Following the American Psychological Association’s Guidelines
Dyslexia and Motivation
When one thinks of a motivated individual, one often thinks of a stereotype. The individual is usually formally educated, sharply dressed, and on the fast track to an Ivy League university. They do not have any special needs that hold them back from their studies, because how could anybody with difficulties in math or reading ever succeed in the real world? Actually, individuals with difficulties in school sometimes end up being quite successful in the real world, particularly those with dyslexia. Dyslexic individuals are prone to thinking outside the box, being pushed harder by their teachers, making them notorious for staging innovative coos that make them some of the most memorable individuals in the business industry.
Dyslexia, according to, “Rapping Dyslexia: Learning Rhythm, Rhyme and Flow in Dyslexic Children,” can be challenging for the individual, but it can also be a gift . In many school systems, the “handicap” is not met with proper assistance. Only motivated individuals will keep up with their studies, learning to read at a proper grade level through their own ingenuity. The dyslexia itself, therefore, inspires innovation because some students have to become their own teachers early on in their lives . In many instances, this ingenuity carries on throughout the individual’s life; they are then aware of what they are capable of doing. Once a person helps teach him or herself to read, it is easy to believe they can break almost any boundary.
Dyslexics throughout time have learned that innovation is the way to get things done. With reading as the primary means of learning, they have to be highly motivated, highly innovated individuals to succeed. In some cases, according to Unusual Talent: a Study of Successful Leadership and Delegation in Entrepeneur,” this desire may cause them to overcompensate. The overcompensation has caused some of the most wellknown dyslexics to make it into the spotlight. For example, Jim Carrey came from a highly impoverished family. His father was overly serious but Carrey realized that his talents were not only a way around his dyslexia because he could make up his own standup act without reading, but a way to make money for himself and his family. Another example is Albert Einstein who not only was dyslexic, but did not speak until the age of two and was suspected of having Asperger’s Syndrome. The most innovative of his field, he proposed black holes before their time and began perfecting the Theory of Relativity. No, he could not read as well as some of us, but he could do math better than any of us . His innovations in the fields of math and science are unparalled, as well as unrestrained by his dyslexia.
In sum, dyslexia has the power to be debilitating. However, if the individual uses it as a tool, the disability can be used to help the person thrive. Many can use it as a sprinboard for motivation, as it teaches students from day one how to be innovative, as well as how to be their own teachers. Students lucky enough to find themselves in successful special needs programs are able to be around teachers who show them how to use innovative techniques that may stick with them for a lifetime. Other dyslexics, like Jim Carrey and Albert Einstein used their dyslexia, not to hold them down, but to show them the way. They maneuvered around their disability and became innovators in their career in spite of their disability. For these, and many other reasons, dyslexics are highly innovative individuals.
References
Lavian, R. H. (2013). You and I Will Change the World”Student Teachers’ Motives for Choosing Special Education. World Journal of Education, 69-78.
Logan, J., & Martin, N. (2012). Unusual Talent: a Study of Successful Leadership and Delegation in Entrepeur. The Journal of Inclusive Practice to Further Higher Education, 57-77.
Tittarelli, M., Marti, P., Peppoloni, & Diana. (2014). Rapping dyslexia: learning rhythm, rhyme and flow in dyslexic children. Bibliometrics, 865-870.
