Dyslexia impacts on a person’s ability to learn, and quite often can remain with someone throughout their adult life.
It is often assumed that people with dyslexia face issues with their reading and writing capabilities. Whilst this is frequently the case, dyslexia has many angles of difficulty, with people reporting that the condition can confuse their ability to read, write, spell, organise, comprehend their reading, memorise information, learn a foreign language, listen and/or focus.
The British Dyslexia Association estimates that 10% of the UK population has dyslexia, with 4% having severe symptoms of this condition.
Some people with dyslexia will be diagnosed at primary school. However, a considerable amount of people do not discover their dyslexia until secondary school, or even adulthood.
If diagnosed as a young person, support can be given, enabling the process of building a foundation from positive experiences, steering a way into an adult life where the condition feels, for many, more manageable.
As a person enter adulthood, they will take the expertise they have accumulated since their diagnosis and keep building to strengthen their journey as a dyslexic adult.
Needless to say, it is important that dyslexic children don’t slip through the net in school, and a diagnosis is reached as early as possible.
If you are diagnosed as an adult, you may experience mixed feelings of wondering why this wasn’t picked up earlier, to relief that you finally know the reason behind your learning complications.
Having dyslexia as an adult can be challenging, but there is an abundance of strategies to help you. As such, there are many areas where support is available, including:
- Work: You can be entitled to technological tools such as speech-to-text software, audiobooks and other online tools. This also applies to education, with many accommodations now available to mature dyslexic students.
- Strategies: Routes can help you manage dyslexia as an adult; learning to break tasks down into smaller stages is hugely beneficial, as are graphic organisers to help with organisation and planning.
- Support Systems: Support groups exist for adults with dyslexia, where you can share experiences. Professional support from specialists is also beneficial.
Embracing Strengths and Overcoming Obstacles
Adult dyslexia may present challenges but doesn’t need to define a person’s potential. Through utilising support and strategies, life can be fulfilling and highly successful. Many individuals with dyslexia surpass in areas like creativity, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills and with the right help can conquer all areas.
Paul, now 25, works as a thriving PR Executive overseas. Raised in the UK, he faced many difficulties on the road to adulthood. Diagnosed at 7 years old, school life was challenging.
Paul’s mum Lisa reflects on his childhood, explaining that dyslexia presented obstacles, but now Paul has learned valuable skills and developed resilience. She states, “As an adult, Paul is now very methodical and organised, and breaks things down. In doing so he understands what he is doing with his work, his reading, and now even often teaches me various new skills on the computer!”
“He shows great dexterity, building complicated Lego structures…and his hand-eye coordination, which was poor when he was younger, has developed so much he now excels at sports.”
Upon his diagnosis, Paul’s mum moved him to another school: “From 7-11 years, he relocated to a school for dyslexic children in a class with no more than 12 students.”
“For years, every Saturday he had a tutor who taught him English. He still remembers the rhymes today she taught him for certain phrases, including the correct spelling of words.”
Lisa concludes: “It was hard sometimes; not everything we tried worked. However, after banging on doors for help, extensive sessions with behavioural therapists, specialist schools and tutors, he has learnt to use his dyslexia to his advantage and is now excelling at work and socially.”
SEN tutor Katie was not diagnosed with dyslexia until adulthood. She reflects on her childhood, “At school I couldn’t even read my writing; I did not do well at all, and I became the class clown, behaving badly.”
Katie, Specialist SEN Tutor
Katie, (pictured above), had a family at a young age; a career had not been on her radar. After having children in her 20s she became interested in going to college.
“My college teacher said she thought I could be dyslexic. No one had said this before. I was diagnosed at 30 and had so much support from her. I became focused – I wanted to keep achieving. I smashed my way through my A levels, moving on to do a degree and PGCE.”
“The challenges continued; I used a typewriter, making endless errors. Eventually, at university, I became part of a student support system. We formed a group, gelling as we supported each other.”
“I overcame stressful moments and seemed to find a way. I sat next to someone who was excellent at taking notes so I could learn from them. It was trial and error, but I kept going.”
Now Katie is working alongside children with similar needs to hers as a child, giving them direction towards a brighter future.
Working through dyslexia can be problematic at times, as demonstrated by the experiences of both Paul and Katie, but with positivity and determination life can be fulfilling, and as you enter adulthood, milestones and career success can be reached.
Please note: The information provided within this blog, by SENsational Tutors, is for general information purposes only. We appreciate that every person is unique, and any advice/experiences mentioned within the content of each blog may not be reflective of your own personal experience. All information on the site is provided in good faith and is for educational informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with appropriate professionals.
