How to Live With Dyslexia

It is important for people trying to live with dyslexia to realize that this condition is not a disease. Although it cannot be cured, it is a manageable psychological condition for which a great number of aids and tools exist to help those afflicted improve their quality of life in many ways. Read on to learn how to live with dyslexia.

Things You'll Need

• Speech-language pathologist

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Instructions

• 1

  Know that dyslexia affects more than just your ability to read, spell and do arithmetic. Adults who live with dyslexia also typically have trouble planning and organizing events and managing their time.

• 2

  Meet with a speech-language pathologist if you have never taken any steps to treat your dyslexia. Have an assessment of your condition completed, and speak to the pathologist afterwards to evaluate your case. Plan a strategy to treat the symptoms of dyslexia to improve your quality of life.

• 3

  Know that group and individual therapies exist to help you improve at reading-related tasks. Help with phonemic awareness (the ability to break down words into their constituent sounds), fluency of reading, comprehension and vocabulary development are all available. Your pathologist or a behavioral psychology clinic can help you find services in your community.

• 4

  Take advantage of the great deal of so-called "assistive technology" available to people who live with dyslexia. In addition to specially-designed spell checkers, programmable keyboards, voice-recognition software and a host of other computer accessories, talking calculators and special day planners are among the many tools you can use to manage your dyslexia.

• 5

  Join a support group for other people with dyslexia. Remember that there is strength in numbers, and that encouragement and positive reinforcement are keys to overcoming symptoms of dyslexia.

• 6

  Take advantage of the resources available to dyslexia sufferers. The International Dyslexia Association is a national organization dedicated to helping people manage their dyslexia. They have a host of helpful information for people afflicted with the condition. See the Resources section below for a link.