Having experienced dyslexia, I know first hand how debilitating it can be. Life at school was challenging enough, but to be openly described, even accused, of being thick or stupid was, simply, crushing. Not all the accusations were direct and these, at times, were the most hurtful. I hated being compared with others. Such comparisons were always derogatory and focused repeatedly on the things I did not do as well as someone else did - not even the same ‘someone else’.

I wasn’t encouraged by my parents to play the 'cello, even though I was invited to join a junior orchestra when I had only been playing for a couple of years. This wasn’t academic and seemed not to be valued, neither was my ability in Life Saving, even though I qualified as a Junior Teacher at only 15 years old.

To me the language of education was like a foreign one, which I never really got the hang of until my mid to late twenties. I entered the world of management in my early thirties and studied for a post graduate management qualification. Right to its successful completion I had a constant battle with academic language and the written requirements, but at work I was a high achieving practitioner.

Clearly I wasn’t thick or stupid. It took me until well into my forties and working my way through a Coaching Diploma to finally cast off the bulk of the constraining negative feelings and self-talk instilled in my childhood.

As you will have learned by reading the rest of this web site, dyslexia is not a disability in so much as it is possible to learn to correct it. I do sometimes wonder though whether the impact of how others perceive dyslexics constitutes the formation of a disability as it creates mental and emotional blockages that are tough to overcome - and many never manage it.

If you are a dyslexic reading this (or being told about it) I wish you the courage to work through your issues. If you are seeking to help one, please be understanding of their position - they are likely to be very bright in other areas of their life that are begging for recognition.