Never limit your ambitions

This #DyslexiaAwarenessWeek Rob Frier talks about his experiences as a dyslexic child growing up in the 1970s.

I've tried to start writing this piece several times, but I was not prepared for how difficult it would be for me to write about my experiences as a dyslexic child attending a Catholic primary school in the 1970s. Revisiting those times made me realise just how traumatic and abusive that situation was for me and how I keep those memories tucked away so they can't hurt me anymore.

I will spare the details for this piece but summarise by saying that the headmistress developed a personal vendetta against me because my grades reflected badly on the school and her. Along with others at the time, she did not believe that dyslexia was real and instead, thought that I was not trying hard enough and was lazy. In fact, she gave me a derogatory nickname which she used in front of teachers and other pupils.

Thankfully my mother fought hard to get me assessed by an educational psychologist the results of which showed that I was indeed dyslexic. I was moved to another more progressive school where the headmistress actively looked for something that I was good at and encouraged me in this area in the knowledge that my self-esteem was in real need of a boost. I was also lucky enough to be placed two mornings a week in a special educational needs classroom setting which I now believe saved me from taking the wrong path in life. When I first attended these classes at the age of 8 or 9, I was unable to spell my own name or read fairly basic sentences. Before long, these classes had managed to meet my specific learning needs, and I was starting to catch up with my peers in developing reading and writing skills.

I never for one moment thought that as an adult I would be able to perform in the work environment at a senior level as I do today. This has been made possible by several factors coming together. The specialist support I received as a child and then the subsequent hard work by myself in finding techniques and work arounds for my specific dyslexia presentation. Technology is another major player in the support I need to function. I am currently writing this document using the dictation function on Word on a dyslexic friendly device provided to me by Certitude. That is another important layer of support, the understanding and the appropriate adaptions from my employer regarding my neurodiversity.

If there's one thing I've learned from my dyslexic journey, it has been to never limit your ambitions because of your perceived restrictions in the here and now. You never know what the future will hold.