In 2010 I discovered at the age of 44 I was dyslexic, sent me on a path I never expected. My discovery like a lot of dyslexic out there is the sheer stigma, misunderstanding around the subject.
So I set out to research it at university and understand the pros and cons of being dyslexic …..
It saddens me when I read or hear parents when they find out their child is dyslexic. They almost blame themselves and feel their amazing child is defective, is going to fail in life, will struggle to get a job make ends meet and basically its like world has ended.
See the problem is this; dyslexia as well as AHDA, Dyspraxia and autism are all classified as learning difficulties and also fall into the disability at work act 2010. I want to challenge this, why? Well if you tell someone they are disabled, have learning difficulties guess what they don’t really expect much from themselves. It smashes confidence leaves the individual feeling less worthy. Parents are confused, upset and focus energy in trying to force spelling, reading into the young persons head. Teachers feel well he/she is going to struggle they have difficulties.
The results everything & everyone are further pushing that individual to expect a lot less from life and their potential abilities.
Its time to look at this a totally different way !!!!!!!
Somewhere along the way the ability to read and write has become the bench mark of ability, ability to learn and great emphasis placed on passing test that have been deemed the demonstration of a particular field. Now am not saying don’t educate people don’t complete exams, what I am laying down a stake in the ground is “STOP THINKING THIS IS THE ONLY BEROMETER”.
Lets put it another way; there are athletes out there people who are good at sports excel at it. We don’t test out students on there ability to run 100mtrs in a specific time and if they don’t say “Oh he’s got a disability he’s got training difficulties” how crazy would that be. Yet today in 2016 we still classify a very intelligent group of people c 10-15% (23million people across Europe) as having a disability.
This classification, this paradigm on dyslexia, set up to help is in fact very damaging. Its time to look through new lenses and new thinking.
The facts are over 30% of Entrepreneurs are dyslexic, these people that all their time in education and employment are made to feel they are not a 100% human being. Can you see the madness in that; I know a large number of successful business owners who are dyslexic, their ability to create amazing companies. Develop new product, services or solve problems is simply magical.
Why are they entrepreneurs, their minds may not have the same flare for academic studies in the same was as other students, their abilities are far greater than that its almost in another dimension of thinking.
Its time in the UK, we stop classing dyslexic as not able, disabled or have difficulties. To one where they are seen as the foundations of greatness and the potential to help put the UK in the forefront of business and educational blue prints the world would envy.
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