Q. What are some of the misconceptions people have about dyslexia? 

A. I say some of the most hurtful things are that you are stupid or just can't read at all. Other basic ones are that you read numbers as letters and letters as numbers and words flip upside down. I have had people assume it would be easier for me to read things upside down. 



Q. What are some of the positive characteristics dyslexia gives you? 

A. I think it introduced me early to the idea of hard work and how hard work can lead to success. I learned how to create robust study guides and send in outlines and rough drafts far before the due dates so I could further understand if I was meeting the teachers expectations. I think that learning about dyslexia at an early age allowed me to utilize these skills and perfect them before school actually really started to matter towards your future. I learned that I needed to do a lot of outside work in order for me to succeed and I have accepted that. I think that it has allowed me to learn more about myself and accept it. I also learned how to not be scared to be a self advocate and ask for outside help. I also developed an open mind about the definition of smart. I think that there are many different definitions of smart. The last thing is that physically it has made me a creative and an outside of the box thinker. I approach difficulties in different ways because of my creativity. I am much more right brained focused and I thrive in all arts and visual learning. I also am very spatially aware. 



Q. What are some things your dyslexia makes hard for you? 

A. Reading at the same pace as others, I skip words and sentences and don't really comprehend what is written on the page. I have a hard time understanding directions ( I tend to glance over them and loose points because I don't always do what is being asked of me) and organizing my thoughts. Reading out loud is really hard because the connection between visually seeing what is on the page and then vocalizing it is slower and lost in translation. Often I will think about what I want to say but have a hard time saying it. It's hard to move thoughts from my brain out into the outer world. 



Q. How does dyslexia negatively affect you in a classroom setting. What about any other setting. 

A. In the classroom reading out loud in a circle is very scary. So say you are reading in a circle, all I am focusing is what I have to read and I spend the time looking over what my part is and forget to listen to what others are saying. When it is my turn to read I am putting so much energy into saying the words, I don't comprehend the significance of what I am reading but only focusing on what I am saying. 



Q. WHat kind of accommodations do you use and how do they help maximize your learning? 

A. I use extra time on tests. Like I said before it takes me a long time to process what I am reading. Sometimes I have to reread entire paragraphs or directions. Therefore having the extra time makes reading those much less stressful and means i will make less careless mistakes because I am not anxious or rushing. I go into a different space where I am with other kids utilizing extra time which makes me less nervous about having to finish with the rest of the group. 



Q. Have the majority of your teachers been good at making sure you get your accommodations? 

A. For the most part but there are just a few that don't understand what extra time really means to me.