What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is often thought of as something negative and only associated with letter reversals or reading difficulties.  Others believe that dyslexia is the result of genetics or brain damage.  Dyslexia is much more — dyslexia is the result of a perceptual talent — a GIFT! 

Dyslexics are picture thinkers who can view the world multi-dimensionally from different perspectives.  This great ability allows dyslexics to solve problems with real-life objects by looking at the whole picture.  This same perceptual talent can cause problems when the individual encounters two-dimensional symbols (letters, numerals, or words) in print. 

Once the individual uses this unique ability to distort perception in order to resolve confusion, and subsequently begins to make mistakes at school, that person will either begin to avoid the tasks that are difficult or else devise coping strategies that make it appear that the subject matter is understood.  These behaviors become compulsive solutions if the only way the dyslexic can perform a particular function (such as remembering the sequence of the alphabet) is by relying on the crutch (ABC song).  The more compulsive solutions the individual adopts, the more disabling the dyslexia becomes.