Rethinking Developmental Dyslexia

"Rethinking Developmental Dyslexia," offers a personal and research-backed perspective on developmental dyslexia, distinguishing it from acquired reading loss and highlighting its complex cognitive underpinnings. The author shares a six-decade journey, emphasizing that dyslexia is a cognitive difference, not a deficit, and explores how it influences problem-solving, empathy, and understanding. The article identifies three main cognitive types of developmental dyslexia (phonological, surface, and double-deficit), along with less common variants, while advocating for a "beyond the deficit" lens that recognizes remarkable strengths in dyslexic individuals, such as systems thinking and creative problem-solving. Ultimately, the piece champions Neurodiversity and self-advocacy, encouraging dyslexic individuals to leverage their unique cognitive "operating system" and utilize tools, including AI, to thrive rather than attempting to conform to traditional educational and societal molds.