All That I AM

Auditory dyslexia is another way dyslexia can affect an individual, and it is not about reading and writing. I would say that I present with auditory dyslexia as part of my dyslexia identity. This form of dyslexia can cause individuals to mishear words and is also linked to pronunciation difficulties. When I reflect on my childhood, I have distinct memories of frequently missing what others were saying to me. However, to me, these were the funny memories. My favourite example of this is with song lyrics, and I think that every singer should really have a dyslexic listen to their soundtracks to make sure that they are articulating their messages correctly for all processing styles. My favourite song to use as an example is Ed Sheeran's' South of the Border'. Within this, he is singing about a beautiful woman with caramel-coloured thighs.  However, my brain, every single time, even though I know what he is saying, because I had to look up the lyrics, I hear camel thighs. With...

I regularly say I am dyslexic, and some would say that that is incorrect. That I am more than my challenges, however, that is based upon their interpretation of my words rather than what they mean and represent to me. I am dyslexic because I process everything through my dyslexic brain. It is this which is my first filter for all my experiences and my reality. Within psychology, when we are discussing identity, it is important to understand that we have a BIG I or big identity, which has multiple small i's or small identities that make up and contribute to our larger or BIG I concept of self. Let us bring a more spiritually based aspect into this discussion: we are all starbursts. Each one of us is a little star; we are little balls of light in the world. Some of us are brighter, and some are a little dimmer, and those who align with the dim light might need to do more shadow work within themselves to brighten their light. The way I base my identity through what I assess is the asp...

Gender has more to do with dyslexia than just the representation ratio of 4:1 (men to women). I want to introduce a different concept to think about when discussing male and female brains: we do not have a male brain and a female brain. What we do have is a continuum between the two aspects of male- and female-like brains. Moreover, at the other end, we have a more feminine-presenting brain. When we are born with our external sexual differences (being represented as either a female or male, that does not mean that our brain structure and processing style were aligned with those external genitalia. If we honestly think about everyone we know, we will most likely be able to come up with examples of men who think and process the world more like a woman. Moreover, we know that some females present more like a masculine brain.  However, in psychology, research examines gender classification and external sexual representation when discussing participants. Within the study of dyslexia, it...

I am an introvert, for the most part and while I love people, I find that at times I can become peopled out too. When this happens I need my time to myself to recharge. For if I don't then overwhelm will set in faster and I will not longer show up the way that I would like to with others or myself. I am not one who likes a lot of attention placed upon me so I will try to accommodate another's schedule rather than ask for accommodations towards my own schedule. However, my time is valuable, in fact sometimes it is the only possession that I have to offer others. So here's a mindset shift to try, the next time that someone asks you for your time or when you can schedule them in. Don't give it away! Gift it to them! For they are sharing the life that you are living in that moment! Cherish the breaths that you take and spend every moment with those that ADD to the life that you are living! Don’t spend it with those that take it away! You and your time bring value to oth...