Not dumb, stupid or lazy!
Being dyslexic, I have always created alternative ways of thinking and learning. It has allowed me to be more creative and at times oddly crafty with finding solutions in all aspects of life.
To be completely honest, publishing my writings, I do feel vulnerable and I know I have and will make cringe worthy grammar mistakes, that's just how it's going to be, inevitably this is a part of who I am. No shame.
Putting myself out there, I understand I will be ridiculed and sometimes it will be tricky dodging negativity, at the same time understanding that people will be coming from a place of hurt themselves; that's where negativity ultimately lies.
Today my relationship with dyslexia is easier to accept, but I have to admit that growing up and going to school was a nightmare for me. Not really understanding why it was so hard to learn, read and write, I always felt the need to disguise it, even if it meant lying. Kids always know who's the best and worst reader in their class and that was hard.
Regardless of my difficulties, I am still intelligent, motivated and educated.
Only after graduating did I get diagnosed with moderate to severe dyslexia, yet I am still an intelligent, motivated and educated person.
For each individual, dyslexia can affect in various degrees and ways, everyone's experience is different.
My symptoms include my body attempting to adjust after being interrupted, difficulties in spelling and pronouncing words, especially reading aloud, losing my train of thought, naming things and cognitively demanding tasks.
All of these make me frustrated and it can be exhausting at times. I often describe dyslexia to a situation where you are concentrating on counting and someone yells out random numbers in the background, which causes a distraction, this is my brain most of the time.
Dyslexia is not about reversing letters or seeing things backward. It is a problem based on the difficulty of matching spoken sounds to letters on a page. 1 in 5 are dyslexic. - Patricia James, Dyslexia Coordinator
Although there is a genetic influence, dyslexia is not always inherited and there is no way to know whether an individual will develop symptoms. I encourage anyone to embrace dyslexia and not shy away and try to hide it. Creative thoughts are easier for people who have dyslexia and that alone is a reason to celebrate it.
My disability is not the nor an elephant in any room, because I am starting to embrace it and slowly understanding that there is nothing to be embarrassed about. This does not define me and regardless of my difficulties, I can express myself through writing.
Side note: October is #DyslexiaAwarenessMonth
If you are interested and have an extra 15 minutes, do check out this following article, link and video (TEDx). https://lnkd.in/esUKfz3