A guide for learning differently

Dyslexia can be frustrating, but a diagnosis doesn't mean reduced opportunities - in fact, it can even help you in certain parts of your life and open up other doors.

Michaela Hook reads ‘Learning differently’, as featured in issue 24 of Teen Breathe.

Imagine finding difficult an everyday task that comes easily to those around you. No matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to do it as well as others. It’s frustrating, to say the least. Now, imagine the task is reading, which you find an extremely slow and tiring process, while all your classmates seem to be able to do it effortlessly.

Or imagine it’s writing you find tough, and you just can’t put down on paper the brilliant answers that you give in class. You might have spent ages on a piece of work, only for a teacher to comment they can’t understand what you’re trying to say. These are just some examples of everyday difficulties for someone with dyslexia.

While it affects each person differently, here are some things you might experience difficulties with if you have dyslexia:

Reading – perhaps you read hesitantly, omit, or add words, lose your place easily, have trouble recognising words, find it a struggle to break up longer ones, or work so hard to figure out the words that you don’t understand what you’ve read.

Writing – yours may be unclear, you might find spelling, punctuation and note-taking tricky, or not complete written tasks, especially within a time limit.

Getting thoughts onto paper – you might have great ideas and understanding when talking and listening but find it hard to get these written down.

Organisation – processing information or remembering number facts and sequences, such as the alphabet or months of the year, might be hard.

ALL BRAINS ARE NOT THE SAME

Dyslexia is just one type of learning difference. You might also hear terms such as dyspraxia, dyscalculia, ADHD, Asperger’s, and autism. Individuals who identify with some of these conditions are often very able in many ways, but just have difficulties in a specific area.

In the past, these differences in how brains work (also referred to as neurodiversity) were not recognised. It was assumed everybody thought, learned, and related in the same way. This means the world around us has often only been designed for one way of thinking. Although there’s now more recognition of learning differences, having a brain that works a little differently can be frustrating at times. You might find you tire easily because of the amount of effort and concentration needed to keep up, or you might feel others don’t appreciate how hard you have to work.

Having a positive attitude towards your dyslexia can make a big difference. A diagnosis doesn’t mean you’re unintelligent or lazy. Movie director Steven Spielberg, chef Jamie Oliver, actors Keira Knightley and Whoopi Goldberg, entrepreneur Richard Branson and rugby player Chris Robshaw are just a few of the many people with dyslexia who have excelled in their chosen fields.

Many successful dyslexics actually credit it for their achievements – believing it’s forced them to think more creatively and learn effective problem-solving skills.

STUDYING WITH DYSLEXIA

What’s useful for you might not work for another, and vice versa. Try various strategies until you discover what helps you most. Knowing how you learn best can be empowering and improve your self-confidence.

Use technology

Voice-text software and screen readers can help you access and produce written work on digital devices. Using a screen reader to listen back to what you’ve typed might help you identify errors you can’t spot. Try setting reminders on your phone to aid organisation and memory. Reading pens, which read printed text aloud, can also be helpful.

Try using a phonetic dictionary

A phonetic dictionary is organised by the sound words begin with, rather than alphabetically. It might be easier to highlight and underline than take notes. You could also try colour-coding, using sticky notes and breaking down tasks into small chunks.

Speak up

Others might not realise you’re struggling. Telling friends, family, and teachers what you find difficult can help them understand and support you.

Use visual aids

I you also experience visual difficulties, your optometrist might suggest using pastel-coloured paper, a tinted overlay, or changing the background colour on screens to make reading more comfortable.

Use predictive text

Predictive text can be great, but do check it before sending, as it doesn’t always choose the right word. If you find reading tiring, plan to do these tasks first and at the time of day you feel most able to concentrate.

Dyslexia is now widely recognised and won’t stop you from excelling in your chosen path. List your talents, skills and capabilities and work to these strengths. 

IT’S MORE COMMON THAN YOU THINK

It’s thought that around five to 10 percent of the world’s population could be dyslexic.

“I see everyone else writing more, faster and getting the spelling right – it makes me feel annoyed because I can’t do that. It can be hard to understand the lessons as I need more time and a bit of extra help. ‘But even though you have dyslexia, you can still achieve amazing things. Stop thinking about the things you find difficult and focus on what you’re good at. And do your homework straight away rather than leaving it and worrying!” – James, age 13

Dyslexia is diagnosed by a formal assessment. If you’d like to find out more, visit the Australian Dyslexia Foundation’s website at australiandyslexiafoundation.org.au, the Dyslexia Association Australia at dyslexiaassociation.org.au or the Code Read Dyslexia Network at codereadnetwork.org.


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