How normal - A new look at dyslexia

IN an era where a well-honed sense of victimhood is not uncommon how refreshing, how uplifting it is to hear someone describe what most of us would regard as one of life’s challenges as something far more positive, more empowering.

Ryan Hamilton Black does not regard his dyslexia as a curse rather he sees it as a kind of sixth sense that allows him to be more empathetic; to understand more what others think and feel. He also believes his dyslexia means he is especially good “at figuring how to work out problems”.

Ryan, a 12-year-old from Kildare, shares his thoughts in a new book Dyxlexia is my Superpower (Most of the Time) which tells the story of a number of children facing similar challenges.

In the foreword to her book, Margaret Rooke she said writing it taught her one over-riding lesson — children with dyslexia love to be listened to. “We can be so focused on passing our own wisdom and experiences on to children that we can forget how much we need to ask,” she writes.

How very normal.