Can you grow out of dyslexia?

[BPDandme]

I was diagnosed with dyslexia in year 8. I don't exactly know what it means. I know my reading level was quite low but my maths was a year older if I remember correctly.

I do mix up words, spell incorrectly most worryingly sometimes put figures down wrong e.g. 525 instead of 552 or something like that. Although I have a good recall of numbers/ objects in memory games.

My MIL was talking about 'the dyslexics' and I told her you know I am dyslexic. But I don't think she fully believed me.

I did well in school. Although a common feature on my reports was 'could do a lot better if she applied herself/ didn't get distracted/ didn't day dream/ bubby and full of chat needs to concentrate more'. I probably could have done better, I know I could have. It's there I'm just a bit lazy too and get distracted I am the girl that did the essay the night before it was due!

Have I maybe grown out of it? Or just learn't to live with it? I told MIL I couldn't really explain it, they just tested me a few times in school and said I had it. She said that the girl she knew in school with it couldn't read out loud in class and it was cruel to make her. I said I used to get flustered trying but I can do it now. I was also lucky in that I had a few extra classes with a dyslexia lady.

AIBU - can I have grown out of it?

You can be affected to a greater or lesser degree by dyslexia. You can also learn to function easier with correct support and adjustments. I don’t believe it’s something to grow out of, it’s a neurological difference.

You have adapted in a way that has compensated for the dyslexia phonological loop deficits. You’re also not in education which measures many of the bits a dyslexic child will find challenging. For a non dyslexic person 3-7 exposures can be enough to learn and spell a new words, for dyslexic people it’s closer to 200 (with variations). You’re older and have had greater exposure which means you’re mostly left with all of the good bits of dyslexic thinking - big picture views, greater semantic memory function etc.

Yup what they said. You don't grow out of it but may learn coping mechanisms or operate in an environment that is less pressured...

lno you don’t grow out of it but as an adult have probably chosen jobs and a career that work to your strengths so is less obvious.

dyslexia does not affect intelligence so you can be perfectly capable but just need to work harder in certain areas - this is what you have learnt to do.

I’m definitely much less dyslexic than I was when I was at school - I spell better, I have far better coping mechanisms for remembering things, getting numbers right.
But as PP says, I think it’s just taken me a lot longer to achieve these coping mechanisms and strategies than a non dyslexic person. And I don’t put myself into situations that I know I’m going to fail at.

Presuming you were officially diagnosed and not just screened, then no-you are dyslexic and won’t grow out of it. It may be that you have developed strategies to work with it.

I have found over the years I have often had to 'learn things my own way' which had frustrated my supervisors over the years. I really couldn't explain it to my MIL earlier and I suppose the main way I could think of it is I just see things a little differently. I've had teachers/ lecturers say I've never had someone present the argument that way before, or work something out like that before. I don't even know if that's a dyslexic thing.

Also spell check is a life saver

@Shinyandnew1 I guess so I had extra time in exams (GCSE/ A level) and I was given extra tutor classes for a few weeks to help with it. There were a lot of spider diagrams and getting idea's from my head onto the page in an ordered fashion. Although I don't have the paper work. I went onto a professional qualification and they needed the paper work but I can't get it from my old school and my mum doesn't have it.

@BPDandme story of my life!!

dyslexics do think differently and thats why its good to have diversity on a team

I think you learn to compensate for the dyslexia. Ds1 who is now 19, actually writes beautifully now, in spite of having moderate dyslexia. But he has not yet learn't to compensate for his ADHD which means that organisation is still a challenge. Both ADHD & dyslexia aften go together & they say the ADHD brain takes until the late 20's to fully mature. Hence the reason for late developers.

My ds has a diagnosis of dyslexia since 8. He was so slow to start reading. Often children just cannot get it in a group situation or using regular methods. They need specific coaching. But when he finally cracked it his own natural intelligence allowed him to move forward pretty quickly. But he still makes spelling mistakes as an adult and gets me to check emails at times. Mostly stuff like main/ mane or he could write dwon for down. Worse when he is tired. And he has never totally lost that low confidence thing around words. He would never play scrabble but loves quizzes.
And he definitely comes at stuff from a different angle but reaches the right answer. This can be a gift at times. His work suits his strengths and actually his office has many dyslexia folk: events and marketing.
So he hasn't grown out of it but that severe slow start is a thing of the past.

You've got excellent coping strategies.

I don't think you grow out of it, but you learn to cope.

My whole family is dyslexic to some degree, pretty much. We all have coping strategies as adults. But if you throw in a curve ball, we struggle - so, for example, I did quite well at school but then chose an A-Level subject where I had to learn a new alphabet. It absolutely threw me! I was like a child struggling to read again, so far behind everyone else.

It is really normal for dyslexics to be like this. I used to teach at a very good university; it was not unusual to find very bright students saying 'oh yes ... I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was little, but I've not had an issue in years so I thought I was over it'.