Do I have dyslexia?

Do I have a learning disability?
Do I have dyslexia?
If I have difficulty reading, does that make me dyslexic?
What are the symptoms of dyslexia?

These are some frequently asked questions; I will attempt to answer them as well as I can. You might have these questions about yourself, or perhaps they apply to someone you know. First, there are many types of learning disability.  In general, any condition that slows or completely prevents a person’s ability to learn can be considered a learning disability.  These conditions could be mental or physical, or the symptoms might be a factor of the environment. Let’s start with an example of the mental group of learning impairments, which will be followed by the physical and environmental influences later on.

To begin, it is important to remember that most of us have a way in which we learn “best.” Some people learn with what I like to call “3-D learning,” which is in a hands-on, physical manner. These are the people who put a model together just by looking at the pictures. The other type of learner, the “2-D” learner, would assemble the same object by thoroughly reading the directions. This person might have to take careful notes or print out a lecture in order to understand what is being taught to him or her.

So why does 2-D versus 3-D learning matter? How does that relate to mental learning disabilities? While most of us favor either one type of learning over the other, we can usually use the other type if needed. There are some people, however, who can only use 2-D learning, such as reading; these people cannot use 3-D methods, such as pictures. Naturally, the opposite can also occur. While this is a basic example, if you or someone you know has this problem, it may be a learning disability.

Here is another example: A child who was doing well until 2nd grade or so but is now having problems could have a learning disability. After approximately 2nd grade, memorizing how to spell words will become less effective, requiring them to be sounded out.  Many times a child with a learning disability will use their power of memorization to overcome reading problems, but as the words get harder, the memorizing starts to fail.  Some people may hit this wall later in life, but the principle remains the same.

Next, we will discuss the group of people that might have a physical learning problem. He or she may have hearing loss or be unable to discern the different sounds of certain letters. Another example is an inability to see in different kinds of light.  Try reading under different light sources (sunlight, indoors) or putting colored sheets over the text.  If these help, a learning disability might be the source of the problem.

Finally, I will discuss the people who are impacted by their environment. These people are always tired because they cannot get the sleep they need. Or their bodies might be drained from eating poorly.  He or she might be stressed; remember, even young children can feel stressed. The learning environment might be noisy, poorly lit, or uncomfortable in some other way. He or she might not even have a place to devote to learning.  These people do not have a learning disability, but their surroundings are slowing down or halting them. 

Keep in mind that having trouble does not automatically indicate a learning disability. People teach how they learn best.  Troubles beginning with a new year of school could mean that the teaching style simply does not match the learning style.  I believe that learning is like a shirt: no one size fights all. 

You can do one of two things if you suspect a learning disability.
1. Simply say, “Yes, I may have (or someone I love might have) a learning disability,” and start focusing on how you (or your loved one) learn(s) best.
2. Get tested and find out for certain.  The tests can be costly, but they make sure that you learn in the way that benefits you best. The tests help determine what will and will not work for you.

Now, back to what you wanted to know, do you have some kind of learning disability, the answer is yes, we all have one.  We all have problems learning in some type of format, 2-d or 3-d even Albert Einstein, had problem with learning.  The questions should be, what am I trying to learning, that is not in my learning style.  You can find test that will tell you what style works best for you.  Use that style to go for your gold!

I hope that this has helped answer some of your questions and provide you with some direction. G. Sagmiller dyslexiamylife.org