Dyslexic persons have many good characteristics. Most are friendly, out-going, love people, are compassionate, good conversationalists, and usually excel in public speaking. Many hold public offices and are active in civic organizations. They have brilliant memories to compensate for not being able to read their information. For example, one I tutored in grade school became an important public official although it was hard for me to convince his mother that he would do quite well for himself.

     Some dyslexic people can disguise their condition so well that even their children do not know about it. In my experience, I have not known one layman that was able to detect a person with this condition unless they had previous experience with it. Some dyslexic persons run large companies or become millionaires because they are expert in handling situations without reading. In other words, their alternate communications skills are so far beyond a normal person’s that they cannot be detected.

     Dyslexics travel beyond the second mile to help others; they are well organized in most cases, and want everything in proper order. However, the young dyslexic can be quite clumsy, hair not neat, shoes and sashes untied. They often drop things but usually these things are corrected as they grow because of their wanting to be perfect.

     Another characteristic of dyslexics, which can be good or bad, is their ability to do what they set out to do, regardless. For example a young student whom I tutored fell in love with my collie which was sheltered in a large wire pen with a large doghouse. To us there would be no way for the collie to get out. My student lived about five miles via beach from my home and she wanted my collie to be at her home. She figured that if she taught the dog to get atop his doghouse, which seemed impossible to us, that it would jump over the fence, which also seemed impossible to us, the collie would come to her. She did not think of the danger involved and we did not know what she was doing, but she won. However, I won in teaching her because she is an excellent reader.

     Dyslexics who do not hide their condition are usually wonderful people to be around and I have a number of wonderful friends and students who fit this category. Those who hide their condition can develop three harmful characteristics: 

• Controlling people and environment around them,
• Becoming masters of deception, and
• Twisting the truth and/or lying. If properly taught, a dyslexic can turn their controlling into profitable leadership. If not, they are most difficult to be around. Some dyslexics are so masterful at these characteristics that they can lead two or three lives at the same time without being detected. 

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