When adults struggle to read and have great difficulty with spelling despite obvious talent, it is frustrating in everyday life. Contrary to popular belief that dyslexia “grows out” in adulthood, the difficulties persist. The reasons why adults do not talk openly about it and what can be done about it are presented in this article.
This is why those affected do not talk about their dyslexia
There are a number of reasons why sufferers keep quiet. One reason is that they don’t even know they are dyslexic. They may have struggled in school, but never had to take a dyslexia test that would have actually determined the cause. Often, dyslexics think it is their own fault for failing because they may not have studied hard enough. Others simply think they are not gifted. The negative self-image eats away at their self-confidence. The fact that they have mastered school despite the difficulties demands respect.
Left alone: When no help is organized
In other cases, when guardians or educators were well aware of the dyslexia but supportive measures were not granted, the affected child was left to fend for themselves. Constant failures at school can be demoralizing and now in adulthood one does not want to deal with this problematic issue again. The thinking behind this is, “Now comes education (or college) and in that context I can focus on my strengths. I can manage without support measures.”
Practice shows that affected young people who move on to training or further education or even to university do not ask for support. It doesn’t even occur to them that they are entitled to so-called disadvantage compensation. But it does, as explained in a guidebook published by the Bundesverband Legasthenie und Dyskalkulie e.V. (German Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Association). In short, shame often plays a big role, as does a lack of self-confidence and the worry of being labeled stupid or lazy. If employers think that dyslexia impairs performance or could even lead to not qualifying for a job, this creates a lot of pressure for those affected. But there are ways adult dyslexics can improve their day-to-day work lives.
Dyslexia supports in adulthood
Targeted therapy can improve reading skills and spelling. In doing so, dyslexia therapy can be done online on your own. The training materials start at a rather childish level at first, but adults should not let that bother them. After all, certain reading and spelling skills from elementary school knowledge are not secured in adults. The basics need to be clarified. It is advisable to jump over one’s own shadow and remember that they must first establish a solid foundation. This basis consists of the basic areas that must be mastered with certainty. Only then will the therapy achieve success. Depending on one’s personal level of knowledge, it may take some time before all areas of error are caught up and secured to a satisfactory degree. While a 100 percent success rate cannot be expected, very few adults are one hundred percent confident in spelling. There are simply a lot of exceptions in spelling, so it’s hard to remember everything.
Technical aids for dyslexics
Learning to read takes time, but it’s worth it! If you read a lot, you not only get better and better at reading, but you also train your spelling. In addition, reading has been shown to be good for the brain and can slow down mental aging symptoms. Encouragement in adulthood requires patience. It takes time for reading skills and spelling to become solid enough for affected individuals to feel confident. When, for example, an exam situation arises in the context of training, studies or further education, when a lot of material has to be learned and processed, dyslexics need special strategies. They have to struggle with two things: the content requirements of the material and the dyslexia. The fear of making mistakes blocks performance and causes the error rate to go up.Targeted aids are therefore recommended and they can be as follows:
- If someone (or something like a reading software) reads aloud the texts relevant to the exam, the dyslexic can better concentrate on finding the solution, because he can immediately absorb the information and does not have to work out the text first.
- Special language software helps to formulate term papers or theses. Fellow students or friends read final proofreading.
- Information on the board can be photographed, so that all the information is complete for home rework. So it is not bad if not everything can be written down.
If the weaknesses of dyslexia are compensated by these aids, affected persons can save a lot of time, improve learning success and increase the proportion of independent work. The self-confidence grows and the ability to deal positively with the limitations also increases. When weaknesses are proactively addressed in this way, much of the fear of failure disappears.
Training companies, schools and universities must develop understanding
It is important that training companies, colleges, schools, and employers understand that aids to absorbing, reproducing, and processing information are as necessary for dyslexics as eyeglasses are for people with impaired vision. No one would prohibit a person who wears glasses from wearing them because they need them to see as well as others. It is similar with dyslexics. They need appropriate aids to have the same conditions in learning as people without dyslexia.
