UNDERSTANDING DYSLEXIA

Jul 10, 2018 Editorial

Suddenly, the world took notice in 2007 when Prince Harry, sixth in line to the British throne and the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales, and the late Diana, princess of Wales revealed that he is dyslexic.
Since that 2007 announcement by the Prince, many other famous people have come forward to build awareness and support for dyslexia in Britain. Prince Harry said that his personal struggle with dyslexia made school very difficult; however, after graduating from Britain’s prestigious Eton College, he volunteered in various African countries before choosing a military career. Unlike England, the United States and Canada, dyslexia is widely publicized and supported by people of influence. There is no famous Guyanese or person from the Caribbean region who has openly supported or endorsed any dyslexia organizations or campaigns.
Dyslexia is a phenomenon that shows up differently in different cultures. It is a specific type of learning disability that affects reading due to the way that the brain processes graphic symbols. Experts say dyslexia is genetic; it is not a disease or an identifiable physical condition.
It is a neurological learning disorder present at birth. It cannot be prevented or cured, but can be managed with special instruction and support. It affects people of all ethnic backgrounds and is not linked to a person’s general level of intelligence.
The underlying problems of dyslexia are associated with the brain’s processing information. It is diagnosed through a series of tests of memory, spelling, vision, and reading skills.
Dyslexia impacts people in varying degrees. It can lead to frustration and low self-esteem. Early diagnosis of the disorder and systematic intervention with the right support, appropriate teaching methods, tools and the use of technology can help to improve their academic performance and overcome challenges to reach their goals.
Children with dyslexia have above average IQs and are creative but they have trouble expressing themselves in spoken or written language.
Studies show that while most people use the ‘verbal’ left side of their brain to understand words, dyslexic people use the ‘pictorial’ right side, making them slower to process and understand language. They may struggle with concentrating with background noise, planning and prioritizing. However, people with dyslexia are often highly intelligent, highly creative and logical, have great leadership and people management skills, adaptable, kind, intuitive, with vivid imaginations, and are very good at reading people.
Unfortunately, many misinformed parents, educators and employers in Guyana see dyslexia as a disadvantage, thereby creating a stigma and negative attitude towards dyslexic children, students and employees.
There are many famous and successful people who have openly identified themselves as being dyslexic. Among them are British billionaire entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder of the Virgin airlines, Sir Richard Branson; CNN television host, Anderson Cooper; actress Whoopi Goldberg; singer and human rights activist, Harry Belafonte; actor Tom Cruise; basketball legend, Irving “Magic” Johnson; media mogul Ted Turner and co-founder of Apple Computers, the late Steve Jobs.
Other notables who had dyslexia were German-born physicist Albert Einstein, inventors Henry Ford and Thomas Edison; boxing legend Muhammad Ali; US Presidents George Washington, John F Kennedy, Woodrow Wilson; and Thomas Jefferson; British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill and sculptor, architect and engineer Leonardo da Vinci.
Although dyslexia is probably one of the most prevalent learning disabilities in Guyana, it might be unknown to most Guyanese. This learning disorder, which makes reading, writing and spelling difficult is the most common learning disability in all areas of the world.
It affects about seven percent of the world’s population; however, up to 20 percent may have some degree of symptoms.