12/03/2019Alice

Proud dyslexic

New view on dyslexia

I am dyslexic but dyslexia is always framed in such a negative light. I really enjoyed this book, “The dyslexic advantage : unlocking the hidden potential of the dyslexic brain” , which helped me see the strengths of a dyslexic brain not a deficient or weakness.

Dyslexia is not merely a learning disability, characterized by difficulties resulting in deficits but actually dyslexic people have extraordinary strengths that need to be acknowledged, appreciated and admired.

Dyslexic brains are different, they have different brain structures to non-dyslexics. People with dyslexia use there right hemisphere more for many tasks activating a boarder field of meaning but activation is slower but richer.

Many successful people are dyslexic, including it being a very common trait for entrepreneurs.

The following summary notes is based on the amazing book – “The dyslexic advantage : unlocking the hidden potential of the dyslexic brain” 

Reminder difference between the hemispheres 

Right Hemi – Processing of large scale, connection, similarities, relationships, identifying purpose, background, context

Left Hemi – Fine detail processing but poor at pulling things together, focused, narrow

Dyslexic differ from non-dyslexic in the way their brain hemispheres process information and the brain is constructed. 

  1. Dyslexia use the right hemisphere more extensively. For example when reading, generally the heavy right hemisphere processing is used when learning to read, most people shift to using the left hemisphere for “expert’ processing overtime but not dyslexic. This causes a difficulty for dyslexic to master rule-based skills. Delaying automation allows right hemisphere processing when reading to give more complex connections and narrative in interpretation. The right hemisphere activates a board field of potential and secondary meaning good for ambiguous and complex understanding. Greater reliance on the right hemisphere can lead to slower, less efficient, less accurate and more effortful processing which causes a greater burden on processing memory.
  2. The structural differences include an unusually board spacing between the functional clustering of neurons. Individuals with boardly spaced minicolumns tended to form more connections between minicolumns in distant parts of the brain leading to a more boarder interpretation. Depending on how you link the minicolumns you get a higher cognitive function like judgement, intellect, memory and orientation. The boarder connection favour the construction of a board intergrated circuit which enable higher level of cognitive skill.

Autism & Dyslexic

“The brains of individuals with autism are biased toward short connections at the expense of long connections – just the opposite of dyslexia.” Autistic minicolumn are closely packed which causes them to struggle to see boarder mean, form and context but they excel at localised brain function activity. Dyslexics excel at pulling ideas from anywhere, anything and connecting things together but they miss the fine detail.

These differences suggested not a useless difference but a trade-off of processing.

Non-dyslexics

  • Applying rules and procedures in expert and efficient manner
  • Primary meaning and correct answers
  • Display the order, stability, and efficiency of train tracks, well-organising filing cabinets, sequential narratives and logical chains of reasoning

Dyslexics

  • Finding best fit and ad hoc problem solving
  • Spotting interesting associations and relationships
  • Spotting differences and distinctions between things
  • Recognising similarities
  • Store information like murals connecting ideas like spiderwebs or hyperlinks, and move from one thought to another like ripples spreading across a pond

Dyslexia isn’t a reading impairment but a different pattern of brain organisation and information processing that creates strengths and challenges.

Advantages

Material Reasoning – 3D advantage

Naturally engage in highly spatial tasks. Impressive creativity careers in engineering and construction.

  • Stably store and accurately display spatial information in a mental spatial matrix
  • Manipulating these mental images by rotating, repositions, moving and modifiying them, or by making them interact or combine with other mental images. 

TRADEOFF– relative weakness in certain 2D processing, can be issue with symbol reversals while reading and writing. Expressive difficulties – putting ideas to words. Einstein complained that thinking in words was not natural for him, his usual mode of thinking was nonverbal . You firstly need to translate entirely nonverbal thoughts into words. Questions with vivid mental imagery can swamp dyslexics working memory and hinder verbal reasoning.

Interconnected reasoning

It is the ability to link all of an individual’s knowledge and ideas into an integrated conceptual matrix. The ability to detect relationship, shift perspectives, and ability to see global perspective.  They can see connections that others miss and are great at getting the gist of something. Pattern detection is a special dyslexic strength. Love analogies! They are highly creative, perceptive, interdisciplinary including designers, artist, architects.

TRADEOFF – Top-down learners remember only things that make senses to them and new information can be related. If dyslexics can’t see the reason for learning something it won’t stick. Need to strip instruction to bare minimum. They are more aware of gap and deficiencies as they try and piece together the global view. To help with this tradeoff provide summary overviews, pre-learn key vocabulary, practical importance and usefulness and the goal of the big picture.

Narrative reasoning

Can constructed a connected series of scenes can be used to recall past and  present and simulate future imaginary scenarios and testing. Double helping of cognitive features that enhance abilities to make diverse and more creative connections powerful for storytelling. Thinking in stories. Useful at any job being able to use past experiences to solve problems, explain, negotiate and story tell to shape perspectives.

TRADEOFF – Very good at remember what was experienced and remembering stories for narrative contact. Poor at remembering “bare” facts abstract and impersonal facts. Need case-base knowledge, example and illustrations. Enjoy creative writing but difficulty with formal academic writing.

Dynamics reasoning 

Power of prediction – Create ability to accurately predict past or future states using episodic simulation especially valuable for being able to think about past and future states where components are variable, unknown or ambiguous and being able to make practical best fit hypotheses in setting where precise answers aren’t possible. Creative predictions. Supporting successful insight. Daydreaming, mind wandering are essential for episodic construction allowing free-form undirected scene construction, leading from imagination into insight. Best to support positive well-being and relax state to support successful insight. Deep engagement requires a deep disengagement. Insight vs analysis. People who reasoning in primality insight look unfocused, non-linear and can’t show there workings.

Dynamic reasoning helps in situations that are uncertain, changing and ambiguous like the world of business 

Dyslexic entrepreneurs – Twice the rate to the general population in UK, in the US three times. Very clear ideas, what they are doing, holding the end goal in mind. Confident, persistent attitude and coping with challenges. Ability to ask for help and engage the help of others. Oral communication. Insight based processing. 

Dyslexic Individuals in the workplace

Find a best fit job focused on interested and talents as well as enabling a space for using strength, avoid weaknesses, engaging interest and focusing on results versus methods.  Good fits include jobs that allow being proactive in pursuing opportunities, self-advocating, forming partnerships, pursuing leadership, using technology to enhance productivity. Additional forming relationships with peers and mentors with dyslexic can provide invaluable emotional support and practical advice.

 

END Finally got around to summarising the dyslexic book I read 3 years ago.