Living and Learning with Dyslexia
I first heard the word dyslexia after I had spent 18 years trying to learn to read, flunked out of college, gave up on my dream to be an adequate visual reader, and came up with what I now call reading by listening and writing by speaking. That’s when a neurologist told me that I had developmental dyslexia. My visual reading and spelling, now, are probably comparable to that of many third-graders. However, I read voraciously at 250 to 400 words per minute using reading by listening and write as fast as I can speak using writing by speaking.
I’m sometimes asked what it’s like to have dyslexia, and I typically give general statements like it’s a problem that mainly affects visual decoding and spelling. However, I observe things about my reading and spelling behavior that I haven’t heard others describe. These are things that surprise and puzzle me. I study these observations so that I might be able to understand better what my dyslexia is, how it makes me different, and how I and others with dyslexia might function better in this world that’s design for rapid visual decoders.
Teachers, students, and others touched by dyslexia come with me as I explore my own dyslexia, how dyslexia makes us different, and how to thrive in the world of print. I’m hoping to learn from your feedback, ideas, and experiences by having a discussion.
There will be three kinds of content to start the discussion:
(1) my personal struggles growing up and living with dyslexia,
(2) educational changes that will dramatically improve outcomes for students with dyslexia,
(3) accommodations for reading by listening and writing by speaking, which eliminates the disadvantage caused by inadequate visual decoding and spelling.
I want to share my experiences, have conversations, and learn what it’s like for others with dyslexia. Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AudioExamCreator and speak up! We want to hear your thoughts and opinions. Tell us what you have learned about living and learning with dyslexia.
