As promised, this is the second part of the interview about dyslexia (to read the first part click here). Put it simply, dyslexia is a disorder that makes it difficult for a person to perform several language tasks such as word interpretation, spelling and reading.
Apart from school, what other extracurricular activities did you find challenging because of dyslexia?
Well, I am dyslexic and my mind works in a different way. Learning a foreign language such as English was a tough challenge for me. The English courses I attended were targeted to “normal” kids (I hate that word!), so the teaching style was based on them. There wasn’t a single effort made by my tutors to try and include different teaching styles so that I can keep up with the rest of the class. To be honest, I don’t know whether they didn’t know what dyslexia was or they didn’t care. Thankfully though, I was never bullied during my tuition there. Neither by my teachers nor by the kids and this is something I found really relieving.
Are there any advantages to being dyslexic?
There have to be. I still struggle with dyslexia since I can’t manage it that well. So, I can’t really say that there are many positive aspects to it. But that is only my opinion. However, I am very good at orientation and I perceive the three dimensional space very well. I can’t say for sure they are dyslexia related but they sure are advantages.
How did school (both primary and middle) deal with your dyslexia when informed?
They didn’t show much interest in really understanding what dyslexia was. At first, they tried to incorporate me in the “autism spectrum” class. Of course, that failed because the needs of a dyslexic and the needs of an autistic aren’t the same. Then, they did what the law stated in these cases. My exams had to be oral in all subjects. But, let me make a pause here. What really astonished me and my parents is that even after the school was aware of my dyslexia, they still treated me as a bad student who didn’t care enough to study.
Apart from your parents and brother, how did the rest of the family reacted to you being dyslexic?
My grandparents were very sympathetic. Come to think of it, they didn’t even know what dyslexia was and still they were very supportive. They reacted far better than my friends and teachers. My grandfather was the one who took me to the dyslexia center 3 times a week. I still remember him asking me every single time: “are you ready to go to the doctor?” In his ignorant mind, he thought dyslexia was something like a health problem. Their reaction was very sweet and they treated me exactly like all the other grandchildren.
In your opinion, is dyslexia a problem?
I don’t think the question is right. It’s not about being problematic, it’s about being different. It also depends on the country you live in. Dyslexia itself is a condition and not a problem. However, if the country you live in doesn’t provide the necessary means to manage it properly, then yes you are going to face some problems and difficulties. In my case, back in the 1990s my country was very indifferent to this condition and followed a very basic plan in whichever case diverged from the ordinary. I can’t tell you how things would be if I lived in a country where there would be special care and awareness of dyslexia but I am guessing that I would be in a better place.
How was school any different for you on account of dyslexia?
The law stated that all exams had to be oral for dyslexic students. In my school, there was a small room where all non-ordinary students (dyslexic, autistic, etc.) gathered and teachers posed questions to each one of us. This was the way we were graded in all subjects. It’s not something I want to remember. The whole process made me feel bad.
After the 6 years in the private center where you were taught how to cope with dyslexia, do you think you can handle it?
To some extent. I mean, it was very helpful as far as school is concerned. The experts there really helped me understand how my mind works and showed me alternative ways of studying. This gave me hope that I could still learn because until then, I thought there was only the conventional way of learning and I thought I was both lazy and stupid. What’s more, I was on psychotherapy for the total of 6 years I went to this center. This made me understand why I couldn’t be a good student and get the grades that I deserve. I believe it played a key part to my behavior and made me not give up trying.
Do you have anything to add regarding your experience with dyslexia?
Not really. I think some progress have been made as far as dyslexia awareness is concerned. Dyslexic children are bullied much less than in the past and schools have a more organised approach towards dyslexia. Nevertheless, these actions are not enough. The next step should be to normalize dyslexia! That would be a good place to start!
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