Dyslexia and Aphantasia | Aphantasia Network

Dyslexia and Aphantasia

February 3, 20251 min readByCheryl Stapleton

I'm on here because my 17 year old daughter is aphantasic. She is also dyslexic. It's very frustrating when everyone automatically thinks "if she's dyslexic then she must be really creative, as dyslexics are known to use imaginative creativity to overcome the challenges of expressing themselves with words." The dyslexia is diagnosed but not Aphantasia - can it be diagnosed in the UK? anyone know? What I'm wondering moreover is if anyone else has this double whammy and is it typical to see? Also, does anyone have problems with sleep as a result of aphantsia? My daughter has always struggled and now with stresses of college she's at her wits end. I really don't want to go down the medication route.

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Mars Parker•recently•edited

Hi there. I am deeply dyslexic and 100% aphantasic. I am pretty creative, have a good artistic eye, and even have fairly decent spatial awareness. That said, I have always been frustrated that I lack the dyslexia "superpower" of being able to visualize & manipulate 3D objects in my mind. How cool would that be? Regarding sleep, I am a night owl for sure, but I have always assumed that was my ADHD (also diagnosed). When things were at their worst in terms of sleep, it was primarily anxiety. Meditation, breath work, and therapy have been my saving graces. I wish your daughter the very best of luck.

Larissa Igarashi•recently•edited

When I was a child, they tested me to see if I had dyslexia, but it was just aphantasia. At the time, they thought I was just slow to learn to read and write.

Warren Prince•recently•edited

FWIW, I'm dyslexic but somehow made it through college and law school. I also believe I'm aphantasic. In fact, I believe I have multiple deficiencies. For example, I have no memory of any graduation, high school, college, or law school. I do not remember my parents' funerals. I don't believe I can image any thing. For example, I can not describe my wife's face although we've been married 47 years. I can recognize it in a photo, but no image. There is nothing I can image let alone play back in my memory. While I can't remember events, I have a fairly good memory of information. That's what got me through law school, barely. The reading was unbearable, but I could remember concepts. I can remember the facts on which a client's case is based which serves me very well in cross examination. At one time I could calculate square roots in my head. I've lost that ability to time. Hope this helps.