Christmas is a time of family, festive feelings and goodwill. It’s also a time when you usually get presents, which makes it even better. But for some people, Christmas might a be a time where they tend to struggle, as it’s pretty heavily orientated around reading and writing. You might not notice it as a neurotypical person or someone with strong literacy skills, but everything from settling down with A Christmas Carol to addressing your Christmas cards, shopping both online and in person, and making sure that you’ve popped your mince pies in the oven for the right amount of time involve a lot of text comprehension. And this can have an impact on how much they can enjoy the gifts that they receive too: it’s difficult to feel festive and wish goodwill to all when you’ve been gifted a stack of books with closely-packed text that might see more use as a doorstop than a way to kick back and relax this Christmas.
So what do we buy for an adult who has dyslexia? We’re not advocating that adults with dyslexia need different gifts – we’re pretty sure that they love chocolate and comfy socks as much as the next person – but sometimes going the extra mile when it comes to gift-giving is the perfect way to say thank you for all that they do. So without further ado, here’s the semi-official Succeed With Dyslexia guide to gifting this holiday season, as simple as clicking add-to-basket.
The Gift of Reading – For Tech Fans
Many people with dyslexia are avid readers, but some can find it a struggle when it comes to settling down with a book. There are plenty of tech solutions that can make a huge difference to their reading experience though!
The right tools depend on the ways that dyslexia manifests for the individual, and which ways they find it easiest to take in information but promoting multi-sensory (an audio element with text) reading is known to help. Giving gifts like e-Readers, audiobook subscriptions, and text-to-speech technology like ReaderPens can make wonderful presents as they unlock a whole world of reading that might have otherwise felt daunting or stressful. Low-tech solutions like reading windows can help too!
The Gift of Reading – For Traditionalists
Not very tech-savvy, or fancy keeping things traditional? This is where High/Low books come in- and they’re an important part of the reading journey for hundreds of thousands of people with dyslexia and literacy differences all over the world. A High/Low book will look very similar to an original version of the text, but the grammar and language used will be simpler. Sentences might be shorter and have less clauses, and punctuation might stick to the basics, with full stops and commas used instead of more complex devices like colons and ellipses. Vocabulary choices will be more simplistic, and there might be less adverbs included in the text that can artificially inflate a sentence. They’re a great fix for adult readers who want to engage with books, but find them a little intense to deal with. And there are many titles available, on all sorts of topics and subjects! From cookbooks to fantasy novellas, globetrotting adventures to spy thrillers, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Make it an Experience
It may not have been the best year to get out and do things with your family, but with restrictions easing and a vaccine in place, it could- fingers crossed- represent a good chance to get together for the festive season. Think about experience days, staycations or just something that will allow your loved one to engage with their creative side- some people with dyslexia are very creative individuals who are good at thinking their way through problems, and some love any opportunity to get crafty, or work on their passion projects. A gift like this could be anything from an escape room to a one-day sculpture masterclass. Think big or small, but think out-there and zany- they’ll love it.
Festive Phonecalls
It might be tempting to send a festive card with all the rest, but especially when your loved one has dyslexia, it’s a great idea to call instead. Many people use text-to speech apps on their phones, some prefer to just call instead – it’s personal, but most people agree that it’s much easier to respond to a phonecall than an extended text or WhatsApp message. It also makes the whole thing a bit more special, so go and score some brownie points by having a good old-fashioned chit-chat. This one isn't strictly something that you can buy, but it's an important gift nonetheless.
So there we have it – let the dyslexic person in your like know that you care, and that you understand what they might be struggling with this festive season. It’s the perfect time to start thinking about accessibility and inclusivity for all.
