Misty Hance

I did not know others had mental images the way the do until I was in my late 30's. I knew when teachers said, "Picture this," I couldn't, but I didn't know others could. I thought it was just a phrase teachers used. I too have found that writing things down helps me remember what I am being asked to learn. I am also one who has to highlight phrases and key words within a text and jot notes in the margin of my books.If I see something and can draw it out, such as a map, then I can remember the details better. I have always struggled with spelling and mental math. There is no "chalkboard" in my mind to write things down on, so I struggle with these skills.However, I must say that having aphantasia has not deterred my learning ability. I have a doctorate degree and a fairly high IQ, so there is hope for anyone!As an educator now, I try to help other teachers realize that not all students can visualize and they need to provide alternatives in case they have a student who can't. A lot of curriculum relies on mental images to help students remember items, and a lot of teachers don't know this lack of ability exists.