Table Of Content

Contents Front Matter ......................................................i Title Page ......................................................i Publisher Information ...................................ii Acknowledgements .......................................iii About Dyslexia Scotland ...............................iv Foreword ......................................................v Councillor Deidre Brock.............................viii A Note To The Reader About This Book .........ix Dyslexia and Us.................................................1 Form-Filling And Panic ................................1 Having Ambitions ........................................3 Dysfunctional Or Dyslexic .............................5 Proud To Be Dyslexic ....................................8 Living With Dyslexia ..................................10 A Father And Lawyer’s Tale .........................11 A Tale From Prison .....................................13 Early Recognition Triumphs .........................16 From School To The Police Force ..................19 Extra Support Should Be Free ......................21 A Tutor’s View ............................................24 A Pupil’s Story ............................................26 Tears And Success ........................................28 Unsung hero ...............................................30 Ah’m No’ Daft After Aw ..............................32 A Child’s View ............................................35 Getting Recognition In Primary School .........36 Dyslexia Identified In Adulthood .................39 The Magic Of Summer, A Film Starring ......41 A Failing Education System .........................44 The Value Of A Tutor’s Support ....................46 A Talented Musician Tells Her Story .............48 Pressure At Work .........................................50 A Day To Remember ...................................51 A Hero’s Journey .........................................52 Getting Lost................................................54 Failed By The Education System ..................57 Reading And Left Right Difficulty ................59 Good Help At School ...................................62 Memory Problems .......................................65 Dyslexic Difficulties ....................................67 Lost Potential .............................................68 “The Thick One” .........................................70 Facing Up To Dyslexia ................................72 Life With Dyslexia: Read Between The .........73 Educated In Prison .....................................76 Good To Be Different ..................................78 Life With Dyslexia ......................................79 My Son’s Story (Part 1 Written In 1985) ......80 My Son’s Story Continued 26 Years Later......82 Learning To Feel Good About Myself ............84 A Plea ........................................................86 Adult Basic Education ................................87 My Arch Enemy Dyslexia ............................88 Applying For Jobs ........................................91 A Member Of Mensa ..................................93 Computer Technology Helps .........................94 Paving The Way ..........................................95 Dyslexia And Socialising .............................97 Find ’N Out .............................................100 Memories .................................................102 A Long Journey .........................................105 Dyslexia Is Frustrating ..............................108 Arguing With My Own Brain ...................109 Struggle From School To University ............111 A Tutor’s Support ......................................113 Keeping A Sense Of Humour .....................115 Embarrassed By Dyslexia ...........................116 Identified With Dyslexia Too Late ..............117 Quotes From Pupils With Dyslexia .............118 Specific Learning Difficulties Support .........119 Wishing To Be Like Everyone Else ..............120 Dyslexia And Me ......................................122 Being Dyslexic ..........................................124 A Reflective Story ......................................125 Goals In Sight ...........................................127 Facing Up To Your Dyslexia.......................129 The Worst Days Of My Life .......................131 Muddle Or Muggle? ..................................134 No Confidence ..........................................135 A Junior International Ice Hockey Star .......137 Living And Working With Dyslexia ............139 Learning Support And Scribes ...................141 A Special Family .......................................143 A Success Story ..........................................144 An Old Man’s Magic Gift ..........................146 Struggling With Dyslexia ...........................148 Dyslexia Is Good .......................................150 No Longer Ashamed Of Being Dyslexic ......151 Paper, Paper, Everywhere ...........................153 Writing And Copying ................................155 Problems With Balance And Writing ..........156 Growing In Confidence .............................158 Finally Finding Myself ..............................159 Dyslexia Is A Gift .....................................161 A Lesson For Teachers ................................162 Driven To The Depths Of Despair ..............164 A Mother’s Efforts To Get Help ..................166 Determination Wins .................................167 Dyslexia Awareness ...................................169 Advantages And Disadvantages ..................170 Getting Help ............................................172 Alternative Help .......................................174 My Story, I Am 10 Years Old .....................176 Coping Strategies As An Adult ...................177 No Certificate For Dyslexia .......................179 Getting Stressed .........................................181 Thoughts From An Educational .................182 Bullied .....................................................186 Good Coping Techniques ...........................188 Support From Abe .....................................189 In The Family ...........................................191 Unidentified Dyslexia ...............................193 The First Step ...........................................195 Dyslexia In The Board Room .....................196 DYSLEXIA AND US A Collection Of Personal Stories Dyslexia Scotland Publisher Information First published 2011 by Edinburgh City Libraries Digital edition published in 2013 by Andrews UK Limited www.andrewsuk.com This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published, and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Copyright © 2011, 2013 Dyslexia Scotland The right of Dyslexia Scotland to be identified as the editor of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Acknowledgements Dyslexia Scotland would like to extend our sincere thanks to all the contributors of the stories in this book. Some of the contributors are members of Dyslexia Scotland, some heard about the project through our network and others through a variety of sources. We thank you all for your invaluable contributions. We would also like to extend a special thanks to Tamsin Morrison, an artist with dyslexia who designed the front cover of this book and to our President, Sir Jackie Stewart, for his foreword and for contacting a number of celebrities to ask them to write their stories. Our deep gratitude goes to Edinburgh City Libraries for funding this book, and in particular to David Walker for publishing it and to Councillor Deirdre Brock, Liz McGettigan and Grainne Crawford for their valued support. About Dyslexia Scotland Dyslexia Scotland is a national charity that represents the needs and interests of dyslexic people in Scotland. Our aim is to encourage and enable children, young people and adults with dyslexia, regardless of their age and abilities, to reach their potential in education, employment and life. We offer high quality services at both a national and local level through our network of volunteer-led branches. We also aim to raise awareness and influence change at a national level. For more information: www.dyslexiascotland.org.uk Dyslexia Scotland 2nd Floor - East Suite Wallace House 17-21 Maxwell Place Stirling FK8 1JU Dyslexia Scotland is a charitable company limited by guarantee. Registered in Scotland No: SC153321 Scottish Charity No: SCO 00951 If you have been moved by these stories, please consider making a donation to Dyslexia Scotland or joining as a member so that we can continue to support dyslexic people of all ages and abilities across Scotland. Foreword by Sir Jackie Stewart OBE President of Dyslexia Scotland Today, dyslexia is talked about more openly than it ever has been. When you are dyslexic, you simply cannot do things like “the clever folk”. Some say it’s a sort of wiring error between the left and the right side of the brain. Others say that it is hereditary, or it is caused by a long labour in birth, or perhaps a jaundice birth. It can sometimes jump generations, but quite often, it shows up within the family tree. Dyslexia can destroy people, it can break up families and it can drive people to drink and drugs whilst they are trying to escape the reality of their inabilities. For many years and sadly even today, many teachers simply haven’t gone to the trouble of finding out enough about dyslexia to help students to get around the problem, if not to get over it completely. My school years were certainly the most unhappy years of my life. Back then, few teachers had any knowledge at all about something called Dyslexia. What has been achieved by Dyslexia Scotland surpasses anything done elsewhere. The education authorities and the seven teacher- training colleges in Scotland have now, with the help of the present and previous Scottish Governments, turned around the attitude of many of the professional educational leaders in our land. From last year onwards, every single new teacher being trained in any of our seven teacher-training colleges in Scotland will, upon leaving college, be in possession of a degree which includes the skills for the early recognition of a child with a learning problem. No other country in the world has this; what a wonderful example Scotland is, to the other educational leaders around the world. The question is whether the other educational leaders will pay attention and whether old dogs want to learn new tricks? Sadly,