Servival Skills

A fellow dyslexic blogger over at Teh Dyslexic Storytellers Blog had a post today about the rules of faking it. Basically what a dyslexic child has to do to pass as literate. I am a big fan of coping skills, but have employed different tactics and thus feel the need to add my own list.

1. Listen carefully - If you don't have an autographic memory, practice your listening skills as much as you can and do everything possible to commit everything you hear to memory. Listening is the most powerful tool a non-reader has, never forget that.

2. Memorize lots of books - Once you have mastered your listening skills, start memorizing every book that is ever read aloud to you. Any dyslexic child should be able to resite a minimum of 100 books, turning the pages at the right time. This skill will be invaluable when forced to do book reports or read aloud in class.

3. Find something else you are good at - For me it was math. It is a lot easier to do metal math that mental spelling, so I forced myself to excell in math as a child. If you are performing above grade level in one subject it is easier for people to overlook the fact that you are underpreforming in another subject.

4. Embrace the audio book - I still listen to lots of audio books and don't see any reason why any dyslexic shouldn't be listening to audio books. Public librarys have lots of audio books available. Audio bookworm is a netflix for books on CD type service that is great. And RFB&D (recordings for the blind and dyslexic) is just playing fabuolous. If you don't know how to read, you probably aren't reading this blog, but you should belong to RFB&D - because text books on tape is a gift sent straight from heven.

5. Problem solve - When given a situation that seems impossible, find a new solution. If your keyboarding teacher expects you to type faster than you can read, don't read while you are typing. If you are required to write an inclass essay study spelling words related to the topic instead of the facts associated with it. You are the one who knows what problems you're facing, and you are the one who can find the solution. Never expect it to be the solution that your teacher gives you. Just accept that you know yourself better than anyone else and only you can determine what it will take for you to servive.

6. Stay confodent - Many dyslexic people have gone on to achieve greatness, and there is no reason why you can't be one of them. If your dream in life is to be a secretary - you will never achieve your goals. So just be the boss instead, and hire a secretary to correct your spelling for you. If you can't be average - be exceptional instead.

7. Learn how to read - If you are severly dyslexic, this is quite possibly the hardest thing you will ever do in your life. But do it anyway. Get help for any sorce you can, and find a way to crack the code that is your own mind. If you can do this one impossible thing, then you truly can do anything. Don't let yourself stand between you and the rest of your dreams.

Joke of the Day

Dyslexics of the world UNTIE