I’ve forgotten my glasses………
by Jacqui Flisher – Licensed Davis Dyslexia Facilitator – The Learning PeopleOf course not everyone who says this will be dyslexic or exhibit dyslexic tendencies. Those who have come to rely on it may have become so proficient at inventing coping strategies that you might not have even noticed. Stop for a moment and think about a work colleague; you know the one, their e-mails frequently contain ‘silly’ errors; they always manage to persuade someone else to write on the flipchart at the training session or take the minutes at a meeting.
Can you ever remember a time when you actually saw them write something in public? The odds are that you won’t be able to. Until now, it may never have occurred to you that they might have a problem.
Dyslexia affects approximately 1 in 10 of the population, with 3 in 10 of those being classified as severely dyslexic. If your organisation employs around 500 people, then the likelihood is that at least 50 of your fellow workers will have some dyslexic tendencies. When questioned, the average person will probably say that dyslexia is a problem with reading and writing; it mainly affects young children, who by the time they become adults, will have grown out of it. Other myths and misconceptions are that all dyslexics are stupid; it‘s a disease that you can catch; it doesn’t really exist, just an excuse used by someone who is lazy and doesn’t want to work. As you can’t actually see it, dyslexia is often described as the ‘invisible’ disability. Its classification as a ‘disability’ also means that it comes under the remit of the Disability Discrimination Act.
Not all dyslexics experience problems with reading and writing, nor are they stupid or unintelligent - far from it. An article entitled: ‘Secret of the super successful….. they’re dyslexic (Sunday Times, 5th Oct 2003), goes on to explain that 40% of self-made millionaires have been diagnosed with the condition, with the majority admitting they did badly at school and continue to do badly in aptitude tests. These people did not succeed despite the fact they are dyslexic, but because of it. They are of course the people who have managed to rise above the limitations that society has placed upon them. Not everyone fares so well; statistics also show that over 60% of prisoners and 80% of young offenders are dyslexic.
So what makes someone with dyslexic tendencies ‘different’ from non-dyslexics? Well I suppose it depends on how you define ‘different’. If you consider someone who is primarily a ‘picture thinker’; has great problem solving capabilities; can think ‘outside the box’; the ability to view real life or imaginary objects in 3D, (many famous architects and chefs are dyslexic); may be highly intuitive and able to think visually and creatively at lightning speed, then they may well be ‘different’. Personally, I would call anyone with such traits, ‘gifted’. Such ‘gifts’ can also have a down side. Picture thinking and the ability to be able move objects around in your head can blur the boundary between reality and imagination, often causing disorientation and confusion. Likewise the options that come with being able to think visually at lightning speed can cause a dyslexic to become overwhelmed and experience difficulties with remembering instructions, process sequencing and time management, etc.
The fear of failure often leads the dyslexic to devise coping strategies, (which do not solve the problem, just mask it). These strategies frequently do not work and may result in the dyslexic employee becoming reserved or in extreme cases withdrawn, often with the feeling that they will always be second best. Although possessing the knowledge and ability to excel, because they think ‘differently’, they are frequently misunderstood and may be passed over for promotion time and time again. Both sides are ultimately the poorer for this: the dyslexic employee because he cannot use his many talents to the full; the employer because he does not understand how these talents can be used to the benefit of the company.
The Learning People, together with its team of extensively trained Davis Dyslexia Correction Facilitators can provide practical assistance, not only to the dyslexic employee, but also their employer. Our “How Dyslexia Happens” Workshop* gives employers a real insight into the condition, allowing them to fully understand and experience what it is like to be dyslexic. As no two dyslexics are the same, all Davis Programmes are conducted 1:1, allowing each correction Programme to be tailored specifically to meet the needs of that client, ensuring they gain the maximum benefit from their Programme.
The Davis Correction system is unique in that its methods were designed by a dyslexic to solve the problems that dyslexic thinkers experience when trying to interface with the world. The Learning People offers the combined expertise of a network of highly skilled Davis Facilitators and of in-house experts specialising in the issues facing both dyslexic staff and their employers in a 21st-century workplace.
© Jacqui Flisher, 2007 (856 words)
* “How Dyslexia Happens” Workshops will launch in the UK in November 2007. For further details of workshops, Programmes, and other bespoke services to staff, line managers and employers, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or tel: 08000 27 26 57.
