Many people think that dyslexia goes away as an adult. The symptoms change over time and become less about reading and writing and more to do with day to day information processing and organisation. But the problems of dyslexia do not go away. As an adult I still have problems with auditory processing, short term auditory memory and sequencing.
What do you mean its less about reading and writing? Dyslexia is a reading and writing disability - isn't it? The answer is yes and no. Dyslexia is much more than just about reading and writing difficulty. It is reading and writing that is noticed in school. As these can be measured and it is clear when a child is 'behind' in these skills. Parents and teachers then focus on closing the gap.
But underneath the visible reading and writing difficulties are a range of 'hidden difficulties' which many people overlook. These include memory problems, visual processing, processing speed, left/right orientation and time management.
One of the reasons reading and writing can be less of a problem to adults, is that in the main we can find ways of avoiding it or we have strategies for managing our difficulties. For most adult dyslexics it is also not that we can't read and write, just that we are slow and inaccurate. Very often we pick professions that are practical and involve interacting with people rather than writing things down. If we do have to read, we can usually do it privately at our own pace. I am a teacher and so spend most of my time interacting with children and my colleagues. For lesson planning I only have to make my own notes and no one sees that I spend twice as long as any one else on them. The only stressful time is once a year when I have to write reports, then I have to allow myself plenty of time and make sure someone else proofreads them. I avoid reading aloud as much as possible, I ask for a child to volunteer or use audiobooks in class. If I am in a meeting or doing a presentation I summarise or use my own words or delegate the reading to someone else.
For me the main difficulty that remains is auditory processing difficulties. I need visuals as well as words to understand something. If I am talking to someone I need to see their face, see their body language to follow the conversation. As a result I have strong dislike of phone calls as I have misunderstood things so many times. If someone gives me address over the phone I am prone to mishearing it. Usually I have to write what I think I heard phonetically and then use a map to find the likely address. Even when someone spells out a name, my brain seems to scrabble the letters and I often can not write the letters down quickly enough. Again I have to find information from another source. Email and the internet has been such a help to me is this respect. Most of the time I don't have to make phone calls at all and I can communicate and get information with less risk of misunderstanding.
My poor working memory also causes many practical problems too. I carry a note book everywhere as I know if some recommends a product or place I will not remember the name by the time I get home. If someone gives me directions I have to write them down otherwise I will get half way to a place and then realise I have forgotten what was said. It is definitely easier to find somewhere with a map! I leave my belongings are over the place and have not recollection of where I last had them. I then have to try to retrace my steps in the hope of finding the lost item. I struggle with PIN numbers and door codes as though I do remember them, my brain very often decides to change the sequence and so my card is swallowed or I am locked out!
Most of the time I am patient with myself and laugh when things go wrong. The lack of understanding from others can be hard to deal with and it can be embarrassing when you struggle with every day tasks others consider to be easy. Fatigue also plays a big part in how well I can function so inevitably it when I am most tired that I make the most mistakes!
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