Find your cheerleaders and keep them close
When I started secondary school, my reading and writing age was around that of an 8-year-old and I struggled to copy things from the board to my workbook, or from textbooks to my workbook because I’d constantly lose my place and write things I’d already written or skip whole lines altogether (I’m hoping this exercise of copying has now been abandoned in schools!). But my teachers tried. Hard. And I’m incredibly thankful to Little Heath School in Reading and teachers like Mrs Stevenson and Mr Fletcher who had faith in my ability and could see the desire I had to work hard and achieve things – despite the outward results on paper.
As a result of sheer hard work and determination – and the presence of amazing cheerleaders such as Mrs Stevenson, Mr Fletcher and my support tutor at university – I achieved good A levels, a first class undergraduate degree in English Literature and an M.phil advanced research degree in British film legislation and cultural linguistics.
Dyslexia doesn’t go away, you don’t grow out of it – but as adults, we become more adept at masking it and become better at coping with it. Knowing your self-worth and becoming your own cheerleader is really important because society won’t always thank you for not conforming.
Find work that works for you, not the other way round
Too often the narrative around dyslexia is a negative one, or one of embarrassment. However, as the Dyslexic Dynamic report indicates, the exact opposite can be true. The top skills employers are looking for correspond closely to the skills of dyslexic thinkers – and recently LinkedIn has added ‘Dyslexic Thinking’ as a skill you can add to your personal profile.
Now a fully-fledged adult, I work in marketing and communications, freelancing and juggling several clients to produce websites, digital and traditional media content, video editing, design and copywriting. And yes, that means being organised, dealing with lists, invoices, tax returns and numbers – none of my favourite things. But it also means that I can manage my workload flexibly, work to my own strengths and call the shots on the kind of projects I work on. This is probably why so many dyslexics go on to become self-employed or entrepreneurs, it just suits our brains a bit better.
Has dyslexia and dyscalculia held me back in my career? I may have chosen an interesting career path for someone with these struggles, but actually I think it makes me a better communicator, and a more sensitive one, with the ability to visualise and design things that communicates a clear message. It’s driven me to work for myself because I know how I like to work, how I like to think and learn and that doesn’t fit every employer’s mould. Dyscalculia and dyslexia affects me every single day, probably every single hour. It’s exhausting but also fascinating – my brain will see round things and problems that others may not.
My advice to students struggling with dyslexia
· Dyslexia presents itself in lots of different ways – I never really had an issue with reading, but struggled massively with things like lists, order of things, short term memory and information processing. Try to pinpoint exactly where your learning difference may be and start to develop coping strategies around them. So, for me, this means using apps to constantly remind me of things, keeping digital lists of things and completing tasks in a certain order so I don’t lose track. For you, this could mean using coloured overlays on your workbooks or computer, using voice notes on your mobile instead of written notes, using noise cancelling headphones to help you focus.
· Seek out your cheerleaders and other role models – register on the Future First Hub and find other people who have been in your shoes and hear their stories of success.
· Don’t be ashamed of who you are or how you learn, for so long I kept my dyslexia quiet from friends, colleagues and employers, now I’m upfront right away – the way I learn and process information is key to who I am, so it’s important the people who are closest to me and work with me know this.
My advice to teachers supporting students with dyslexia
· Your words and actions are key in a student’s development – what you think of them means everything, especially when they’re making that difficult transition from primary to secondary. Have their backs, right from the moment they enter your classroom to the day they leave it.
· Remember that a dyslexic child will not respond under pressure similarly to a non-dyslexic child. I was made to stand on a chair until I could recite my three times tables in front of the class – putting a dyslexic child (or adult) under pressure to perform at short notice is never going to get results and could result in them becoming disenfranchised from the very subject you’re trying to teach.
· Give students options: for example, multitasking and linear alternatives. Multitasking will work well for some students, but it puts more pressure on the working memory and this may hinder a dyslexic student. Offering both modes of work will help all students feel included.
Useful links and contacts:
British Dyslexia Association: https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/
Made by Dyslexia: https://www.madebydyslexia.org/
Dyscalculia Network: https://www.dyscalculianetwork.com/
Succeed With Dyslexia: https://www.succeedwithdyslexia.org/