Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that affects the way the brain processes written materials and makes it difficult to spell, read and write. People with dyslexia also have the tendency to mix similar words. However, despite this condition, there are many dyslexic people who have succeeded in life like Richard Branson, Albert Einstein, Da Vinci, Edison, Tom Cruise and Pablo Picasso, among others. Is dyslexia a gift or a curse? Here are some of the opposing views about this learning disability.
List of Pros of Dyslexia
1. Excellent Spatial Reasoning
Although dyslexic people may have struggles in understanding texts or written words, their spatial reasoning is great. Spatial reasoning is a reasoning skill that gives a person the ability to comprehend three-dimensional objects that they can remember virtual environments better than people with this disability. This skill makes them perfect to pursue careers in industrial and graphic design, engineering and other related professions.
2. Distribution of Audiovisual Attention
Another advantage of having dyslexia is the inability to focus on specific words or letters that consequently makes dyslexic people able to distribute their attention in both visual and audio that they are able to identify letters flashed simultaneously for spacings as opposed to people who are proficient readers. A conducted study also showed that when a group of people were asked to attend a cocktail party, it was found out that attendees who were dyslexic were able to pick out more words that were spoken by people in the room as a whole. This is because they have the ability to hear widely distributed sounds.
3. Good Long Term Memory
Dyslexic people have the ability to remember facts and figures as experiences or stories instead of remembering information as bits and pieces. This is what is known as narrative reasoning, a skill that people with dyslexia can develop, along with curiosity and creativity that they can use to their advantage.
List of Cons of Dyslexia
1. Difficulty in Learning
Being a learning disability, dyslexia makes it hard for a dyslexic person to read, spell and understand fully texts that are in front of them. These challenges can result to slow learning and reading. Having said this, a dyslexic student may find it hard to catch up with the lessons in school as well as the examinations, especially if they are in mainstream classrooms.
2. Can Result to Bullying
Children who are dyslexic and who go to schools with students who have no learning disabilities can be bullied by other students who do not understand and are ignorant about this disability. This is one of the disadvantages dyslexia and other learning disabilities.
3. Emotional Effect
One of the struggles faced by a dyslexic individual is the frustration that comes with the disability. Aside from the difficulties in achieving academic goals easily, dyslexic people also have a hard time remembering the sequence of events which can sometimes be a cause of conflict or misunderstanding. Some people who are dyslexic also have low self-esteem because of their condition and are sometimes misunderstood because when he or she is asked about what happened, it might appear that the person is lying.
Although there are disadvantages associated with dyslexia, these challenges can also be used to the advantage of a person.
Brandon Miller has a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a seasoned writer who has written over one hundred articles, which have been read by over 500,000 people. If you have any comments or concerns about this blog post, then please contact the Green Garage team here.