Understanding Dyslexia: A Brief Essay for Teenagers
- lolasquires7
- May 6
- 3 min read
Updated: May 7
People think in many different ways, and one of these ways is called dyslexia. Dyslexia is a learning disability that affects how the brain processes things it sees and hears. Dyslexia affects how your left perisylvian cortex functions. It is a genetic disorder that can be passed down through a family, however, that is not always the case. Dyslexia is known for affecting one's ability to read, write, and spell, but contrary to popular belief, it affects so much more.
Symptoms of dyslexia include;
Difficulty matching letters to sounds
Difficulty working out how to spell words
seeing words/letters moving around, changing color, or what appears to be ‘glitching’
Trouble telling left from right
Trouble remembering long lists of instructions or things to do
Needing more time to think of the right word to describe something
Trouble memorising sequences
Trouble writing by hand/holding a pencil
Difficulty organising, physically and mentally
Anxiety in classes
Struggling to make sense of what is being said to them
Verbal words often sounding like gibberish
Due to the challenges of dyslexia, a child or adult with it may experience shame, exhaustion, embarrassment, anxiety, or overall think poorly about themselves. This can be because learning and working at a slower speed than the people around you can be embarrassing, especially when you are most likely working just as hard, if not harder, to achieve the same thing they are. Kids with dyslexia are often very frustrated with how fast their peers are improving academically compared to them, and while it's important not to compare yourself to others, it's hard to avoid it when you go to school every day just to fall behind even more. Due to this, children, or adults, with dyslexia may try to hide this by pretending that they understand things that they don't, and that they have done things they have not. The silent shame of dyslexia, before or after being diagnosed, can put a strain on one's mental health and self-worth. This can lead to confidence issues, expectations of overachievement, and anxiety when it comes to subjects they aren't confident in. But when a person overcomes these fears, they can come out the other side being the most resilient, hard working, determined people.
Some examples of the benefits of dyslexia include-
Great at seeing patterns or solving problems
People with dyslexia are very likely to have an extremely visual way of thinking, making their imaginations outstanding, and their ability to work out visual problems, also very good.
Telling stories can be a strong suit for dyslexic people
The ability to be humorous and make jokes is prominent in people with dyslexia
Taking things apart, figuring out how they work, and how to put them back together is an extremely impressive trait of dyslexia
Dyslexic people may be particularly strong in things like drawing, painting, inventing, or creating.
Seeing the bigger picture is often easier to people with dyslexia because of their creative minds
There are many effective ways of treating dyslexia that can lower its impact on a person, however, there is no cure to dyslexia and you can not get rid of it.
Some examples of treatment you can get are-
Phonics based instructions- this is a method of teaching reading and spelling that focuses on the relationship between letters and sounds (something that individuals with dyslexia often struggle with)
Classroom accommodations- Students with dyslexia may benefit from accommodations such as extra time on tests or assignments, text to speech software, and the option to use computers in writing based assignments
One on one tutoring- private support can give clearer instructions on tasks and help students learn at their own speed without classroom pressure
Mental health support- Addressing any emotional challenges that may have been caused by learning difficulties is also very important and often forgotten about.
Overall, we have learnt that dyslexia is much more than people make it out to be, but that there are many ways it can be an extremely positive thing. Dyslexic people can learn to adapt their way of thinking and can become amazing at things they once struggled with, while still holding on to their special talents.
Bibliography
Comments