Gregory Robinson
A viral video on TikTok is giving people an idea of what it's like living with dyslexia.
The simulation was created and shared by Activate Learning on TikTok and it includes two sentences.
The letters have been jumbled up and it’s up to the viewer to decipher each word in order to read the sentences.
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It’s a lot harder and more frustrating than it may seem, but according to Activate Learning, it's actually a simulation of the ‘experience’ of dyslexia. The short clip was designed to ‘make you decode each word’.
The voice over explains: “Those with dyslexia experience that laborious pace every time they read.”
Dyslexia is caused by a ‘phonological processing problem,’ the simulation explains, which can also be described as a difference in the way the brain processes language.
It is a common learning difficulty that mainly causes issues with reading, writing and spelling.
The Dyslexia Research Institute estimates between 10 and 15 percent of the U.S. population has dyslexia.
One of the biggest myths about dyslexia - which is addressed in the simulation - is that people with dyslexia see and write letters backwards. According to Yale University, most children with dyslexia do not reverse letters. People with dyslexia can learn to read with the correct support.
Another debunked myth is that dyslexia affects more boys than girls. A 1990 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association by Drs. Sally and Bennett Shaywitz found that dyslexia affects similar numbers of boys and girls.
Some famous names who live with dyslexia include Richard Branson, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, Cher, Florence Welch and Holly Willoughby.
Many people who weighed in after watching the simulation said they have dyslexia.
One TikTok user replied: “I could read the first one but not the second (I have dyslexia).”
Another social media user shared: “I already have dyslexia this is just way harder to read.”
A third person wrote: “I have dyslexia and I couldn’t read the phrase that smoothly. Guys, that was an example, don’t use it to assume you have dyslexia.”
A fourth shared: “I have dyslexia and I stopped reading after four words cause life is hard enough.”
Another commenter shared: “I’m dyslexic. When I wasn’t focusing I could figure out what it’s meant to say… brain filled in the gaps. So can I actually read?”
There's always so much to learn on TikTok.