'Greek to me' takes on new meaning

The best reasons to be thankful are those we don't notice. Changing one's viewpoint from "taken for granted" to "wow; I really am lucky" tends to last longer than appreciating what we are accustomed to noticing.

Today, I am grateful I can recognize and see the letters on this page facing the right direction. Noah Pukkila changed my viewpoint. He sees them backwards.

Featured in Monday's Press, the young Charter Academy student stood beaming next to the game he invented. It's no easy feat to put numbers facing the right way if you're dyslexic, so when he made a mistake he turned it into lemonade - a dyslexic game to show others what it's like. What a cool kid.

The Greek "dys" - lack of function - and "lexia" - words - describe a reading disability also known as developmental reading disorder. Too often dismissed as slow learners (negatively impacting self-esteem), people with this condition actually have average or greater intelligence. Theirs is a technical problem which has nothing to do with processing ideas; language signals to the brain simply aren't interpreted correctly. Because it's limited to language symbols, the disorder is often accompanied by similar difficulty interpreting numbers (not in concept so much as the written or spoken symbol).

It's like getting words in Greek in the middle of an English sentence, knowing you could understand the meaning if you only knew what the sound or letters symbolized. In a word, frustrating.

On the other hand, people with DRD tend to be highly creative and intuitive. They tend to excel at three-dimensional problem-solving and hands-on learning. Even a "disability" can provide reasons for thanksgiving.

Symptoms of DRD/dyslexia according to the National Institutes of Health include difficulties in at least three areas: determining the meaning/content of simple sentences, learning to recognize written words, and rhyming. Dyslexics may read more slowly, read things several times, transpose letters when writing, and avoid books and foreign languages according to the International Dyslexia Association. Diagnosing dyslexia involves first ruling out other possibilities, including medical and neurological exams, questioning social and school performance, and family history (dyslexia tends to run in families).

Dyslexia can be managed; the earlier the better. Because the condition manifests very individually, each person has different needs. Education plans with specialized instruction and private tutoring can improve symptoms. Counseling may help address esteem issues.

Like so many differences among humans, perspective can make a phenomenal difference. Perhaps counseling wouldn't be needed if the rest of us understood the condition and appreciated its gifts. We can complement each other; word nerds like me are rarely good at three-dimensional problems. If the reverse is true in others, balance reigns the universe. Once we look beneath mere symbols.

Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Email [email protected]