OUGD406 Studio Brief 02 Research into Dyslexia

Because we have decided that the focus of our campaign will be dyslexia and removing the stoma that surround it I thought it sensible to do some research into it, the way it is categorised and the stigma that surrounds it. 

Dyslexia and Specific Learning Difficulties in Adults

Dyslexia is a hidden disability thought to affect around 10% of the population, 4% severely. It is the most common of the Specific Learning Difficulties, a family of related conditions with considerable overlap or co-occurrence. Together these are believed to affect around 15% of people to a lesser or greater extent.

Specific Learning Difficulties (SplDs) affect the way information is learned and processed. They are neurological (rather than psychological), usually hereditary and occur independently of intelligence.

They include:

• Dyslexia,
• Dyspraxia or Development Co-ordination Disorder,
• Dyscalculia,
• Attention Deficit Disorder.

http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/about-dyslexia/adults-and-business/dyslexia-and-specific-learning-difficulties-in-adu.html

An Overview of Dyslexia

• The word 'dyslexia' comes from the Greek and means 'difficulty with words'.
• It is a life long, usually genetic, inherited condition and affects around 10% of the population.
• Dyslexia occurs in people of all races, backgrounds and abilities, and varies from person to person: no two people will have the same set of strengths and weaknesses.
• Dyslexia occurs independently of intelligence.
• Dyslexia is really about information processing: dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering information they see and hear. This can affect learning and the acquisition of literacy skills.
• Dyslexia is one of a family of Specific Learning Difficulties. It often co-occurs with related conditions, such as dyspraxia, dyscalculia and attention deficit disorder.
• On the plus side, dyslexic people often have strong visual, creative and problem solving skills and are prominent among entrepreneurs, inventors, architects, engineers and in the arts and entertainment world. Many famous and successful people are dyslexic.

How it feels to be dyslexic.

‘I see things from a different perspective.’

‘I can come up with solutions no one else has thought of and I think fast on my feet.’

‘When I am reading, occasionally a passage will get all jumbled up, but when it happens I have to read and re-read the passage over again.

‘I know what I want to say, but I can never find the right words.’

‘In formal situations, although I know what I want to say, I struggle, lose focus and then my mind goes blank and I panic.'

‘I have the right ideas, but I can’t get them down on paper.’

‘It’s like my computer crashing with too much information!’

‘Sometimes when I am being told what to do, the words I hear get all jumbled up in my mind and I just can’t take in what is being said to me.’

‘In general conversation with family, friends and colleagues they usually accept that I tend to ramble, forget and repeat,…. because that’s part of me’.

http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/about-dyslexia/adults-and-business/an-overview-of-dyslexia.html

Dyslexia.

Contrary to popular misconception, Dyslexia is not only about literacy, although weaknesses in literacy are often the most visible sign. Dyslexia affects the way information is processed, stored and retrieved, with problems of memory, speed of processing, time perception, organisation and sequencing.

What seems the most dominating aspect of dyslexia is the mixing up of things and the confusion of words. These could produce some really interesting graphics. Removing the stigma could be done by simply informing people about what dyslexia really is, creating something that in some way communicates what having dyslexia is really like.

Although our focus is dyslexia there are different learning difficulties that fall into the same family. This is because they often occur simultaneously causing further problems for the individual. What is most noticeable is the way that dyslexia and most learning difficulties are a continuum not simply easily definable. 

Dyspraxia

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), also known as Dyspraxia in the UK, is a common disorder affecting fine and/or gross motor coordination in children and adults. This condition is formally recognised by international organisations including the World Health Organisation. DCD is distinct from other motor disorders such as cerebral palsy and stroke. The range of intellectual ability is in line with the general population. Individuals may vary in how their difficulties present; these may change over time depending on environmental demands and life experience, and will persist into adulthood.

An individual’s coordination difficulties may affect participation and functioning of everyday life skills in education, work and employment. Children may present with difficulties with self-care, writing, typing, riding a bike, play as well as other educational and recreational activities. In adulthood many of these difficulties will continue, as well as learning new skills at home, in education and work, such as driving a car and DIY. There may be a range of co-occurring difficulties which can also have serious negative impacts on daily life. These include social emotional difficulties as well as problems with time management, planning and organisation and these may impact an adult’s education or employment experiences.

Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is characterised by an inability to understand simple number concepts and to master basic numeracy skills. There are likely to be difficulties dealing with numbers at very elementary levels; this includes learning number facts and procedures, telling the time, time keeping, understanding quantity, prices and money. Difficulties with numeracy and maths are also common with dyslexia.

The information found directly below details many of the symptoms of dyslexia and are possibly an insight into why dyslexia is perceived as being proportional to intelligence.