FROM THE TELEGRAPH
Award-winning author and illustrator Sally Gardner offers advice on dyslexia at the start of Dyslexia Awareness Week.
By Sally Gardner
6:45AM BST 08 Oct 2012
To coincide with Dyslexia Awareness Week (Monday 8th – Sunday 14th October), author Sally Gardner offers 10 tips for dyslexics.
• 1. Remember dyslexia comes in all shapes and sizes, so it cannot be swept over with a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Firmly ignore and disregard all humans who tell you it’s a disability and those who patronise you. Don’t give up on what interests you.
• 2. A good sense of humour is vital. Try not to take yourself too seriously, especially when you make a muddle up. Laughter is the best remedy. Remember too that non dyslexic thinkers can often make a muddle of the things we find easy to do.
• 3. Listen to audio books. I listen to at least two per month – dyslexia is not an excuse for not being well read – far from it.
• 4. Use a dyslexic font, there are several available online to buy and download. Find the one that works well for you. They are fab and finally for me, at least, it has stopped the B and the P getting muddled up.
• 5. I find writing in different colours very useful. I start the day in one colour, in the afternoon I use another and cut paste together before putting it all back to black. Double spacing and larger font is essential.
• 6. Try and learn joined up writing, what they call ‘handwriting’ at school. Even good spellers’ writing is illegible in this format and so you can get away with very bad spelling. If not sure which way round the ‘i’ or the ‘e’ goes, do a ‘u’ and dot the middle. BN. This only works with joined up writing.
• 7. Leave more than enough time if going for a job interview or other important meeting in case you’ve written the number of house or building etc. down wrong eg. 47 could be 74… Apparently there’s no excuse for being late – well, I think this is a reasonable one.
• 8. I keep a piece of soft sand paper which helps when learning how a word is spelt. Write it once to feel it on the sand paper, then write it again.
• 9. Holding a hand exercise squeeze ball, or something pliable like playdough, is very helpful for concentration. I find that if I read a page holding one, I remember much more than without it.
10. Remember you are unique. Every one of us on this plant has special needs. Spelling is just the tip of the iceberg – dyslexia is a way of thinking, a way of being, it is who you are. Be proud of yourself. After all most humans can read but we can make letters dance and much more besides. Dyslexia rules KO.