A lot of adults that have dyslexia have learned to device ways on how to manage their condition. One of the methods commonly done is the use of colors.
A Fight With White
According to research, disorders like dyslexia are occasionally affected by color. It is believed that the 'glare' of white paper is the culprit on why children and adults with this condition have a hard time reading the page.
People that have this kind of dyslexia are not able to focus on the information they are reading on plain white paper. Thus, they have a hard time memorizing or learning the information that is written on the paper.
White paper is considered to be very aversive, which is the same reason why learning has become aversive as well.
Putting Some Color Into Your World
Due to this aversion that the color white brings upon, the use of color has been practiced in able to make reading somewhat more pleasant, especially to a dyslexic reader. So here are some ways on how putting color into your life can change your reading and organizational skills dramatically!
Color Coding
This method has been proven effective by a lot of dyslexics. This can have a great effect on your organizational skills. For example, color coding your computer disks by class can be helpful. You can also try making specific colored labels to stick to your disks, or CD’s so that you know which one is for which use.
Buying color coded notebooks can be done too. In this way, you know which notebook is for what class by simply looking at the color. Color coding saves you a lot of time, since you don’t have to waste your time looking through unorganized material.
Highlighters
Since most printed material in the market are usually on white paper, highlighters can become your best friend, if you want to read the page with some color. You can have several highlighters close by when reading books. This can also be helpful when you often lose track of the meaning of what you are reading and what part of the book are you already.
This may seem messy for some people, but it can be very helpful for dyslexics. However, be sure that whatever it is that you are highlighting is yours. Avoid highlighting library books since this can cause you to pay fines or even replace the book.
Colored Paper
If you don’t like highlighting data that you have written, then writing it down or printing it on colored paper would be useful. This can help you read more effectively, since there is no glare from white colored paper. You can do this if you have to print out some data on the computer.
Contrasting Colors
If you have problems with differentiating right from left, then you can try using colors to help you discriminate so. The use of contrasting colors, such as red and blue, would be best. For example, wearing a blue sock on your right foot and a red sock on your left can help you remember which is which.
This can be useful if direction is important with what you do, like in sports. When in training, instead of directing you with right and left, your coach can simply say the color, since it can be one way of associating direction for you.
A lot of companies nowadays are opening their doors to people with disabilities, including those with dyslexia. If you have a coworker or colleague with this condition, it should not be the case that you belittle him or her because of his or her condition.
Additionally, it is a good thing that the law has given this issue some attention, since dyslexia is an official disability that can be governed by the Disability Discrimination Act, 1995.
As an employer or a colleague of a person with this condition, there are some things that you can do to help him or her out. Accordingly, there are some things that you shouldn’t do.
Support
Support is something that most people with disabilities need. This is because most of the time they are treated as invalids, which shouldn’t be the way you treat a person with a disability. This principle applies exactly the same with individuals with dyslexia.
Support doesn’t mean you should do everything for them, nor leaving them alone so that they can do their thing. The kind of support you should give is support for them to become an independent individual even with the condition at hand.
What dyslexic people need are other people who can understand their condition and what they are going through. A little encouragement from you can do wonders. Knowing that someone believes in them and that they can do it is enough for a dyslexic to carry on his fight against his condition.
However, you should only give encouragement when it is appropriate. Overdoing this can make your colleague feel that he is being treated like a baby. This can only bring about frustration to them, so avoid it at any cost.
Problem Matters
One thing that you should avoid doing when you’re working with a dyslexic is regarding them as a ‘problem’. They are people too, thus you should treat them as one. A colleague with dyslexia is not an extra baggage to the team. Remember, all of you are employed in the same company. Thus, this means all of you have functions, even if your colleague with dyslexia may seem to have a different kind.
Strengths And Will
As an employer or a superior, you should learn to concentrate on their strengths. Try to see the positive side of the situation. Try your best not to be discouraged about your employee’s weaknesses and difficulties.
Another thing, you shouldn’t force them to do things that are against their will. They know their limitations, and there are times that when they say they can’t do it, then it really means they can’t.
Pushing them too hard would do no good. It is better to scaffold your way into training your employee with dyslexia to do more complicated tasks.
Tailoring
Doing a little tailoring would benefit you and your employee. Try to see your employee or subordinate’s strengths and pinpoint his talents. After doing this, try to find a position or a task in which you think those strengths and talents can be utilized efficiently.
If you do it this way, then it is a win-win situation both for you and your employee. This is because you get to have work done since your employee is productive, even if a disability is present.
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