Dyslexia is my Superpower
A Dyslexic DFW Wedding Photographer Tells All
I have a confession to make. Even though misspelled words and using the wrong synonym can appear in just about any form of writing, the chances of it appearing in my writing are more common than the average millennial. Why is this? It’s because I have something called Dyslexia.
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia, pronounced [ dis-lek-see-uh ], according to Webster’s Dictionary, is “any of various reading disorders associated with impairment of the ability to interpret spatial relationships or to integrate auditory and visual information.”
To me, words are just pictures that don’t translate into sounds with meaning in my head right away. All I see is an image; it takes a second for me to “hear” the word in my head. When it comes to spelling, I can “hear” the word that I want to write in my head, but it doesn’t translate into the “pictures” (spelled words) right away, and sometimes, in that transition from “hearing” the word in my head to writing it, the complete “picture” or spelling is lost. There is a disconnect in my brain, and I have learned coping mechanisms to help me navigate this visual-to-sound world.
How did you find out that you have Dyslexia?
When I was in elementary school, I was first diagnosed with “Written Expression Disorder” because I would consciously “dumb down” my word choices to ensure that I could spell the words on the paper. I would try to read aloud in my group during reading time, but was often made fun of because I was slow. I was officially diagnosed with dyslexia in the second grade after going through some testing at the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas.
Is there a cure for Dyslexia?
In shorter terms, there is not a “cure”, but there are tools. Once I was diagnosed with Dyslexia, I was put in a special reading class in school with other kids who also had dyslexia and were shown how to code by drawing over words with symbols that made our brains register them faster. We were also taught how to write in cursive instead of print, as cursive helps people with dyslexia better translate their thoughts into written words. To this day, I write in cursive 99.9% of the time.
Do you have to have someone check what you write all the time?
I used to! My best friend, Bri, would often text me, “Hey, you have this typo right here!” when I would post something on social media or my blog/ website, or I would have my mother read over everything I wrote to check for misspelled words.
Today, I use Grammarly! Ever since buying the Pro version of Grammarly, I have been able to write and check my spelling on everything from text messages to blog posts without any issues. I have been faster and more efficient than ever when it comes to writing because of this tool. They have a free version, but I have a referral link for you here if you want to try premium as a new user.
Has having Dyslexia helped you in any way?
I am proud to say that having dyslexia has made me the person I am today, it’s one of my superpowers. Because of dyslexia:
I have the ability to learn other languages quickly, because of the vocabulary I developed due to finding simpler words to spell to describe my thoughts. I’m learning my third language now.
My attention to detail is more keen.I have learned how to tell stories uniquely, without words, and I believe that I wouldn’t have become a traveling DFW wedding photographer if I didn’t have it.
My heart has grown x10 for those who have hidden and seen disabilities, and it is reflected in my work.
How to get tested for dyslexia.
If you think you or someone you know may have Dyslexia and are in school, I recommend you talk to the special accommodations office about getting tested. If you are not in school, I recommend talking to your primary care provider about testing. You will be amazed at how having a diagnosis can help.
So there you have it!
This is why you may see a handful of typos, but now that I have Grammarly, I hope to decrease them. If this has helped you understand dyslexia in any way, please share this blog post so that others can learn about it, too; you never know how much of an impact sharing can have.
Until the next blog!
Annie Shannon
Traveling DFW Wedding Photographer
Hablo Español
Always a Cursive Writer
*Disclaimer: This blog contains an affiliate link to sell Grammarly. You can learn more about my affiliate links use on my website’s Terms & Conditions page.
