11.1 Introduction
So far in this course, we have
discussed dyslexia primarily in children.
However, we have also mentioned
that dyslexia is a condition that lasts a lifetime. As this is the case, many
adults struggle with the condition as they live and work, even though they left
school many years ago.
Adults with dyslexia have
different challenges compared to those that they may have had in school, and
some adults with dyslexia do not even realise that they have the condition, as
they may have never been diagnosed as a child.
This module will focus on
dyslexia in adults, the unique symptoms that might appear, and how adults with
dyslexia work differently to those without the condition.
11.2 An Overview of Living with Dyslexia as
an Adult
As we have already covered, in
general, most people with dyslexia are bright individuals, but they often end
up in jobs that are boring and not challenging to them.
They may have resentment or feel
disappointed that they have not achieved goals in their personal or
professional lives, or they may get frustrated with themselves or feel unhappy
and blame others. It is also common for adults with dyslexia to experience
anger and depression.
We should all have the chance to
reach our greatest possible potential, yet there are many adults with dyslexia
who do not do so. However, on the other hand, many learn to overcome these
difficulties and live very happy and successful lives.
Most adults with dyslexia have a
number of behaviours and traits that are noticeable to themselves and others,
and, in general, most adults with the condition will have a minimum of ten of
these traits:
Behaviours and Traits Seen at
Work
Here are some of the most common
behaviours and traits of adult dyslexics throughout their career:
-They choose a career that hides their issues
with writing, reading or spelling. They
hide their reading, spelling or writing issues from colleagues.
-They get frustrated or angry with 'planning
meetings' or sequential tasks.
- They become overwhelmed or frustrated with
forms or anything that involves filling in information.
-They often find work in a trade, the arts,
sports, engineering or have their own business whereby they can have an
assistant or secretary.
-They often pass up promotions due to the fear
of more administrative work.
-They might have difficulty focusing on a
single task but are willing to multi-task.
- They often have difficulty with tests which
might be used for career advancement.
-They are often overachievers in tasks that do
not involve writing, spelling, or reading.
-They are often perfectionists and might overreact when mistakes occur.
-They generally think 'outside of the box'.
-They can be controlling and stick to the
rules.
- They learn best by using hands-on methods or
visual aids or demonstrations.
General Behaviours and Traits
that Appear in Adults with Dyslexia
There are also some general
behaviours and traits that may appear in adults with dyslexia. These include
the following:
- They can often sense other people's emotions
or energies.
-They are known for being 'streetwise' and
having good common sense. They talk
about their issues in school.
movements in their environment.
-They often have dyslexic children or might
feel guilty seeing their children struggle with reading, writing, or spelling.
-They misuse or mispronounce certain words
without realising it.
-They may seem to 'zone out' or stare into
space and lose track of what is happening around them.
-They may not seem to listen during
conversations. They may have poor
balance.
-They have difficulty remembering certain
things, including verbal instructions, names of people or directions but often
remember faces or visual instructions.
-They may have difficulty remembering a
sequence of events or conversations.
Behaviours and Traits that Occur
with Time Management, Maths, and Directions
The following behaviours and
traits with regards to time management, maths and directions are often
noticeable in adults with dyslexia:
-They may be able to perform difficult maths
problems but cannot show the calculations on paper.
-They may be able to excel in maths but often
rely on tricks for remembering formulae.
They may count on their fingers or use a calculator.
-When paying for a product or service, they use
cards instead of cash, as they do not want to count money.
-They may have issues with left and right or
with north, east, south and west. They
may not be able to read maps.
-They may get stressed and anxious when driving
in unfamiliar places, or they may rely on others to drive when possible.
-They tend to be either really early or really
late to appointments. They have
difficulty estimating time.
Behaviours and Traits that are
Evident in Adults with Dyslexia when Reading and Writing
-There are also behaviours and
traits that appear in dyslexic adults in regards to reading and writing. The
most common are listed below:
- They prefer clear, large fonts or print. They avoid reading in front of others.
-They have tricks that they use in order to
remember how to spell words that have the same sound, i.e. 'hare' and 'hair'.
-They often have to reread sentences, in order
to understand them. They quickly get
bored or tired when reading.
-They rely on someone else, such as an
assistant or partner, to write correspondence.
-They have uncertainty with regards to words,
spelling or punctuation when writing and rely on grammar and spell checkers
more than non-dyslexic adults do.
-They often have poor handwriting, with
inconsistent phrasing or spelling.
- They use a lot of abbreviations, all capital
letters, or they use capital letters where they should not be used.
Behaviours and Traits of Dyslexic
Adults in Regards to Personality and Health
A person's personality and health
are often affected by dyslexia in adulthood. Here are some behaviours and
traits that often appear:
-They may be easily angered, frustrated, or
annoyed, and they are known to have a 'short fuse'. They often have low self-esteem.
-They are easily overwhelmed or stressed in
certain situations.
-They are afraid to try new things or go to
places in which they feel outside their comfort zone. They feel self-conscious when speaking in
front of others.
-They may leave frequent pauses when speaking,
leave sentences incomplete or have noticeable trouble getting thoughts out.
-They often lose or misplace objects.
-They may have a compulsion for tidiness and
get stressed by mess.
-They can experience fatigue, confusion or other
physical health issues when tasked with something that could exacerbate their
dyslexic difficulties.
FACT
Some dyslexic adults feel unable
to cope with their difficulties, whilst others have found ways to get round
their problems, but changing demands at work or a new venture in life can
present tough challenges.
Source: Dyslexia.uk.net
11.3 Managing Dyslexia at Work
It can be almost impossible to
find a job that does not require at least a small amount of writing, reading,
and spelling, and many dyslexic adults also have issues with organisation and
time management.
So what do they do at work? There
are actually many things that dyslexic adults can do, to make work easier for
them and to lessen the chances that they will feel stressed, overwhelmed or
bogged down.
When a dyslexic person starts
work and every time they enter into a new job, training should take their needs
into account. This includes flexibility, the availability of information in
more than one format, a learning approach that uses more than just one of the
five senses, and more time to understand concepts when necessary.
Before discussing the specific
areas that you may be working on in your job role, here are a few things that
can help in the workplace:
-Let your employer know about your dyslexia -
they can make any necessary adjustments to assist you
-Take notes wherever possible - perhaps use a
mindmap which consists of diagrams that use images, colours and keywords to
create a visual plan of your thoughts - see image below
-Adjust your computer settings - different
fonts and background colours can make the text easier to read - experiment with
the ones that suit you best
-Search for dyslexia software - there is a lot
of assistive software online, including mind maps
11.4 Reading for Work
Reading for work often involves
more pressure for a dyslexic adult compared to reading for pleasure.
At work, one must get their facts
right, remember relevant information and understand what concepts are being
conveyed.
Dyslexic adults reading for work
should do so in a comfortable place that is quiet and well-lit. One method that
can be used is the SQ3R method. This acronym stands for survey, question, read,
recite, and review.
First developed by Francis
Robinson 70 years ago, this reading method gives a step-by-step formula for
readers to follow:
Survey - The reader should look through the text
for any key words that stand out. They should also look for graphs,
illustrations and diagrams, along with italics and words in bold.
Question - The reader should ask themselves
what information they hope to glean from reading the text.
Read - The individual should then read the
text thoroughly.
Recite - The reader should then write down the
main points of the text.
Review - The final step is to read the text
again, to ensure that it has been remembered correctly.
11.5 Writing for Work
Writing for work is much more
common than reading for work, and it is probably one of the most disliked
activities for adults who have dyslexia.
Different types of writing tasks
require different skills, of course, but most can be handled with a bit of
creativity from the individual.
For instance
Memos, letters, bills, invoices,
orders and acknowledgements can usually be dealt with by creating a standard
letter or template. It can also help to store frequently used phrases and words
in a work computer or notebook so that they are easily accessible when
necessary.
Some tasks, such as report
writing, may be a bit more difficult, so, for these tasks, once again, it is
best to follow a set of tips-
Firstly, it is important for the individual to
make a plan and think about what this task entails.
Next, they should create a deadline, or, in
some cases, several deadlines, as there may be several tasks that need to be
carried out.
They should then set aside time for tasks such
as reading and research, revision, writing and printing. Planning for
unforeseen events, such as a computer breakdown, is also a good idea.
Finally, organising the information can help,
especially when writing a report. Usually, these have a specific formula, with
an introduction, discussion, information about the facts and then the
conclusion.
Those with dyslexia should know
that, by breaking down a large writing task into smaller tasks, it can make the
entire report easier to write. When the job is broken down into small parts, it
is much easier to take things one step at a time. Even beginning with a single
sentence that can be expanded on is a good way to start. Those who are writing
should not worry about their spelling and grammar at this point, as it can
always be checked later on. If a dyslexic adult has difficulties with writing,
it can help to dictate the writing to a colleague or to use dictation software
for a computer.
11.6 Using your Memory for Work
Some people say that those with
dyslexia do not necessarily learn more slowly than those without the condition,
but, instead, they forget things quicker.
It is true that those with
dyslexia often have a poor memory, and, when anxiety and stress factor in, this
can get even worse.
Memory is a complex concept, and
many people with dyslexia have a poor auditory memory, yet an excellent visual
memory.
The following can help adults
with dyslexia to improve their memory:
-Many people remember things more easily during
certain times of the day so these individuals should schedule tasks that
require memory for those times.
-Environment is important for memory and the
best environment is one that is quiet, free from distractions and comfortable.
-When trying to remember information, a
dyslexic person should attempt to link it to what they already know. For
instance, if they require a 4-digit PIN to log into the computer system at
work, they may want to use the day from their date of birth, for instance, 24,
and their house number, for instance, 15, to create a PIN of 2415.
-It can be easier to remember information when
it is broken down into smaller parts. For instance, if one has to remember a
telephone number, instead of learning all of the digits at once, they can break
it down into smaller sections.
-Creating mnemonics might also help to make it
easier for dyslexic adults to remember common language rules, facts or almost
anything.
-As it can be difficult to remember concepts
that a person does not understand, it is worthwhile becoming familiar with the
concept that they wish to memorise.
-Studies show that it is easier for us to
remember things that we believe are unusual, so, for dyslexic adults, it can
help to try and find an unusual feature of whatever they wish to memorise.
-As many adults with dyslexia are good visual
learners, attaching pictures or colours to information can help to remember
them. Using a diagram when attempting to memorise a concept will also help.
-Another way to improve memory in
the workplace is the use of mobile phones to store information, such as phone
numbers, e-mail addresses and postal addresses. The use of calculators can
avoid having to remember various aspects of maths.
11.7 Managing Time and Staying Organised at
Work
As mentioned in this and other
modules, it is difficult for those with dyslexia to manage their time.
Additionally, it can be difficult
to remain organised at work. Here are some tips that might help an adult with
dyslexia to cope:
Making lists is an excellent way for a
dyslexic adult to manage their time and stay organised. A list should include
all the things that they must accomplish on a particular day, and, if
necessary, a work list and a personal list can both be utilised.
If making a list, it can help to prioritise.
For instance, if a person has a meeting and that meeting is a priority, they
should put a coloured mark next to it, to indicate that it is important and/or
urgent. Tasks that are neither important nor urgent should not have a coloured
mark next to them, as, if necessary, they can be pushed back to another day.
It is best for people to look at their lists
at least twice a day and to update them and rewrite them if new tasks arise.
Crossing off completed tasks can be satisfying
and helps to keep a person motivated, something an individual with dyslexia
often struggles with.
At the end of each day, any task that has not
been completed should be put on the list for the next day.
Diaries with appointments can also be very
beneficial for those with dyslexia. All appointments, no matter whether
professional or personal, should be written in the same diary. The individual
should check their diary each morning and again at lunchtime.
If possible, it can help a dyslexic adult to
have a planner or calendar in a prominent place in their work area. They should
mark birthdays, holidays, meetings and deadlines on it.
Having places on a desk in which to put papers
and files is important in terms of staying organised. The fewer papers a person
has on their desk or in their workspace, the better. If possible, it is
important for dyslexic adults to attempt to switch all paper-based information
to electronic information.
If there is filing to do, a dyslexic person
might try to put it off, but they should make it a weekly goal to have
everything filed by the weekend.
It is not always possible to stay
organised in a busy environment, and sometimes a person is simply overwhelmed
by their work. This situation can be overwhelming for anyone, whether they have
dyslexia or not. Those who do have dyslexia should not blame themselves when
they have difficulties and, instead, should step back, evaluate the situation,
and approach a friend, colleague or supervisor to discuss different coping
strategies.
Assignment
Living and Working with Dyslexia
as an Adult
Time: 15+ minutes
Set aside some time to work
through this worksheet to test your knowledge on what you have just learnt.
Conclusion
Those who have dyslexia as adults
have unique challenges in their lives and at work that non- dyslexics simply do
not have. Therefore, it is important that they create constructive coping
strategies, in order to deal with these challenges. By using the tips that have
been presented in this module, it will be easier for these individuals to not
only achieve what they need to, in both their personal and professional lives,
but they can actually excel.
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