What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is very common Ranges from mild to severe 1 in 10 is dyslexic and of those, 1 in 4 has severe dyslexia Often runs in the family Dyslexia is often described as a different way of learning.

Dyslexia can affect reading, writing and spelling Difficulty matching sounds to letter combinations Similar looking / sounding letters are confused (for example p, b and d) Can’t remember common letter patterns in spelling BUT Can cope well verbally – talking may be a strength Here are some examples of things that some people with dyslexia can find difficult. Emphasise that everyone is different and not all will experience all of these things.

It’s also about other things Dyslexia can also affect: - short term memory - ability to follow directions or instructions - organisational skills Here are some examples of things that some people with dyslexia can find difficult. Emphasise that everyone is different and not all will experience all of these things.

Important! Everyone is different and dyslexia affects people in different ways. Not everyone with dyslexia will experience the same things. Dyslexia is not a sign of low intelligence. Some of the most successful business people are dyslexic. Being dyslexic does not stop anyone from becoming a lawyer, teacher, nuclear physicist or business person. Interesting fact – GCHQ, the Governement Intelligence agency, employs a high number of dyslexic employees because of their code cracking skills. With the right support, children and adults with dyslexia should be able to reach their full potential in education, work and life.

Say the colour not the word! Try naming the colours below to find out what it is like when your brain has to work extra hard. It can be like this for people with dyslexia. Red Blue Pink Yellow Green Purple Orange Yellow Pink Brown Purple Blue Red Yellow Red Red Blue Pink Yellow Green Purple Orange Brown Purple Blue Blue Red Purple Blue Blue Red Yellow Red Blue Pink Yellow Green Purple Orange Brown Purple Blue Blue Red Exercise Ask people to read out load the colours not the word. So they should say: Green, orange, blue, black, red and so on. The idea of this exercise is to show what it’s like when your brain has to work extra hard – and it can be like this for people with dyslexia. Note – this exercise does not indicate that people with dyslexia are colour blind!

Common difficulties Poor short-term memory (names, numbers) Problems with time keeping, managing tasks, concentration and organisational skills Difficulty following instructions or sequences Children with dyslexia may be accused of not trying – but they are often very tired because of these extra difficulties. Many people develop strategies to help them overcome these difficulties. For example using mindmaps, colour coding, wall charts.

Co-occurring visual issues Symptoms of visual stress linked to other issues such as epilepsy, hypersensitivity to light or migraine are also common for people with dyslexia – like the Rivers Effect: Visual stress, sometimes called Meares Irlen, can affect people with dyslexia. People can have visual stress and not be dyslexic.

Not all people with dyslexia will experience visual distortions in text – but some may find the text blurs or moves on the page: Here’s another example. Remember that not everyone with dyslexia will experience this.

Visual stress Some people with visual stress find that coloured glasses or overlays help. Specialist opticians can carry out eye tests for this. Dyslexia Scotland has a list of qualified opticians.

Audio-processing issues Some people with dyslexia can’t recognise subtle differences between sounds in words, even though the sounds themselves are clear. They may have: difficulty understanding when listening difficulties with concentration delays in understanding/ responding to spoken language Removing distractions can help in these circumstances.

But people with dyslexia also have strengths… They may: be creative, out of the box thinkers have good problem solving skills have excellent ‘people’ skills A big part of the work of Dyslexia Scotland is to highlight the strengths and skills of people with dyslexia. These are especially important because they often help overcome some of the difficulties.

The world is more dyslexia friendly these days: Greater awareness and understanding - at school and in the workplace Computer technology and Apps Coloured paper and overlays More teacher training People sharing their stories and experiences There is lots of information about help on Dyslexia Scotland’s website.

Dyslexia Scotland A national Helpline for anyone to contact 0344 800 8484 or email helpline@dyslexiascotland.org.uk Training and resources for teachers A range of free publications for parents, teachers, people with dyslexia, employers and more The Online Addressing Toolkit is a free resource for teachers and can be found at www.addressingdyslexia.org. Again, there is a range of publications on our website

Find out more at www.dyslexiascotland.org.uk A network of volunteer-led branches across Scotland Adult Networks for people to share experiences and ideas An Employment Service for adults with dyslexia A quarterly magazine for members Find out more at www.dyslexiascotland.org.uk If you are from a branch of Dyslexia Scotland , you might want to talk about it here.

Find out more at www.dyslexiascotland.org.uk A network of volunteer-led branches across Scotland Adult Networks for people to share experiences and ideas An Employment Service for adults with dyslexia A quarterly magazine for members including a special children’s edition each year Find out more at www.dyslexiascotland.org.uk If you are from a branch of Dyslexia Scotland , you might want to talk about it here.

Connect with us www.dyslexiascotland.org.uk