What It feels Like to Be Dyslexic

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Self-Realization of the Problem

Jill is a 45-year-old successful businesswoman who was a founding manager of a family business. Her expertise and business acumen have assisted her husband in increasing their small company's earnings forty-fold. As part of her responsibilities, Jill proofs many of the jobs in press. A few years ago, she had to approve the final copy of a booklet on dyslexia for a local college. In reading this booklet, Jill confirmed that she, too, was dyslexic. She describes experiencing "fear" and "excitement" as well as a "sense of relief" for she had in writing, "a description of me-that's the easiest way to put it."

Frequent Misinterpretations of Symptoms

Jill now could come to terms with her problem as she went through life unsure of why she encountered so many problems in learning how to read. She was frequently told as a child that she was "lazy," "stupid," "unmotivated," and that she "just didn't work hard enough."

Coping

Effects of Positive Reinforcement in Building Resiliency  Jill vividly remembers being "super-good" in the classroom so that she could obtain an A in something- classroom behavior. She remembers little positive reinforcement and when praised "would hold on to the praise for dear life and not let go of it."  Jill vividly recalls an incident in science class in the third grade that involved a teacher stating in front of the entire class, "Jill, you asked an excellent and intelligent question." Jill recalls that, "I was so thrilled to be called intelligent that I didn't shut up for the rest of the class- I remember that incident like it was yesterday."

The Heart of the Problem

According to Jill, reading problems were at the heart of her struggling school career.

I always remember having trouble with reading. I would have difficulty sounding out words- I couldn't sound out words- the words never fit together right. If I heard the word said first, then I could learn the words. I did best in classes like science when the material was presented verbally. I had a hard time comprehending because I had a hard time sounding out words. I remember making reversals like "96"  for "69" and "dod for bob." Spelling was my best subject if I could memorize the words just before the test. Afterwards I would forget the spellings and start all over again. For years, I spelled, "those" as "thoughs" and anything with a "f" sound incorrectly, like "phone" as "fone." I remember never learning how to spell "spaghetti." I would have to use a dictionary to assist me in spelling "spaghetti" even today. I don't write anything without a dictionary next to me.

Peer Relations: A Few Close Friends

Lack of Confidence  When under pressure, my spelling and reading abilities get much worse. I remember becoming frustrated when discussing test scores with my peers all through my school years. This is because I remember working harder than the other kids. So I withdrew from people because I was ashamed- I would try to hide my test scores. However, I was never teased by kids and I always had a few close friends. In my family, some family members didn't think I was intellectual enough. It was never anything verbal, but it was in the way they related to me.