The Dyslexic Journey
Written by Lynleigh Griffin
I was fortunate to be diagnosed with dyslexia at an earlier age when I was in K4. Additionally, I am fortunate to have support from family, teachers, and tutors who have shown me that being dyslexic is actually more of a gift than a disability.
Some symptoms of dyslexia as listed by the Mayo Clinic are reading well below grade level, problems understanding what is heard, difficulty finding the right words or forming answers to questions, problems remembering sequence, difficulty in seeing similarities and differences in letters and words, and difficulty spelling. However, there are many misconceptions about dyslexia. The most common is that people can grow out of it. Another misconception is that dyslexics see things backwards or have a problem with their eyesight. But, there are two misconceptions that bother me and other dyslexics the most. The first one is that smart people can not be dyslexic or have learning disabilities. The other one is that dyslexia is not real; that people diagnosed with the learning disability are just lazy.
When I was four, my mom noticed that I was having issues recognizing the differences between letters and knowing their sounds. Then I was tested for dyslexia when I started school because teachers realized that my eyes were working faster than my brain could comprehend. Fortunately, I have had a great support system full of people that have poured truth into my life and taught me that dyslexia is a power, not a disability. For instance, I know that I don’t learn slower, I just learn differently. I am definitely not lazy; in fact, I work harder than the average student which will make me a great employee because of my work ethic. Additionally, I am creative; I think outside the box, and I am a great problem solver.
There are many more things that can be said about dyslexia. In fact, there are still a lot of things to learn about it. Luckily, there are new methods of teaching and learning that support the dyslexic learner that were not available in the past. The one thing that everyone should know about people with dyslexia is that we are not “disabled.” We are smart, creative, and hard-working. Dyslexia is my superpower! That mindset along with the amazing support from my tutors at Read Write helped me become the straight A honors student I am today. I am proud to be dyslexic. I go through everyday teaching and informing my fellow classmates about what it is and what it means. Never let anyone tell you that dyslexia is a disability or disadvantage because it's not at all a super power.
