Samuel Tan

The Sociology of Deviant Behaviour

Short Paper One
The Gift of Dyslexia

Background

Dyslexia is a learning disorder that causes difficulties in reading but does not affect

general intelligence. Many dyslexic children struggle to make sense of words and symbols

and hence perform poorly in academic testing when their actual cognitive abilities are

capable of much more (Cassidy 2018). An estimated 20 percent of American schoolchildren

are dyslexic and many of them pass through the school system undiagnosed for a long time

(Cassidy 2018). These children whose dyslexia remains ‘invisible’ are more likely to lose

their confidence, be demotivated in their studies and drop out of school compared to their

non-dyslexic peers (Cassidy 2018). Scientific research suggests that the critical age for

identification is in pre-school but the lack of access to early screenings and training of

educators in dyslexia-inclusive pedagogical practices continues to frustrates parents and

dyslexia advocates (Cassidy 2018). This paper will examine Made By Dyslexia, a dyslexia

awareness non-profit that was started by the billionaire Richard Branson who is himself

dyslexic. It aims to positively transform perceptions of dyslexia by focusing on the intangible

value of dyslexic thinking as advantageous to the child.

Grounds

The organization Made By Dyslexia (MBD) claims that the special aptitudes of

dyslexic individuals are consistently ignored and marginalized. To buttress its case, it

engages in what Best calls “incidence estimates” or the use of statistics to accentuate the

extent of the problem (1987: 106). Two alarming statistics MBD highlights is that only 3

percent of the public views dyslexia as a favourable condition, while 91 percent of parents

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and teachers feel that schools can do better in acknowledging and supporting positive traits of

dyslexia1. In response, MBD channels its advocacy towards recognizing how dyslexia can

enhance the dyslexic individual in unique ways.

To achieve this, MBD sets its own definition of dyslexia or what Best (1987) refers to

as a domain statement, which looks at what to include or exclude to identify the phenomenon.

MBD defines dyslexia as an alternative way in which the brain interprets data2; the lack of

medical jargon here deliberately refrains from labelling dyslexia as a condition to be

managed. MBD further extends the domain of dyslexia by pointing out how dyslexia

stimulates other intelligences like critical thinking and creativity, refocusing the public’s

attention to the advantages of dyslexia3.

At the same time, MBD describes the learning difficulties of dyslexia as covering a

broad swathe of areas including “reading, writing, spelling…memory”4. Such an open

definition not only increases the number of individuals who fall into the dyslexic category,

but also draws attention to the diverse kinds of dyslexia. Indeed, by claiming that dyslexia

operates in a special “pattern” in each individual5, MBD de-medicalizes dyslexia as a general

syndrome and suggests instead that dyslexia is entwined with the dyslexic individual’s own

distinct identity. MBD thus implies that a reductive and monolithic definition of dyslexia

would be akin to an erasure of personal identity and a form of symbolic violence towards the

dyslexic individual.

In addition, MBD is prominent for enlisting celebrities and leaders who are dyslexic

to attract the sympathy of the wider public. As Best (1987) puts it, emotionally powerful case

1
“Spelling It Out,” Made By Dyslexia, http://madebydyslexia.org/assets/downloads/spelling-it-out.pdf
(Accessed October 24, 2018)
2
Ibid.
3
Ibid.
4
“Spelling It Out”, 7.
5
Ibid.

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studies allow smoother identification with the people at the centre of the issue. In a campaign

video entitled “What is dyslexia”6, the viewer sees well-known celebrity figures like Orlando

Bloom and Keira Knightly intimately sharing their personal struggles with dyslexia during

their school years, striking a chord with viewers with similar feelings of having been a misfit

at school. In addition, the celebrities conveyed how dyslexia enabled their personal success,

with Orlando Bloom quipping that dyslexia was like a “superpower”7. Therefore, MBD

featured celebrities as concrete proof of the extraordinary human potential that is latent in

dyslexic individuals.

Moreover, MBD deploys “dyslexic thinking”8 as a buzzword-cum-definition to

spotlight the relevant skillsets of dyslexic individuals in the workplace of the future.

According to Best (1987), orientation statements provoke a paradigm shift in how we

conceive an issue and the corresponding stakes at play. Similarly, “dyslexic thinking”

reframes dyslexia as a form of cognitive giftedness in softer aptitudes like a rich imagination,

visual thinking, innovation and empathy for others9. MDB claims that these aptitudes are

particularly useful for value-creating and creative professions like architecture,

entrepreneurship, design etc10, cladding dyslexic thinking with the rhetoric of professionalism

and vibrant economic opportunity.

Indeed, in a separate report, MDB asserts that dyslexic thinking embodies many

higher-order competencies that are projected to be in high demand in the future economy

because they are least in danger of being automated, like complex problem-solving and social

6
What is Dyslexia?, Made By Dyslexia, video file posted October 16, 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtFKNPrJhJ4 (accessed October 24, 2018)
7
Ibid.
8
“Spelling It Out”, 10-11.
9
Ibid.
10
Ibid.

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intelligence11. As if recapitulating the neoliberal work ethic, dyslexic adults in the study

attribute their success to having “an entrepreneurial outlook”, being “incredibly comfortable

with change”, “finding unconventional ways to problem solve” and being able to “influence

and persuade colleagues”12. In this light, MDB portrays dyslexic individuals not only as a

potential model for the worker of the future but also as an underrepresented, overlooked

source of human capital. Thus, MDB strategically pivots the dyslexia issue to a broader

conversation around the future of work, thereby galvanizing more stakeholders like

policymakers, employers and youth into their cause through shared economic concerns. On a

side note, relating dyslexia to the wider economy parallels Best’s (1987) argument that social

problems are perceived to be more pressing when all of society is claimed to be impacted.

Warrants

Best (1987) informs us that warrants are specific modes of justification that have to be

accepted in order for the claim to be compelling. MGD’s claim that the unique aptitudes of

dyslexic children remain invisible rests on the warrant that the current education system has

failed to recognize and cultivate creativity. Schools have long been blamed for placing undue

emphasis on academic performance and neglecting the holistic development of non-academic

aptitudes like music and the arts. From its own research, MGD asserts that 70 percent of

parents and teachers believe that less attention should be given to academic performance and

more to originality and innovation13. Indeed, critics of standardized assessment have long

pointed to the detrimental impact of testing on the child’s ability to think independently and

imaginatively. Thus MGD bolsters its claim by tapping into the premise that flawed

11
“The value of dyslexia,” Made By Dyslexia, http://madebydyslexia.org/assets/downloads/EY-the-value-of-
dyslexia.pdf (accessed October 24, 2018)
12
“The value of dyslexia”, 14-16.
13
“Spelling It Out”.

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education policies are undervaluing creativity, causing every child in the system to slip

through the cracks in some form or the other because their non-academic strengths are

neglected.

In addition, MGD’s claim that dyslexic thinking is valuable in the modern economy

embeds the warrant that people should and are able to work in a profession that appropriately

matches their skillset. Underemployment occurs when individuals are compelled to find

employment in positions that they are overqualified for due to a shortage of quality jobs. This

a concern because workers lose potential earnings by sticking to an underskilled job, while

the overall loss in labour productivity diminishes the growth of the economy. It is therefore

vital for workers to be matched with jobs that fully harness their skills. Likewise, in order for

dyslexic individuals to be economically productive, they have to be employed in jobs that

adequately leverage their aptitudes.

Conclusions

In recognizing dyslexic individuals for their capabilities, MBD recommends making

early detection tools digital-friendly and accessible to the public, recalibrating assessment

formats to suitably evaluate the aptitudes of dyslexic individuals and specialised training for

educators and employers to accommodate dyslexic strengths. These recommendations are

likely to gain momentum as a result of MBD’s savvy rhetorical approach. MBD astutely

employs admired celebrities to provide an emotionally appealing public face to dyslexia. In

addition, MBD deploys what Best calls the “rhetoric of rationality” by alluding to the

potentially huge loss in economic value if the aptitudes of dyslexic individuals are ignored

(1987: 116). Furthermore, MBD’s advocacy is likely to be successful because its message

keys into the larger social context of increased labour precarity and economic uncertainty,

which Best (1987) observes of other claim-makers who ride the wave of specific socio-

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political moments. Volatility in the market and the threat of automation displacing jobs has

given rise to an increased sense of risk that is borne by the individual. Correspondingly, a

premium is placed on the very traits associated with dyslexic thinking like creativity, original

problem-solving and communication to be able to adapt and thrive in a fast-changing world.

Therefore, it seems very likely that MDB’s dyslexia narrative will be taken up by the public

and policymakers seeking to progress further along neoliberalism’s growth trajectories.

Bibliography

Best, Joel. 1987. "Rhetoric in Claims-Making: Constructing the Missing Children Problem."
Social Problems 34 (2): 101-121.
Cassidy, Bill. 2018. "Dyslexia is more common than society realizes. Here’s what we can do
to help children struggling in the shadows." The Hill. October 25. Accessed 10 28,
2018. https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/education/413158-dyslexia-is-more-
common-than-society-realizes-heres-what-we-can.
“The value of dyslexia,” Made By Dyslexia, http://madebydyslexia.org/assets/downloads/EY-
the-value-of-dyslexia.pdf (accessed October 24, 2018)
"What is Dyslexia?", Made By Dyslexia, video file posted October 16, 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtFKNPrJhJ4 (accessed October 24, 2018)

“Spelling It Out,” Made By Dyslexia, http://madebydyslexia.org/assets/downloads/spelling-it-

out.pdf (accessed October 24, 2018)