Dyslexia at work

People with dyslexia are often very creative and are generally very determined. However, they often struggle at work. A language course may seem like the best solution, but dyslexia is more than just a language problem.

Do you struggle with the following?

• making presentations
• writing a letter or taking notes
• clearly formulating an opinion or idea in a meeting
• reading a text aloud during a meeting
• keeping your desk or workstation tidy
• etc.

These issues can point to dyslexia. For five to ten percent of the population, dyslexia and other learning disorders are the cause of their problems with reading and writing. The problem can be worse when a second language is being learnt or spoken. Coaching and technological aids can make all the difference. They increase self-confidence and efficiency.

Dyslexia in adults

Your adult dyslexia affects you on a personal and professional level, specifically your ability to communicate, organise your work and present yourself, as well as your confidence. Though, for the people around you, the only sign of your difficulties may be the errors in your writing, dyslexia has a bigger impact on you than just reading and writing.

That’s why it’s important to raise awareness of the issues surrounding dyslexia in the workplace and to acknowledge them. Both the employee and the employer must become more conscious of the impact of dyslexia on an employee’s work.

For adults with dyslexia, asking for help can be a hard step to take. They may be ashamed or assume that support for dyslexia is only available for children. Everyone is different and every person’s dyslexia is different. With enough determination, people with dyslexia can continue to pursue their education and find creative solutions at work. Adults with dyslexia have usually develop certain routines to help them deal with their dyslexia. However, the right support can be extremely valuable and make a huge difference to their lives. By using compensatory software, both the employee’s well-being and efficiency will significantly improve with regard to reading and writing-related tasks.

Employers

As an employer, you need to keep your employees motivated. You provide your people with the right tools so they can work easily and efficiently. Do you employ non-native speakers or does one of your employees have reading or writing problems? Allow the issues to be openly discussed and provide the right tools to support them. Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.

Interventions

In many cases, a request for intervention (financial assistance) can be submitted to the VDAB. The request can be submitted by the employer as a workplace adjustment or by the employee as compensation for a work tool (a personal intervention). In both cases, certain conditions must be met, which are listed on the VDAB website. You can submit a request online or call 0800 30 700 for more information.