Jun 13, 20172 min read

TSM 17-26 Dyslexics as a gift – a natural ability with Sue Hall

Their Story Matters with Sara Troy and her guest Susan Hall, on air from June 27th

What Is Dyslexia

Dyslexia literally means ‘trouble with words’. The term dyslexia can be used in two ways:

specifically for challenges with reading and spelling, or
as an umbrella word to encompass over 70 so-called learning disabilities.

Stereotypically, people with dyslexia reverse letters and words and have difficulty with reading and spelling, but this is not always the case. They may read well, they may have difficulty with printing, processing, written output, math, directions, organisation or paying attention.

Dyslexics have a gift – a natural ability.

Ron Davis, the author of The Gift of Dyslexia, discovered he had an ability to perceive mental images as if they are real, and to view these images from many different perspectives. One-third of the population share this gift. It works to their advantage in the real three-dimensional world, and many famous dyslexics succeeded because of their gift, not in spite of it.

However, this gift works against them in the two-dimensional world of print. If a person imagines a 3D elephant and perceives it from many angles, it is always an elephant, but in the 2D world of print, a lower case ‘d’ is only a ‘d’ from one perspective. Also, the letters in the word have to be seen from left to right in a certain sequence, rather than the other way around…

Sue’s training began experientially at school. By the age of 18, Sue remembers promising herself that she would never read another book as long as she lived. It was a solemn heartfelt promise that lasted many years! She worked as a secretary for several years, before changing direction to train as a Reflexologist, with Therapeutic Massage, Reiki, Bach Flowers, Metamorphic Technique, Hopi Ear Candles and Nutritional advice.

When her son started school, she noticed his reading ability did not relate to his intelligence and powers of memory. She discovered he was dyslexic; he had learning assistance and eventually went to a special school for dyslexics, where his abilities did improve, but when she attended a lecture on “The Gift of Dyslexia” she realized this was the much needed positive approach she had been looking for. After his program, her son described his dyslexia as a wound – other systems had given him band-aids for his wound, but his Facilitator had helped him to heal it himself!

Sue trained as a Davis Dyslexia Correction Facilitator with Ron Davis in the UK, and was delighted to discover that she too was dyslexic. She emigrated to Canada in 1998 and is one of over 400 Facilitators worldwide. Sue feels very privileged to help those with ‘the gift’ overcome their challenges and enjoy learning. She is totally dedicated to this approach, knowing it addresses the cause of the challenges.

Sue loves to speak to groups of parents, teachers, educators, and of course dyslexics, sharing her knowledge of the perceptual gift that underlies their talents and their challenges. She is truly thankful for to all her students, past and future for the learning experience that they share together.