The term ‘dyslexia’ comes from the greek “dys” - difficulty, poor condition, not working right (as in ‘dysfunctional’) and latin-based “lexia”, having to do with words, vocabulary and reading. Thus dyslexia refers to a condition in which the sufferer has problems reading correctly.

We have learned a great deal about dyslexia in the last 25 years. In the last 10-15 years it has become common practice to screen school age students for dyslexia at an early age.

Any child who exhibits any dyslexia symptoms is now routinely screened out and sent for full dyslexia testing. If the child is found to be dyslexic, he or she is given special training to overcome any problems that might have shown up.

But those of us who graduated from elementary school more than 15 years ago had no such luck. All of us went through the educational system before screening for dyslexia and dyslexia testing became commonplace and widely available.

So the dyslexics amongst us were on their own, with no help and no sympathy from the educational establishment. Most were mistakenly branded as “slow learners”, “under-achievers” or a bit slow and not the brightest bulb in the box. Most were embarrassed by their problems, ashamed of their differences. Most learned to hide their problems.

Today about 95% of adult dyslexics are unaware that dyslexia is the cause of their problems with reading, transcribing notes, remembering things in certain orders, etc. So they go around still afflicted with these problems, not knowing that they could be helped and that almost all of these problems could be overcome.

The problem with diagnosing dyslexia in these dyslexic individuals is twofold. First, they don’t know they are dyslexic, and second, they consciously and unconsciously conceal their symptoms.

These “closet dyslexics” need to be found, tested, diagnosed and helped. They are neither dumb nor stupid. They just see things differently. Once they can be shown how to get past the problems of dyslexia, there is a silver lining to the dyslexia cloud. There is “the gift of dyslexia”. Many dyslexics become rich and famous using these gifts. Famous dyslexics include actor Tom Cruise and entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson. (Just follow the links above and click on “Famous People With Dyslexia” in the Navigation menu.

Disclaimer: This posting is based on information freely available in the popular press and medical journals that deal with dyslexia. Nothing herein is intended to be or should be construed to be any sort of medical advice. For medical advice the reader should consult with his or her physician or other medical specialist.

– John H. Martin

Filed under: John's Message

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