Can Speed Reading Help with Dyslexia?

I think dyslexia is not a very useful term as it encompasses so many different conditions. According to the NHS: “The signs and symptoms of dyslexia differ from person to person. Each individual with the condition will have a unique pattern of strengths and weaknesses.”

Whilst still not completely understood, dyslexia is estimated to affect approximately 15% of the population. This equates to over 30 million adults in the United States, about 6 million in the United Kingdom and 3 million in Canada. In this article I’ll explore what dyslexia is, individuals who have thrived in spite of, or sometimes because of, the condition and how Speed Reading techniques can alleviate some of the most common issues reported by dyslexics.  

Dyslexic indicators include speech problems such as delayed speaking as a youngster, not being able to pronounce long words properly and making spoonerisms and malapropisms. This is not unusual in itself. When I was little I used to talk about ‘dinkle dar’ – a corruption of ‘twinkle star’ and ‘treacle tart’. (My mother used to cook a tart of breadcrumbs, dried fruit and golden syrup with the pastry around the edges cut and folded to form points like a star). Children aged 5 to 12 may confuse the order of letters in words. Reading and writing slowly with poor handwriting and poor spelling may be observed. Sometimes they experience visual disturbances when reading. For example, a child may describe letters and words as seeming to move around, drift across the page or appear blurred (see Irlen Syndrome below). Another consequence for reading is poor phonological awareness (as mentioned in an earlier blog post we are often taught to read via phonics). This can lead to poor word attack skills. That is the ability to tackle new words by breaking into familiar components. Rhyming is difficult. Problems continue into adulthood leading to embarrassment and thus trying to avoid reading and writing whenever possible. Sometimes there are issues with short term memory and struggling to remember things such as a PIN or telephone numbers. Dyslexics can be poorly organised and struggle with time management thus failing to meet deadlines. They will sometimes confuse left and right and have problems navigating.

Related conditions include difficulties with numbers (dyscalculia); problems concentrating and a short attention span, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); physical co-ordination problems (developmental co-ordination disorder, also called DCD or dyspraxia) and sometimes Autism Spectrum disorders such as Asperger’s Syndrome. Research shows around one in seven individuals with Asperger’s will have co-occurring dyslexia.

A Gift not a Disability

It is a great tragedy that dyslexia is often seen as a disability and, especially in the past, undiagnosed dyslexics were labelled as just being ‘thick’. Whoopi Goldberg says:

“When I was a kid they didn’t call it dyslexia. They called it you know, you were slow, or you were retarded, or whatever. What you can never change is the effect that the words ‘dumb’ and ‘stupid’ have on young people. I knew I wasn’t stupid, and I knew I wasn’t dumb.”

Singer Cher echoes the prejudice, “When I was in school, it was really difficult. Almost everything I learned, I had to learn by listening. My report cards always said that I was not living up to my potential.”

In truth most dyslexics have average to above average IQs. Dyslexics are often highly skilled in complex problem solving, critical thinking, logical reasoning and pattern recognition. They come up with excellent, unorthodox ideas that are not only fresh, but canalso be lucrative. There is currently no evidence that proves people with dyslexia are naturally more creative than others but it is probable that dyslexics excel in visual arts as an alternative means of expression to verbal communication.

When I worked in IT for a major bank, the Dilbert cartoon strip was required office reading with many clever, funny but true-to-life observations. Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert says, “I assume my dyslexia super power allows me to detect truth in ways that regular mortals cannot.”

Some Famous Dyslexics

It has been suggested that Leonardo da Vinci was dyslexic but I am not convinced. The reasoning behind this is twofold. Firstly, the fact that his notes were written in mirror script. This is not necessarily a symptom of dyslexia. Leonardo was left-handed and so writing from right to left was an easy method of preventing smudging the ink as he wrote. He was perfectly capable of writing in the normal direction if he was intending something to be read by others. An alternative explanation could be that he was making it harder for other people to read his private notes. This may have been either to stop them from stealing his ideas or in fear of being accused of heresy by the Catholic Church. Certainly, some of his scientific observations challenged religious beliefs. He devised a special kind of shorthand possibly for the same purpose. The second cited reason for believing Leonardo to be dyslexic is that he was poor at spelling. This is not in itself proof. My father as far as I know, was not dyslexic though he was never tested. He had no difficulty reading, even relatively complex or technical documents. When it came to writing, he had to look up even simple words in the dictionary to be able to spell correctly. This may have been a consequence of disrupted schooling during the Second World War. He was born in 1928 so was eleven in 1939. He said many of his teachers were ‘called up’ and he left school at age-14 with no qualifications, finding a talent for engineering.

Albert Einstein certainly saw the world in a different way. It is likely he was dyslexic, possibly combined with dyspraxia, Asperger’s syndrome, and ADHD. He found it hard to express his thoughts and ideas in writing. Claims he was late learning to speak seem to be false. According to science historian, to Abraham Pais, Einstein spoke in full sentences between the ages of two and three. At the age of 16, Einstein had difficulty tying his shoelaces, implying he could perhaps have had dyspraxia. Autism expert Simon Baron-Cohen also believes that Einstein suffered from Asperger’s syndrome, which made him ‘socially awkward.’ At school and college, he was punished for not paying attention and often opposed his teachers. It may be the case that his skill at ‘thought experiments’ and stunning creativity were as a consequence of Asperger’s and ADHD.

Flamboyant billionaire, Richard Branson is dyslexic. Branson, who dropped out of school aged 15, claims his dyslexia was actually an opportunity. It forced him to master the art of delegation in his business empire. He said, "I quickly found people who were much better at things I wasn't capable of doing" and "You don't have to be a financial genius to build ventures." The Virgin group is very well regarded for customer service and has clear and simple advertising messages. "We have a test: If Richard can understand it, then anyone can understand it," Branson said in characteristic self-effacing style. When writing our highly successful book, ‘The Student Survival Guide’ my colleague and dyslexic genius, Elaine Colliar, employed the same method. If she felt a page layout looked scary, we simplified it. The result is an easy to read book that covers the relevant material simply but without dumbing down. Elaine describes dyslexia as a short circuit in the brain. The brain’s plasticity means you can in effect rewire the connections.

Irlen Syndrome

A related condition, often diagnosed as dyslexia as it has similar indicators, is Irlen Syndrome also known as Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome. This was first identified by educational psychologist, Dr. Helen Irlen whilst working with adult learners in California in the early 1980s.

Irlen Syndrome is a specific type of perceptual problem that affects the visual cortex of the brain. It is not an optical problem but a neurological condition. For those with the syndrome, the brain is unable to process full spectral light. This results in a range of distortions in perception of the environment and the printed page. These include text that drifts, shifts, shakes, blurs, runs together, disappears or becomes difficult to see. It is often exacerbated by environmental factors such as lighting, brightness, glare, high contrast, patterns and colours.

Reading more rapidly alleviates this problem. The rate of movement or drift of text remains constant whilst reading speed increases. Thus the amount of drift relative to the number of words read decreases. Or more simply put, the words have been read before they've had a chance to go anywhere!

In addition to speed reading, coloured overlays that reduce glare can eliminate the problem. The Irlen Institute also offer tinted lenses customised to block the specific wavelengths of light that affect the sufferer.

How Can Speed Reading Help?

One of the issues which affects dyslexics is the ability to smoothly move their eyes over text. Using a guide for reading can significantly help in reading fluency. Moving a long slender  guide such as a chopstick or pencil in a smooth fluid motion under lines of text allows the eyes to track across the page more smoothly and rapidly. This has a number of additional benefits for dyslexics and ‘normal’ readers alike:

• It establishes a steady rhythm
• Helps the reader keep their focus on the page
• Reduces the duration of fixations (the short pauses when the eye registers words)
• Allows words to be read in meaningful chunks thereby improving both speed and comprehension
• Prevents back-skipping and re-reading phrases or sentences

Using Mind Mapping in combination with Speed Reading can combat other problems of time management, short term memory and erudite spoken or written communication. After all, you can’t misspell a picture!