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Might I have dyslexia (or something else)?
Hooraydiation
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
The truth is that I really don't know much about the condition, and I am by no means confident in a self-diagnosis informed largely by a post on wikipedia. Nonetheless, I am worried (if irrationally so), and would like the matter settled as early as possible or, if I should have to seek a legitimate diagnosis, at least be able to step into some doctor's office with the slightest assurance that I have cause for concern.
In short, the earliest problem I can recall having with reading and writing was occasionally mixing up the lower-case versions of d and b with each other. Recently, however, I have noticed a marked degradation in my ability to read that has greatly damaged my ability to both read recreationally and in the context of school and work. Apart from often being unable to muster the will to just sit down with a book (and even comic books, though somewhat less so), the actual task of reading often entails a kind of skipping over the pages rather than straight reading from beginning to end. I find my eyes moving past difficult portions and, even, entire sentences that would present me no difficulty at all. While that might be a symptom of boredom with a passage, more bizarre is a tendency I have to finish words in my mind before actually reading the word itself in its entirety, using only the first few letters (and possibly other portions) to guide me and often resulting in a completely incorrect guess.
For example, I just read the word reevaluate and as rejuvenate.
Oftentimes, I simply abandon the endeavor of reading altogether for less taxing fares like masturbating over the internet and television.
My writing may also indicate some kind of problem. While I've generally considered myself and have been considered by others to be a competent writer, there are a handful of quirks to my writing that I at least consider to be unusual. Apart from the fact that I put off writing as much as possible, to the point where high school consisted of putting assignments off for weeks and even months and college has involved not beginning assignments at all, the actual writing itself has been known to contain needless repetition of words, letters missing from words I know how to spell, and occasionally the replacement of the appropriate word for a sentence with another that merely rhymes with the correct word. These issues rarely manifest in the final product, of course, thanks to the use of word processors designed to correct that kind of thing and the fact that I reread sentences immediately after writing them, just as I tend to do with reading (as I sometimes have difficulty taking the message of a passage the first time).
Looking at the entry on dyslexia in wikipedia, I find some characteristics of dyslexia apply to my own self while others do not. Assuming it matters, I'll make note of whether or not I match with each in the following space.
So say this isn't clearly a mistake on my part. What do I do to get a proper diagnosis, and what happens to me afterwards?
I quit school months ago due to poor performance (which, at the time, I thought to be caused solely by depression, laziness, and a lack of motivation) and I've been floundering at the news blog gig to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if I were to have been fired between now and the last time I checked my e-mail.
At this point, having seemingly finished my academic career, what does a learning disability even matter?
But then I'm hardly confident that I have dyslexia in the first place.
Anyway, any insight that can be provided would be greatly appreciated. If you think I'm an idiot for even suspecting this when I have no reason to, then at least try to be nice about it (for the kids).
Furthermore, information on how I can go about getting tested would be especially appreciated.
In short, the earliest problem I can recall having with reading and writing was occasionally mixing up the lower-case versions of d and b with each other. Recently, however, I have noticed a marked degradation in my ability to read that has greatly damaged my ability to both read recreationally and in the context of school and work. Apart from often being unable to muster the will to just sit down with a book (and even comic books, though somewhat less so), the actual task of reading often entails a kind of skipping over the pages rather than straight reading from beginning to end. I find my eyes moving past difficult portions and, even, entire sentences that would present me no difficulty at all. While that might be a symptom of boredom with a passage, more bizarre is a tendency I have to finish words in my mind before actually reading the word itself in its entirety, using only the first few letters (and possibly other portions) to guide me and often resulting in a completely incorrect guess.
For example, I just read the word reevaluate and as rejuvenate.
Oftentimes, I simply abandon the endeavor of reading altogether for less taxing fares like masturbating over the internet and television.
My writing may also indicate some kind of problem. While I've generally considered myself and have been considered by others to be a competent writer, there are a handful of quirks to my writing that I at least consider to be unusual. Apart from the fact that I put off writing as much as possible, to the point where high school consisted of putting assignments off for weeks and even months and college has involved not beginning assignments at all, the actual writing itself has been known to contain needless repetition of words, letters missing from words I know how to spell, and occasionally the replacement of the appropriate word for a sentence with another that merely rhymes with the correct word. These issues rarely manifest in the final product, of course, thanks to the use of word processors designed to correct that kind of thing and the fact that I reread sentences immediately after writing them, just as I tend to do with reading (as I sometimes have difficulty taking the message of a passage the first time).
Looking at the entry on dyslexia in wikipedia, I find some characteristics of dyslexia apply to my own self while others do not. Assuming it matters, I'll make note of whether or not I match with each in the following space.
General
Individuals with dyslexia:
* May appear bright, intelligent and articulate, however their reading, writing and spelling level is below their average age group.
The funny thing is that, despite the difficulties, I think I've always been considered above average in reading, writing, and spelling for my age group in addition to being generally bright, intelligent, and articulate. The first compliment I can remember receiving was from a first grade teacher who told my mother I'd performed exceptionally on an assignment, and in High School I got a nearly perfect score on the Writing Skills SAT (before Writing Skills were integrated into the main SATs, joining general Math and Verbal).
* Have average or above average intelligence, yet may have poor academic achievement.
Yes. I actually got all A's in elementary school, but my grades began to drop in middle school as I found myself less able to get by without reading. When I say they began to drop, I mean they only dropped to B's at the lowest. I would perform worse later on, in High School and College.
* May have good oral language abilities but will perform much more poorly on similar written-language tests.
I never really had the opportunity to compare my language abilities to similar written-language tests.
* Might be labelled lazy, dumb, careless, immature, "not trying hard enough," or as having a "behavior problem."
I worry I may be trying to pass off my laziness, idiocy, carelessness, and immaturity as a condition I have no control over, perhaps because I think discovering I am dyslexic would absolve me of my responsibility. I've certainly been characterized by others, time and time again, as "not trying hard enough" and being exactly the kind of person who'd try to lay blame for my shortcomings elsewhere.
* Because dyslexia primarily affects reading while sparing other intellectual abilities, affected individuals might be categorised as not "behind enough" or "bad enough" to receive additional help in a school setting.
Prior to high school, the only instance of a teacher showing concern for me that I can recall was a kindergarten teacher who thought my lack of coordination (I ran funny) might indicate something.
Some teachers did question my poor grades in high school, but assumed that the contrast between performance my actual intelligence (as they thought I seemed intelligent, I guess) was purely the result of laziness or some kind of crazy social life. It was at least not the latter, as I only went out on weekends.
* Might feel dumb and have poor self-esteem, and might be easily frustrated and emotional about school reading or testing.
Yes.
* Might try to hide their reading weaknesses with ingenious compensatory "strategies".
I'm unsure what may be meant by this. Memorizing by rote may apply. My attempts to conjure an air of sophistication and eloquence about me while passing myself off as someone who can't be bothered to try in order to distract from my mental shortcomings could also be considered as such.
Or maybe, in regards to the latter, I really was too lazy to try.
* Might learn best through hands-on experience, demonstrations, experimentation, observation, and visual aids.
I cannot recall ever learning through hands-on experience or the following. I suppose I learn better through verbal communication than reading, though.
* Can show talents in other areas such as art, drama, music, sports, mechanics, story-telling, sales, business, designing, building, or engineering.
I guess I was alright at creative writing when I still did that, but I stopped writing a while ago. More recently I wrote for a news blog and received some praise, though I've since abandoned that as well due to a perceived inability to write and general fear of what the results of my attempts may be.
* Have related problems with attention in a school setting; for instance they might seem to "zone out" or daydream often; get lost easily or lose track of time; and have difficulty sustaining attention.
Yes.
* Spelling errors — Because of difficulty learning letter-sound correspondences, individuals with dyslexia might tend to misspell words, or leave vowels out of words (e.g., spelling "magic" as mjc).
I don't know that I misspell more frequently than others, and I don't recall leaving vowels out specifically.
* Letter order - Dyslexics may also reverse the order of two letters especially when the final, incorrect, word looks similar to the intended word (e.g., spelling "dose" instead of "does").
I have done this, and tend to read words misspelled in such a fashion in the way they were intended to be read. I could, for instance, read dose as does.
* Highly phoneticized spelling - Dyslexics also commonly spell words inconsistently, but in a highly phonetic form such as writing "shud" for "should". Dyslexic individuals also typically have difficulty distinguishing among homophones such as "their" and "there".
I have difficulty distinguishing between homophones, though I am mindful of it in my writing and rarely let those errors make it through.
* Reading — Due to dyslexics' excellent long term memory, young students tend to memorize beginning readers, but are unable to read individual words or phrases.
I don't recall how I was as a young reader.
*Because of literacy problems, an individual with dyslexia may have difficulty with handwriting. This can involve slower writing speed than average or poor handwriting characterised by irregularly formed letters.
My handwriting is terrible and I do write quite slowly.
*Some studies have also reported gross motor difficulties in dyslexia, including motor skills disorder. This difficulty is indicated by clumsiness and poor coordination. The relationship between motor skills and reading difficulties is poorly understood but could be linked to the role of the cerebellum in the development of reading and motor abilities.
As I said, I run quite awkwardly and constantly bang myself against walls, corners, and door knobs. And while it could be attributed to poor vision, I suck at catching things and have poor hand eye coordination.
Individuals with dyslexia:
* May appear bright, intelligent and articulate, however their reading, writing and spelling level is below their average age group.
The funny thing is that, despite the difficulties, I think I've always been considered above average in reading, writing, and spelling for my age group in addition to being generally bright, intelligent, and articulate. The first compliment I can remember receiving was from a first grade teacher who told my mother I'd performed exceptionally on an assignment, and in High School I got a nearly perfect score on the Writing Skills SAT (before Writing Skills were integrated into the main SATs, joining general Math and Verbal).
* Have average or above average intelligence, yet may have poor academic achievement.
Yes. I actually got all A's in elementary school, but my grades began to drop in middle school as I found myself less able to get by without reading. When I say they began to drop, I mean they only dropped to B's at the lowest. I would perform worse later on, in High School and College.
* May have good oral language abilities but will perform much more poorly on similar written-language tests.
I never really had the opportunity to compare my language abilities to similar written-language tests.
* Might be labelled lazy, dumb, careless, immature, "not trying hard enough," or as having a "behavior problem."
I worry I may be trying to pass off my laziness, idiocy, carelessness, and immaturity as a condition I have no control over, perhaps because I think discovering I am dyslexic would absolve me of my responsibility. I've certainly been characterized by others, time and time again, as "not trying hard enough" and being exactly the kind of person who'd try to lay blame for my shortcomings elsewhere.
* Because dyslexia primarily affects reading while sparing other intellectual abilities, affected individuals might be categorised as not "behind enough" or "bad enough" to receive additional help in a school setting.
Prior to high school, the only instance of a teacher showing concern for me that I can recall was a kindergarten teacher who thought my lack of coordination (I ran funny) might indicate something.
Some teachers did question my poor grades in high school, but assumed that the contrast between performance my actual intelligence (as they thought I seemed intelligent, I guess) was purely the result of laziness or some kind of crazy social life. It was at least not the latter, as I only went out on weekends.
* Might feel dumb and have poor self-esteem, and might be easily frustrated and emotional about school reading or testing.
Yes.
* Might try to hide their reading weaknesses with ingenious compensatory "strategies".
I'm unsure what may be meant by this. Memorizing by rote may apply. My attempts to conjure an air of sophistication and eloquence about me while passing myself off as someone who can't be bothered to try in order to distract from my mental shortcomings could also be considered as such.
Or maybe, in regards to the latter, I really was too lazy to try.
* Might learn best through hands-on experience, demonstrations, experimentation, observation, and visual aids.
I cannot recall ever learning through hands-on experience or the following. I suppose I learn better through verbal communication than reading, though.
* Can show talents in other areas such as art, drama, music, sports, mechanics, story-telling, sales, business, designing, building, or engineering.
I guess I was alright at creative writing when I still did that, but I stopped writing a while ago. More recently I wrote for a news blog and received some praise, though I've since abandoned that as well due to a perceived inability to write and general fear of what the results of my attempts may be.
* Have related problems with attention in a school setting; for instance they might seem to "zone out" or daydream often; get lost easily or lose track of time; and have difficulty sustaining attention.
Yes.
* Spelling errors — Because of difficulty learning letter-sound correspondences, individuals with dyslexia might tend to misspell words, or leave vowels out of words (e.g., spelling "magic" as mjc).
I don't know that I misspell more frequently than others, and I don't recall leaving vowels out specifically.
* Letter order - Dyslexics may also reverse the order of two letters especially when the final, incorrect, word looks similar to the intended word (e.g., spelling "dose" instead of "does").
I have done this, and tend to read words misspelled in such a fashion in the way they were intended to be read. I could, for instance, read dose as does.
* Highly phoneticized spelling - Dyslexics also commonly spell words inconsistently, but in a highly phonetic form such as writing "shud" for "should". Dyslexic individuals also typically have difficulty distinguishing among homophones such as "their" and "there".
I have difficulty distinguishing between homophones, though I am mindful of it in my writing and rarely let those errors make it through.
* Reading — Due to dyslexics' excellent long term memory, young students tend to memorize beginning readers, but are unable to read individual words or phrases.
I don't recall how I was as a young reader.
*Because of literacy problems, an individual with dyslexia may have difficulty with handwriting. This can involve slower writing speed than average or poor handwriting characterised by irregularly formed letters.
My handwriting is terrible and I do write quite slowly.
*Some studies have also reported gross motor difficulties in dyslexia, including motor skills disorder. This difficulty is indicated by clumsiness and poor coordination. The relationship between motor skills and reading difficulties is poorly understood but could be linked to the role of the cerebellum in the development of reading and motor abilities.
As I said, I run quite awkwardly and constantly bang myself against walls, corners, and door knobs. And while it could be attributed to poor vision, I suck at catching things and have poor hand eye coordination.
So say this isn't clearly a mistake on my part. What do I do to get a proper diagnosis, and what happens to me afterwards?
I quit school months ago due to poor performance (which, at the time, I thought to be caused solely by depression, laziness, and a lack of motivation) and I've been floundering at the news blog gig to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if I were to have been fired between now and the last time I checked my e-mail.
At this point, having seemingly finished my academic career, what does a learning disability even matter?
But then I'm hardly confident that I have dyslexia in the first place.
Anyway, any insight that can be provided would be greatly appreciated. If you think I'm an idiot for even suspecting this when I have no reason to, then at least try to be nice about it (for the kids).
Furthermore, information on how I can go about getting tested would be especially appreciated.
Hooraydiation on
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Posts
Try hitting the gym a lot more often. It might really help.
www.rockmidgets.com
It was.
It seems to me that you're looking for dyslexia as an excuse for something. You may well have it, go and see a doctor and he'll refer you to somewhere you can get tested, but it's not going to make the slightest difference to your life.
The condition sums up for me as a few minor inconveniences, really. If you have it it doesn't sound like it's too bad at all and, really, though I was slightly worried about it at first I didn't really even consider adapting to mine to be so much as a bump in the road.
Is there much of a point in seeing a doctor about it, then, knowing that it'll be a hassle and really change nothing for me?
Also, wiki said that placing colored plastic overlays over black text on white pages was believed to make reading easier for dyslexics. It goes on to say that the treatment has fallen out of favor, though another site I went to said such overlays were still being offered.
Has anyone tried them? Do they help in any substantive way? Could I just wear coloured sunglasses and achieve the same results (I'd test it if I had some, but I don't)?
You have to go to a specialist in that particular field. They'll test your eyes and find out what kind of tints work best. I've had it done, didn't do shit for me. Works for a lot of other people though