The Strengths of Dyslexics

People with dyslexia have specific strengths that other kids don't have because of the way they process information. Parents and teachers can support dyslexic kids by helping them to become aware of their strengths. People who have dyslexia do not usually acknowledge or recognise these strengths. The low self-esteem they suffer from make it even harder to identify such talents and capabilities. 

As a parent or teacher, you may see the advantages of your dyslexic child, but may also easily get caught up in their areas of struggles. It takes some work to change this mindset and focus on the strengths of your dyslexic child.

Every child with a learning difficulty is different. Some of them are extremely creative or athletic. Others may have remarkable leadership or social skills. For example, a person or child with dyslexia may not draw well, but is quite good at sports.

The Strengths Of Dyslexia

1. Big Picture Thinkers

People suffering from dyslexia are likely to think in pictures rather than words. Recent research at the University of California demonstrated that kids suffering from dyslexia have enhanced image recognition memory. They can easily spot trends and patterns in data. They can identify how things are connected to form complex systems. 

Dyslexics can determine CS many resemblances among multiple things. These strengths are ideal for fields such as mathematics and science. Nine out of ten people who suffer from dyslexia describe these strengths as "seeing past details to gain a big picture view of the problem."

Auguste Rodin - a 19th-century French sculptor - could stare at a painting in a museum by day and paint it from memory at night. Due to his dyslexic condition, he could barely read or write until the age of 14 years. His reading skills developed much later.

2. Thinking Outside The Box - Great Problem Solvers

People who have dyslexia are known to have sudden leaps of insights that help solve problems with an unorthodox approach. These people are excellent at bringing together information from different areas to see new connections. They use an intuitive approach to solve problems that may seem like daydreaming. People with dyslexia usually stare out of windows to let their brains slide into neutral and soothe itself around a challenge - to make the connections assemble. They can use critical thinking to solve problems after comparing the information. Leonardo Da Vinci and Albert Einstein are examples of dyslexic people who used this skill.

3. High Levels Of Empathy

A person with dyslexia can "read a situation" and get a sense of understanding of what's happening for the other person involved in the situation. It is a powerful skill. This heightened empathy can be a result of their brains being wired differently.

4. Highly Creative

Dyslexics have different types of creativity. Many of them excel in music, arts, sports, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Most of the famous actors in the world have dyslexia such as Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightly, and Johnny Depp. Pollock and Picasso also had dyslexia. Entrepreneur Richard Branson, author Roald Dahl, and New Zealand shot putter Tom Walsh are also dyslexics.

5. Good Spatial Knowledge

Karina Wolfin, DAR digital expert says, “People with dyslexia think with multi-sensory and three-dimensional images. The skill evolves and grows as their thought process adds more information to the situation. The thought process is much faster than verbal thinking. It is usually subliminal. People with this condition are generally good at operating 3D objects in their mind. This is evident with kids who deal with 3D objects in using their computers and phones. Most of the world's top fashion designers and architects are suffering from dyslexia.”

6. Observant

People with dyslexia are great observers. They are great at finding the odd one out of enormous quantities of visual data. Christopher Tonkin - a dyslexic scientist - described his unusual sensitivity to notice things out of place. The British Intelligence Agency uses the strengths of dyslexics to analyse intricate details rationally and logically to combat foreign espionage threats. Although many people with dyslexia struggle to read and write, they are quite skilled at deciphering facts from patterns.

7. Narrative Reasoning Strength

Narrative reasoning uses episodic memory or memory of experiences. People who have dyslexia have a better ability to learn through experiences. They can recall information much more efficiently - whether they have actually experienced or simply imagined such experiences.

• Reasoning - Evaluating possibilities, understanding patterns, or making decisions - over 84% of people who have dyslexia are above average in logic.

• Simplifying - Taking part, understanding, or simplifying complex concepts or ideas

• Visioning - Seeing past details to gain a strategic view of the problem

• Deciding - Interpreting situations or patterns to make predictions on future events or make decisions

• Analysing - Using logic to determine a strong argument or where the truth lies

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