The Dyslexia journey and the mental health issues that can arise

Dyslexia has a long history of disparate views, all the way back to the 1700s. Yet, here we are in the year 2020 with a continued need to work on helping people to not only understand dyslexia but to value the positives that come with this learning difference.

We were lucky to have Kim Beaman Rios join us for our SYT Learn Live Call. In Kim’s Masterclass “Navigating Dyslexia and the Mental Health Landscape” she was open to sharing her own experiences with dyslexia as well as her experience working as a professional with students with dyslexia. 

Kim provided some great insight into what dyslexia can be like for those who have it. She stated that with her own dyslexia, she felt the feeling of being locked in, oppressed and like she did not want to be different from her peers. These seem to be common experiences for many people with learning differences when they are not well-understood or well-supported. This is what we need to shift.

“Dyslexics are round pegs in square holes when it comes to school. We don’t fit that well unless our way of thinking is recognized and supported.” - Kate Griggs

There are many emotions that can surface when people get a diagnosis of a learning difference….and likely no two experiences, or complex series of emotions, will be the same. The range of emotions can be from relief, and understanding, to anger, fear, trauma, depression, grief, or loss. 

How a learning difference is supported by and viewed by, those around them can have a huge impact on how someone self-identifies with their difference. 

There were lots of great takeaways from Kim’s live call, and here are a few we wanted to share:

Dyslexia is complex and individual. There can be issues with overidentifying, over labelling, and too much reliance on things such as the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual). Each person with dyslexia has different experiences, comfort levels and feelings about their difference. It can be helpful to let each person lead their own narrative, which can be supported with simple conversations. Kim encouraged us to ask people how they like to be identified -  For example, some people may use “reading disorder”, others “dyslexia”, some people feel that “learning difference” should be used, however some people self-relate and identify with the term “disability”. 

If you are going to see a therapist to support you, make sure you find one that is a good fit for you. This may mean interviewing a therapist in advance to learn more about them (and interviewing more than one!). You may ask questions such as “what is your theoretical orientation?” or “how do you approach counselling?”, you may search therapists on websites like goodtherapy.org or psychology.com, and consider different therapies that may be helpful for dyslexia (such as expressive arts therapy). 

There are different ways to view dyslexia, using a social model or medical model. The medical model is the one rooted in history and sees disability as a deficiency or abnormality. This medical model is becoming more outdated (with many shifts still to come) and we are moving toward a social model which sees differences in learning just as you would see differences in gender, age, race etc. It identifies systemic barriers and acknowledges that when those barriers are removed you can see people’s potential.

People with dyslexia have incredible strengths. Appreciation of the strengths of those with dyslexia (both from external sources and internally) will lead to greater acceptance and the ability to fight against negativity. We need to move towards valuing strengths as the norm. One great example is that there are now companies who are seeking to hire people with certain learning differences such as dyslexia due to the innovation, creativity, and out-of-the-box thinking that often accompanies these differences. 

Support systems can make a difference. Kim noted that she had an amazing mother who was dedicated to helping her. They came up with strategies that worked for her using things like rhyming, colour-coded cards, music etc. There are many supports that can help people with dyslexia including assistive technology, mapping and brain mapping.

Find ways to help kids with dyslexia in class - Kids need to have the opportunity to show off their strengths! When kids have the chance to see their own potential, they can better see the positives that their learning difference carries with it (and we all need that boost in an understanding of self, and increase in confidence!). 

Learning differences such as dyslexia, are multi-faceted, both in terms of learning, strengths, obstacles, emotions and potential mental health implications. We need to keep the conversation going about the best way to embrace and support each other. 

Kim’s SYT Learn Masterclass is available to watch. Click here to access it for a small donation.