National Dyslexia Awareness Month: Seeing the Brilliance Beyond the Words

Liam, an eight-year-old who loves dinosaurs and space rockets, sits at the kitchen table, his fingers

sliding over a storybook while his mom watches. When his mom asks him to read the first line,

his voice wobbles. The letters on the page look like they are dancing, swapping places, and

blurring together. “It feels like the words do not like me,” Liam whispers, his eyes flashing with

frustration and a pinch of embarrassment.

His mom feels proud – his imagination can turn a simple picture of a Trex into a whole

adventure – and also sad to see him struggle with a task that should be easy at his age. After

some quiet talks and hopeful whispers, they go to a specialist. The test says “dyslexia.” The news

lands like a two-sided sword: relief that the trouble finally has a name, and a shock that they must

now learn a whole new way to study.

Within a few months of getting the right help, Liam reads smoother, his confidence climbs, and

his love for storytelling bursts back. His story, while his own, is a mirror of millions of kids who

see “dancing letters” in their work. National Dyslexia Awareness Month is not just a symbol; it

asks us to swap “struggling reader” for “brilliant thinker,” honoring the many different brains

that make our world richer.

What Is Dyslexia Really and What Is It Not?

Dyslexia is a common learning difference that comes from the way the brain links written

symbols and sounds. It means the brain has a harder time making fast, accurate connections

between a letter and the sound it makes. This is not about low intelligence, laziness, or bad

teaching – it is a brain-based difference.

Instead of a flaw, dyslexia is a different wiring – a way the brain processes info that is distinct.

Brain scans often show more activity on the right side of the brain; the part linked to

visual-spatial thinking, big-picture patterns, and creative mixing. Because of that, many dyslexic

people tend to think in pictures, stories, and linked patterns rather than straight-line, text-only

ways. This can make usual reading tasks hard, but it also gives great strength in jobs that need

fresh ideas, spatial tricks, or strong storytelling.

Common Signs of Dyslexia

• Trouble matching letters to sounds

• Slow or shaky reading

• Hard time with new words

• Letter flips or word order mixups

• Spelling and sequencing issues

• Avoiding reading out loud or writing

While these signs often pop up early in school, they sit side by side with gifts. Dyslexic learners

may be creative problem-solvers, show deep empathy, jump to big-picture thinking, and cut

through normal logic steps. When schools value these gifts, dyslexic brains are “wired for

innovation,” turning what once felt like a handicap into a springboard for fresh ideas.

The Science Behind Dyslexia

Years of research show a special brain pattern for language in dyslexic folks. Scans like fMRI

and EEG often points to lower activity in the left brain language center – the part that handles the

sound side of words. At the same time, the right side, the visuospatial area, lights up more.

This does not mean dyslexic people cannot learn to read; it just shows a mismatch between the

brain’s default style and the phonics-heavy lessons most classrooms use. When teaching matches

the learner’s strengths – using sight, sound, touch, and movement together – the brain can rewire

and reading can grow.

Programs such as Orton-Gillingham and Wilson use this idea. They teach letters step by step,

letting the student see a letter, hear its sound, trace its shape, and say the sound all at once. This

builds strong links across both sides of the brain. Getting help early, ideally before third grade, uses the brain’s flexibility, cuts the rise of frustration, and protects self-esteem.

The Emotional Side of Dyslexia

Picture a busy classroom where most kids glide through a paragraph while Liam’s eyes linger on

each syllable, his mind racing to untangle moving symbols. The invisible gap widens, sparking a

feeling of being left out that is hard to name. Before a label arrives, many dyslexic students feel

anxiety, shame, and a constant sense of not being good enough. The inner voice often says, “I am

not trying hard enough,” instead of, “My brain works a different way.”

These feelings do not simply disappear with age. Adults who never got the right help might

avoid jobs that need a lot of reading or writing, keeping a cycle of self-doubt alive. That is why

the emotional side matters as much as the thinking side. Kindness, belief, and a warm

environment act as antidotes, letting people reshape how they see themselves. As one adult put it,

“I stopped feeling broken the moment someone told me my brain just works differently.” When

schools and homes sprinkle such truths, they turn a story of lack into one of diversity.

The Power of Early Intervention and Understanding

Multisensory, structured literacy steps turn brain science into real classroom tricks. A teacher

might ask a child to trace the letter b in coarse sand while saying the /b/ sound, joining touch,

sight and hearing. Another might use colored overlays or wider line spacing on pages, lessening

visual crowding so the learner can focus on the words instead of the jumbled letters.

Pairing audiobooks with printed pages offers another bridge: the student follows the printed line

as they hear the narration, strengthening sound awareness while anchoring it to the visual word.

Breaking words into syllables or roots – instead of forcing rote memorization – lines up with the

learner’s love for chunking info.

All these methods shout a simple, powerful line: “You are capable. You are intelligent. You just

learn differently.” When parents and teachers repeat that line, the learner absorbs a

growth-oriented belief that fuels persistence. Belief becomes as crucial as phonics, because

confidence decides whether the student keeps trying when setbacks appear.

Changing the Narrative

In the past, dyslexia was painted as a defect that needed fixing. Today, many scholars talk about

neurodiversity – the idea that different brain wiring is natural, valuable, and needed for a healthy

society. Neurodiversity drops the idea of a single “right” way to learn, think, or talk, and says

society thrives when it welcomes many cognitive styles.

Think of fields where dyslexic strengths shine. In architecture, visualizing three-dimensional

space becomes striking building designs. Engineering profits from quick pattern spotting that

spots inefficiencies early. Film and TV need vivid storytelling – a talent many dyslexic minds

have in abundance. Starting a business rewards risk-taking, nonlinear problem solving, and

weaving together different ideas – traits often seen in dyslexic innovators.

Seeing dyslexia through the neurodiversity lens brings two gifts: individuals get an identity that

celebrates, not stigmatizes, them, and society unlocks wells of creativity, invention, and caring

leadership that would stay hidden otherwise.

How You Can Support Someone with Dyslexia

• Be patient and kind; value effort over speed. Notice progress may look different from

neurotypical peers and cheer the small wins.

• Play to strengths (storytelling, art, logic, empathy). Let the person lead projects that

use these gifts, building self-worth.

• Use multisensory tools (pictures, movement, sound). Bring in tactile letter tiles,

color-coded phonics charts and rhythmic chants to lock learning pathways.

• Make tech normal (audiobooks, speech-to-text, digital aids). Treat assistive software as

a regular resource, not a special favor.

• Teach self-advocacy for school or work. Show how to explain needs and ask for help

  confidently.

• Model positive language (“different learning style” vs. “struggle”). Words shape how

we see ourselves; avoid labels that sound like deficits.

• Celebrate every little milestone. Noticing achievements builds momentum and pushes

back the inner voice of failure.

Support really asks for more empathy than expertise. Believing in a person’s potential – shown

through steady cheer and respectful help – is the biggest gift teachers, families,, and friends can

give.

Seeing Brilliance Beyond the Page

Learning differences are new routes, not walls. Dyslexic thinking, with its love for visual-spatial

ideas, story weaving, and big picture insight, adds a unique flavor to creativity, invention, and

human connection. From the architect who redraws a city skyline to the storyteller whose words

travel across cultures, dyslexic minds show perseverance, imagination, and the power to turn

challenges into chances for growth.

Success, then, should not be measured only by how fast someone reads a paragraph, but by the

joy they find in learning, the courage to speak out, and the skill to turn obstacles into

opportunities. When we honor all ways the brain works, we grow societies that value both

exactness and possibility.

A Closing Thought

Talking about dyslexia is really talking about hope: hope that good tools keep appearing, hope

that understanding kicks out stigma, hope that schools and communities become places where

every learner feels seen. Let’s look past the shifting letters, recognize the artist, the thinker, the

dreamer, and the creator hidden beneath.

Everyone deserves to read and to feel they belong. By welcoming neurodiversity, we help people

like Liam thrive and we boost the collective imagination of humanity.

Written by: Lane Upshaw

Senior at Houston Christian University