This blog was written by 16-year-old Megan on her experiences of being dyslexic. Megan talks about being diagnosed with dyslexia and how that impacts her day-to-day life. Megan also notes that while being dyslexic comes with its challenges, there are also many strengths that come with the condition. Dyslexia is a form of neurodivergence, which we know represents a community that is at a higher risk of suicide than others. It is important we recognise the challenges neurodivergent individuals in our society face and encourage action to promote appropriate support and care.
After being diagnosed as dyslexic, you can feel many different emotions, including being overwhelmed, stressed and nervous. The range of emotions occurs as you don’t know what could happen, how it might change things in your life and how others would react.
With dyslexia, every individual has different struggles that they might have to face. I have personally struggled with many different things. I find that I spell words incorrectly without noticing, mix words up, struggle to remember bits of information, and have difficulty reading. However, I have found that there are lots of resources that can help you and make the challenges much easier to deal with day-to-day.
Despite its challenges, there are actually so many different benefits that come with being diagnosed with dyslexia. For instance, you can get 25% extra time in exams, which I have found very useful throughout my GCSEs. You can also get help from your school or work to manage it, including receiving access to someone who can help you optimise your skills and work to the best of your abilities.
I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was 10-years-old. My teacher at the time could see that I was struggling with reading as I would often jump the lines and couldn’t spell the best. As soon as I got my diagnosis, I got support from my school with coloured books and was placed in a group with other dyslexics so we could all get better at reading and spelling. After receiving this support, I noticed I started to feel happier with people knowing that I have dyslexia, as I knew that people will be there to support and help me.
From my experience, I have found little tips and tricks that have benefitted me and helped remove obstacles in my learning. For example, my school provided me with coloured books instead of the traditional white ones, which made it easier for me to see my writing as white paper can make it hard to take in what I am writing and looking at. My school has also made sure that my teachers were aware that I was dyslexic so they could offer me support with my work. They also ensured that I didn’t have to read aloud if I didn’t want to.
I have found that many people with dyslexia tend to be very creative, have more of an imagination and can be great problem solvers. I personally tend to enjoy more practical things in school and doing subjects like textiles and art. At home, I enjoy trying to fit things together by doing a puzzle.
I think it is important to make sure that you ask for help when you need it and let people know that you have dyslexia, as people are more than likely willing to help and support you. I also believe that you shouldn’t be ashamed of being dyslexic and shouldn’t let it pull you down because even if you find some things harder to do, you can still succeed.
