My Dyslexia Story: Angus Davidson
Wednesday 28 February 2024
In September 2023, I was diagnosed with dyslexia. I knew I struggled with dyslexia 7 years ago when I was studying at the University of Plymouth. Unfortunately, at the time I couldn’t afford a private dyslexia assessment and never got support for it. Having gone through primary school, secondary school, sixth form and university, I am frustrated that I wasn’t pushed to get a diagnosis. In the UK I feel there needs to be more support and systems in place for dyslexia assessments.
My family were aware of my issues with spelling when I was growing up. Rather than getting a diagnosis, I was sent to a tutor for spelling and grammar. I believe my secondary school were aware of my issues as they put me in a special class for English.
My positives...
I believe I am good at thinking of the big picture because of my dyslexia.
This is helpful in many different situations including challenges at work and supporting family.
I struggle with lots of information, wherever I instruct someone at work to do something I put a lot of effort into making the instructions as clear as possible. I hope in the future this will help when I progress into more senior roles.
The challenges...
However, my spelling and grammar are significantly affected, as I regularly mix letters when writing messages or emails. It was a nightmare when I was studying A-level Maths, sometimes I would write down answers in exams wrong because in my head I thought of answers like 3.14 but I ended up writing 1.34
My difficulties on an average day include reading long documents and processing lots of information verbally. Also, concentrating for long periods can be difficult so I take several short breaks throughout the day.
I require clear instructions, and having to ask several questions to provide clarity about a project can be frustrating. In terms of environment, I prefer to be in rooms with reduced lighting.
Getting the right support
In 2023, I was able to get assessed through work and as a result, have been given access to Global AutoCorrect by Texthelp. In just 3 months the software has helped me 296 times. For the first couple of days, I wasn't sure if it was working, but when I opened the portal I was shocked to find how many words I had spelled wrong.
You would think a professional videographer would know how to spell the word 'video' but according to Global AutoCorrect, I spell that word wrong the most! The software works brilliantly every day on my work laptop and supports me in all the programs I use regularly including LinkedIn, Microsoft Teams and Outlook.
My advice for someone who has recently been diagnosed with dyslexia:
Network with other people with dyslexia. Go to the advice page of the British Dyslexia Association website. I went through it and found it very informative and helpful. Inform any managers, tutors and family as it will help them understand you better.
Neurotypical people are so used to others being able to keep up with processing information normally, but dyslexic people really need that extra time and support. Please be patient and understanding.