Why the dyslexic brain is misunderstood
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
- How dyslexia is a differently organized brain.
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The brain isn’t naturally wired to read. It’s a task that requires explicit instruction for our brains to activate different areas, including those that control vision, sound, and meaning. For fluent readers, the result is a complicated reading circuit - connected by neural pathways of white matter - to allow us to process words within milliseconds. But this reading circuit looks different for people with dyslexia.
For decades, the research was largely focused on how this different brain organization often resulted in delays and difficulty in areas like reading, spelling, and grammar. And today, there continues to be stigma and misconceptions around a dyslexia diagnosis.
But the challenges of dyslexia often overshadow another part of the picture. Research has repeatedly shown dyslexia is also associated with specific cognitive strengths. These include visuo-spatial processing, narrative memory, problem-solving, and reasoning. While there is still a lot to learn about these advantages and how they work, in the piece above we unpack what we know about dyslexia, and what many studies have concluded about these strengths.
This perspective could be critical - not just for the roughly 20 percent of people who have dyslexia - but for the colleagues, peers, and educators who can better empower dyslexic thinking and better understand neurodiversity.
SOURCES:
On the reading brain:
Proust and the Squid: www.harpercoll...
Studies:
“Explorative bias”: www.frontiersi...
Impossible figures: pubmed.ncbi.nl... // pubmed.ncbi.nl...
Peripheral vision: pubmed.ncbi.nl... // journals.sagep...
Blurred images: journals.plos....
ADDITIONAL READING:
The Dyslexic Advantage: www.dyslexicad...
Amazing Dyslexics: www.amazingdys...
Overcoming Dyslexia: dyslexia.yale....
www.scientific...
dyslexiahelp.u...
dyslexia.yale.....
Note: The headline on this piece has been updated.
Previous headline: The benefits of dyslexic thinking
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I think the hardest thing for ppl with dyslexia is getting past the trauma of feeling inadequate during early school years. It can make u self-conscious and anxious around school as an adult.
I identify with this statement, school and the associated failure has been unshakeable. I was identified as with ADHD and dyslexia in grade one, however the school board was not fully equipment to support my needs. Ultimately I was only judged/graded by a system that would never see my potential. If someone had told me I was gifted at seeing the bigger picture and emotionally connecting with induvials, I think my career pathway may have been more streamlined.
@Drew Hewitt I was very self-conscious when using math, and it gave me anxiety I always thought was normal. Until college, where I had good tutoring, it gave me the confidence to do the work without an extra weight of anticipated defeat. I'm still not a math wiz, but just knowing it's possible for me to understand is life changing. It's kind of sad to think about all those years I lost early on now that I know it didn't need to be that way.
Super.
yes, I remember we did spilling quize in grade 4 and I was just staring at the words panicing and overwillmed, luckly my teacher knew I had dyslexia and gave me an easer one. And even in middle school I would feel like I was wasting everyone's time because of how long it took me to write down notes. And even now when texting people I constently second guess myself. But luckly after years of tutoring my reading and writing has inproved.
@mullacy5228 oh yeah, I always worried about that when I took notes too because it took me so long.
I'm dyslexic and went to a school for kids with dyslexia and ADHD for two years in 3rd grade because I still couldn't read. That place changed my life. They essentially taught us exactly what this video says, and gave tutoring specifically on phonetic spelling. I cannot overemphasizes the impact that framing dyslexia as a uniqueness not a disability had on my life. It tears me up thinking about all the kids trapped with a system of education that doesn't work for them.
I agree, I went to the same type of school, that cost my mom a fortune. I can only imagine how it was for kids without the resources. Like public school, with next to no staff, or resources. Thanks for sharing.
Lucky
Yep i got dislexia and adhd to
I have dyslexia as well ;(
Hi There, do you know some free resources online for parents or teachers to learn how to help kids with dyslexia? Thanks Rosy
A small correction. Broca's area is the Motor speech area. It's involved in creating meaningful sounds; it's the bridge between thinking a word and actually physically saying it. The part of brain responsible for comprehension of heard words is actually Wernicke's area. And the part of brain responsible for imagining and understanding the written form of words (or the visual word form area, as mentioned in the video) is the Dejerine's area.
The connections between the involved brain parts are even more important.
Thanks for the enhanced knowledge! 😀
I lost the count of how many mistakes I’ve been able to find all over the VOX’s videos. Keep asking myself: why do I still watch almost every episode
That ain’t a mistake G, Broca’s area contributes to language comprehension/perception.
😅😮
I'm a dyslexic engineering student, and as freshmen, we took a spatial visualization test. Which is basically turning 2D pictures of 3D shapes in your head, I am the only one that I know of that got 100%, as well as finishing 1st which was new to me since I am normally one of the last people done with a test. So this would explain a lot.
@claywilking4086 as a dyslexic engineer myself I can tell you that dyslexia brings advantages to working as an engineer but there are also problems. The trick is to focus on your strengths and forgive your weaknesses.
A lesson I have to constantly remind myself of.
I'm an undiagnosed dyslexic design engineer in the automotive field, and I couldn't agree more with both of you! I struggle with understanding instructions, grammar, and processing information, but when it comes to creativity, problem-solving, spatial processing, and memory, I excel.
Dyslexics woke up to hope this morning. Love my fellow dyslexians.
WE UP NOW
Why am using the would "woke"? Is it like how other people use the word "woke" in America?
wow just learned my sickness isnt spelt disslecksick
Im empowered, weaponised and ready for combat
@@davidpayumo23 past tense of wake
Ppl who grew up undiagnosed probably know how bad it was growing up w it in a school system. I was a smart kid who could barely make a c in some of my classes, cried in every math class since second grade, never learned grammar, but I could barely try in a foreign language class and make an A. These videos make the shame I still hold less bad for all the “bad parts”. Appreciate you.
Thanks for sharing. In my life dyslexia has turned out to be the fuel behind so many amazing abilities in which I easily outperform what is normal. The wounds of shame from childhood can get a healing balsam by seeing that your dyslexia is the cause of awesome stuff you wouldn't have without it!
@@openspace3687 i hope I get more closer to that healing place one day, thanks for sharing too. ❤️
I dropped out of high school and I often I got compared to my older siblings how come I wasn’t smart like them.
Hi, I am interested in foreign languages for dyslexia as part of my Master's in Education. You mention that you felt like you did not need to make an effort in a foreign language class. Can you tell me what your first language is and what foreign languages you felt were easy for you to learn? I am genuinely interested as this is my main study topic. Many thanks!
Yes
My cousin has severe dyslexia. She struggled for years in school, as reading is a gateway to all school subjects. We were very close growing up, and this effected her self esteem greatly. Eventually, her mom pulled her to homeschool and she was able to accommodate her daughter's learning needs. My cousin got to spend time pursuing the things she was great at too. She is super smart, she just wasn't built for the school system. She ended up getting her university degree in violin from a prestigious university!
Awesome! The violin is so complex!
I play viola (and a few other things), but I have dyscalculia which affects math, and therefore affects reading music. Thankfully my ability to play by ear (not quite perfect pitch, but I can recognize intervals and tuning much quicker than reading notes or thinking of them as numbers) makes up for what I lack in sight reading and more of the theory side. I'm glad my teachers recognized my strengths, as well as provided help when I needed it, like extra math help at recess. I'm very thankful to have gone to a small private school because of how the teachers were able to give that extra help and spend time with each student.
As someone who loves reading and writing, I'd probably jump off a bridge if I was born with severe dyslexia. Not being able to read and write sounds like a godawful miserable way to live, honestly.
@@sn98886Severe Dyslexia doesn't necessarily mean that you can't read and write. One can have a very happy life and it isn't awful. As the title of the video says: Why the dyslexic brain is misunderstood.
As someone who has severe dyslexia I can read and enjoys it I’m just slower than everyone else. So please just remember to have a little patience for slower readers because you never know if they are dyslexic and what it took to get them to that point that they can read.
My wife is dyslexic, this was amazing work (and validating to hear). She's a sculptor and designer with immense talent, and now I understand a little more about how her brain works. PLEASE do a series of these for other misunderstood conditions - Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Savant Syndrome, etc.
@Li F Well, OCD is definitely a disorder.
@lif6737 sorry but they are disorders. Ask people who have it how much it negatively affects their lives. Those stories about hunter gatherers can only get so far..
@@Nat-oj2uc
I’m Hoping this AI stuff will do for dyslexics what GPS did for those type of people with poor navigational skills, that couldn’t apply for delivery jobs before GPS.
@@Nat-oj2uc
I’m Hoping this AI stuff will do for dyslexics what GPS did for those type of people with poor navigational skills, that couldn’t apply for delivery jobs before GPS.
@@YellowRamblerokay but throughout the evolution of mankind, there are infinite famous personalities who were Dyslexic and changed the world whether for better or worse. They belonged to all sort of fields from religious Scholars to Prophets to Kings to Warriors to Dictators to modern-day CEOs to Scientists to Doctors to Engineers to Analysts to Researchers literally all phases of society
I’m dyslexic and I feel so much more confident that I can add to a team. I’m in university to go into graphic design, and this really does give me confidence that I can contribute to a team in more useful ways
As a working professional (with dyslexia) in the industry, I want to let you know graphic design is a great choice. Just make sure to check spelling lol
ai image generation is gonna trainwreck your hopes and dreams
@@Kalimoor ??? What are you talking about?
@@iriskrane2433 I don't think they understand the AI image generation discourse
@@Kalimoor that's unnecessary to say... And it will most likely just move the junior designers to help more with concept development rather then production work w(hich would be better for us dyslexic thinkers). If you ever had a client that was extremely specific with what they want and how they want it you would understand. I'm looking forward to it because it will take out all the gruntwork.
Thank you for this video. I am dyslexic, I was diagnosed at 7 and was in the lower classes at school. Now, 36 I am an author and studying at university with 95% in my previous assignment. I am going on to spread the positivity of dyslexia and support other people to play to their strengths.
As a person with dyslexia, I have traditionally regarded this condition as a hindrance, albeit in some respects I still do. However, I have come to appreciate that dyslexia confers certain unique advantages. Specifically, my dyslexia allows me to perform tasks that I never knew others couldn't do. For instance, I can visualize an object, such as an engine, and deconstruct it mentally in three dimensions. This ability enhances my capacity to diagnose and repair mechanical issues, making me more adept in these areas than individuals who do not share my condition, based on my personal experience.
You are me!!
I could build a SBC in my head!!
@@iwannapoop If I may, I believe it is reasonable to assume that you were equally astounded, if not more so, than I, when you discovered that others are incapable of performing the same cognitive tasks that you are able to, despite your handicap in reading, writing, particularly in my case. It is truly remarkable that this unique ability is exclusive to individuals with dyslexia. This, however, does not imply that one is a genius, but rather, that they possess an advantage that often goes unrecognized until it is brought to their attention.
Not to flex too hard but I can 3d model and deconstruct images in my brain, without dyslexia. Anyone else have similar experiences?
This concept described has its own name- I think it’s just common in people who also struggle with aspects of dyslexia.
You might have a bit of it and not know- my dyslexia didn’t prevent me from reading or writing (but I can’t spell well) because I found another way to read in a wholistic way using a different parts of my brain, so I didn’t know I was dyslexic for 24 years.
But you just as well might not have dyslexia, it’s just a word we use to describe the way that some brains function and typically associated with hindrance to learning things the “neurotypical” way- my brain just has different stats, attributes, and capabilities and rote learning (for example) isn’t one of them.
But as a filmmaker it’s similar but more abstract I have visions in my mind: I’m watching it and writing it I’m *experiencing* it. And figuring how I’ll do it: where the lights will go and how it will be shot and the textures and materials and actions and mannerisms of the actors and the music and sound track, it manifests in fully formed moments, I imagine it, I draw it, I plan it, coordinate the complex/entangled logistics. And we make it and when I watch it like a rerun from another dimension. The thing that was inside my mind is now unfolding inside any/every mind in the audience [because that’s where cinema happens: in our minds.]
@@OddlingCore I was unaware of my dyslexia until I turned 27, despite having grown up in the late 1980s. As a graduate of officer school, I achieved the third position in my class by relying on my ability to memorize and plan everything mentally. Therefore, your description of dyslexia bears a striking resemblance to my own experience. This trait is particularly advantageous for an officer, especially when tasked with planning and coordinating operations in challenging environments such as the jungle. Being able to visualize every aspect of a plan and anticipate how it will be executed from every angle is a valuable asset.
One of my friends is dyslexic. I can definitely say that she is an amazing person, full of insights, compassion and so rational.
One more thing about dyslexics is that we have to translate our thoughts (which is in visual form) into words and it costs more mental energy than neurotypical people. I was shocked that people really can think with words.
i am very dyslexic , My dreams are like full imax 3d movies.
I love hearing from my wife questions like "what are You thinking now?" Often i have to spend a few minutes to explain my "train of thought" and 90% of the time she makes me stop with answers. I love her and i know We think differently.
Do more of these videos for other forms of misunderstood neurodiversity -- ADHD, OCD, dyspraxia, etc.
OCD is never desirable. It is poorly depicted in media and most people don’t understand what OCD is. OCD is inherently always distressing and maladaptive for the person it affects. For example, a person with OCD may need to check the light switch in their downstairs kitchen for several hours before they can sleep. They will go upstairs, get in bed, and have the compulsion to get up and check the light switch. They will repeat this for hours despite it being miserable. The compulsions are not pleasurable. I knew someone that would take pictures of the switch and it would not help. They would still have to check. Their camera roll was full of pictures of the same light switch in the off position. There are no benefits to OCD.
I would also like to learn more about Auditory Processing Disorder.
@@user-du7if7xq3k While I know the condition is one that causes significant distress, I think it's a bit extreme to say it has _no_ advantages whatsoever. I think there are some scientists (smarter than I) who suspect it provides (or did provide) an evolutionary advantage by heightening the individual's awareness of oddities and thereby potential dangers.
Of course, that doesn't mean it's not also debilitating. Especially in extreme cases.
@@user-du7if7xq3k maybe there are some benefits and we just don't know about them because they haven't been researched?
@@user-du7if7xq3k benefits depend entirely on context. Your absolutist claim represents a culture antagonistic to diversity that contributes unnecessary distress to the circumstances created by diversity. Deficiencies somewhere almost invariably imply proficiencies elsewhere. A significant portion of the distress people experience is due to stigma derived from naive reductionist thinking that presumes deviations from an egocentrically defined norm labeled as "ideal" are merely "deficient."
I have Dyslexia & ADHD. I would love to see a video where they talk about how it works when you have both. Finding out the advantages and disadvantages would be very helpful
As someone in the same situation, my observations are ( compared with other dyslexics) so many ideas, concepts and internal noise that it's difficult to develop one idea, for example when writing a paper or designing a space, i have initial base ideas that seem fundamental, and on first sight most would agree, but the noise of an ADHD brain means, I continue to connect the dots from a universe away, and that was not asked for in the original remit, but to me, these new insights are too great to ignore.
All of this is perfectly logical to my mind and thus I get frustrated when others don't see the joins/connections.Thus at Uni I often failed big time due to misinterpreting linear briefs and putting an abstract concept in say something like surveying. Or attained high marks because I could justify ignoring some of a design brief. It seems we are like normal dyslexics only more so.
Same situation. I would love to see a review of research of when an individual has both.
I was recently told that it is very common for someone who is dyslexic to also have ADHD
Yep same. I do wonder whether my ADHD is due to the inefficiency of my brain in processing written words or whether it is just more a correlation without causation.
hello fellow people :) Don't think it will be any time soon when we gonna see such material. Both topics just start to be talk over without critical thinking about flaws. Yet agree, would be great to hear more, but above material explains A LOT! I thought its just personal predisposition (aka. talent), not positive outcome of have Dyslexic brain.
One of my sibling are dyslexic, while we are three who aren't. The strengths are totally on point: She is great with all animals, is a great horse rider, has two educations both in practical areas, outgoing, resilient, outdoor-person, go-getter, energetic.
While us other three are the typical introvert, dreaming, procrastinating, troubled academics.
She used to feel that her lack of school skills made her inferior, but I always admired how good she is at persevering at anything and how good she is with all living beings, animals and humans alike. I think she in many ways drew the long straw.
what job does she do? just looking for ideas. thanks!
@@InderjitSingh12most likely Engineering, Doctor, Technology, Lawyer
My friend's mom (a friend I've known since we were kids) has dyslexia, and that woman can do crafty stuff the likes of which I'll never have the gumption to attempt. Knitting, crocheting, sewing, leather working-- she's always picking up new skills. And with all these, she always achieves a high level of skill. Her sweaters look professional; she made a historically accurate 1860s dress, including constructing the hoop skirt and all the undergarments; she made my mom's current purse. All this to say, here's to all you dyslexic badasses. You can do stuff I may never achieve!
Not to brag, she sounds like me.
My dad was kicked out of school at 14 because in the 70’s and 80’s, they didn’t know what was ‘wrong’ with him. He left barely able to read or write and yet I always say hes the most impressive person I know. Hes a mechanic, a plumber, electrician, gardener, bricklayer, he can do pretty much anything and I don’t understand how. These are all things he can never do as actual jobs because he doesnt have qualifications but at home and for friends and family, he can fix and do pretty much anything.
I got diagnosed with dyslexia in elementary school. I’ve never had trouble reading and love writing stories. Never had trouble with numbers and love math. My spatial awareness is way too good, but when it comes to spelling, I have so much trouble. I’m saying the word but the letters aren’t forming. Currently an engineer at the school of my dreams and can’t spell words well. xD
I can definately relate to that- I still can't remember how to spell university. I am writing my masters thesis 😅
Same. The most used function on my phone is, “Siri, please spell…”
luckily knowing how to spell words isn’t all that useful in the world :) (i spelt 2 words wrong typing this, lol)
I misspell words a lot when I’m using a device that doesn’t have autocorrect (aka a computer)
Same with me lol I can't spell at all
As a dyslexic person. I can recall getting major headaches when learning to read. I failed a maths year in highschool. When I was scolded and placed in maths extra classes, I literally cried at the start because nothing made sense. I did improve, not a lot but enough to get me through school with above average marks. However, I disliked every second of it.
When I entered University. I studied a Bachelors degree in Visual Communication (Graphic Design). I was never so happy to find something I am exceptionally good at. I graduated with a near distinction (2% below it). But with two design awards. In my first year of design for a world class luxury brand development / creative campaign agency. I've been flown to Dubai on (company expense) to attend client meetings, and develop visual precedent. Now, I'm in my second year. And it just keeps getting better and better.
Keep going on, eventually you'll find what you're good you're doing.
I have a dyslexic friend who doesn't recognise words by the letters they're made of; but instead the shape of the words as a whole. This fits with what is being said here
Oh my god. You just pointed out to me a thing I do that I didn't know wasn't how everyone else did it. People...recognize words by looking at the individual letters they're made of??? Holy cow
@@baileylushina I mean the letters encode the sounds the word is made of (more or less), so yeah that's by design :P
@NikolajLepka I mean, I get that when learning to read, I guess, but once you have words down it seems easier to me to just look at the whole word and recognize its shape. When you always do something one way, it's easy to assume it's how everyone else is doing it too. But I stand corrected and amazed.
I just never realized this about myself! So that is why spelling is hard
I have always seen words as a symbol of the concept in the same way as a picture when I look for meaning. Reading out loud is for me a completely separate process which takes the sound blends and combines them. This allows me to read out loud even when my autistic brain has bailed on me and I cannot think. For me extracting meaning and reproducing the sounds symbolised by letters are two separate processes that are not linked.
The joys of a brain that is both dyslexic and autistic, and very capable of functioning in unconnected ways to get things done if the senses are overwhelmed.
It is a mystery to me how people read letter by letter to construct a word and find meaning, it seems such a slow way to do it. But such brains are better at other things so if it works so what.
I’m dyslexic as a kid I struggle with reading, but now as an adult I’ve gotten into comics and through reading comics my reading has improved greatly. Last year I read well over 20 books. My reading isn’t perfect but I’ve found by putting in the work it pays off
Same, since finishing school I haven't stopped reading. As long as I'm interested in the subject it takes no time to read.
Thank you! Being a dyslexic I was quite surprised I was good at air traffic control in the military after being such an abysmal student. I must say the military wasn’t surprised. The person who discussed my near perfect ASVAB score with me, I only missed four questions, mind you a nearly flunked high school, was very aware why I did so well on their tests. It was not lost on me as I went on to do very well at everything I was taught in the military because everything was hands on visual training. There are no colleges that teach this way and I find it very unfair because I really wanted to be a doctor. I think I would have been great at it.
As a mama of a little boy with dyslexia, thank you for this video. I was looking at this work and on the verge of tears because I don’t know how to help him. This video made me think of his dyslexia differently. God bless you.
Hi, where are you based? are you able to get support for your boy?
I hope you are finding help for him since it's been while since your post. Orton-Gillingham based programs are the gold standard for teaching dyslexics to read. Barton is popular for one:one, and Wilson is for classes. There are others. Both my dyslexic boys are in high school now and can read reasonably well. One is in the special ed department but headed to college and the other doesn't get any special services. We focus a lot on their areas of giftedness. In our house that means music (my profession). For others it can be computers/technology/robotics, sports, theater, & art. It really helps to invest time into their passions so they can set aside difficulties in school and improve their self esteem.
take a look at interactive metronome.
I loathe being dyslexic. I look completely normal but if I have to write a word I'm unfamiliar with, it's embarrassing to see stranger's reactions. They think I'm uneducated or something but it's just how my brain functions.
It truly messes with my emotions.
I attended a film test screening once and they wanted viewers to convey thoughts on paper, viewers were forced to not have smartphone in the screening room.. was embarrassed how terrible by spelling was. I rely on spell check a ton.
This is me and it really hurt me 😢, sometimes I even pronounce words wrongly, were A will be looking like E, then when you call my attention to it I will be like oh sorry, am putting in so much effort in spelling correctly. I have to always read prove over and over
Look up crypto hash function, dyslexic spelling has similarities.
I hate writing in view of others watching the writing. I’m so embarrassed and so unsure / not confident
It's tough when your handwriting (or even typing!) has no connection to your thoughts and abilities.
I rely on spell-check daily, even though I have seen these words thousands of times. I'm lost without it. Proof reading is essential to me.
Bruh. I am dyslexic/dyscalculic (?) and I relate to this so much. I can picture stuff in my mind like solidworks - 3d objects with specific physical properties I can move and test together. I can also tell the sizes of small objects extremely accurately by sight, once shocked a piercer by accurately identifying a .4mm difference when he swore up and down it was a different size than I was saying. The calipers proved me right. This is pretty awesome, I didn't know it was the flipside of the dysexia!
Im dyslexic and my whole life has been base on visual, creativity and thinking outside the box.
Finally! I’m a dyslexic and have been talking about this for so long. To me it seems obvious that it’s an evolved trait for when we were hunter gatherers, and has pushed later agricultural societies past self imposed limits. Most people would think I was just trying to make my “disorder” sound better, but once I grew up I knew it wasn’t a disability. It was a gift of immense natural talent.
ww-what's that talent for you?
@@OP-lk4tw I find I can easily learn new information and then explain it back effortlessly, especially if some visual aspect was involved. I can easily describe and tell stories (I’m a writer), natural at arts (should paint more and develop it) and I picked up piano without a single lesson (though I cannot read music for the life of me)
You were right all along! Interesting about reading music. Some dyslexics can and some can't.
I'm a 14 year old dyslexic student who had huge problams with spelling and reading, as you can see with my incorrect spelling as your reading this, and I remember going to a school called Kildonan in Amenia, New York when I was in 5 grade. They were a school who main job was to teach dyslexic students through a process called Orten Gillinham, or OG, and they focus heavily on visalizing the word and sounding it out. Fast forward to 9th grade and I had to wright a paper about the brain, and I chose Dyslexia. While talking back and forth between my old OG tutor and a great friend who studing the brain for a PHD, we came to the conclusion that dyslexia is in incense a " flipped brain". What I mean is, during infancy, for some reason the dendrites died in the left hemisphere and reconeted to other dendrites from the right hemisphere over and over again, leading to the gradual process of the " filed brain". Now I'm not a scientist but to me it make somewhat sense as a dyslexic to me.
being able to spell is way less important as an adult. The things you’re able to do will be super useful in the future, promise 👍
I bet you are going to do great things with your "flipped brain"! Being dyslexic automatically means you think differently, so you are capable of noticing things neurotypicals miss.
My sisters and i all have dyslexia. I was the hardest hit with reading delays but we all hit an period of time were we discovered books we liked and started reading large numbers of books quickly catching up to our reading level. for me it was 8th grade. i went from early readers to the 'Wheel of Time' within a year. I may have skipped 8th grade but it was worth it.
Some of the best animators are dyslexic because of the heightened spacial reasoning. They can often draw a 2D object and create a 3D model in their head making it easier for them to animate it and move it in space.
As a dyslexic, growing up I would read words backwards with ease but struggled pronouncing them correctly. It really hurt my self-esteem as a kid and I eventually had to take speech classes to help me with this. Reading was my biggest struggle. I always remember being in elementary school and having a wall of everyone name in my class and how many pages they read and I was always at the bottom. I tried so hard to but I felt helpless. There were times I would be reading and wouldn't notice that I skipped a whole paragraph. Oddly enough, I worked hard at it and as I got older, spelling & pronouncing words turned into a strength. I was always in the school/district spelling bee. It's a process but I'm learning more and more about how I can cope with it.
I’m not dyslexic and still really appreciated this video. Neurodiversity makes humanity stronger!!! 💖
0:55
I have dyscalculie as an example and don't have this type of model because even geometry is hard for people with a math weakness. But I always focus on parts of a model not the thing itself which makes me able to understand other parts better
As a 34 year old who has just been diagnosed as dyslexic - this is huge. Thank you
So true! I struggle with numbers, spelling, reading out loud, left/right, telling time, math, grammar, however I developed amazing reading & reading comprehension skills, A ridiculously good memory for faces, facts, super quick at weeding through complex information and summarizing or finding bits of info…. I can visualize complex things/info in my mind and see it from all points of view….. once I learn something and I truly understand it.. it becomes permanently etch in my brain, extremely curious and a life long learner…. Always pondering the unknowns and all the holes in things we do know…
You will never know what I said
video were you able understand to?
@@flosset6070 at this point I don’t think it’s my dyslexia. What did you just say?
@@Dimitris_Half my dearest apologies lol
@@lawk4183 weer yuo to albe to undersatnd tihs vdeio?
@@Alpherix yeah
I'd love to see videos on the strengths of people with ADHD and autistic people. (I have ADHD and it'd be nice to see it in a positive light for once.)
Associative Thinking can be an advantage for both stated groups.
I really agree - cause I'm one of people with ADHD too. 🥺
Agreed. AuDHD here. Still, we're an extremely diverse group with various skills among us (ඞ). People with AuDHD have different symptoms and behaviors alltogether from those with either ASD or ADHD (it's not a straight up combination, like many seem to think). Additionally, my ASD diagnosis was formerly categorized as PDD which has significant differences from other forms of ASD (and even then, us with PDD have various skills among ourselves). At the end of the day, the DSM is not a holy scripture, but an educated attempt at grouping together certain symptoms (not causes), and should perhaps be taken with a grain of salt. There are some who manage to acquire PhDs untreated while others struggle with getting through high school with treatment. It's almost like these diagnoses are tiny components of our personalities.
Interesting topic
I’m Autistic and have ADHD and I’d like to see a video on both of them too!! 😊
This is interesting. I’m dyslexic and went to two different facilities to have my IQ tested (none of my teachers caught the dyslexia- *I* caught that it was always letter swapping or deletion and brought it up) and my strongest category was always spacial relations from each place throughout the years. I can’t spell or do math to save my life (dyscalculia), But I can parallel park like nobody’s business. 🤣
Hahahahahahaha!!! OMG, you made me laugh so much, I'm a badass at parking too (any type).
Wow, I never felt so validated about my mild dyslexia before. It often take me a couple more seconds to understand what people say and often times I just give up. Maths, logics, and spatial visualization are definitely my stronger suit than speech and writing.
Going to school in the 70s and 80s you were put in the “slow” classes. There was a stigma that you could not be as good as the others. My guidance councilor said my only option was to get a state job working on the highways because I would never get accepted to college. I feel today as someone who is getting close to retirement that my dyslexia has served me well, as stated in this video there are a great deal of positives, leverage them and you will do well.
Yes! I can rotate images in my head to problem solve - think in 3D better than others. There is also the global processing of the “Big Picture” that seems different. I’ve found these skills far superior in problem solving than spelling or the other processing issues I have.
My dad and I are Dyslexic. What’s amazing is that my dad and I are almost exactly alike, and we understand each other well. I didn’t know my dad was dyslexic until I was in my early twenties, because he was ashamed of it. I don’t feel alone anymore, and these types of videos really help my dad and me. I’m also an artist, and after watching this video, I feel that my Dyslexia is an advantage.
I grew up with bad eyesight which resulted in dyslexia. Later, when taking vision therapy, I discovered that even though my "object recognition" was bad, my spatial awareness was very above average. This resulted in me not just being good at dancing but I could mimic almost any movement I saw in practically seconds.
The even cooler thing is that my dyslexia was "cured" in high school when I started learning Italian. It was so weird. As I was learning the language I kept looking at English spelling and slowly started going "Oh... actually this is making sense" it was completely wild! This video definitely explains that learning a foreign language was developing and improving those connection I was lacking.
I think English or French are extra hard for dyslexic people, whereas Italian or Spanish can be less challenging as the spelling is more phonetic.
You cant get dyslexia from having bad eyesight....you are born with it or you are not
I’m dyslexic and wasn’t diagnosed till university. The diagnosis was such a relief, I understood why I had struggled up to that point. Now I know I can learn anything I put my mind to, it just takes me longer. I was lucky my parents encouraged me to read as a child and I developed a love of reading. Regular practice helps so much.
I agree with you on this..I loved to read.. I didnt have difficulty in reading so much but my spelling is horrible till date. My memory to isn't that good either and language skill 😂😂😂😂😂 horrible
I always struggle with reading, language, and spelling but I wasn’t diagnosed with dyslexia. I didn’t even know it was a thing until I got to college and my professor asked me if I had because of all my struggles with writing papers. My k-12 school year really failed me but also helped me because I had to figure ways to keep my head above water. I’m very good at seeing the big picture, solving problems, and idk if thing have anything to do with dyslexia but I good at looking at things and predicting if things are work or not.
I’ve never been diagnosed, but it was actually my drum teacher who inspired me to look into it. I was really struggling with reading music and he asked “do you look at the beginning and end, then just guess what’s in between?”
I never realized it before but that was exactly what I’d been doing with ALL of my reading. I then researched it and found that I most likely have “letter position dyslexia” where I misread things very subtly.
There’s times where it can be an advantage though, like long strings of numbers or scanning pages really quickly. I think I t’s one of the reasons open books tests have always gone well for me.
wow I wish this was known when I was kid. Makes so much sense where my career ended up (creative field, heavy spatial problem solving with lots of collaboration)
I have dyslexia and this was the best thing to show my non-dyslexic frends who dont understand what i see/ how my brain works. thank you for makeing this.
I have never been tested for dyslexia, but I am sure I am. It would be so validating to be officially diagnosed, throughout my childhood I dealt with a lot of abuse, I still get some as an adult.
I have been told here and there that I may have mild dyslexia, or number associated dyslexia. This video shows me I 100% am dyslexic. Wow. I relate to all of this. Gonna call my Dr right quick.
I was diagnosed dyslexic when I was 8 and struggled with school till I graduated. By 17 I decided I was sick of bagging or getting bagged on about my dyslexia and started to readership the advantages of my “learning disability” I still hate this term. I learned that dyslexia is why I could create 3D models in my head. It was why I could strategically think about systems and poke holes in mine and others perceptions of a situation. Now I am a lot older and have developed tools to give myself an edge in school much what this video talks about. I am doing a degree in social work and going to get a minor in psychology. Currently learning a second language all while maintaining a 4.00 simply because I know that there is a bad and good to everything and dyslexia I am proud to have. It really helps with my class and ability to connect to the work I am doing.
I’m 43 and only recently found out I was dyslexic after my 9 year old daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia. It made so many things make more sense to me like why I struggle with spelling and reading out loud.
I've known I was dyslexic since I was 8, but it made no difference, I still struggle at 48.
I was never told that I was dyslexic, instead my mom always told me that I was blessed with a different and unique brain that I should cherish. I am so grateful for that! I never felt cursed or ashamed when taking classes with a speech therapist ❤
Every time I stress about not reading everything at the same speed as others I can just think of this video.
It’s funny because I’ve always been an explorer, quite creative and what I call “able to think in 3D” but never related it to my diagnosis
Totally. I've always loved to explore knew areas of knowledge myself in line with the specific way my mind works. Inventing a language for mathematics that is entirely based on 2 and 3D-Geometry; Developing my own theories about every topic of science and philosophy was always a natural instinct.
This answers a question I've had about my dyscalculia for a while. I could read (words) well before any of my peers. However, I struggle with number comprehension. Words are read by looking at the overall word, while numbers require more attention to their constituent parts.
I was diagnosed only recently and this explains my whole career.
can you share your career experience please? Im struggling at work.
@@InderjitSingh12 I've always been above average in math and science. I've even done well with reading and writing, but it's always taken me longer than my pears. It taught me to just outwork people in those categories until I went in to "hands on" work, and eventually management. Working on objects, creating tools for other people (actual tools, modifying workspaces, developing training and making automated systems) have been satisfying areas of work. I know work in an engineering department. I often develop strategies that get adopted even when I'm not in leadership roles. An important tactic for me is to be honest with my bosses about how long certain tasks will take me versus other people, but that I'm willing to do them. I also ask for time to develop tools to help speed up these tasks if they need to be a constant part of my work. Very frequently, those tools become standard resources and everyone benefits. It's still (and will probably always be) constantly embarrassing, but a place worth working will recognize your talents.
I find with reading and spelling as a dyslexic, I remember the shape of how a word is spelt not the letters individually. Sometimes different fonts can really throw off my spelling cause sometimes it just "looks wrong".
Me too, welcome to the the club.
It’s truly fascinating. I would love to see a breakdown of how dyslexic people have learned to read. From what I’ve seen, many rely on prediction. Quickly understanding an authors “rhythms” or patterns to get ahead of simply trying to turn letters into words. Basically taking their strengths in logic and pattern recognition and tailoring that towards their reading.
If our education system can learn to adapt in teaching students to foster their gifts by not only teaching to their deficiencies, the sky is the limit. The most brilliant people I have known and/or work with, have all been outside of normal in some way.
For kids, it’s straight to the special ed or gifted programs depending on their educators/parents. Each carry significant consequence to the child’s future.
I'm dyslexic and an artist and this is so deeply validating.
When I was young and going to school in the 70's, I was told I needed remedial classes because I wasn't developing like others in my class. My mother refused because I was not slow and in fact, I was very intelligent. She saw my potential and made the school give me an oral IQ test and I scored high. Letters were hard for me, I call it brain scrabble. However, I was a little math wizard since numbers are not reversed in my brain. I had dyslexia and it wasn't recognized at that time in the school systems. My father also had dyslexia and he was a mechanical & structural engineer. Math and creativity were his superpowers too!! It's not a curse, it's just a different way of looking at things.
I have dyscalculia but I’m very good with shapes. I was surprised to see kids in my class who would fly through math problems, struggled through geometry especially when discussing 3D shapes, when I thought that was the easiest subject.
Same. I wonder if that means I have dyscalcula? I hated math class, and had to take calculus like 3 times in college to scrape a passing grade. But 3D objects are a breeze, whether that be programming in 3D or drawing shadows for a photoshopped object.
SAME! It's so awesome to finally understand this after so many years and see others with the same experience.
I found that strange too, watching people struggle with simple shapes after doing algebra.
@@Tustin2121 well here's an example of how bad it was for me, I'd finish a math problem, and my teacher would ask "how did you end up with two decimal points in your answer..." I had somehow included the number of the problem in the calculation. so I had to start circling the question number not to do it again ⓶ instead of 2.
@@estycki - well, I never did that. I had a lot of trouble with memorizing or executing the rules of math, so maybe it's something else. Visualizing was a breeze, though.
After having watched so much subtitles with anime (I have dyslexia). At first I couldn’t at all, but after some time, I started seeing every single word as a whole picture instead and I could read insanely fast. This ofcourse took me a really long time to get used to
Thank's for this video, it got me teared up and smiling all the way through :)
I got diagnosed dyslexia 2009, when i was in class 3. With the test for dyslexia i also had to do a IQ test, surprise surprise I was way better than the avarage in spacial recognition and logical thinking. Now I'm majoring in mechanical engineering and it just makes sense because all those things that were listet by you in the video that dyslexic brains are better in are put together in this major😄
Thank's it made my day,
Thomas
It seems to me people with dyslexia solely process imagery with their GPU whereas text would be faster processed with the CPU instead. What is also quite interesting is that from my experience language plays a massive role in reading/writing. I feel like I use the language’s structure so to say to build words and sentences. I say this because I always had trouble with my first language, it had structure yes but many words had exceptions that sometimes went against the language’s structure completely. With english it was much easier although there are still many exceptions but it’s far better than my first language. I always hated how my first language didn’t make any sense logically but wasn’t actively improved. I guess I see language more as math whereas 1 + 1 should always equal 2 instead of “Well it’s 2 most of the time but for this and that it’s actually 3.” It’s more of a rant now than an observation, I will stop.
That's really interesting. I speak two languages but vastly prefer english because it's a much more direct and logical structure and very modular. What's your first language?
@@vacafuega My first language is Dutch. It’s very similar to English in its structure but all the exceptions make it so much worse. To me English is just the updated version where most of the senseless exceptions have been removed.
I've been LOVING this All About the Body series recently. Would love to see more of these videos in the future, super interesting!
Extremely effective video ! Cover so much in such little time. I even got a bit emotional when you underlined the potential "evolutionary utility" of DD when it comes to helping us cooperate better. As a dyslexic person who specializes in negotiation and debating, building bridges between polarized people, this idea is as a close to a "god given" purpose of life as I can imagine.
I have mild dyslexia and pretty bad dysgraphia. I can read well but my spelling is very bad. Ironically I am a great writer/ speaker but I have a heavy reliance on spell check and editors. My visual-spatial and fluid reasoning abilities are off the charts, and I am becoming one of the most gifted cancer biologists to ever live so I guess when I find the right people to collaborate with I will be unstoppable. I wish this was properly diagnosed during school I would have done much better. I lament how many geniuses the world has been deprived of due to discrimination against the weaknesses associated with dyslexia and dysgraphia.
My daughter is dyslexic. She is also amazing at learning skills. She taught herself how to tie shoes when she was three, just by watching me do it. She's really good at mimicking dance styles. And she's an amazing artist. She's been sewing her own doll clothes since she was four, and she's always drawn with perspective (closer things being larger than farther away things.) Her figure drawings have a weight to them.
Reading takes extra work for her, but I can't call her dyslexia a disability. It makes her extraordinary.
That was awesome, I had a wonderful reading teacher in 2nd grade that helped with my dyslexia.
Still struggle with it sometimes, but this was super insightful.
I am learning German at 33 and its making me extremely hyperaware of my dyslexia. Often I cannot understant and adhere to new grammatical information and once I do my examples throw my teacher off, to the point that I can see in their face how they feel like I am constandly not understanding anything.
The German language is my enemy! I have never noticed my dyslexia more then when doing math and learning German 🥲
Sending this to my friend with dyslexia rn
thanks for making this. i struggled with dyslexia my entire life. and im so happy that the sight of dyslexia isnt something to be shamed or looked down apon, im glad that when i have kids my kids will never have to deal with what i had to deal with as a kid.
I was completely illiterate until 10yrs old and still can’t read clocks. But the impossible figures thing was like, is this even a test? Never diagnosed though. They just said I had possible learning disorders
Thank you nature for choosing me to be dyslexic brain.... I'm Blessed
Shoutout to my "dysgraph-ic" friends and fam here as well. Reading's not a problem for some of us, but we feel this too. The hiding, the desperate workarounds, the stigma, masking, code-switching, the childhood and teenage (and beyond) fear, terror and daily panic, the isolation, the being outed, mocked and bullied, *and* the glorious secret-weapon alt-gifts. Yes. We totally TOTALLY get this in a solidarity way.
👊👊✊️
Love, your friendly neighborhood "dyscalcul-ic". btw I'm 60 now 😅❤😎
I have dyscalculia and it was always awful being in math class and being ridiculed because my mind kept mixing up numbers and I couldn't keep them all straight enough to do my calculations. I do remember however, when we got to the geometry unit and I was able to recognise the patterns between the angles of intersecting lines and solve those equations faster than anyone in class. The teacher made up a question for me and I was able to solve it faster than she could, even. As an artist, my visual-spatial awareness has helped so much but god is it so, so, so, so frustrating to constantly be belittled for something you have no control over, even if you more than make up for it in other areas.
ditto for me too with both these responses. Numbers are sheer terror for me but I can guesstimate with almost complete accuracy. Lifetime impact of missed job opportunities, limited job opportunities, and self-restriction due to feelings of shame and inadequacy. Even today. I am over 60 yrs old. People have jokingly "accused" me of being "overly organized" or "overly efficient" but it's because I am so terrified of missing something and my inadequacies being exposed that I guess I over compensate, although to me I'm just being organized. This video explains a lot to me about myself, and your comment is enlightening.
Am dyslexic and i have learnt how to navigate through the challenges of dyslexia.
Long story short, am a lawyer now and passed the bar too now am thinking of helping people like me
So help me God
I remember in elementary school taking a kind of aptitude test with things like folding a box in your mind or understanding mechanical things like how cogs move and when the results came back I was in the 99th percentile for spatial awareness.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t spell to save my life and reading was noticeably slower than my peers.
I weas Dx w "high functioning dyslexia" in 1978 at the Landmark School in Beverley, MA after poor reading comprehension in college. By their simple instructions (index finger on the written page leading the eye and writing down notes) I managed to get into medical school and have been an ENT Surgeon focusing on head/neck cancer procedures, reconstructive operations etc. What really resonated from the video was visual spatial abilities of some dyslexics. I have the ability to rehearse the physical steps of surgery (the actual tissue manipulations) in my head and can "turn" the area of concern in three dimensions. Never thought that dyslexia could be the reason for this attribute in myself....
Just like Dr Shawn Murphy on The Good Doctor.
Not just a child me too. I’ve know I’m mildly dyslexic but I never realized it’s why I have allot the things that I’ve always felt set me apart from others.
Thank you for this info
Im asian my mom 😢 hit me bad cause i was dyslexic... Cause my mother and grandmother were school principals, many in the family pursue teaching profession, i was a disgrace for being the one that has difficulty writing and communication.
The neurodivergent way of looking at the world is not only valid but also should be normalised.
As someone who is mildly autistic I totally agree.
Agreed
Yeah and humanity literally wouldn't be here without it, our greatests strength as a speciesbis collaboration and diversity
@@orbismworldbuilding8428 Exactly, the fact that neurodivergent variations in processing and perceiving the world are found in humans globally and in quite significant amounts shows that there is an evolutionary pressure *for* a proportion of the population to have each of these different neurodivergent brain setups, probably because in our past that allowed more variation in thought and problem solving during cooperation due to that inherent variance in people's brains and how they experience the world.
@@treeaboo yep yep
As a dyslexic this was so affirming in so many ways. I have always felt I was stronger at other things even though my spelling and reading lacked.
I have always felt that my peripheral vision is great now I know what it was.
As someone who's neurodivergent I'm very happy we're becoming increasingly critical of labeling neurotypes that happen to be detrimental in modern society as not pathological or as having evolved and persisted in the human population for a reason.
I have dyslexia and this is the first time I've ever heard of anything like this. Ironically if it makes you better at remembering things then that might be part of how I dealt with it since I just ended up learning how to spell through rote memorization. I've never really had trouble with reading though, I just could never spell at all.
Being 46 years old, dyslexia wasn’t even know about at School you were just classed as think, or a slow learner but on the flip side of that is that it forced me to find different ways to get things done and I believe this is why I’ve done so way (business wise) you have to think differently. I have never been diagnosed (don’t need to be) but my son’s diagnosis made me realise all the signs in me. Thinking differently, is a huge strength.
My 9 year old daughter is dyslexic. Her gifts are artistic. She’s behind in reading and writing but she’s always been artistically ahead of her age. She draws and paints well beyond her years. She’s so creative and talented!
I am dyslexic. But I still read books for people two to three years older than me. Being Dyslexic doesn't mean reading and writing is extremely difficult. With enough practice you can be both good at reading whilst being dyslexic.
I enjoyed this as a dyslexic, I'm glad that I've viewed it as a positive attribute to my thinking process for most of my life. One that contributes to making me a little bit more unique. I hope this video inspires others who are frustrated by their dyslexia, like I once was, to view it as a benefit. You just have to figure out life in your own way!!
Great video
Even if that is true dyslexic people especially students still do get often punished for something they can't really control.
Watching this literally made me feel better cause everyone always complaining about like my dyslexia or things I do and turns out, it’s called being normal
I'm kind of surprised that phonological awareness plays such an important part in reading for fluent readers. I think a lot of people can relate to the experience of reading books with unknown words and even after reading it hundreds of times not knowing how they would pronounce it.
I mean, I think most people make an educated guess of the pronunciation
My mom was dedicated and made me look up every word I didn't know.
That theory has been disproven, the phonological deficits that are (only) moderately correlated with having dyslexia, are correlated with it as an effect of the reading difficulty, not as a contributing factor towards it. The cause is a visual processing difference, not auditory.
I knew I had dyslexia from about 14 but everywhere I looked it was only ever explained as 'you read and write bad'!! I'm really sitting here stunned by what could've been if anyone acknowledged I had these natural strengths too and encouraged me to develop them, instead of laboriously trying to just be average at what's hardest for me!!
Wow I always felt bad because I couldn’t read as fast as my family and ashamed to say that I usually have to read something slowly and several times to fully “get it” ❤
I'm very dyslexic. I work as a paramedic and I think dyslexia is perfect for this kind of work. Reasoning, and problem solving are probably my strongest skills and this works well for my job.
I’m flattered by this video as a dyslexic
Reading and all school work that involved reading was a challenge. The best part of being dyslexic is my imagination is incredible. I get bored watching movies or hearing stories because I can make it so much better in my head. I’m never bored, always curious and I thank God for how He wired me❤
I would love to know whether dyscalculic brains have a similar thing going on. unfortunately it’s so underresearched that I doubt we’ll find out anytime soon. I’m dyscalculic but hyperlexic, and I wonder if they’re related.
While dyslexic people are normal, it’s important to keep the “disability” description so that dyslexic people can get accommodations and have a fair chance in society and education systems that favor non-dyslexic people.