Empathy and Reflection Approaches

This assignment discusses the empathy and reflection approaches towards dyslexia by analyzing the experiences of adults with dyslexia. It challenges negative attitudes and biases towards dyslexic individuals and highlights their determination and success. The assignment also explores the need for early testing, supportive practices, and collaboration to meet the learning needs of dyslexic students.

Running head: EMPATHY AND REFLECTION APPROACHES 1
Empathy and Reflection Approaches
Name
Institutional Affiliation

EMPATHY AND REFLECTION APPROACHES 2
EMPATHY AND REFLECTION APPROACHES
In writing this assignment, I first spent 20 minutes viewing, listening and making notes
about the educational and life events that each of the adults in the video entitled, “Reflections on
Dyslexia (from: https://youtu.be/qWxab4Zk1qk )” had experienced. Specifically, three adults in
with these conditions from the video include Jane, Rick, Rose, and Gemma. Jane identified with
dyslexia and ADHD who studied pediatrics part-time. Rick never formerly identified with
dyslexia and working in Indonesia as a supervisor and is married with three kids. Gemma had
complex learning and social difficulties who dropped out of school and had problems in the
primary. Ross identified with dyslexia and visual impairment and believed he would be a more
boring individual without dyslexia (Goswami et al., 2016).
From the stories I watched, I got to empathize with them sincerely. Their stories really
touched me as I was watching the video. My perspective about dyslexia was challenged.
Actually, I have been having a negative attitude towards people with dyslexia and always
thought they were stupid and unintelligent people who could never succeed in life.
I did not know that dyslexic people are intelligent except for literacy skills problem like
reading. This was because I made irrational assumptions about dyslexic individuals. The story
by Rick has challenged me especially by understanding that despite the difficulties he faced, he
is now a supervisor working in Indonesia. This has made me realize that having dyslexia does
not imply that one has low intelligence or even lazy but just means that the dyslexic person’s
brain works differently from mine.
Rick’s story demonstrates that being dyslexic never deters a person’s determination to
succeed. Rick never identified with this condition. For example, Rick says that he had reading
problems to the extent that also if he got prepared a night before to read correctly in school the

EMPATHY AND REFLECTION APPROACHES 3
next day, he would still be unable to read. He says that while other people only took five minutes
reading what was assigned to them, it hurt him because he had to take twenty minutes but would
still read incorrectly. I empathize with his situation, but I am even challenged because, despite all
these, he is a successful supervisor and even a married father of three. Thus, I am challenged
never to view Rick or any other dyslexic person as stupid as I have been thinking. My
assumptions about dyslexia have been that this is people that cannot make it in life, but by
watching and paying attention to the success stories about these adults, I am challenged, and I
now have the right understanding of what dyslexia is without biases, prejudice or assumptions.
When it comes to Jane’s story, I am so much challenged. Jane is currently twenty-four
and has been successful in having been working for seven years. Jane says that she had a reading
problem and has identified with dyslexia two years ago. Even though Jane has failed in some
units and she is not losing hope in her part-time pediatric course, and she is sure that everything
will be fine. This is a challenge to me who have been thinking that these are people who cannot
make it in life.
Moreover, despite being hurt on Wednesday afternoon where his friends were not going
to class because it was time to read the magazine, but herself could not read, she never lost hope
in life, but soldiered on to be successful. The event at high school when they advanced to novel
reading aloud, she says it was “useless,” and she could feel herself burning from inside, but no
one could realize that. Reading was never her “thing,” but when she was asked by the teacher to
stand up and do other things like singing, she was always perfect. This makes me challenged not
only to judge a person but a single failure because that same person can still do better than me in
another area.

EMPATHY AND REFLECTION APPROACHES 4
Turning to Gemma’s story, she demonstrates the typical case of the complexities and
social difficulties facing dyslexic individuals both in primary and high school. Her story touched
me because she narrates how she was suspended and expelled from one school another and even
dropped out because she could read ten out of ten like other students in her class. She got
frustrated as she was trying but still failed. However, he resolved to succeed in life has made her
won a gold medal and this makes me realize that one can use his or her hands to do other things
that make them successful (Snowling et al., 2019).
In respect of Ross’s story, he has identified with dyslexia; however, he says that he
could not even allow his younger sister to read where he was because he did not like reading and
also felt terrible how the sister could read better than him. However, his story onwards
challenged me a lot. After identifying with dyslexia, Ross now says, he cannot let go of his
condition because he believes his life would be so much boring without his conditions. This
makes me appreciate the need for self-esteem and being yourself. He says that his condition has
worked to define the person he is currently and also has given a certain way of thinking about
other people. This part made me empathize with Ross since he has challenged by how he has
accepted himself and working with whatever he has to even succeed and appreciate everyone’s
existence in the way they are rather than looking down upon other people because of their
conditions (Tiadi et al., 2016). His story has indeed made me dispel my prejudices against the
dyslexic people. He believed in himself, and this is why he only drew a single picture when he
was given a project in year seven while other people wrote 100 words. The teacher never even
expected he would do it and he challenged the teacher. In this way, I can say that I would also be
shocked by the teacher because of the negative attitude I had before watching this video.

EMPATHY AND REFLECTION APPROACHES 5
I believe that the reported lived experiences of Rick, Jane, Ross, and Gemma
contribute to the debate regarding meeting the diverse learning needs of dyslexic students. By
showcasing and sharing the challenges that each of them had, they have helped identify the gaps
in the current learning systems. This makes schools get to understand what is lacking and the
kind of support the dyslexic students required to feel the sense of belonging and succeed in their
learning (Tiadi et al., 2016).
Based on my own practices and current engagement within the education system like a
teacher, I have been able to appreciate the need to help parents and students test the possibility of
dyslexia in case I see a student struggling to read. This is a potential change I believe would help
the children understand that they are dyslexic early enough and make them understand
themselves better (Vidyasagar, 2019). This will make them not to be ashamed, embarrassed or
let people think they are stupid because being dyslexic is not a failure or lack of intelligence.
Also, I believe that as a teacher, we should never have any negative attitude towards the dyslexic
children in our classes but rather to be supportive and always encourage them that they will
succeed (Fawcett & Nicolson, 2017).
My views about dyslexia have significantly changed. I have been able to appreciate
that success has nothing to do with disabilities but individual determination and resolve to
succeed (Murphy & Stevenson, 2019). The stories I have watched in this video have shown me
that many people can do better if given the opportunity and support required. I have also realized
that everyone has a role to play from dyslexic individuals themselves, their parents and even the
teachers and there is a need for collaboration to help all people with dyslexia to achieve their
goals in life (Goswami, 2015).

EMPATHY AND REFLECTION APPROACHES 6
I have also been able to appreciate the value that defining dyslexia has on the changing
attitude of those with the condition and those who do have the condition. By defining dyslexia
and talking freely about it, it will make a dyslexic individual to formally identify and accept their
conditions and start working towards their success without being embarrassed or ashamed
(Ozernov‐Palchik et al., 2017). Also, defining this condition will help people without to stop
looking down upon the dyslexic individuals and support them to achieve their goals (Anderson &
Meier-Hedde, 2017).
Dyslexia might fit into the policy and practice for active learning and teaching. I
believe that there is a need for learning institutions to come up with a policy that promotes early
testing of people with learning and reading disabilities in schools so that it is diagnosed early
enough (Costa, Edwards & Hooper, 2016). When this happens, supportive practices and
initiatives will be created hence helping these dyslexic children to be a success without lagging
behind (Yamasaki & Luk, 2018). There is also a need to come up with a policy that makes it
mandatory for teachers not to show any negative attitudes toward dyslexic individuals. This will
help not only the teachers but also the dyslexic pupils because they would be able to share their
problems with teachers for corrective and timely measures without any fear of shame or
embarrassment (Catts & Petscher, 2018).
After the two modules, I believe I am able and competence to adequately reflect on this
topic. I have been able to understand what dyslexia is all about and how it hurts dyslexic kids.
This has made me empathize with them and hence changed my attitude towards them. Thus
given an opportunity to reflect on this topic, I believe I will do an excellent job.

EMPATHY AND REFLECTION APPROACHES 7
References
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Global Perspectives, 44 (2), 35-78.
Catts, H. W., & Petscher, Y. (2018). Early Identification of Dyslexia Current Advancements and
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Costa, L. J. C., Edwards, C. N., & Hooper, S. R. (2016). Writing disabilities and reading
disabilities in elementary school students: Rates of co-occurrence and cognitive
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Fawcett, A., & Nicolson, R. (2017). Dyslexia in children. Routledge, 16(2).
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