Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be dyslexic? I know I do. Luckily, there are a few online tools to help us experience dyslexia. As a mother of two dyslexic kids, who’s an avid reader, it is really hard for me to comprehend how hard their struggle to read is . Research has shown a dyslexic brain works about five times harder to interpret and read language as a typical brain. It’s no wonder they don’t want to practice reading and spelling. I can’t say I’d be all for doing something that is five times as hard either. In an effort to really understand what it’s like to be dyslexic, I’ve spent a lot of time researching. To save you the trouble of searching night and day, I’m including what I found most helpful in this post.
Understood.org Dyslexia Simulation
Understood.org has a great simulation that illuminates what it could be like for someone with a brain difference. There are even simulations for attention and organization struggles, ie. working memory deficits. When it comes to dyslexia, those components are often overlooked. The focus is on the reading and writing struggles. As adults, it’ll be the working memory deficits that will impact a dyslexic person the most. Having a clear understanding of what processing information is like is critical in helping you set up systems for your child. The quicker the systems to support their working memory can become second nature, the better.
I realized pretty quickly into the simulation how hard it is to process written language this way. Nothing gives compassion like perspective and understanding, right? What I love about this simulation is how effective it was at showing the struggles, while showing it’s possible with effort. A lot of effort. It’s a great tool for siblings to get a feel for it as well. Often times there can be some jealousy or feeling left out because of the special attention a dyslexic child gets with homework, tutoring, and the use of assistive technology. Using this simulation to experience dyslexia can give them some perspective on why their sibling needs those supports. Maybe it’ll help them to realize you aren’t playing favorites. Dyslexia really is a challenge for them.
It goes without saying this is helpful for any adult with influence over your child who isn’t as positive about dyslexia. Maybe you have the family member who keeps saying your child just needs to try harder. Or the one who doesn’t believe dyslexia is real and all the accommodations are unnecessary. Having them try this simulation can bring awareness and could stop some of the negative talk around your child’s dyslexia. A hands on interaction with the mind of a dyslexic person can help shift their perspective. Again, lack of knowledge and awareness about what dyslexia actually is is generally why people have negative things to say.
Click here to see through your child’s eyes.
Experience Notetaking With Dyslexia
Again, seeing what it’s really like, helps you know why it’s so important to advocate for certain accommodations. In this quick video, you get a chance to see what notetaking it like for a dyslexic person. You can see how hard the notetaker is concentrating. Notice how slowly she is writing based on the conditions of the simulation. Keep in mind, this instructor is talking much slower than an average teacher would. She is also allowing her to catch up to her words. In a real classroom that wouldn’t be happening.
It becomes obvious why notetaking is one of the biggest struggles for a dyslexic person. There is so much effort and concentration going into the notetaking, absorbing the lecture material is impossible. Accommodations for notetaking are a must, especially as the child progresses through school. Support to ask for are being able to record the lecture, having notes provided from the teacher, and/or being able to copy another student’s notes.
From The Mouth of a Dyslexic
This YouTube channel has some pretty good videos about dyslexia. He’s dyslexic himself and provides good insight into the dyslexic experience. However, this video is a favorite of mine for relating to dyslexia. The chair analogy he uses gives a good way to describe a dyslexic’s 3D experience with the world. Because their brains process information in a more experiential way, it’s one of the reasons that interpreting written text is difficult. As parents who don’t have dyslexia it can be hard to describe what your child is experiencing because we don’t actually know. Finding good analogies and relatable explanations has been very helpful in describing their dyslexic process to friends and family.
While we can never truly know what goes on in the mind of others, hopefully this helped give you some perspective. Your child really is trying hard. They are doing their best. It’s a struggle to fit into a world that wasn’t designed for the way you think. Share these simulations to help spread awareness and compassion for the experience of dyslexia in our modern world.
