The Teddies Review - Dec 2021

Life with Dyslexia

What we’re good at

Whilst researching t his topic, I’ve realised that dyslexics adds so much to many modern-day professions, like engineering, entrepreneurship and the classics. This is because of the creative and out-of-the-box thinking, where dyslexics are often hardwired to do be creative. Amazingly, up to 40% of self-made millionaires are dyslexic - we have these incredible gifts, but it’s just something not looked after enough in schools.

The majority of people think dyslexia is a bad thing, and they think it’s a disability. You get told it is by friends, and even teachers, too. But I hope to show that dyslexia is a good thing. To show all people who doubt themselves because they have this difference, as well. When people talk about dyslexia there are often two different things they say. Firstly, they might say it’s a disability, and secondly, that a dyslexic’s brain is wired differently. W hen I first heard this, I thought, “oh, their wrong! How could my brain be different to any other person’s?” But when I looked into it, I realised that this actually is the right idea. As I understand it, we all have these things called mini columns in the brain – they are sort of how your brain communicates. When these columns are very far apart, it can often mean dyslexia. Dyslexia isn’t just something affecting how you read and write (you sometimes see things backwards). It’s more about manipulating lan guage that’s the issue, such as the process of reading a letter, then turning that into a sound in your mind, then stringing it together. It’s that process which is difficult. And, because a lot of the learning we do is based on an archaic overuse of reading and writing, dyslexics are designed to fail. We think laterally, and more creatively, than the average person and this gives us the edge of pretty much everything … but a schooling that demands reading and writing.

In a reading-and-writing context, dyslexia is not shown as a proper gift. Instead, it’s seen as a disadvantage. My old school was great for nurturing a creative learning environment, and it’s sadly true to say, that in my experience, places like this get looked down on for being a school for “stupid people”. The people who leave specialist schools like my old one have their issues and can be looked down on – they can end up being damaged from simply being in a “normal” education system.

The sad truth

One thing I’ve learned over the course of this article is that because students are often told that they’re stupid, they start to feel inadequate. They don’t fit in and, in later years, they can often turn to crime or drugs. Doing