The holistic impact of dyslexia by Chris Cole

Presenter: Chris Cole, Learning Differences Advisor and a person with dyslexia.
 
Topic: The holistic impact of dyslexia
 
Overview of talk:
·         Definition of dyslexia and impact on learning
·         The emotional impact of living with dyslexia
·         What happens when you get anxious
·         Steps to manage the anxiety
  
Notes from presentation
 
Dyslexia is defined as
·         Having normal to above normal intelligence
·         Difficulty learning to read, write and spell
·         Difficulty with hearing the sounds that make up words (phonological awareness)
·         Difficulty with short term memory
·         Difficulty with sequencing information
·         Is a learning difference
·         This learning difference has strengths
 
 Short term memory problems can be
·         Not able to retain information while copying
·         Not able to retain instructions – especially verbal ones
·         When reading, not able to remember the information from the start of a sentence by the time you read the end of the sentence.
 
Sequencing problems can be
·         How to write emails in a logical way that flows and makes sense
·         Knowing the days of the week, months of the year
·         Knowing the steps in an order to complete calculations in maths
·         How to express ideas, especially when you have to write them down, in a logical order.
 
 
Learning difference strengths
·         Able to see the big picture, the end result before starting something
·         Really good ability to connect information to get a different solution
·         Visual based learner
·         An ability to know how others feel
·         These strengths are important in the workplace
 
 
The emotional impact of living with dyslexia
·         80% of a learning difficulty is learning stress.
·         Learning stress is the low self esteem and heightened anxiety resulting from having a difficulty with learning
·         The learning difficulty comes when the environment does not understand and work with the person who has a learning difference, eg schools, workplaces.
 
 
What happens when you get anxious
·         Chris presented a picture showing what happens when a person gets anxious
·         It’s a normal reaction and everyone gets anxious
·         It happens more for people with dyslexia around their learning
·         It comes from being worried and scared that you will look dumb or get it wrong
·         The end result is the brain goes “offline” when they become very anxious
·         The brain goes offline when the chemical cortisol floods the brain and the person is not capable of rational thought until the chemical goes away.
 
 
Triggers that can make your brain go offline when you are dyslexic
·         Seeing a page of writing
·         Having to do something quickly
·         Too may verbal instructions at once
·         A person speaking with a grumpy sounding or impatient sounding voice
·         Having to write an email
·         Not knowing how to spell a word
 
Strategies to get the brain back on line
·         Important to get your brain back “on line”
·         You learn and work better and show what you know better when your brain is “on line”
·         Tummy breathing helps
·         Thinking or talking about your brain going offline
 
Steps to manage the anxiety
·         Identify the triggers that make your brain go offline
·         Recognise that this is your brain telling you that you find this task difficult
·         Aim to get your brain back on line
·         Apply above strategies