Disorientation plays a big part in helping me understand how dyslexia happens. It explains, amongst others, the consistent inconsistencies we see in a dyslexic individual’s learning pattern.

Disorientation happens spontaneously to a dyslexic individual, most often times without them even realising it. It is a state where the brain is not receiving what the eyes see or what the ears hear. The person’s balance and movement sense is also altered in a disoriented state and the time sense is either speeded up or slowed down.

Disorientation often comes with it a feeling of confusion. When working with persons who are prone to disorientations, information given while they are disoriented can be mis-seen, mis-heard or mis-interpreted and therefore no consistency.

The more noticeable signs that a disorientation has occurred includes:
-skipping a line while reading
-stopping or hesitating
-speeding up or slowing down
-frowning or looking confused
-effort or concentration intensifies
-voice tone becomes monotonous or changes pitch
-starts rocking or tapping a foot
-changes in size of written letters
-writing that goes way off horizontally

The Davis Method includes in its programme a way for these neurodiverse learners to turn off their disorientation and put themselves back in an orientated state, at will. If you’re looking for a holistic approach to correcting dyslexia, have a look at the Davis Method website.