Page 23 - SEN114 September/October 2021

Dyslexia
The ups and
downs of dyslexia
Arran Smith reflects, from personal experience, on the frustrations and positives experienced by those with dyslexia.
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According to the British Dyslexia Association (BDA) there is an estimated 10% of the population that has some severity of dyslexia. This is 6.7 million people in the UK today, and on average three students in every class, allowing us to say that it is one of the biggest hidden disabilities in the UK today.
As a severely dyslexic adult, dyslexia affects my day to day life in many ways, as a difference, a disability, an annoyance. But also dyslexia is a strength, a positivity and a way of life for me.
Dyslexia is definitely a spectrum of difficulties and strengths. Over the past 15 years we’ve used many words in association with dyslexia; this includes comorbidity, co-occurring differences and more recently part of neurodiversity. When I look at dyslexia it is a difference in the brain that affects the way that I learn, and it affects the way that I access the world today.
We live in a world where literacy has been put on a very high pedestal, we communicate through words, letters and symbols. As a human race we naturally learn to listen and speak which is part of our genetic structure. When it comes to reading and writing these skills are taught. Now of course, when it comes to dyslexia we are not just talking about reading, writing and spelling.
When I listen to the definitions of dyslexia there are many words used to describe the differences and difficulties that puts a negative connotation on the way we view dyslexia.
“Primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed.” BDA Rose Report 2009
When you look at what Rose wrote back in 2009, we can agree today that over the past 30 years of my life living with dyslexia
“Dyslexia is definitely a spectrum of difficulties and strengths”
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