My Dyslexia Story: Georgina Nnamani
Thursday 5 December 2024
I would say that I am a big-picture thinker. Over the years, I have learned to develop coping mechanisms to manage my dyslexia challenges, resulting in skills such as thinking outside the box and resilience. I have encountered many failures and missed opportunities that I may not have experienced without dyslexia. I've learned to embrace these and see it as part of the process. Instead of giving up, I now use it as an opportunity to raise awareness about dyslexia. I hope that systems can be more inclusive and not view dyslexia as a problem to be fixed, but as a strength to be embraced.
It's not just struggles with reading
My key dyslexia struggles are with reading, sometimes skipping words or getting lost while reading, some spelling mistakes, difficulty remembering and processing information and following and remembering directions - sometimes getting stuck. I have difficulty organising my thoughts/ideas on paper and with sentence structure.
"Despite interventions to help me, I continued to make errors"
I was diagnosed with dyslexia in university when I was studying social work. I was studying for a master's in my second year. I failed my placement 9 days before the end when they found that I could not write a report without making numerous spelling and grammar errors. Despite interventions to help me, I continued to make errors. People suggested that I might be dyslexic, but I was in denial, even though I had struggled with the same challenges through school, and during my BSc, appearing bright verbally but struggling with homework, spelling, and writing. I eventually sought help and was screened before being assessed by an educational psychologist. The assessment confirmed that I have dyslexia
My journey with dyslexia
My journey with dyslexia has given me the confidence to take bold steps and try new things. As a doctoral researcher, my research is investigating the effectiveness of SEND and inclusion policies in promoting the inclusion of learners with dyslexia.
I have written research papers and presented at several conferences on dyslexia inclusion in schools. If I hadn't been diagnosed with dyslexia, I would never have pursued this path.
I used to think that I was stupid and could never pursue a higher degree like a doctorate. This negative self-concept stemmed from years of being told that I couldn't amount to anything and getting in trouble in school. As a result, I developed learned helplessness, which made me feel hopeless about furthering my education. I would say that getting a dyslexia diagnosis was a positive turning point in my life.
My advice for someone who has recently found out they are dyslexic
There are still many misconceptions about dyslexia, which makes some people with dyslexia hesitant to identify as dyslexic, disclose it to family, friends, or colleagues, or use necessary technologies in public places like offices or schools. However, my advice is, to not be afraid to tell people that you're dyslexic because doing so will raise more awareness and may lead to conversations that can break down misconceptions.