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Dyslexia Awareness Week - Success in the Workplace

Monday 3 October 2022

Tell us a bit about your background. When were you diagnosed and how was school for you?

I discovered my dyslexia very late into my educational journey. Whilst I was completing the Bar Practice Training Course, the course necessary to become a barrister, I decided to participate in a dyslexia screening as I felt I was swimming against the current during my studies.

When I was very young, I had a dyslexia screening. At the time, the expert concluded that I was not dyslexic. However, I continued to have difficulty in grammar, reading and maths.

In primary school, my teachers thought the difficulties could derive from a language barrier. My parents were encouraged to speak English rather than Cantonese to see whether that would alleviate the issues. My secondary school teachers said it could be due to my lack of examination time management. I adopted those thoughts and believed that I was just not working hard enough. Furthermore, dyslexia was not a widely understood field within the Chinese community and my parents had very little awareness of dyslexia and its characteristics.

I had no explanation as to why I was performing below expectation in my exams. I readily understood the concepts and was able to discuss the ideas with my teachers in class, but I struggled to reflect this understanding in writing. I revised the same way my peers did, namely written repetition, and would put many hours into my revision to ensure I achieved the goal I desired.

The setbacks created a lot of frustration in my ability and confidence. Once I discovered that my mind had dyslexic characteristics, it felt like a massive weight off my shoulders.

The screening test showed me my strengths and weaknesses. I adopted and improved on my strengths and stopped using the methods that hindered me. Gaining a better understanding of how my brain worked improved my exam results and I consistently performed to the level I expected in my BPTC exams. It was also a confidence booster knowing that the key to my success was to simply find different ways to revise that worked for me rather than thinking something was innately different with me.

Did you get the support you needed at school – if not, what was missing?

By the time I discovered my dyslexia, there was very little the university could do to help me. In my BPTC exams, I was given 25% extra time.

In hindsight, the greatest support I received was from my mother. She continuously motivated me to work harder and be resilient to my setbacks. This approach built a strong work ethic within me - skills and behaviour I would then go on to deploy continuously throughout my life.

Did you always know what you wanted to be?

I did not always know what I wanted to be. University was a great space to develop my personality, ideas and analytical skills. During my time, there were so many sectors I wanted to learn about and what I wanted to do in the future changed constantly.

I found law an interesting subject to pursue given that it had many applications. It was only when I started to study the subject that I realised that law fitted my personality and my way of thinking very well. There were also many like-minded individuals that made the university experience memorable. It was in my fourth year at university and through the encouragement of my university tutor did I pursue a career as a barrister. I was lucky that the subject I studied turned out to be the career I wished to embark upon.

Though I am currently practising as a barrister, I am still tempted to try my hand in business one day.

What challenges has dyslexia given you?

The main challenge I had with dyslexia was the self-doubts I had in the early stages of my education.

During my GCSE and A-levels, I underperformed in certain subjects that I was predicted high grades in. This underperformance caused me a lot of frustration and anxiety about my abilities and knocked my confidence. I thought that I had been lazy or careless which resulted in my underperformances. At the time, I did not understand why I was not performing as expected.

As I discovered my dyslexia very late, I did not have the necessary support and guidance to help me understand why and how I went wrong. This resulted in wasting a lot of time trying out revision strategies that did not work for me.

When I was told that I was dyslexic, I found it hard to believe it and was embarrassed about it at first. I had very little understanding of what dyslexia was and what that meant for me. Initially, I thought it meant there was something wrong with me. It was only through researching that I realised that it just meant my mind worked differently and that there were many advantages that I could employ easily that others might find difficult.

What positives has dyslexia given you?

Dyslexia taught me persistence, resilience, and having a good work ethic. My A-level results were not the strongest and the odds were against me in my aspiration to be a barrister.

Facing setbacks frequently in the early stages of my education, I learnt to stick at a task until I understood it, whether that was with understanding and applying grammar correctly, or applying the correct mathematical steps to a problem. As aforementioned, I spent a lot of time testing what strategies worked for me.

The setbacks provided a strong base to develop many behaviours that would go on to serve me well later in life. I was unafraid to ask for help. I would not mind working into the late nights and early mornings to make sure a piece of work or task was completed.

Without the difficulties I experienced with dyslexia, I would not have built the resilience and work ethic I have today.

Do you have any advice for others with dyslexia in the workplace?

Be open and embrace your dyslexia. You would be surprised how many people also have it. It was helpful for me to hear other people’s experiences too.

I felt like a weight was off my shoulders once I embraced my dyslexia. I employed strategies that helped my mind work better and more efficiently.

There was nothing more frustrating than using a strategy that hindered my thinking or communication.

What barriers did you break through to achieve your dream job?

There is nothing extraordinary with me. The skills and behaviours I employed like persistence, strong work ethic and determination are all tools that anyone could employ.

There are not many British Chinese barristers around. This is even more so in the East Midlands where I work. Subsequently, British Chinese barristers with dyslexia might be rarer still. There were no role models I could aspire to be that looked like me or faced similar difficulties that I did.

I hope by sharing my experiences and story, it will help someone accept and embrace their dyslexia and encourage them to find ways that work to their strengths in the pursuit of their aspirations.