Dyslexia

This week the issue of Dyslexia has come up no end of times, I know so many kids/ young people struggling at school because of it, so many adults not diagnosed soon enough struggling with it and people just not understanding what a big difficulty it is to have.

I myself have always struggled with my writing and spelling, at school from a young age I would write lines and lines of words on top of each other and could read them perfectly, trouble was no one else could! I was made to stay in and re write stuff, I would have lines to write to ensure the misspelt words were correct and even as old as 17 I would be made to stand up in class and spell words I had gotten wrong in my A level course work in-front of my peers.....yet I had a very high reading age and could read in class with the best of them on a good day.

Despite all this I slipped through the net like so many others and like some still today. It was only when i went to apply for my Masters during a routine entrance test did they pick up that I was probably dyslexic. Unfortunately the tests to confirm and guide you to the skills, colours etc to help cost so much at the time I couldn't afford them so have had to learn by trial and error how to get by.

Now I still struggle, I have to write and read constantly in my job doing so many talks, services and sermons, essays for further development course (KIME) and the other things that go with my job. My dyslexic traits get much worse under pressure and tiredness so things slip through the net and mistakes get made.
Computers are great but unfortunately only pick up some errors not all so you can often be left feeling silly.

Why say this all now.? Well as I said it has been a week of issues raised, people not understanding how difficult life can be for us who suffer and assumptions being made. Dyslexia is not always obvious in a person, it is not a sign of weakness but can make you feel very vulnerable. To those of you who suffer or are parents of children suffering my heart goes out to you...never ever would I want anyone else to go through what I and so many others have done and i just hope that the world will become a bit more tolerant of those who struggle in different areas of life.

Rant over off to battle another sermon and wedding talk...enjoy the sun!!!