I have dyslexia. Why do people tell me it doesn't exist?

Question

I mix up word, letters, and numbers. I have problems reading things and writing. The most used key on my keyboard is the backspace and the most used feature is the spell checker. I've had a diagnosis, but now people tell me there is no such thing. If there's no such thing, why, even though I have a master degree and years of working at it do I still read at about a quarter the rate of the average high school student? What do they mean there's not such thing as dyslexia?

Answer 1

ignorance,lack of logical thinking, lack of empathy

Answer 2

They may just be saying that it's all in your head. Because you think you have "Dyslexia" you do--or so you think.

Answer 3

If I remember correctly, the diagnosis "dyslexia" is no longer used but the symptoms of this disorder are placed under a more general category.  Sorry I couldn't be more specific, I vaguely remember hearing about this.

Answer 4

Well, congradulations on your masters.  It shows you're quite motivated.  I would say that anyone who says it doesn't exist is pretty much ignorant.  Interesting enough, the average newspaper is written at about the 6th grade level.

Answer 5

Why do you care what it means, ILP??!!!

Answer 6

Unfortunately even the so-called experts on dyslexia disagree as to what it is.  You can google dyslexia and find a dozen different definitions.  The school system I work for doesn't use the term.  We would just say you have a learning disability in reading.  It's all the same really.  It's just a label and you can't get hung up on it.  It does suck that there are still so many ignorant people out there.

Answer 7

The term dyslexia comes from the medical model and is defined as "A specific reading disability due to a defect in the brain's processing of graphic symbols."

While this term does exist, as well as the disorder, from an educator's standpoint, it does not tell enough about the type of learning disability that is causing the problem. There are a number of learning disabilities that impact reading. So the general term, "Dyslexia" isn't good enough.

Some of the learning disabilities that are associated with a reading disability are as follows:

Auditory Sequencing - Confusion with number sequences, lists or lists of directions. Hearing ninety-four instead of forty-nine.

Auditory Memory - Difficulty remembering what was heard, difficulty remembering important items from a lecture. Spells poorly.

Visual Sequencing - Problems in using a separate answer sheet. Loses place easily. Problems with reading. Reversing or misreading numbers of letters. Reading words incorrectly. Difficulty with equations.

Visual Memory - Difficulty remembering what was seen. Reading comprehension. Difficulty with math equations. Poor recall of information.

Dysgraphia - Inability to form letters correctly. students cannot read their own writing.

Visual Motor Integration - Deficits in integrating information and then writing it down. Difficulty copying from board or book. Spaces poorly. Poor written work. Unorganized.

Non-verbal learning disability is a neurological disorder which originates in the right hemisphere of the brain, causing problems with visual-spatial perception, intuitive, organizational, evaluative and holistic processing functions.

Auditory Figure Ground - Trouble hearing sounds over background noises.

Visual Figure Ground - Trouble seeing an image within competing background. Picking one line of print from another while reading.

Visual Discrimination - Seeing the difference between two similar objects

Spatial Orientation - Loses materials. Late to class. Difficulty with oral reading. Unorganized homework. Difficulty judging time.

Expressive Language - Difficulty expressing themselves. Difficulty with accessing stored information and turning it into language.

Receptive Language - Appears to be "not listening". Does not respond promptly to cues. Does not understand long sentences or 3 step directions.

As you can see, it is relatively important to know exactly where the neurological disorder exists so that accommodations to the information to be processed, can be made.

So, yes, dyslexia does exist, but it would be good to get tested by an educational psychologist to find out the exact nature of the reading disability.

Answer 8

Because there are a lot of people out there ( usually parents ) who can't deal with their son/daughter not being very bright and use a self diagnosis of dyslexia as  an excuse. which sucks for real dyslexics

Answer 9

Think in Forest Gump terms - Stupid is as stupid does.  This is why I don't really believe in Darwinism.... the people should have been taken care of long ago.

Edit--- I meant the critics.  Dyslexia is very real.  I'm sorry if I offended anyone by this.  Re-read my question and see how it couldn have been taken the wrong way!!

Answer 10

the are lying to you it does exist

Answer 11

because people are mean and small minded.  they think if they can't see something physically wrong with you, you must be making it up.