Dyslexia Awareness Week: Lauren's Story

From a young age I always felt different to other children, never fully understanding why that was or why I felt the way I did. School was difficult for me, both educationally and socially. Feeling like an outcast in both areas felt like I was drifting through school with my sunny yet anxious dispassion, constantly hoping for the best. I particularly struggled with written work and reading practice was a nightmare for me, always avoiding it as much as I could. My parents decided to send me for a dyslexia screening (which they had to pay for privately) as my school were not interested. The screening resulted in me being diagnosed with Dyslexia at the age of 11. However, this was just the start of a long journey of understanding how to cope with my dyslexia.

When I went to high school at the age of 12, it overwhelmed me to the point that I became extremely anxious and depressed. I couldn't cope with the large classes, the lack of support and bombardment of new processes promoted the decline of my mental state, which pushed my parents to take me out of mainstream school.

I eventually got a place at a school that specialised in dyslexic learning, that also happened to be in my hometown of Lytham St. Annes. The classes were a lot smaller, nine per class to be precise. There was a lot of one to one support and a lot of learning was visual and interactive. At this new school, I felt I could be completely myself with likeminded individuals. This consequently resulted in me coming out of my shell and grappling learning in a more confident manner.

In my professional life, I was lucky enough to make a successful career out of my passion dancing, and work professionally from the age of 18. I do believe the adversities I went through as a child gave me the drive and determination to not give up, in an industry that is notorious at being brutal. Dyslexia however, didn’t affect me much dancing as you can imagine, it's only when I retired and became an administrator I was faced with the reality of my word blindness once more. Initially, I was extremely anxious to become an administrator, not just because I was venturing into another industry, but also the doubts that I would be able to cope with the demands. I have to say, having the most understanding and supportive manager and colleagues around me really took away any fears I had. Overall, I feel like there is now a wider understanding of Dyslexia, its affects, and how it can be supported. Although I have also come a long way since I was a kid, I still struggle with spelling, reading and sentences not quite making sense, until someone kindly helps me correct it… and thank goodness for spell check.

It is highly beneficial for early identification of Dyslexia, so support can be given at an early age. Remember, the first years at school is when a child is trying to figure themselves out and their place in the world. It is so important to have support there, to not impact their mental state and educational development.

Lauren's Advice

Try not to think of Dyslexia as a curse, even though it can make some things tricky, there are so many positives! Did you know NASA actively looks for dyslexic minds to recruit? This is due to our ability to “think outside of the box”. We are naturally good problem solvers, and are known for our exceptional creativity and verbal communication. Many of the world’s most influential and successful people have Dyslexia, and many if not all attribute their success to dyslexic thinking.

I would say that if it wasn’t for Dyslexia, I wouldn’t be the Lauren I am today. Positive and determined.

To find out more about The British Dyslexia Association, and their 'Share Your Story' campaign, visit www.bdadyslexia.org.uk