A lot of people focus on the weaknesses of Dyslexics,and they don’t even understand those. They don’t even consider the strengths of Dyslexics,and those even have less understanding. Dyslexics are visual,imaginative,lateral,global,intuitive,picture thinkers.
People who are very bright can be dyslexic. They are often capable or even gifted in areas that do not require strong language skills, such as art, computer science, design, drama, electronics, math, mechanics, music, physics, sales, and sports. http://www.interdys.org/ewebeditpro5/upload/Dyslexia_Basics_FS_-_final_81407.pdf
- Often very competent in oral language
- Relies on memory; may have an excellent memory
- Often has good “people” skills
- Often is spatially talented; professions include, but are not limited, to engineers, architects, designers, artists and craftspeople, mathematicians, physicists, physicians (esp. surgeons and orthopedists), and dentists.
- May be very good at “reading” people (intuitive)
- Are often entrepreneurs http://www.interdys.org/SignsofDyslexiaCombined.htm
(I listed on the strengths of Dyslexia from the Signs of Dyslexia)
Strengths
While there is concern about how dyslexia manifests itself negatively as a learning difficulty, research has highlighted some positive aspects to being dyslexic.
Many dyslexic people are good at architecture, engineering and other creative arts. They can also be good at acting, lateral thinking and often make good managers in people-related occupations.
If given the appropriate help for their areas of difficulty, there is no reason whu a dyslexic person should not be a high achiever and/or gain a university degree – many have done so. http://www.dyslexia.eu.com/strengths.html
Possible strengths.
- Innovative thinkers.
- Excellent trouble shooters.
- Intuitive problem solving.
- Creative in many different ways.
- Lateral thinkers. http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/whatisdyslexia.html
Dyslexia is not a ‘disease’ that someone should or can be cured of. It is a type of mind, like any other, with its own particular strengths and weaknesses. We all have different talents - things we are good at and things we find hard. Dyslexic children, teenagers and adults find spelling and sequencing hard, but also have other areas at which they excel - sometimes creativity, physical co-ordination, lateral thinking or empathy with others. The important thing is to raise people’s confidence! http://www.dyslexia-test.com/dyslexia.html
Significant Strengths of people with dyslexia
Although their unique brain architecture and “unusual wiring” make reading, writing, and spelling difficult, most people with dyslexia have gifts in areas controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain. The right side controls:
- artistic skill
- athletic ability
- musical ability
- mechanical ability
- people skills
- 3-D visual-spatial skills
- vivid imagination
- intuition
- creative, global thinking
- curiosity http://www.dys-add.com/symptoms.html
Dyslexia tends to run in families; it is known that there are several genes that contribute to a genetic risk of dyslexia. Brain scanning studies suggest that, in dyslexic people, the connections between different language areas of the brain do not work as efficiently as they should. However, these differences are not linked to intelligence, and there is evidence that many dyslexic people have strengths and abilities in tasks that involve creative and visually-based thinking. http://www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk/Page.aspx?PageId=10
Reading and writing are fundamental skills for daily living, however it is important to emphasize other aspects of learning and expression. Like all people, those with dyslexia enjoy activities that tap into their strengths and interests. As multi-dimensional thinkers, visual fields such as design, art, architecture, engineering and surgery, which do not emphasize language skills, may appeal to them. http://www.ncld.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=454
The mental function that causes dyslexia is a gift in the truest sense of the word: a natural ability, a talent. It is something special that enhances the individual.
Dyslexics don’t all develop the same gifts, but they do have certain mental functions in common. Here are the basic abilities all dyslexics share:
- They can utilize the brain’s ability to alter and create perceptions (the primary ability).
- They are highly aware of the environment.
- They are more curious than average.
- They think mainly in pictures instead of words.
- They are highly intuitive and insightful.
- They think and perceive multi-dimensionally (using all the senses).
- They can experience thought as reality.
- They have vivid imaginations.
These eight basic abilities, if not suppressed, invalidated or destroyed by parents or the educational process, will result in two characteristics: higher than normal intelligence, and extraordinary creative abilities. From these the true gift of dyslexia can emerge – the gift of mastery. http://www.dyslexia.com/bookstore/firstchapter.htm
Because Dyslexics are visual thinkers, I listed stuff on Visual Thinking:
’ Verbal and nonverbal conceptualizations are regarded as the two kinds of thinking. Verbal conceptualizations are linear and results from “thinking with the sounds of words” . A person composes mental sentences one word at a time at the same speed as speech, which is about 150 words a minute. In contrast, "picture thinking is estimated to be, overall, 400 to 2000 times faster than verbal thinking. Once information has been encoded picture thinking is all at once , it exists outside of time . Visual thinking is spatial existing in 3 Dimensions and not the 2 Dimesions of language ’ .
Visual conceptualizations are regarded as evolutionary thinking superior to verbal conceptualization because a visual thinking style can be both faster and more complex .Auditory sequential thinkers are born to excel at procedural tasks like reading , spelling and short term memory . A visual spatial thinker will if equipped with the right tools excel with ideas , innovation , long term memory and an ability to handle complexity .
The auditory sequential model is implemented in the classroom , listen and learn . While this model is very effective for the AS , the visual hands on learner is effectively excluded .Drill and repetition , step by step instruction will not work well for visual thinkers who not only think in pictures but also learn all at once , visual thinkers are system thinkers who need an overview .Information needs to be organised spatially and not temporally , not sequentially .
To the lecturer and the AS this means nothing more than thinking in cartoons , to a VS thinker like Faraday this means seeking understanding . Michael Faraday talked of seeing lines of force . radiating outwards . Einstein talks of using the imagination as an experimental lab . This visualization of language to some extent bridges the gap but is no substitute for actually constructing mental models . Auditory Meta models & Mental models allow the visual mind to fully function in an auditory sequential world http://electronic-labs.co.uk/index.php/ADULT-PROFILES/FAQ1.html
I hope that after reading this,you will understand the strengths of Dyslexics. Then you can see that it’s more than just seeing words backwards which is more often a myth…especially when most Dyslexics have auditory,phonological processing problems like me. You will also understand that they are not even slow thinkers,but actually very fast thinkers because picture thinking is much faster than verbal thinking It is also very important for a child’s strengths not to be suppressed,invalidated,nor destroyed. The key is for them to believe in themselves. If they do that,then their potential can be unlimited,and there is no telling what they can’t accomplish. I wish that I known about this stuff when I was a kid growing up with Dyslexia and having interests in things that Dyslexics tend to be interested which were opposed by my parents. I don’t want that for any child…not just Dyslexic children. I definitely won’t do that to any children that I might have in the future. You can’t fit Dyslexics and other rightbrained people in a leftbrained box, but let them be themselves which is a concept that fit with the natural way of life for I believe that all of us should be ourselves and not try to be something that we are not.
Raymond Andrews