Sudden Dyslexia Attack?

[SomeGuy]

I'm 18 and have been diagnosed with dyslexia since i was pretty young. I have mainly had problems with spelling over the years and have been able to read at a normal level (if a little slow) since late primary school. This morning, however, i had a very disturbing experience directly after i woke up. I was entirely unable to read! No matter how long i concentrated on the words i could not recall the sound they made. After around half an hour it began to wear off very slowly until i was able to read normally an hour or so later.

I was wondering if anyone else had experienced anything similar since it was quite an upsetting occurrence?

[Kanani]

Hello. This is interesting. It was at your age or a little younger that I began having episodes such as you describe. At the time I hadn't been diagnosed as dyslexic, but my issues like slow reading seem similar to yours. I had periods of a few hours to a few days to a few weeks, until I was in my mid-twenties. Looking back now I wonder if it had to do with the greater demands made on me in school, and socially etc, that triggered these episodes. I suggest that when this happens find ways of taking the pressure off a bit, take a walk or whatever you do to relax, which may mean having to explain what is happening to you to others you are working with. It may be useful to make a note of dates and times and what was going on in your life at the time, just so you can reflect if there are any patterns. I think learning or improving relaxation techniques would have helped me at the time. Good luck and thank you for sharing.

Denise

[Edwilson]

Hi SomeGuy

That sounds quite a worrying experience. However, I have had very similar experiences in the past. I've never not been able to read in the way youve said but I do have short, 2 to 3 minutes, periods where I read a sentence and it means nothing to me! It could be really simple like, 'the cat say on the mat,' and the words mean nothing. This also happens when people talk to me. I suspect it looks od when I'm stood repeating simple sentences because it means nothing to me. Again it might be something simple like, 'can you lay the table,' indeed I've noticed most often it's when I'm reading a bed time story or doing something at home!

I also have much milder episodes where i have days where it just takes me longer to get my head round things. However, I'd stress that neither of these happen regularly. I suspect it's always happend but when I was young people just thought I was away with fairies.

I'm not sure if that helps but remember ultimately nobodies dyslexia is the same and in my experience will show up in unexpected ways. Having said that it's just my experience. I'm sure there's an educational phschologist/teacher on here who can put me right!

[rosetinted]

Dyslexia can be very variable but there are limits. If this keeps happening mention it to you doctor in case there is a medical change causing this.

[madcat35]

This is very unusual if does keep happening talk to your doctor or have yours eyes tested. I do sometimes have problems when I am tired especially at work with my speak, reading and spelling

[UaLiathain]

Sometimes I can read as fast as I talk. (I cheat; I have a Western drawl.) Then sometimes it's an act in futility. I'll struggle through a page, then realize I've no idea what I just read. It's annoying and probably normal.

Stress and fatigue make Dyslexia worse, even when you aren't aware that you're uptight or tired. Maybe you were anxious about something. Maybe you didn't sleep well. Maybe you were coming down with a cold. Or maybe you'll never know what triggered it.