Did you know that the meaning of language can sometimes be confusing for people with Dyslexia?
Let me explain using a real-life example.
We have one child in isolation with a positive lateral flow and PCR. So, the rest of us went for PCR test and the results were NEGATIVE for all of us.
In my excitement to share the good news I happily send a message to our family WhatsApp group whilst doing a million and one other things at the same time.
I was slightly shocked when my uncle sent a message back to say, “Crikey, not great news. Isolation for the whole household then?”
My youngest appears at the same time and asks, “Mum do you realise you have just messaged everyone to say we are all positive?”
I was then frantically trying to retrieve the first message and follow up with a second message, “NEGATIVE! WE ARE NEGATIVE!”
For some reason I really struggle to use these terms correctly unless I really stop and think about it. I know positive is positive and negative is negative but for some reason applying these terms in sentences I always seem to get in a muddle.
It was the same when I was at middle school and remembering which one was fiction and non-fiction. It’s the same for children at school when they are trying to remember grammatical terminology. They have heard of verbs and nouns but can’t consistently know which one is which. It’s like the brain just can’t file the information in the right place; you know it but can’t apply it correctly.
Switching words or using a word incorrectly in this way is a sign and a symptom of dyslexia. Now I understand my needs and I know I make these errors and usually I would check and double check what I have written but on this occasion I didn’t.
If you don’t understand why you make these errors with words and people pick you up on it, after a while it’s chips away at self-esteem and can make you feel a bit stupid. It’s so important we understand our needs so that we can put the right strategies in place to support us so we can be the best we can be!
My uncle then responded with, “Please tell me you get someone to proofread your reports?!” I most certainly do! I couldn’t function without my proofreader.
And now every morning when I say my lateral flow is negative, my husband asks, “Are you positive it’s negative?”