Dyslexia

Dyslexia is seen by many people as being a disability; here at ‘A New Way’ we recognise it for what it really is – A Gift.

There are lot of myths associated with dyslexia, a few of these are:

• That it is a disease and you can catch it
• It’s just an excuse used by people who are lazy and do not try
• All dyslexics are stupid or unintelligent

Gladly none of these are true; dyslexics are normally highly intelligent, highly creative people who just happen to think in a different way, which is why many famous scientists, inventors, entrepreneurs, actors, chefs and sportsmen and women are dyslexic. They did not do well in their chosen professions in spite of their dyslexia, but because of it.

Dyslexics think primarily in pictures, not words. This process can be as much as four times faster than people who think with the sound of words, (verbal thinking – hearing the sound of words in your head as you think them). For a dyslexic who is also a 3D thinker, this type of super fast thinking can contribute to the symptoms that cause dyslexia. Used inappropriately, this is when the ‘Gift’ can become a disability.

Problems can occur with reading when the same techniques that a dyslexic uses to solve confusions when looking a real world 3D objects, are applied to words and texts. Being very visual, a dyslexic mind is much better suited to recognising the pattern or shape of a word, not being taught to read phonetically, (with the sound of words). Unfortunately the ‘phonic’ approach is a method that is widely used in schools.

For a dyslexic, writing can be a very slow and laborious process. Being primarily a picture thinker, they do not need to use words in order to make sense of what it is they are trying to explain; one picture will encompass all that they need to say. This makes it hard to know where to begin in order to translate these vivid pictures into a simple sequence on a page, added to this is the need to spell words correctly and it becomes obvious how difficulties can arise.

Unlike conventional techniques, the Davis® methods use multi–sensory, hands–on means, thereby teaching the dyslexic student in a way that they understand and prefer. A dyslexic can be taught to overcome their problems and to read, write and spell like anyone else.