help?

[anikab0004]

im 15 and i feel i have dyslexia but im too scared to tell the teachers or my friends becuse i feeel they will judge me , i miss out words when reading aloud and i add in my own with out realising , ive been told i should have 25% extra time during exams but i feel like a fool for taking time to read and also reading aloud my spelling is quite bad

[lilsamsam]

what about your parents,raise your concerns.They must support you,a series of tests are readily available.Don't be silly you are no alone in this issue.Speak to your teacher too.Get help its there,uve taking the 1st step by being on this x

[rosetinted]

Why be scared? It can only help you to get diagnosed. You will be eligible for help and extra time in exams. When I was young I was so dyslexic and everyone just called me stupid, they shouted at me when I got things wrong, I hid it, did not speak to people much, in case I made a mistake. I had no name for what I was experiencing. I learned to overcome my difficulties myself, I found ways around things but it made me ill. I only diagnosed myself when I was 40 and my son was diagnosed as dyslexic at school. It was such a relief, it was horrible being the cleverest stupid person. I hid my intelligence because people thought I was being clever, clever, and hid my dyslexia because I did not know what it was.So much hiding is worse that admitting it. Times have changed quite a bit, but the only way to make things better is to be proud of any differences you have.

[Giosang]

I totally understand how you feel, it can be very scary being 'different' from your friends. However, I have been a special needs teacher for many years in secondary schools, and I have met and worked with many dyslexic students. I can honestly tell you that not one of them regretted asking for and getting help, especially with exams. Most of them used to come to their special needs lessons very willingly and actually enjoyed the extra attention and care they received. I cannot believe that your teachers will judge you in any way. As for your friends, that can be a problem, because some people are horrible to people who they think are different in some way - but you should ask yourself are these the sorts of friends you really want? Remember your true friends will support you and not let this bother them in any way. What about your parents - have you told them about your fears? You should. Remember things are never as bad as they seem. Being dyslexic is not an illness, it's just the way we are!! You will be much better off in the end if you tell someone, because they will help you at college and uni. This is what I would do: Go to the learning support department at school as soon as possible and tell them that you need help. Ask for an appointment to see the head of department - it's important that you do this soon. If your mum or dad can go with you that would be better. They will take it from there. It may be too late to get help for your exams now, but they can help you for future study at college. One step at the time. Be brave - only good things will come - believe me - let us know how you get on. Please do it. Well done for writing on this forum - see it as the first step.

[UaLiathain]

I do that too when I'm reading aloud or even talking. It is embarrassing.

The biggest problem with dyslexia is the ignorance of others. Everyone "knows" what it is, but they really have no clue. It does not mean "stupid" or "defective." You are simply right-brain dominate instead of left-brain dominate. It's a brain that can actually do some things easier than the herd. Unfortunately reading and writing isn't one of them. You think more in pictures than words.

There are a lot of famous dyslexic who didn't succeed despite their dyslexia but BECAUSE of it. Even though "dyslexia" means "difficulty with words", believe it or not, there is a way above average number of famous dyslexic writers and actors. They just exploited their creative 3-D imaginations that normal people would kill for. After all your imagination is on the right side of your brain. It's also a brain geared for problem solving, seeing the big picture and thinking outside the box. Find your gifts and use them!

[Suzannabanana]

Hello, why not turn your thinking on its head? Everyone has something they need assistance with, it just happens that yours is down to dyslexia. If you had trouble seeing, you could have help in the form of contacts lenses or glasses, it is simply nothing to be ashamed of. My son is dyslexic, his brilliance from a very early age (3!) in terms of solving DIY problems, his ability to see patterns or to make new connections between ideas that wouldn't occur to most other people often surprises me. However his spelling is poor and learning foreign languages is difficult for him. On the flip side his reading has gone from 3 years under his actual age, to 3 years above it (we used Keda Cowling's 'Toe by Toe' book to achieve this, it was hard work, but worth it a thousand times over which was nothing short of miraculous in terms of the transformation we achieved after a year). I am excited to see what he achieves with these gifts. Your brain can do amazing things that you probably take for granted at the moment, so take the 25% extra time that is on offer and as the previous poster wrote "Find your gifts and use them!". Good luck!

[Clairetreadwell]

I get it. I was terrified. I thought I was stupid and that people would laugh at me. Do you know what....

I was completely wrong. The day I finally got help, was the best day ever. I finally understood why I did the things I did. Why if found certain things difficult and othe things easy.

I finally got the help I needed.

So yes it is scary, but you'll never regret getting help, you'll just wish you did in sooner

Xxx

[rosetinted]

It is your right to get diagnosed and to receive help, if you hide you are just allowing the world to put you down and it will continue to blight your life. Non-dyslexic people do not understand what dyslexia really is, they have no idea that it can be about how you think and how you perceive the world as well. You must be your own best friend. People who are hiding get used to the shame of being different and it can be like a friend. Shame is not your friend, one day all people will realise that there is no standard way to view the world, until then we have to stand up for ourselves and each other. Reach out to anyone who will take you seriously and be proud and fight for your rights.

[Shirleywhirley]

Please remember that being dyslexic has no bearing on intelligence. It's just that the brain is wired in a slightly different way. There are special rulers that you can get which have a window in them so they just show one or two words of the text at anyone time, this may help, ask your special needs coordinator at school. Dyslexics have trouble with contrast so do the school use different coloured paper and a dyslexia friendly font? All things that might be worth asking about. Don't put too much pressure on yourself, dyslexic people are amazing! Did you know that over half of N.A.S.S.A's workforce are dyslexic? It's because of your ability to think outside of the box and see thing from different angles. Good luck!