“Dyslexic” is a term used to label people who have learning issues with typical school subjects such as letters, numbers, spelling, reading, writing and arithmetic. Parents of dyslexics and adult dyslexics often resent the label of dyslexia because of the stigma of a learning disability. Dyslexics tend to be very bright to geniuses and don’t want to be referred as being disabled.
We like to use “right brained” and “left brained” instead to highlight the differences and the fact dyslexics can learn when information is presented in ways they can successfully process.The terms, "left brained" and "right brained" are less judgemental than "dyslexic". My friend and mentor, the late Alan McDowel, a dyslexic consultant in the UK in the '90s referred to dyslexia as a learning difference. He said this learning difference becomes a learning disability generally by about 4th or 5th grade when these children have been taught in ways not making any sense to them. It's like being dropped in a country speaking a different language and customs with nobody helping you figure things out.
Our brain is made of two halves/hemispheres, referred to as “right” and left”. Everybody uses both sides to work together to process information. However, each person’s brain is different and individual in how it works. In some people, the right side of the brain will manage information normally handled by the left side. This can create issues especially in school subjects that can then be labelled “dyslexic”.
When we refer to someone as “left brained”, we mean a person who can process successfully logical, abstract, sequential and symbolic concepts. Letters, spelling, grammar, arithmetic and mathematics are examples of these concepts.The predominantly “right-brained” person is innovative, creative and visionary, but does poorly with logical, sequential, abstract or symbolic processing. Thus reducing their ability to spell, read, write, sequence, analyze and do mathematical processes.
We will explain these differences and how to manage them in our website. We welcome you to explore.