The Dyslexic Advantage by Brock & Fernette Eide *****

The Dyslexic Advantage by Brock & Fernette Eide

Research has shown that dyslexia comes with advantages, such as visualizing 3D spaces and objects, recognizing novel connections, creating stories, and predicting the future. If you are dyslexic or care about someone who is dyslexic, read this book now.

Reading challenges are the most well-known characteristics of dyslexia. These challenges range from not recognizing letters and not being able to decode words to not understanding or retaining what has been read. For example, I misread words, read slowly, and have difficulty understanding or retaining what I’ve read. Despite these challenges, I had a successful career in high technology and now write novels in my retirement. This book explains the connection between my challenges and successes.

The first piece of good news is that reading difficulties lessen with time. “However, the lessons from these meta-analyses must certainly rank as one of the most important messages of this book for young dyslexic individuals: Don’t lose hope when you begin to feel that you are the last tree in the garden to blossom. Your day is coming. Time really is on your side.”

“These four MIND strengths are Material reasoning, Interconnected reasoning, Narrative reasoning, and Dynamic reasoning.”

Material reasoning has to do with understanding 3D objects and spaces. This may involve a sense of direction or the design of mechanical systems. For example, when I moved from Massachusetts to Utah, as a poor college student, I rented a van and figured out how to pack the contents of my apartment into it. On moving day, everything fitted into the van exactly as planned.

Interconnected reasoning is the ability to find unexpected connections. For example, my PhD dissertation was a novel way to design electronic circuits. The seed of my solution came from an algorithm invented for computer graphics.

Narrative reason is about combining knowledge into stories. Like many dyslexics, rote memorization doesn’t work for me. When required to memorize formulas for math classes, I chose instead to learn the derivations (stories) of the formulas. I could learn not formulas (rote memorization), but I could learn the stories (derivations).

Dynamic learning. I can construct a model of a process and simulate that model into the future. These skills made me an engineering vice president with a reputation for completing projects on time.

This book helped me understand my different behaviors. In college, I never missed a lecture, but also rarely completed the reading. I do not fear failures but look at them as opportunities to improve. I am addicted to novelty. All of these are part of the dyslexic advantage.

A must-read book for anyone living with dyslexia.

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