So I’m Dyslexic – What Now?


I struggled in school but could never understand why, as I enjoyed my classes and occasionally the work. I achieved my GCSE’s and went to college to study for a GNVQ, however, I had enough of struggling to retain various theories, writing assignments and not being able to understand why it was taking me so long to complete. I decided employment was the way forward.

In 2005 I took the educational plunge and enrolled at Sheffield Hallam University to study Children and Playwork. How hard could it be? I had been working as a Playworker for ten years surely all I had to do was write about it, little did I know that was going to be the difficult part.

I survived the first year by asking various people to proof read my assignments but something still wasn’t right. I couldn’t understand why I was struggling to process this new information and I was struggling to put down on paper my thoughts and opinions.

Dyslexic Assessment

During the second year my tutor suggested that she could refer me for a dyslexia assessment. I went not knowing what to expect or even what the outcome would be. I received the large report soon after and like most students I went straight to read the summary and what the results were. Now, I had heard of dyslexia and knew it had something to do with English skills but I was oblivious to what it actually was!

Mild dyslexic… right OK that’s good to know so what now? I was offered the opportunity to meet with a study skills tutor and was also provided with assistive technology that would support me through my research and assignment writing.

The combination of the support provided allowed me to become more confident and independent in my studies because the sessions allowed me to identify what I struggled with and empowered me with the tools to improve. Little did I know that this would open doors to my future and I have now been working within the education and support arena for four years.