Reading disorder, and I never knew it?

Post Reply New Topic

Growing up, reading was never my thing. Reading wasn't impossible for me, just somewhat burdensome. As I said, I knew it wasn't my thing, just like music, art, sports, etc. aren't other people's things growing up. It did always bite me in the rear end, especially in college in a few classes which were reading intensive (*cough* business law). I've been changing my life quite a bit recently, and I decided to start reading much more intensively than I used to, as more or less the cumulative knowledge of mankind is archived within text.

Something told me to toy with using a magnifying glass when reading, especially with some of my textbooks. I tried a couple of magnifying glasses I had laying around the house, and it seemed to help me read a little bit better, though holding them was cumbersome. Finally, I go out and purchase something called a "Lumidome" (Google it), a 3x reading magnifier, and reading has suddenly become a whole bunch easier for me. It's like the solution I've been searching for for the past 25 years, and I feel I would have exceeded in my childhood much more had I had a magnifying glass like this.

That said, I can't figure out why though. I know that it's NOT a problem with my vision. My vision has always been excellent, and there hasn't been text, that one should reasonably be able to read, so small that I couldn't actually read it unaided. I can read small text in my car while driving and other things like that, it's when you put the text all together on a single page, it's like my brain fogs the words together, that's my best way to describe it. In the way many Autistic people have trouble listening to two or three conversations at once, that's somewhat the trouble I realized I had with reading text on a page. Using the magnifying glass breaks the page down into more manageable "bite size" pieces, allowing me to read with many times the proficiency I used to read at.

Anyone have an idea if this is a specific reading disorder or not? I have no interest in seeing a specialist about it, because I managed to get by before, and this has only made my life that much easier, so no sense wasting money on an ornithologist to tell me it's a duck if it looks, walks, and quacks like a duck, so to speak. Any opinions though would be appreciated, and thanks in advance!

I know you won't like this response... but if you can afford it, I think you should see a specialist. They usually know much more than most other people about their specialty.... and that's cool.

You're correct, I don't like that response.


Seriously though, as I said, it's not really a big deal. I can survive without the magnifying glass, I just thought it was interesting that the magnifying glass made it that much easier for me to digest what I'm reading. Maybe it's just a general human feature?

There are other disorders that you can have with normal or above average vision and that can make reading harder.

I'm not sure if this is the correct translation because it seems more popular in Germany then in English-speaking countries, but I think it's some kind of impaired binocular vision, but one that make your eyes look perfectly aligned when in truth they're not. It's called 'convergence insufficiency' in English maybe?

Even slight cases can include difficulties in reading, seemingly dyslexia traits which are actually caused by the impaired vision (trouble identifying letters, mixing up letters such as p and q or b and d), impaired reading ability, writing can be impaired too by forgetting letters. Supposedly, people who have this seem to get a headaches and get tired quickly when trying to read. Often prism lenses are used to help with this impairment.

As I said, fairly many test kids with learning disabilities are tested for it in German by specialists but it seems somewhat unknown in the US?

Actually, this sounds like the learning disorder portion of NLD called visual tracking. You are focusing (or rather not focusing correctly) on the entire page or the wrong portion of the page, instead of one line/one word at a time. The magnifying glass allows you to focus.
This is not a problem with your vision, this is a problem with your visual processing and perception.

Believe it or not you using a crutch such as a magnifying glass is not uncommon. This is what they had me do early on in the process and it did help alot until they trained me how to use my own eyes.
So you probably have a form of NLD relating to visual tracking, at least that is what it sounds like to me. I had it too.

People often forget that NLD was a set of Learning Disorders before it was identified as a developmental and communication disorder. The visua-spatial deficits are pretty unique.

Cool, thanks. I was tested for binocular tracking growing up, and evidently it's something that didn't fully develop until I was around 8 or 10 years old, but it did eventually develop satisfactorily. I've actually flown planes before, so I have confidence in my vision. The NLD sounds like it might be closer to the real thing, as that sounds like what I'm experiencing as I read. As I said though, whatever it is, I learned to cope with it a long time ago, so it's a non-issue anymore. Anyways, thanks!

Yes its the same with me. I have very difficulties with reading. If I see too much text on the forum then I just gets blocked and walk further. Because its such struggle for me to read. I always have to read it over and over to tuck each single word in properly and its very very timeconsuming. Thats why I like the shortworded topics the best.... I have never found out whats the root to this, if its my AS or my bad vision...or both combined...

Again. Its related to Nonverbal Learning Disorder, what you are describing is visual tracking issues.

Considering the overlap between AS and NLD, which there is quite a bit, it would not be surprising. What little they know of AS and NLD they are related conditions.

I would say if you are struggling with it significantly, find a Optician or Occupational Therapist who specializes in learning disorders.

It can be fixed somewhat.

This is related to how your right hemesphere processes information.

so, what I am not interested in math and science? Does that make me bad spatially? Just not my field, that's all.

In this world of disorders and disabilities, people forget that some people aren't meant to do certain things.

Where did I suggest this? If you're referring to my original post, any analogies I created were in reference to my own experiences only, not the Autistic population or people in general. Nowhere did I intend to make such statements regarding yourself or other people.

Do you have a strong like or dislike of doing puzzles, geometry, and rearanging irregular shapess visually?

For me, I actually love geometry, fractals, and intense visual patterns. Puzzles aren't my favorite thing in the world, but they're not a curse to me either.

Instead of the magnifying glass you could try to find a cheap pair of reading glasses.
I always have to wear glasses now for light sensitivity but it makes reading a whole lot better.
You may even have a mild form of dyslexia. If the words 'fog together' it sounds like the words all group together and form a blur. For me the words the words move away from each other or up and down.
Have you heard of Irlen's syndrome?

Maybe something close to Irlen's Syndrome. That said, I thought about it over the past couple of days, and I think I'm blowing it out of proportion. I have some difficulty reading unaided, but not an all out struggle. Strangely enough, when I look at this computer screen as I type, I have no difficulty seeing the words, maybe due to the thin, pixelized font? Oh well, thanks all of you for your opinions.


BTW, Mixtli, sorry I came across rude. That's my sarcasm crossing over into an all out attack.