October is Dyslexia Awareness Month JENNIFER LUFTOP, DYSLEXIA INTERVENTION TEACHER

 

                There are many misconceptions about dyslexia, what it means to have it and how it affects reading. I have put together a few myths and facts to help everyone understand it a bit better.

Myth: Dyslexics see words or letters backwards or read in reverse.

Fact: Dyslexia is a neurological in origin and affects phonological awareness (the ability to manipulate sounds). It is not a visual issue. People with dyslexia struggle to put sound to letters or combinations of letters and to apply letters to sound. This affects their ability to pronounce and spell words correctly. Many children, as they are learning to read and write, have different reversals. This is NOT a sign of dyslexia.

Myth: If you do well in school, you cannot have dyslexia.

Fact: Many students who struggle with dyslexia are highly motivated individuals who work extremely hard to achieve the same amount of success as other students. When students are given the necessary accommodations, they are best able to demonstrate their knowledge in any given area. Many dyslexic students have completed rigorous programs at highly selective colleges, graduate and professional schools. Some famous people with dyslexia have chosen this and different routes: Charles Schwab, Richard Branson, Pablo Picasso, Leonardo Di Vinci, Muhammad Ali, Tim Tebow, Pete Rose, Magic Johnson, Benjamin Franklin, and the list goes on.

What do students with dyslexia want others to know?

“I am not lazy. I work harder than most.”

 “Dyslexia makes me look like I’m not trying, but I am.”

“It may not seem like I’m paying attention, it’s just because I go and learn in a different way.”

“Sometimes school work and testing can be overwhelming for me.”

 “When you read it’s hard for you to read and all the other kids think it’s easy and the teacher thinks it’s so easy.”

As a dyslexia intervention teacher, I have seen first-hand the struggles these students have in their everyday lives. However, with the right supports, encouragement from other students and adults, as well as the appropriate accommodations, they gain the confidence they need to be successful at whatever they put their minds to!