Understanding dyslexia

- Dyslexic brains process information differently. Our neural pathways are different from someone who is not dyslexic, meaning we literally think differently. This results in a pattern of challenges, but more importantly it gives us a pattern of valuable strengths which we refer to as dyslexic thinking skills. The light bulb, the iPhone, the airplane, even the motorcar was invented by dyslexic thinking and it will be vital for shaping the future too. So what is dyslexic thinking? Dyslexic thinking skills are the soft skills or power skills that the World Economic Forum says are vital for the workplace of the future with its fast evolving blend of artificial intelligence and human intelligence which are the foundations of the new fifth industrial revolution world. Dyslexic thinking was recently added to the dictionary too, a sign that the world is officially recognizing its value and importance. It's defined as an approach to problem-solving, assessing information, and learning, often used by people with dyslexia, That involves pattern recognition, spatial reasoning, lateral thinking, and interpersonal skills. And dyslexic thinking was added as a skill on LinkedIn with thousands of dyslexics, including me, proudly adding it to our profiles when it was announced by Richard Branson in 2022. Finally, our different way of thinking was being recognized. But despite all this huge progress there is still a real lack of understanding of the value of dyslexic thinking with many people and businesses still focusing on our dyslexic challenges. Things like poor spelling, taking longer to get written tasks done, or lack of organization, rather than celebrating our strengths. In fact, our research shows that while 66% of HR leaders in organizations feel they understand and support dyslexic thinking, only 14% of dyslexics agree. Yes, dyslexia does present challenges in all of the above, but these can be supported easily in the workplace with simple adjustments, using technology, and with understanding colleagues and bosses. Being open and honest about your dyslexic strengths and challenges and getting the support you need is a game changer. And there's power in numbers. Dyslexia is very common. One in five people are dyslexic, but only 20% are identified in school. So many people simply don't know their dyslexic. Made By Dyslexia has a free test to help you check and learn more about dyslexic thinking. And you can find this via the link in the exercise files. Dyslexia is genetic, so it runs in families. Almost everyone in my family is dyslexic although we all have a completely different pattern of strengths and challenges which highlights perfectly that every dyslexic is different and we have a real smorgasbord of strengths and challenges So don't expect all dyslexics to be the same. But one thing is true for all dyslexics. If we lean into our dyslexic thinking, our superpowers, and delegate or accommodate our challenges, our kryptonite, then we can be a huge asset to any business. Four in five successful dyslexics attribute their dyslexic thinking to their success. That's why it's time for everyone to learn how to empower dyslexic thinking in every workplace. And this course will help you do that in just four simple steps. One, define dyslexia as a valuable thinking skill. Two, offer adjustments that enable dyslexic thinking to thrive. Three, tailor recruitment processes for dyslexic thinking. And four, support with ERG groups and communities. And the best thing about shifting your mindset about dyslexia is that you can do it today in less than an hour.