Can you acquire dyslexia?

[NewJeffCT]

For most of my life, I was an excellent speller and a decent writer. Heck, even though I was an accounting major in college, I was even asked to proofread term papers for friends that were English majors.

Even throughout my 20s in the working world, I was always the guy folks went to proofread & 'wordsmith' the text portion of various management financial reports. Even 5 years ago, I remember a woman I worked with practically demanding I proofread her work before it went out the door.

But, the past couple of years, I've found myself making a lot of silly mental mistakes... spelling simple things incorrectly, forgetting how to spell words, often writing down phone numbers incorrectly and the like. Just this morning, I was going to call somebody and wrote down "724" as "742" as the start of their phone number.

Is this dyslexia? Maybe some other sort of stress? Just getting older?

[MorningGlow]

1. For what it's worth

I know what you're going through--I'm one of those "intuitive" spellers--I usually spell everything correctly--don't have to "work at it". And I'm a writer by trade. I went dyslexic when my thyroid went out of whack--hormones are strange things--but better than having a brain tumor or early Alzheimer's. My thyroid is regulated (pretty much) and the dyslexia's gone. Go figure. Anyway, if you think that might be a problem, Google the symptoms and see if you have any more, then follow up with your doc.

[tjwmason]

2. The impression which I've always received is that it's about the

hard-wiring of one's brain. This rather implies that one can neither acquire nor cure it.

I would not say that I've cured it - but I would say that I've learned to adapt to it, and now most people would never even guess that I'm dyslexic.

[Tikki]

3. The transposition of numbers is called dyscalculia and

...words and letters is called dsylexia....
You may have had the predisposition to these disorders all your life, but your adaption
mechanism were stronger when you were younger.

I have had dyscalculia my whole life and yes, I find that when I'am tired or rushed the numbers are even harder to keep in the correct order.

http://www.dyscalculia.org/

Numbers seem to be more important in this wild world than words.
I always read back numbers given to me verbally, for confirmation, at least two or three times to make sure I have written them correctly.


Good Luck...
Tikki

[AngryAmish]

4. Any blows to the head?

[pitohui]

5. it's age related mental decline

unfortunately it really starts around age 40 although since most people never had good memories to start with they don't notice anything until their late 60s or so

but if you are used to being a perfect speller with perfect recall then it's very noticeable and irritating when you can't even recall a simple seven digit number like a phone number

[NewJeffCT]

8. True

I used to be able to remember phone numbers off the top of my head. Not like Rain Man... but, I never had to write down phone numbers when I was younger.

[MichiganVote]

9. You are my twin New, and I would bet this is age related

Check with your Dr. for onging concerns. BTW-No, one does not contract dyslexia as in a disease, virus or bacteria.

[tonekat]

6. .oN

.ton yletulosbA

[leftofthedial]

7. like most people my age

I'm not entirely srue

[KT2000]

10. I sure did

at least the transposing of letters and numbers.
It happened all of a sudden after an acute over exposure to pesticides. The initial problems were pretty devastating - loss of short term memory, loss of the sense of time and more.
Things have improved but still have problems with spelling and transposing letters which was never a problem before the incident.

I don't accept the stress and "age related" explanation that is frequently used to explain away such things. More and more of our children have autism, learning disabilities and other neurological disorders.
The 70,000 commercial chemicals that are in our homes, consumer goods and general air - is having an effect on the human brain. It was predicted in 1990 by the Office of Technology Assessment, a non-partisan research arm of Congress. (Neurotoxicity: Identifying and Controlling Poisons of the Nervous System) Raygun terminated OTA's existence.

Please become knowledgeable about the chemicals in your environment. Getting rid of them can likely enhance your mental acuity.

[kiraboo]

11. It's age-related.

My kids have the best time terrorizing their father (he's 53) by asking him to recite back to him a series of five to ten numbers they read out loud. It's hilarious because he can't get past the first two or three. And note: he's a physicist. His whole world is numbers. He can't recall a phone number six seconds after you give it to him. So you're probably doing okay, by that standard.