I’m Not Stupid, I’m Dyslexic
1 in 10 individuals in Singapore are reported to have dyslexia — a lifelong learning impairment that makes reading and language difficult.
In the past, this hidden disability was misunderstood as laziness or stupidity, and individuals who suffer from this specific learning difference often suffer from heavy shame.
Dyslexia is a language-based learning difference that is neurological in origin. The challenges exist on a spectrum and manifest differently in dyslexic individuals. In the documentary, Inch Chua, a singer-song writer with dyslexia learnt that symptoms could look like:
words that seem to move
letetrs mihgt be jumdlbe up
difficulty in spelling because the cognitive resources are used up to decode each word individually
challenges in listening due to impairment in processing spoken words
impediment in motor control
challenges in spatial temporal
memory difficulties due to challenges in data encoding and decoding in the brain
Dyslexia is the phonological processing deficit and under-activation in the visual memory region.
This label of dyslexia affects the self-confidence and identity of an individual. Educational psychologists and speech language therapists can work with individuals to help them develop strategies to read, write and listen. They provide intervention for children to learn to overcome their differences, but the dyslexia doesn’t go away.
Art therapy can provide emotional support for children and teenagers with dyslexia. Oftentimes, they can feel discouraged, embarrassed and inferior to their peers.
Inch Chua explained she felt “unimportant or much more useless than other people”, and believed that she “was destined to be terrible at something”.
A report suggested that children with dyslexia have certain strengths such as high-level reasoning, problem solving and high creativity. Art therapy sessions are able to highlight these strengths, reducing the anxiety and shame surrounding their diagnosis. The emphasis on the creative process and symbol making in art therapy sessions also takes away the weight and stress of written words, allowing the children to express themselves with more freedom and confidence.
Documentary: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/watch/im-not-stupid-im-dyslexic
