Approximately 15% of people have dyslexia, that accounts for 6 million in the UK and unfortunately most don’t realise they have it.
As we go through life, we adapt to life. Dyslexia is a learning disability that affects an individual’s ability to read and write – and it can affect anyone, anywhere in the world.
More recently, celebrities have been sharing their stories about how, and when, they were diagnosed. Many of them were in their later school years, or as adults.
So what are the signs?
Children
Indicators of dyslexia can be seen as early as in preschool children. They may have a history of delays in speaking, making sentences or pronouncing words correctly, or find it difficult to learn nursery rhymes.
Later, when a child starts school and begins to learn numeracy and literacy subjects, the signs will become more apparent. They may struggle with letters, simple rhymes (such as cat and mat) and confuse the direction of letters when writing (for example writing ‘big’ instead of ‘dig’) and ‘15’ for ‘51’.
Actor, Keira Knightly was diagnosed at age 6 and used her love of acting to help motivate her to read. Using movie scripts to practice reading, she says, ‘I was really lucky that I was diagnosed when I was 6. That early diagnosis was key to absolutely everything, because of dyslexia, my work ethic has always been really high.’
Teenagers
As the child gets older, tasks such as reading aloud, spelling, planning and writing essays will become more of a challenge, if their dyslexia is left undiagnosed.
Each occurrence will make the child self-conscious and anxious, and this could lead to behavioural or emotional difficulties.
Holly Willoughby was diagnosed when she was doing her GCSE’s, she said: ‘I hated reading out loud because I couldn’t read well and would get the words mixed up and I was constantly embarrassed’.
Although the legal age to leave school has changed now, some well-known celebrities, such as Richard Branson, left school at an early age (15) because it was becoming too difficult..
Adults
Undiagnosed adults feel that they can’t cope with their difficulties, or they may have found ways to get around the problems.
They may be resistant to change, and find this a particular challenge – they may resist learning new things or applying for a promotion. Tasks such as completing forms may be difficult.
They may get dates and times confused, and miss appointments.
As a result, undiagnosed adults often have a low opinion of themselves, but can develop coping strategies which highlight their strengths.
Make that first step
If this article resonates with you, or sounds like your child, visit our website for further information and get in touch. A dyslexia diagnosis is lifechanging. It can turn the negative aspects of normal life into positive experiences that shine a light on the individual.
Having a full diagnostic dyslexia assessment is the first step to ensuring that the dyslexic individual receives the correct specialist support, strategies and interventions that they need to succeed and to make progress.
About Dyslexia First
Dyslexia First provides first-class dyslexia assessments for children and adults across the North West.
Owner Michala Morton has worked in the field of Special Needs for over 20 years, across a wide range of educational settings, and works closely with The British Dyslexia Association and The Dyslexia Association assessing children and adults.
Based in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, Dyslexia First is conveniently accessible by train, linking to Central Liverpool, Manchester and cities within an hour’s commute.
By helping you to get the right support, a world of possibilities will open, that might not have seemed possible before.
Contact us to discuss your assessment needs on michala@dyslexia-first.co.uk or call 07711 904 589.
