Reading In the Right Place

Often people who are neurodiverse have difficulty just working efficiently. Everything seems to take longer.

Learning in the right place makes it more efficient.

So how do you find out what works best for you? Here’s a first check we give to all our students.

Find a text, a piece of writing that’s just at the edge of your ability. You can read it, but it’s a bit hard.

Try reading texts at the same level in different settings.

Sitting in a chair, at a desk, leaning on the desk, sitting up straight, standing at the windowsill, standing at a standing desk, sitting on the floor, sitting on a yoga ball or in a rocking chair, lying on the floor.

What works for you? Try all the variations you can think of and reflect. Was it easier? Was it harder?

One student discovered that the best way for her to read was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall and her arms around her knees, holding the book. She felt safe and secure and stable there.

She asked her lecturers to allow her to sit like that during lectures. They agreed. She said that for the first time she understood the lecture without having to use the recordings.

It doesn’t take long to find out where you read most efficiently, where you read most effectively, but it’s time well spent. It’s an investment in the efficiency of all your future learning.