My Story
I didn’t discover I was dyslexic until I was 35 years old – that’s when I went back to college to get the education I missed out on as a child, spurred on by the realisation that as my kids grew up I couldn’t help them with their homework.
My Lecturer asked me to do a piece of free-flow writing – well, the structure was back to front and the letters all jumbled up and immediately she said “I think you’re dyslexic” – suddenly I discovered why I’d had such problems at school!
At college they helped me build up my literacy levels, and I joined a class of 16 year olds to take English GCSE. They were brilliant and the rules allowed me the 25% extra time to read and complete the exams papers – the first time EVER in my life I’d finished a paper! I re-sat my entire core subject exams – this time passing successfully. The boost to my confidence was great, and the knowledge that I could now help the kids was my real reward.
Finding out what caused my literacy problems and getting expert help in how to work with them to get the qualifications I desired was the first step on my road to celebrating my dyslexia.
Now as a qualified Personal Performance and Youth Impact Coach, and certified NLP Master Practitioner, I choose to specialize in this area because of my own understanding of the joy and despair that comes with being dyslexic. I totally identify with the problems and trauma it can cause as well as knowing the positive power and potential talents the dyslexic mind produces.
I developed my own unique dyslexia-specific coaching methods to help adults break free from the chains associated with dyslexia and discover who and what they can be.
I don’t claim to cure dyslexia, but I know how to maximize the potential latent in everyone, and how to inspire people to explore and expand their possibilities so they can tap into the amazing creativity held in the dyslexic mind.
Adult dyslexics develop well defined coping strategies which compensate for any deficiencies they may have because of their dyslexia. However, these coping strategies may severely affect their ability to develop reading and writing skills.
Like me, dyslexic adults may well have “failed” in education in the past and will need constant encouragement and positive reinforcement.
The Positives of Dyslexia
There’s so much that’s positive about being dyslexic – the creativity often expressed in the design or drama fields, sporting abilities, the ability to think quickly “on your feet” twined with natural leadership potential and above average IQ.
Dyslexic people are highly creative, intuitive and excel at three-dimensional problem solving and hands-on learning. Their visual and holistic learning style means they learn best through the creative process, with methods that focus on mastering the meanings of words and symbols.
The mental function that causes dyslexia is a gift in the truest sense of the word: a natural ability, a talent. It is something special that enhances the individual.
Dyslexics don’t all develop the same gifts, but they do have certain mental functions in common:
- They can utilize the brain’s ability to alter and create perceptions
- They are highly aware of the environment.
- They are more curious than average.
- They think mainly in pictures instead of words.
- They are highly intuitive and insightful.
- They think and perceive multi-dimensionally (using all the senses).
- They can experience thought as reality.
- They have vivid imaginations.
To change our perspective of dyslexia from disability to gift, we must start with a clear, accurate understanding of what dyslexia really is, and what causes it. Doing this will bring out the positive as well as the negative aspects of the situation and allow us to see how dyslexia develops. Then the idea of correcting it won’t seem far-fetched.
Going a step beyond correcting the problem, we can also recognize and explore this condition as the gift it truly is.
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If you would like further information about dyslexia and what I do for adults with dyslexia, you can contact me at www.dyslexia-coach.com or email me anita@dyslexia-coach.com.