Dyslexia In The Workplace
The problems faced by dyslexic children and students are now widely acknowledged and understood. But there is still widespread ignorance about the problems faced by working people who have dyslexic difficulties - for example, by the telephone engineer who has to fill in work records, or by the accounts clerk who constantly makes errors with numbers, or by the manager who has to chair meetings. The term 'dyslexic' is generally used to describe people whose poor literacy skills present a marked contrast to their general ability to learn and to reason. However, most dyslexics find that their difficulties are not confined to dealing with written English; they may also have weaknesses in, for example, memory, sequencing ability, visual orientation, hand-eye co-ordination and organisational skills. These weaknesses affect efficiency at work in a number of ways, as detailed below:Literacy skills
A dyslexic person will find it hard to follow written instructions, to read quickly and efficiently, and to write memos, letters and reports in clear accurate English.
Memory
Dyslexic people may have difficulty in correctly remembering telephone numbers, messages and instructions; they may find it hard to take notes or recall what was said at meetings.
Sequencing ability
Poor sequencing ability makes it hard for a dyslexic person to file documents in the correct sequence, to write down numbers correctly, to look up entries in dictionaries or directories.
Visual orientation
Dyslexic people easily get lost in strange surroundings, and may lose their bearings even in familiar places. They may have difficulty in dealing with complex visual arrays, such as maps, charts or tables of figures.
Hand-eye co-ordination
Poor hand-eye co-ordination (sometimes termed 'dyspraxia') can result in slow and untidy handwriting, poor presentation of written work or figures, and inaccurate keying on a word processor, calculator or telephone.
Speech
Perhaps because they feel largely 'locked out' of the world of the written word and cannot 'discharge' their thoughts in writing, many dyslexic adults become voluble talkers – though they often feel that they talk in an over-elaborate and disorganised way, especially in meetings or on the telephone.
Organisational skills
Dyslexic employees may be poorly organised: they may miss appointments, get the times and places of meetings wrong, fail to meet deadlines, and generally live and work in a muddled or chaotic fashion.
Emotional reactions
Dyslexic people have to deal not only with their own frustration about their various inefficiencies but also with other people's lack of understanding of their difficulties. As a result they are likely to feel a mixture of unpleasant emotions – despair, anger, embarrassment, anxiety, lack of confidence – and, as a result, may sometimes behave in an aloof, defensive or aggressive way.
Help for dyslexic difficulties
Finally – the good news. There is no reason why dyslexic (or dyspraxic) employees should not improve their efficiency in all the areas described above. What is required is a detailed assessment of the difficulties and a comprehensive tuition and management programme; the latter should typically include advice on IT support, and help with literacy skills, work-related reading and writing, memory and comprehension, visuo-spatial skills, sequencing, work organisation, efficient work methods for specific tasks, oral interaction and dealing with emotions. Funding for assessment and training can be obtained from the local Access to Work Business Centre.
Positive aspects of dyslexic difficulties
There is no pain without gain. Dyslexic people who try to succeed in their work despite their difficulties know the meaning of hard work, long hours, and determination. They have a 'grit' which earns the respect of any employer who has some understanding of dyslexia. Further, the very fact that they are not quite in the general mould of analytical thinking may mean that they develop other, more holistic, ways of dealing with workplace tasks. Many dyslexics excel, for instance, in lateral thinking, they are creative and innovative, and are aware of links and associations that may escape the more linear thinker; they often have good powers of visualisation, excellent spatial and practical skills, and an untaught intuitive understanding of how systems work.
© Author of this article: Dr Sylvia Moody, Dyslexia Assessment Service, London. This article can be freely reproduced with due attribution of authorship.