Dyslexia and the Brain

What parts of our brain light up when we read? How does the brain of a child with dyslexia work differently? Our expert walks us through dyslexia and the brain.

In this video, Guinevere Eden, PhD, explains which parts of our brain we use when we read, how our brains change when we learn to read, and the difference that a successful dyslexia intervention can make in brain function. She also highlights what people with dyslexia can do better than their peers. Keep in mind, that kids with thinking and learning differences can thrive and have their own strengths.

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[Hiatuz]

Truth is Dyslexic people have to find their own way of learning as they grow up. You have to study 3x as hard as an average person to understand how you learn and use that technique to in the future and find ways to improve it.

[elieweiss]

I’m dyslexic, left handed, adhd and dysgraphic. I went to Groves Academy, and now I can read just as fast as non dyslexics. I’m taking 4 AP courses, which I never believed I would ever be able to do. Up to fourth grade, I couldn’t read, and my executive function (ability to plan, then execute action) was in shambles. It took so much effort every day, but you can do it!!

[pauomac]

Emotional intelligence is underrated.... thought I would share that ....

[supportmerit]

Dyslexics are often really skilled at connecting dots between complex themes and image recognition. Yes, reading may be difficult asf, but there is so much more to life than just reading. I consider myself lucky I am a good reader but one of our kids struggles hard and that’s why I’m here trying to help him.

[mstuckerify]

I’m dyslexic left handed and have adhd. I was also told I couldn’t hear phonics which just seems part of the dyslexia. I had to memorize every word I learned to spell and pronounce. There’s no cheat for me maybe now that I’m older I can process words together like that of someone using a phonetic structure to sound a new word out. I also was highly skilled in arts and have always had praise over my ability in art and have always been casted as very talented. I guess it evened out my self esteemed. Regardless I don’t hide my dyslexia. I’m not ashamed of it. We all have what we have and it’s a blessing to be able to look at the world in a different way. It also teaches you discipline. Reading out loud has always helped me. It was the biggest fear of mine when I was younger now I try to do it as much as I can because it’s the only thing that helps me get better is practice.

[gorzonthechampion]

Why is dyslexia such a hard word to spell why can't it be a nice three letter word?

[sienamerrick]

No one knew I was dyslexic until highschool and then I got a tutor for a year and it showed me a different way of seeing language and it changed my life. That’s all it took just someone really sitting down and explaining it in a way I could understand

[courtneyleighcreate]

I am Dyslexic, I was placed in "special classes" since the first grade because they didn't know what to do with me.(it was very uncomfortable) but I adapted and learned to like my situation and meet others that were all so unique and amazing. I felt a lot of empathy to others because I FELT everyones struggle in my classes. I was finally Diagnosed in Highschool when I WAS 17! It took one amazing teacher that was in the LD program that saved my Learning life all makes sense again and helped me learn the way I COULD Learn. He actually found my gift of art and he was the one to inspire me to do what I do today. I design children's clothes and fabric patterns that are selling in stores now!! I also teach art and thankful every day that he was in my life to lead me in the direction I needed to go in such a standardized WORLD. I don't bring up my dyslexia much because people get frustrated with me and sometimes I feel very alone....

[buggy]

I’m 13 year old and still have to use my fingers to count and I can’t spell “butifal” in text to speech:
Beautiful

[misterdotme]

I just found out that I am Dyslexic After going through Life filling dumb, Inadequate, Abandoned. Divorced from 10 years of marriage with two boys, I am now fighting to get on my feet, a place of my own for 50/50 Custody over my boys. It is killing me to not be able to hold my boy, to talk to my boys,   and wake up in the morning from them jumping on my bed. I am writing a Manga comic about my life, wrapped in fiction to help me vent my frustration. I have graduated high school bin to college. I am a Whole life fashion designer of 20 years, graphic artist for 15 years & animator for 2 years. Is there anyone out there that can help Me organize my life?

[SpiritDragoness]

I am dyslexic, but somehow i have learned to read in 4 different languages with 3 very different and distinct alphabets. Two of the languages have somewhat similar alphabet, but one of them has little thingies above or below the letter to change its sound, while english combines two different letters to get the same sounds, eg ch, sh. I do read slower than an avarage person, and i do get fatigued by reading. I love languages, and when i was young, i though i could work as a translator. But i quickly dropped that idea after realizing how much i will need to read. I learn mostly buy listening. I have to be very interested in a subject to go trough the torture of learning by reading. Now there are a lot of audio books and educational videos available. How i wish they were available in my childhood. That would have made my school years so much easier. And English spelling is the worst... the other languages i speak and read have fixed spelling for sounds....while english spelling is all over the place. Fish, nation.... sh sound spelled as tio? WTF, who thought that was a good idea?... the list is long, and i assume most english speakers will know what am i talking about.... and those silent letters? Why? What is their purpose? Besides f...ing with the dyslexic brain.

[hamster]

So I thought I got over "dyslexia", didn't have any problems reading (a lot of fiction novels). Then my friends started getting kids. While babysitting and reading them stories I remembered again I couldn't read. At least not out loud, or in the order that was actually printed. At the end of the sentence I would always have some words left over I had already read.
It dawned on me I just see al the words and then make a (logical, but necessarily correct) sentence from these words.
Not a problem if you read a fiction novel, but it does become a problem when the order of the words matter (physics, law, to some extent: reading children's book out loud).

Other crazy shit: being able to make spreadsheets with many calculations, percantages, indexes, scenarios, understanding both calculations as well as meaning of numbers, intuitively finding mistakes, yet, when presenting the spreadsheet using the incorrect words (reading 1000, understanding 1000 but saying 100, and not noticing). Very annoying indeed.

Seeing something blue, recognizing it as blue, yet saying: "yeah, there at the green house"

[ellenmendoza]

I'm severely dyslexic. I made a massive effort to read because I understood how important it was.. what I find strange is I can't spell ..because of spell check I have a freedom I never experienced before..I'm 63

[siah_wanja]

I would really love to have a friend who’s dyslexic

[marlenefunk]

I am 77 and no one heard of Dyslexia when I was young. I never knew anyone in all my 68 years in the U.S. with Dyslexia. I have lived in South America 10 years and have 3 friends with Dyslexia, all different. I am also Phantasic as are 2 of my friends. Sounds were never my problem. Letters changing position in words and numbers were the problem. Just before college, I was tired of looking dumb and set out to conquer it ... and I did. I still have number problems and the last two numbers in a sequence always reverse. But to me, words are a picture. I am now a fast reader. I can also read print backward and upside down. I am sorry to say that many people just decide it is too much trouble to read when Dyslexia. It is not. It just takes time to train your mind to think differently. My Parents thought I was dumb, until a teacher suggested I be tested. I have 4 degrees, have created and owned 2 companies and traveled the world on my own. If you are Dyslexic, pick one book each week and make yourself read it. You will keep getting faster and faster at reading. Your mind is memorizing words. As you memorize, you read faster and faster. It is not hard. It just takes some time. But it works.

[sharonjohnson]

Dyslexic has so many angles. It is hard to organize writing reading and getting 3 things group together is so hard. Just like getting lost every where I go. I can give Siri night mares. They say just use your GPS. I can not tell if I'm in the left lane quick enough so I gave to go to the side of the road re think and first attempt to get back on the road. My GPS has no Gyro to recover from my point of return. I can not leave a hotel room and retrace my steps 100% no chance of getting out of my own way. I have wasted so many hours days. Etc. Trying to find the path to return or go to my destination. I am late eery time. And everytime I believe o finally have it under control. I was very happy to know I am not stupid to get lost all the time. I now think I get ti see things most people have no clue how a detour can be beautiful. It did give me some skills to get me through things. And I do know my IQ is very good and have no idea how and I am optimistic which makes me happy I am creative and I believe this so called disability helped me become light hearted helpful and I don't mention it much or want to be different but I feel i am unquic and worth waiting for. I will arrive in in good mood with something I just made you. It's not all bad. Just call me Dixie. A bit dizzy.

[buckrountree]

I’m so good at Scrabble, and contribute it to my dyslexia

[james-r]

Dyslexia is to do with an individuals whole learning process, not just reading and writing, it just happens to be that reading and writing show themselves as the most effected aspects for the majority of people. The way I see the difference between traditionally persevered academics Vs people with dyslexia: TPA are Microsoft, it’s a dogmatic perception that these people are ‘normal’. Dyslexic people are Apple, it’s not that they can’t do what TPA’s can do, it’s that they do it in a different way, which unfortunately still to this day isn’t in sync with modern education and society. Who’s to say what the normal learning process of the human mind is, and deem people intelligent or unintelligent?

Throughout my entire education I was in special needs groups, because I’m dyslexic and learned things a lot slower. Since leaving education I have unintentionally taught myself a method to write a lot better, and I think I’ve done that by listening to people talk in interviews, watching films and hours of interesting public speakers and seminars of articulate people. So I write and talk in phrases like that robot in the transformers. My physical writing skills are still very slow, but I much prefer typing.

Dyslexic people are just running a different operating system, our minds are not disabled; human 2.0 if you will, but it’s difficult to make an unboxing video. Our minds are like a room without an exit, or an island without a bridge to the rest of the world.

[janieguesman]

Having the experience as a Para educator made me realize and being able to work with the students to use different academics to help learn their skills

[someguywithnochallenger]

This really sucks everytime I get a job wherever requires typing or something like that I get extremely nervous cuz I always would be spelling words incorrectly