Written By: P. V. Ananthalakshmi, Principal, Helikx Open School.
Dyslexia is a specific learning or language difficulty that affects the reading and writing of a person. We can say it is a difficulty in processing and recalling information sequentially which in turn reflects on their academic skills. The disabilities vary from person to person and the potentials and weaknesses also vary.
They are usually good at creativity, innovation, exploration, and hands on experience and practicals.
The often asked question is how adult dyslexia would manage themselves in their working places?
The challenges faced by the adult dyslexia in the working place are: usually in a working place, after a phone call they might forget the number; find it challenging to note down the number if it is dictated; sometimes forgets the person's name, place, message, given instructions and even dates and appointments.
Since they have a language disability they would hesitate to write documents, note down the points precisely in a conference, presentations, lengthy reports and sequencing the facts due to this they may try to avoid paper presentation in conferences.
Organizing skill is a challenge for them which may reflect in organizing the daily work plan, execution and changes in the schedule, in the protocol of the given task. They may find prioritization of work, completion of the task within the allotted time, time management and task management as hectic. Managing day today files, papers are again a task for them. Commonly misplacing things, files are seen among them.
They may get easily distracted and often confused with following oral instructions, others views in seminars and discussions and expressing points logically in discussions. Sometimes understanding the concept of the project itself is complicated and this leads to delayed submission or to lame excuses. Some of them find it tricky to solve mathematical calculations, route maps and to think logically.
For whom eye–hand coordination is lacking, they may be clumsy, bump into things and sometimes have illegible handwriting, not comfortable in handling computers, especially data entry, excel sheets and calculators.
Now another question arises: Are the adult dyslexia affected by these challenges?
The answer is a big YES.
The incompletion of tasks leads to stress that diminishes the self esteem of the person. Team work performance is affected when following or understanding others views/ideas is not possible. One gets frustrated and moody when the given task is not completed. The uncertainty of the outcome leads to hopelessness, fear and anxiety that disturbs the focus and they may not be able to stick on to a job for a long time .
(The survival of the fittest)
What are the strategies that can be adopted by the adult dyslexic to meet the challenges of the work place?
Having an open talk with the team members regarding the challenges and supporting the team with the potentials that they have would bring positive results.
Managing the challenges.
An adult dyslexic should meet the challenges in the workplace by making slight changes in their attitude and behaviour. To reduce the challenge in reading, the strategy whole picture to details would help them a lot. Splitting the content into small paragraphs , sentences and words makes the task easier to understand the concept of the given written work. Simplifying the given instruction from whole picture to details again helps them to understand the theme of the project. This would reduce the stress and help to pre-plan the task.
In order to improve the attention and concentration on the visual clues, pictures help them to plan, execute and review the task completed. Instead of oral instruction recorded instruction, printed work plan schedule, soft and hard copies would help to self-check the task done. Colour codes, colour photocopies, scanning the numerical charts, diagram and preplanning before an appointment, presentation and route maps reduce the pressure and help increase concentration on the given task.
Written work can be done easily by writing down the ideas, split them into section and stages and double check on the written with the help of grammar check. This educes the fear of presentation. Those who are technically strong can utilise the modern apps to improve their potentials. Keeping the work place more organized, labelling the files, arranging in an organized way gives more time to concentrate on the task and reduces the stress. Calm and quiet environment motivate one to enjoy and explore the task.
Having an open talk with the team members regarding the challenges and supporting the team with the potentials that they have would bring positive results. Facing the challenges with courage, apply the strategies to overcome them in life can become an experience. Channelizing the challenges to develop effective ways of dealing with it, both practically and emotionally, is the turning point of this precious life.
As Mahatma Gandhi said, "First they ignore you, laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win".
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