Dyslexia – An adult dyslexic perspective

Written by Astrid Von Sommaruga who is director of Learn4Potential, a student coaching organisation, specialising in helping dyslexic students achieve their true potential.

Presently it appears that many professionals, who are committed to helping the dyslexic learner, are focused on helping them to read, write and spell.

This poses a problem for secondary and tertiary dyslexic students as although these three skills are essential, they are just the building blocks for academic learning.

Once that hurdle is achieved, the dyslexic student then needs to function and perform in an education system where speed is an essential component and most assessments are based on complex word tasks that require reading, comprehension, answering questions and writing paragraphs and essays.

After all, exams are often just written puzzles that need to be solved within a time limit!

Unlike many professionals, I am dyslexic. I think, learn, read and write by first using my dyslexic creative right brain that scaffolds my thinking in order to use my left academic brain. This has given me a unique advantage to help other dyslexic learners, as I think and learn the same way they do.

As a result, I have been able to develop an innovative tool kit of techniques and strategies that, when put into practice, enhance the dyslexic student’s ability to learn and improve their academic achievement and outcomes.

For over a decade, I have worked as a Learning Coach in schools and in private practice helping dyslexic secondary and tertiary students to become competent, high achieving learners. In my role as a Learning Coach, I enable dyslexic students to access the curriculum and course content and hence to perform in academic assessments and exams.