Reading, spelling and writing
Reading by ‘gist’
‘Gist’ means dyslexics use their general knowledge, visual memory strengths, and problem-solving abilities to understand the overall meaning of what they are reading, without needing to understand every word.
Reading fiction books or material on familiar subjects can make it easy for them to overlook words they don’t know, yet still understand the overall meaning.
Reading non-fiction, text heavy books or textbooks for study takes more effort and they may have to take many breaks, be limited to how long they can read and struggle to finish.
They may have difficulty reading and understanding exam questions and math word problems, as it is important in these cases to understand the meaning of each word.
Spelling
Can be okay or excellent spellers.
Tend to rely on their strong visual memory to spell. If they “can see the word in their head, they know how to spell it” They are unlikely to effectively use sounding out to spell words.
Can look at a misspelt word and think that doesn’t look quite right but not know how to fix it.
When proofreading written work, including identifying grammar issues, they often rely on the visual shape of a word. As a result, they may miss incorrect spellings, especially if the shapes of similar words, such as, ‘does’ and ‘dose’ are visually similar.
Writing
When writing an email, report, essay they tend to be concise and may struggle to include “fluff” Fluff refers to the extra words added to complete sentences or convey politeness, such as starting an email with “how are you doing?” before getting to the main information. “Fluff” is not essential for the main message.
Prefer to write in bullet points as it takes less brain power to think about what to write.
Writing with bullet points means they can get the information down while they can remember what they want to say.
Can have difficulty finding words to easily describe their ideas, thoughts or recommendations.
They can use various words interchangeably to describe the same idea, plan or framework. For dyslexics, this occurs because the underlying thought, mental image, or sense of the concept remains consistent, regardless of the specific words they choose to describe it.
Working style
Focus
They can enter a ‘focus mode’ which occurs when the big picture clicks and they can clearly see the connections and the solution to the issue at hand.
This focus comes from being able to process thoughts and ideas in large jumps, absorbing material seemingly randomly.
When in ‘focus mode’ they can become blunt in their speech and writing.
When in ‘focus mode’ if they are interrupted mid- flow and asked for clarification or details, it can break their focus and the idea is lost.
When in ‘focus mode’ there is a strong need to ‘blurt out’ the thought or idea immediately because if they don’t, it feels like it will disappear. This can lead to interrupting others while they are speaking, and it may seem to others that they are not paying attention to what is being discussed.
Thinking differently and at different speeds
May find that their ideas are not understood easily or as quickly by other colleagues. Additionally, in attempting to help the colleagues understand their ideas they may struggle to explain them easily and clearly. This comes from seeing and feeling the answer but having difficulty finding the words to express this picture and feeling.
They have a different way of seeing information, focusing on the big picture in a way that others may not. This strength enables them to connect information together in a deeper and unique way, naturally gravitating towards big-picture and conceptual thinking.
Have a natural inclination towards solution thinking, seeking to improve through efficiency and effectiveness.
They can struggle to break the big ideas down into steps easily. Sequencing these steps to achieve a goal is difficult for them to do in their head, and it will take time and effort without support.
Have a natural inclination to contribute to the greater good and improve things for others. They are often generous with their time and ideas, striving to improve systems and processes, and thereby improve people's well-being, often without seeking recognition and compensation* for their efforts.
They need to understand the bigger picture and how it connects to fully grasp ideas, concepts, and how to answer questions or complete tasks. Without this understanding, they will spend extra time and effort trying to work it out through additional research, asking questions or spending more time on the task. They are likely to keep it hidden that they don't understand the big picture preferring to work it out on their own.
They tend to prefer having examples and templates to work with as it provides clarity on what is required. For instance, having a completed form as an example to refer to when completing their own form helps them understand how much detail is required for their answers. Without such a guide, they may struggle to provide the right amount of information, often giving either too little or too much.
Work around strategies
They have developed effective strategies to manage their dyslexic challenges, such as writing everything down to remember it, especially when the information is given verbally.
They often invest more time and effort in written tasks. They find it challenging to order and sequence their writing to ensure it flows logically and makes sense.
They may find they have to reorder sentences because they seem to write ‘backwards’ (grammatically incorrect and awkwardly phrased).
For example:
Original: ... ' having to add in additional words to make correct reading sentences:
Corrected: ... ‘having to add in additional words to make sentences read correctly:
Masking
Masking is an automatic coping strategy for dyslexics that develops during their schooling years, whether or not they are aware of their dyslexia. They mask their struggles using a variety of strategies. For instance, they may spend more time and effort than their peers to keep up with their workload, spending extra time and effort trying to understand instructions and/or rely heavily on visual memory to retain information and pass exams.
Masking consumes a large amount of energy. Consequently, they are likely to struggle during periods of transition, as learning new things requires more brain power and energy. When faced with such transitions, their normal coping strategies aren't as effective leading to increased anxiety. Periods of transition include starting a new role, working with a new manager, beginning a new job, experiencing high-stress situations outside of work, or encountering changes in systems.
Masking is also associated with anxiety, particularly the fear of being unmasked and perceived as unintelligent. Examples of what can cause anxiety, vary for dyslexics but relate to their difficulties, such as pronouncing words or verbally given information like email addresses or phone numbers. In these situations, anxiety spikes and takes the brain offline, impairing cognitive function.
Being in a situation that requires masking, and numerous strategies to keep up in the workplace or with studies, can lead to burnout.
While they have a natural inclination to work for the greater good, continued lack of *recognition and reward of their value and effort can lead them to become disgruntled and hurt, especially after ‘having given so much’
Autonomy
Dyslexics, in general, prefer to have some autonomy over their work. This preference can manifest as control over their work hours, being in charge of a specific area at work, in charge of how a project develops, or working as a contractor, so they feel it's on their terms. This autonomy serves as a motivator and does not reduce productivity.
Acceptance of change
Their dyslexic thinking can make them more open to new ideas and ways of doing things. They can see change as an opportunity for innovation and improvement.
Big picture thinking helps them see change as part of a larger process.
Visual based strength
Will take in and retain information easier if they can see it.
When giving directions, they tend to use visual clues and hand gestures rather than directional language. For example, they might say ‘go this way’ while pointing with their hands ‘when you see the white building with a blue door’, instead of using a specific street name like ‘West Street’ with directional language such as ‘turn right’
Communication
Intuitive communication style
Their proficiency in reading people and instinctively understanding group dynamics allows them to create cohesion within teams or groups, increasing involvement and enhancing workshops or meetings.
If they are under stress and heavily masking, their intuitive communication style can make them sensitive to perceived negative communication from colleagues.
They prefer explicit and clear communication and instructions to avoid using unnecessary brainpower deciphering their meaning. Verbal feedback becomes especially confusing when the body language contradicts the spoken words or when too many words are used.
Simplification of information
They have an ability to take large amounts of seemly unconnected information and simplify it into an easier to understand version. They may do this with diagrams, stories or verbally.
They have a range of mental frameworks for organising ideas and concepts, allowing new information to integrate easily and quickly. If they don't have the full picture they will research to add more information to these mental frameworks.
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