Three Myths of Dyslexia

There are a lot of false ideas out there about what it means or is like to be dyslexic. Here are three that need to be addressed now:

Being Dyslexic means the letters turn around on the page

A lot of people ask me about this, it has never happened to me. When I read the words don’t come off the page, like they do for some people. The words look just like they do for a non-dyslexic person. My brain decodes blends differently.

Some Dyslexics do experience this, but not everyone.

You’ll Grow out of it, don’t worry.

Dyslexia will always be a part of me. The reason people assume you can grow out of it is because people with dyslexia get better at using coping mechanisms. The real reason I have gotten better is because I have spent the last 5 years with a tutor helping me train my brain.

You just need to try harder.

Being dyslexic doesn’t mean I am lazy, it means that I am already the hardest working person in the room. What takes people a handful of time to master can take me thousands of tries to get right. Telling me to try harder just makes me feel bad.