I was not diagnosed with dyslexia when I was a child. I was never taught how to work around my dyslexia. Instead, I found what worked for me, mostly by trial and error. Some of these tricks will help the dyslexic person in your family, too.
If you search the internet, you can find several different websites that are filled with pages of tips and tricks . Some help with letter recognition, or letter sounds. Others help with basic math skills. Some are “life skills”. Here is what has consistently worked for me:
Write down a phone number vertically instead of the usual way. I find this method helps me to read all of the digits in the correct order.
Use graph paper instead of regular writing paper for math homework. Graph paper makes it easier to keep the numbers lined up correctly as I write them. It also makes it easier to cover up the digits I am not currently working with, so they don’t make me confused.
Typing what I want to say into a computer text document works much better than attempting to write it all out by hand, with pen and paper. This is because all of the letters “match”, and appear exactly the same way, every time. The spacing between words is also a uniform distance from the next word, which helps me to be able to read over what I have written.
Spellcheck is an excellent tool for a dyslexic! Some text programs automatically will suggest the word that I am trying to type out, so I don’t have to figure out where all the letters are supposed to go. It also automatically puts back the letters that I have unconsciously transposed, before I even realize I have made a mistake.
Use a debit card instead of carrying cash. This saves me the embarrassment of having people watch me struggle to count out the right amount of change. It also makes me more confident that I do, in fact, have enough money to pay for my purchases.
If I need to drive to someplace I am unfamiliar with, I take time to practice driving the route, over and over again. This worked for me when I started a new job at a new building. First, I would bring my husband with me, in case I got lost. I would drive the exact same streets from point A to point B many times, until it started to look familiar to me.
I have learned to type in the pin number for my debit card by touch. I teach my hands how the pattern feels, instead of trying to memorize the numbers. Some people can learn how to dial their home phone number by using this trick.
Use a recording device to record what the teacher is saying when she wants the students to take notes. That way, if things went to quickly, I can go back and hear it again later.
Audiobooks are an excellent way to read a story, without having to struggle with the words on the page.
I have a watch that speaks the time when I press a button. It also has the time listed digitally, which I can, occasionally, read if I cover up each digit and read them one by one.
Image by D. Sharon Pruitt on Flickr