[CatChester]

First of all, to Dyslexic Brian. I grew up in a family that doesn't have dyslexia, doesn't understand it and (if i'm honest) doesn't really believe in it. I was also schooled in a system that doesn't believe in it.

Please explain what external factors mean i score 18/20 on the dyslexia tests? How can i have been conditioned to think I have dyslectics when dyslexia wasn't mentioned to me. I only began to think i might be when i began reading articles and did some research myself.

Okay, moving on from the snake oil salesman to the reason I posted. I've been thinking about this for a day or so now, wondering what to answer.

There are 2 scenario. 1, have dyslexia removed from this point onwards or 2, to not have grown up dyslexic in the first place.

Would i have my dyslexia removed now? Honestly, probably not. I have found coping mechanisms so that i can function almost normally and being the weird one, the out of step one, the practical one is who I am now. I'm used to the insults, I'm used to being laughed at, it doesn't (often) hurt (much) any more.

But a part of me hears my mother saying I'm making excuses, I want to be a victim. I don't. But I have come to terms with who I am, what my flaws are and indeed, what my gifts are. I wouldn't want to risk my self image just to be "normal".

But what if I could have it removed from birth so I wouldn't remember what it was like to grow up as the odd kid? Yes I would. I hold no malice towards anyone for the treatment I have received in the past, but I think it would have been really really nice to grow up normal.

There is one notable exception to this though, I would choose to keep my dyslexia from a child IF I could have my father around as well. He and I are two peas and I think he would have encouraged things in me that, at best, the rest of my family were disinterested in and at worst, downright dismissive of. Then I truly think I might have done something great with my life. I don't mean to say that what I am is not great, simply that I feel a pull to the sciences and the mechanics of the universe that I have never been able to share with any one else. If you combined that natural aptitude with encouragement, the result might have been beautiful.

[lomo]

as you have just changed your profile i didn't know you from adam. sorry. my bad.

i am not saying it is bad to be dyslexic but to take ten years to do a phd would indicate that you have not managed to remove your mind from your dyslexic brain. if i were to do a phd it would probably take me ten years too.

how long does it take to do a phd?

give over with the bs with words and definitions. stop kidding yourself and learn to love your dyslexia. my son just tricked his granny into buying him a new 'game' because he knew he wasn't allowed any new 'toys' [he has too many] but 'games' are different.

so you too beleive dyslexia is a myth? a figment? a phantom? why are you still severely dyslexic? it doen't add up. you are confused.

if you really are uglybarugia why would you post as 'dyslexic brian' on your own original post with what seems to be a denial of the dyslexia you held up as something you question whether you would take a pill for, as if you enjoyed the experience of being dyslexic?

db why not put your thesis down for a while and step into the real world.

lomo

[TomcatPC]

Hello

I could have sworn that I already posted in this subject a while back, but I'll have another go at it.

Would I like to get rid of my Dyslexia if I could? No, I would not want to get rid of it. I'm really grateful to be Dyslexic. There are times when being Dyslexic gets frustrating to me, those occassions are mainly with the education system. But on the whole I feel grateful to be Dyslexic. I'm looking forward to learning how to use this gift, and I think that might take a bit of time, but I have the rest of my life, so not a big deal in the long run.

One more aspect I like about Dyslexia, and I hope to word this so it makes sense. In a way, I feel like I'm part of a "exclusive group", a sort of "sub-culture" and I feel so blessed that I get to be part of this. The more I hear about famous people who are Dyslexic and read some of what is posted here, there are some really brilliant people here, it amazes me all the time, and I get to be part of that...totally awesome! I hope that made sense, had a difficult time trying to word that.
Thanks
Mark

[geodob]

DB, I wonder if what you are talking about, is anxiety being the major factor in your Dyslexia?
Though the anxiety might actually be PTSS, post traumatic stress syndrome?
This is something that has been researched in relation to Dyscalculia, and has been identified as Maths-Phobia.
Which can be confused with Dyscalculia, but is in fact a separate condition.
Where basically maths becomes a traumatic experience, with an origin in early child hood.
Which can be caused by a range of different things.
This can be a result of repeated abuse and/or intimidation by a teacher or parent when learning maths in early childhood, and not doing it correctly. So that anxiety becomes associated with maths, and becomes an ongoing barrier to learning it.
So DB, I wonder if this could relate to you?

[Rod Duncan]

Hi DB,

Thanks for the partial clarification.

Sceptical? Me? :-) I would say that I am curious, rather than sceptical. I am curious about the world and everything in it. I ask questions. I try to keep an open mind and understand that when 2 different people's truths appear to be contradictory they may still both both be correct.

Of all your answer the bit that most makes me feel you know what you are talking about is the way you tackled the 'trap' question. "Problems tracking the flow of time?" Because, of course, being able to not track the flow of time is a great and powerful skill in some situations - particularly for a creative artist. Though it is almost always phrased in the negative by experts. (Just as a functional degree of disorganization is a very creative state to be in but is inevitably phrased in the negative.)

So - the question is, acording to your definition, have I got rid of my dyslexia? I'm a published novelist and screenwriter. I do public readings of my work. I can easily remember a shoping list of 30 or 40 items on hearing it once. etc etc

But the reason I can do these things is because I have worked on finding and exploiting the strengths of my dyslexia and have worked on developing compensation stratagies for the weaknesses. Often I have over-compensated for areas of weakness, so they appear from the outside to be strengths.

I regard dyslexia as a difference which manifests as disability in some situations but as prodigious ability in other situations. But however much I may compensate, the basic pattern of strengths and weaknesses is still there under the surface.

[lankyT]

geodob, on 28 July 2010 - 08:31 AM, said:

DB, I wonder if what you are talking about, is anxiety being the major factor in your Dyslexia?
Though the anxiety might actually be PTSS, post traumatic stress syndrome?
This is something that has been researched in relation to Dyscalculia, and has been identified as Maths-Phobia.
Which can be confused with Dyscalculia, but is in fact a separate condition.
Where basically maths becomes a traumatic experience, with an origin in early child hood.
Which can be caused by a range of different things.
This can be a result of repeated abuse and/or intimidation by a teacher or parent when learning maths in early childhood, and not doing it correctly. So that anxiety becomes associated with maths, and becomes an ongoing barrier to learning it.
So DB, I wonder if this could relate to you?

yes I agree with you, post traumatic stress can be brought on by the bad experiences that happen in education to dyslexics and others with learning difficulties, especially I suspect if they are not acknowledged.

[Rod Duncan]

Might be interesting to have a PTSD thread on here, if anyone knows much about it.

[BubblewrapPrincess]

I must say I am also extreamly sckeptical of your claims. They are extensive to say the least, so I hope you understand why I feel this way, and that it is nothing personal.

I don't want to offend you, but I don't want to encorage you telling people you can cure them or their childeren (though I don't belive you have done this directly). I am worried this might confuse or misslead them, even though that is not your intention.

Hopfully you understand why I am hesitant to belive your claims and why they concern me at this time. Perhapes you will change our minds with further discussion, but maybe we could try that before posting on threads about this for parents or people new to dyslexia.

I am not saying don't post on other threads, but suggesting for mutual harmony, not using the C word. (It's kind of a dirty word on here at the moment)

I don't think I want to be "cured" as such, but I am intested in what you have to say on the matter.

Peace and happyness to all,

Bubblewrap

[BubblewrapPrincess]

Ah, ok read this: http://dyslexicbrian...e-for-dyslexia/

It maybe explains the use of the word "cure" a touch better.

From what i gather it is more about perception...Not seeing yourself as dyslexic with an inherent issue you can't over come, but not non-dyslexic either as you of course have difficulties...more seeing yourself as a person with both strenghts and weaknesses, which can change over time. They arn't fixed however, as the term dyslexic might imply to some people. It's about not letting dyslexia and myths/conceptions around it define who you are.

Is this correct?

I can see both value and potentual problems with this if so.

I don't see why you can't still call yourself dyslexic and simply choose not to let lables define who you are, instead to define the lable based on yourself. So instead of hearing dyslexics can't, you hear dyslexics can, I can...I just need to be awair of my short coming and work a bit harder than others. Also seeing it as one part of you, and not the whole.

That's my aprouch. But I'm stubborn as hell.

[DyslexicBrian.com]

BubblewrapPrincess, on 29 July 2010 - 12:02 AM, said:

Ah, ok read this: http://dyslexicbrian...e-for-dyslexia/

It maybe explains the use of the word "cure" a touch better.

From what i gather it is more about perception...Not seeing yourself as dyslexic with an inherent issue you can't over come, but not non-dyslexic either as you of course have difficulties...more seeing yourself as a person with both strenghts and weaknesses, which can change over time. They arn't fixed however, as the term dyslexic might imply to some people. It's about not letting dyslexia and myths/conceptions around it define who you are.

Is this correct?

I can see both value and potentual problems with this if so.

I don't see why you can't still call yourself dyslexic and simply choose not to let lables define who you are, instead to define the lable based on yourself. So instead of hearing dyslexics can't, you hear dyslexics can, I can...I just need to be awair of my short coming and work a bit harder than others. Also seeing it as one part of you, and not the whole.

That's my aprouch. But I'm stubborn as hell.

Hi BubblewrapPrincess,

You have summed that up perfectly and yes your are correct

I do still see myself as dyslexic - I am very proud to be dyslexic and always will be... however, the meaning that lies behind my use of the label 'dyslexic' has changed. Now when I say I am dyslexic I do not see myself as I used to, i.e. someone who couldn't overcome the difficulties that I experienced whit written language - instead, I see myself as someone who does not have a natural preference to use written language so had to develop a particular mindset and skill set to be able to use language to a level that I am satisfied with.

So, basically I see dyslexia as something that can be overcome completely - with the right mindset and skill set... this is what my 10 years of research have focused on developing

Would you do me a big favour once I have finished my PhD thesis and have a read of my theory of dyslexia?

It would be great to get your critical feedback. No pressure if you feel you wouldn't as I know these things can be a bit of a boring read

All the best,

[BubblewrapPrincess]

DyslexicBrian.com, on 29 July 2010 - 02:56 PM, said:

Hi BubblewrapPrincess,

You have summed that up perfectly and yes your are correct

I do still see myself as dyslexic - I am very proud to be dyslexic and always will be... however, the meaning that lies behind my use of the label 'dyslexic' has changed. Now when I say I am dyslexic I do not see myself as I used to, i.e. someone who couldn't overcome the difficulties that I experienced whit written language - instead, I see myself as someone who does not have a natural preference to use written language so had to develop a particular mindset and skill set to be able to use language to a level that I am satisfied with.

So, basically I see dyslexia as something that can be overcome completely - with the right mindset and skill set... this is what my 10 years of research have focused on developing

Would you do me a big favour once I have finished my PhD thesis and have a read of my theory of dyslexia?

It would be great to get your critical feedback. No pressure if you feel you wouldn’t as I know these things can be a bit of a boring read

All the best,

Antonio Farruggia-Bochnak

I'd be happy to read your thesis and give you feedback.

I think the main issue is the language you are using to discribe your view of dyslexia. Some people will find it offensive and it might set off their snake oil sense. They are going to focus more on the words you are using than the actual message, which I can see could really help some people.

I'd advise not using the word cure, or saying you have over come your dyslexia, instead saying you have overcome your dyslexic difficulties. Many do not see it as something to defeat or vanquish, but an importaint part of themselves, even a gift. But by saying dyslexic difficulties it is clear that you are talking only about the problems of being dyslexic, not it as an idenity or how it might be percived as a whole by the individual. Most of us will want to over come our difficulties, and this presents commion ground. Saying you are cured and no longer see your self with the dyslexic idenity creates bad karma, as it could be seen as a rejection of those who idetitify with that or that you seeing being dyslexic as a bad thing. It will also upset those who see dyslexia even slightly as a condition or in a more medicalised sense.

It doesn't help anyone who says they can cure us is also usually up to no good, so you're allying yourself with the enemy in peoples minds.

I think this is why you have had such a bad initual reaction!

If you want to help people regardless of how dyslexia fits into their lives, it's importaint to alter your vocabulary to be more acceptable to variations on dyslexia and the dyslexic idenity.

I think there are aditional issues in saying dyslexia is curable and you are not longer dyslexic, or that it could be bad for certain individuals, even if it works for you. But I wont go into that right now.

Bubblewrap