Many Dyslexia Sufferers Are Older People
It’s a common misconception that dyslexic adults only mix up letters (like “b” and “d”), misspell words or have trouble reading words forward (confusing “saw” for “was,” for instance). These are two possible dyslexia signs to look out for, but there are many more general symptoms that affect greater portions of the population. Most people with dyslexia are generally intelligent and talented, yet they fall behind in other areas. They may have poor handwriting, difficulty telling time or completing math problems. They may have good long-term memories but difficulty remembering sequences, numbers, facts and information that hasn’t been experienced. They may spell inconsistently, read slowly, repeat in writing or fail to finish sentences, and have difficulty putting thoughts into words. The good news is that nearly all communities have a nonprofit adult learning center aimed at helping individuals with these problems.
Life can be unpredictable at times and it’s easy to feel as though we’ve fallen behind on some of our goals. One of the main reasons why people attend adult learning centers is to catch up on missed schooling. A number of adults with dyslexia or other learning disabilities did not receive the proper attention or assistance in elementary school or high school and, as a result, fell behind. Frustrated and indifferent, these kids often drop out, only to regret it later on. Adults who have a desire to receive their high school diploma equivalent can study and take a GED test at any age, which will increase their employment opportunities. Some people fear that reading difficulties or other problems may prohibit them from passing the test, but trained teachers with a solid understanding in different adult learning styles will be available to help them master their own minds.
Additionally, many old adults come to the adult learning center to take computer courses, which will improve their aptitude in school, at work or at home. Today almost every job uses computers in some facet and adults who were already out of school when computers really took off may find that they are very behind. How do you sign onto a computer with a password, connect to the internet or save a file? How can you check email or set up a new email account? How do you access information from a CD-ROM? How can you create your own webpage? How do you troubleshoot basic errors and perform routine maintenance? How do MS Office programs like Word and Excel work? These are all important skills that adults can learn for free or on a sliding scale based on income.
Often times, the community adult learning center is simply a come-and-go type of environment that offers individualized programs and various courses for your consideration. However, sometimes people with adult learning disabilities may require a more intensive program to help them lead more independent lives. In California, the Independence Center is a non-profit organization that aims at providing an away-from-home atmosphere that encourages better learning and greater independence. Here adults will live in apartments with other adults facing the same difficulties and hoping to achieve the same objectives. In the morning, they’ll participate in a Job Club, where they’ll learn about different employment opportunities available to them and will work on acquiring the skills necessary to make them employable. Afternoons will be spent with one-on-one counselors and participating in courses for shopping, exercise, nutrition, cooking and laundry. The evenings will include social events, mixers, group communication courses, problem solving classes, marketing classes, pot luck socials, group exercise, fun nights and group activities. For more information on this special problem, adults can visit www.independencecenter.com.
Sarah Lomas is a foremost expert in finding natural cure yeast infection field. Her work has been extensively published in various online publications in the areas of medications for yeast infections. For more information on the treatment for yeast infections, visit Remedyforyeastinfection.com.
