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.
this lady is wonderful and given me so much advice and support for my daughter. My daughter aged 9 has become more confident through this lady shes a god send xxxx
Hi Amanda – That’s wonderful! Congratulations on all the progress that you’ve seen. – Sarah
We are hosting a Dine For Dyslexia Event and we wondered if we may use your logo – the one with the bright colors in a circle. My son has dyslexia and there is, as you know a huge push for awareness. You can find me on Facebook at Dyslexia – Early detection and intervention for ALL public schools.
Hi Laurie — Which logo is that? Can you email me at sarah@easyreadsystem.com ? Thanks! Sarah
I struggled with Dyslexia all my life, got an accounting degree and became an auditor. I would have findings that others would say to me “how did you find that” it wasn’t until I read this article did I discover what was really going on. The funny thing is that I could never really explain how I knew what the crook was doing, I could intuitively feel it and then look for the evidence that was there all the time, even when many other auditors had audited these businesses for years and missed it. It was truly intuitive, a gut feeling, that even I could not explain and understand. Thank you for this article it is truly an eye opener.
So pleased to hear that your reading struggles have not prevented you from achieving your dreams! Being a highly visual learner really is a skill in many areas of life. Best wishes and thank you for reading. – Maddie
I’m a 50 year old male dyslexic I’ve never had a good job I’ve never had a career I’ve been told my whole life and I’m stupid I’m capable when I was a small child my father gave me an idiot stick and it ruined my relationship with him forever cuz I didn’t want to be around anybody that would give me an idiot stick for a toy to play with my birthday was this past week it was supposed to be on Sunday and I got fired on Friday before my birthday I caught fired on a Friday isn’t that supposed to be mean all by itself getting fired on a Friday I have never really had a good job I’m highly educated I have two bachelor’s degrees I have a chef’s degree degree I have a masters in theology and I can’t get a job in at church I can’t get a job anywhere or I don’t get fired it’s very hard to dream dreams very hard to dream the dream of being married and I have lost three marriages off due to finances all due to well my last ex why she told me that I’m married you not to take on another dependent it also gives me a real sense of not having a place of belonging or sense of being loved or place of belonging my own mother told me that I take advantage of an old woman because I do not have the ability to be consistent with bill paying or paying that back very hard to have the dream of owning a house very hard to have the dream of a good vehicle when all you can afford is nickel and diming a bank account to buy a piece of junk I generally don’t like how I’m always treated last you want to go out to social events or Vance I’m always last I’m always the last considered my effort putting forth as a volunteer I’m always last I am always always last doesn’t matter how much of an average you put in your just the social outcasts that from the time of childhood you’re the last child pic you’re the last atom considered I have owned houses and I’ve lost them all I’ve been married three times I’ve lost it all I have children that the women will not allow me to see because I am not financially stable in the courts support the women because my track record does not look good for being a consistent person so the women win I have not seen my child in 20 years and this is happened in more than one relationship with more than one being tore apart because I’m just left I hurt very much I hurt very much inside I spend a lot of time crying I spend a lot of time how do you mentally get through this absolutely mentally numbing situation that you go through absolutely mentally numbing to be fired on a Friday on your birthday when you’re supposed to go home with family and friends ready to celebrate how do you mentally cope with this how does forgiveness make it all better once I lose my parents how am I supposed to be able to live don’t nobody they’ll be nothing all the future does it get scarier and harder as I get older my whole entire life everywhere I go I am told that I’m not good enough and that I need Improvement I thought love had a little bit of acceptance of what goes on all I’ve ever been told by my family my friends and everybody around me is that my life is not acceptable the way that it is and that I need Improvement… How you supposed to live in just be… When there’s no mental or emotional acceptance anywhere not sociable or the workplace
My doctor says that there might be some other personality disorders that are undiagnosable and that it’s more than just dyslexia but they can’t diagnose to help me there’s no social programs to be able to assist me
Thanks for your reply Kevin – it sounds like it’s been a rough road recently. I hope that you can find some help in your local area! See if there is a nearby dyslexia charity you can call. They are usually very helpful! Good luck with everything.