REPOST: Dyslexia is Britain's secret weapon in the spy war: Top codebreakers can crack complex problems because they suffer from the condition

Dyslexia is classified as a learning disability.  Children diagnosed with this are often placed in special classes and met with a lower expectation to succeed.  A Daily Mail article shows this 'disability' may be an asset to the government after all.

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Many of Britain’s top code-breakers and analysts are able to crack complex problems because they suffer from dyslexia, GCHQ has revealed.

A spokesman for the Government’s top-secret electronic eavesdropping station in Cheltenham said last night that some of their most talented code-breakers have difficulty in learning to read or interpreting words.

But this can actually help them crack codes, as they ‘see’ things those without the disorder do not.

GCHQ’s army of code-breakers and code-setters play a critical role in the battle to protect Britain from cyber attacks by other states and  criminals, including terrorists.

GCHQ recently found itself at the centre of allegations by US whistleblower Edward Snowden that it had access to the online data of British citizens via US spy agencies.

Last week MPs on the Commons Intelligence and Security Committee praised steps taken by spy chiefs to harness the skills of dyslexic code-breakers.

The threat to the UK from cyber attacks, according to the report, is at its ‘highest level ever’ and is ‘disturbing’ in its scale  and complexity.

The MPs said the Cheltenham-based agency had set up a Dyslexia and Dyspraxia Support Group, which provides ‘mentoring and practical support to individuals’.

A GCHQ spokesman said some of their most talented code-breakers were affected: ‘They are very creative but may need support, including adjustments in the workplace, such as IT tools and computer software, or [reductions] in their working hours.’

In a speech last year, Sir Iain Lobban, the director of GCHQ, said: ‘Part of my job is to attract the very best people and harness their talents, and not allow preconceptions and stereotypes to stifle innovation and agility.’

Adrian Culley, a cyber expert and former Scotland Yard computer crime detective, said: ‘Dyslexic people have the ability of seeing codes with patterns, repetitions and omissions.

'Dyslexia may in other circumstances be regarded as negative – but most people only get to see the full jigsaw picture when it’s nearly finished while dyslexic cryptographists can see what the jigsaw puzzle looks like with just two pieces.’

Some of the world’s greatest thinkers suffered from dyslexia, including Albert Einstein.

The effects of a learning disability ripple beyond school and homework.  Aspen Education Group provides a host of educational and therapeutic programs to help youth and teens cope with ADHD and similar problems. Read more about their services on this website.

The unique characteristics of wilderness therapy

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The primary aim of wilderness therapy is to resolve the academic, behavioral, and emotional issues of students in a nurturing and emphatic manner. Schools offering this therapeutic intervention do not force change among their students, but instead allow the environment to initiate student response. If the students aren’t ready yet, the staff members and facilitators move back from their positions of authority, allowing natural effects to influence students until they are ready to commit to experiential learning.


The unique intervention re-educates the youth and diverts its inclination to lifestyles of excesses, which are at the root of their issues. It particularly targets youth who have gone off-track due to the absence of distractions and familiar culture. The conditions in the wilderness allow students to sift through what’s significant and insignificant in their lives and encourage them to use their primitive skills to interact with their new environment. Aspen Education Group describes the wilderness therapy experience as “a ‘rite of passage,’ a transformational process that is difficult to find in our fast-paced, modern society.”

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Change begins with reflection. According to this study, the wilderness therapy process is comprised of the following:

1.) the cleansing phase which occurs early in the intervention

2.) a personal and social responsibility phase

3.) a transition and aftercare phase.

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A well-trained staff inclusive of therapists, teachers, and leaders nurture intra- and inter-personal and academic skills to help students improve their concepts of self. They may engage in periodic contact with the parents to ensure that families understand their role in their teenagers’ problematic behaviors and that they maintain their homes as conducive aftercare environments.


The wilderness therapy programs of Aspen Education Group are proven catalysts for change among struggling teens. Visit this website to get free advice on various treatment programs available for your teen.