catch up. I was fortunate enough to have a mother who was willing to try all kinds of crazy new things over and over again until something finally worked.

We tried green paper because some doctor thought the brightness of the white paper was overloading my already overworking brain. We tried tinted glasses, to try to mute the stimulations around me. And I got into a small reading group that would allow me the time I needed to play catchup.

Eventually, I gave up on all of that because, once again, I was misunderstood. My new teachers refused to accept work on green paper. My classmates made fun of me for my tinted glasses. One classmate even went so far as to hit me in the face with a basketball just to watch my glasses break.

By the time I reached middle school, I had to find different ways to learn and cope. I still had no idea that I had dyslexia and ADHD. (I wouldn't find out until much later during a college psychology course.) I was just frustrated with my inability to retain information, to read as well as my classmates, and to focus for long in the classroom.

It was up to me, now, to learn how to live with this.

Here's what I've figured out through a ton of trial and error:

1. Have an Outlet

I have always, and will always have dance as an outlet. It stimulates my brain in a way that does not feel like work. I have to memorize choreography and body positions and movements of the feet, but it doesn't feel like work. I'm teaching my brain to remember things that I enjoy.

This is true for people with dyslexia and ADHD. Your brain will only want to learn things that are of interest to you. Trust me on this one. The boring stuff will be much harder to retain.

2. Don't Give Up

I am part of a few different writing groups on Facebook, and I have been shocked to read about how many people out there with dyslexia have given up on their dreams because it is too hard.

Yes, it is going to be much harder for a person with dyslexia and/or ADHD to accomplish their goals, but don't give up. Fight through the struggles. Eventually, it will get better. Eventually, it will get easier.

I am living proof of that. According to the data, I shouldn't be a writer; I shouldn't enjoy reading as much as I do; I shouldn't...I shouldn't...I shouldn't. But I am. And I do. Because I pushed through. And you can, too!

3. The Backspace Key Will Be Your New Best Friend

Embrace it. Learn to love it. You will be pushing that backspace key more often than you're typing actual words.

People with dyslexia and ADHD have a brain that works faster than normal. Stumbling over words, rushing to get it all out, is just a fact of life. When the ideas are flowing, there's a rush that is felt that can't be denied. Embrace it, and learn to type quickly to keep up with your brain.

Most of all, love that backspace key.

I've already replaced mine twice. We're old friends. Forever friends.

4. You are the Master of Your Own Universe

This may sound cliche, but it couldn't be more true for people with dyslexia and ADHD. Only you know what's going on inside your brain. Only you know what will help you be successful in a world that doesn't understand you fully.

The thing that stimulates and excites you will not be the same thing as the person sitting next to you right now; even if that person has dyslexia and ADHD, too.

Find the thing that makes you happy.

There is no cure for dyslexia. There is a pill for ADHD to slow your brain down a bit to help you focus, but ADHD will always be there.

Whether you're medicated or not - I am not - you will never be cured. And honestly, I don't want to be. I am who I am because of everything I've been through. You are you because of your own circumstances.

Even if it's not perfect, find what you love and pursue it with all your heart!

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