Sue Kershaw said one of the 11 children that education in her family was never a priority. So when she struggled to spell words and understand dense textbooks while she was in school in the 1960s, she was left alone to “sort it out.”
The now 73-year-old says: “I smiled and winged but under I was frustrated and I missed trust.”
Mother-of-one Sue, from Suffolk, left school at 15 years. For decades she did that, worked in the retail trade and founded a family.
But at an impulse in her forty to go to university and to study for GCSEs, she made an amazing discovery.
“For the first time I had a teacher who was remarkably patient and understanding,” she says. ‘We tried to read Thomas Hardy for the English literature research and she could see that I was struggling. She grabbed that something more was going on and suggested that I might have dyslexia. ‘
Sue had heard of the common learning disorder that reading, writing and spelling such a struggle, but she had never considered it that she could have it.
As she investigated the condition, she discovered that the symptoms exactly matched her own experiences. In 2012, Sue paid as a 60th birthday present for himself to see a dyslexia specialist.
The psychologist confirmed the suspicion of the teacher. The condition cannot be cured, but Sue is insisting that getting the diagnosis has changed its life.
Jamie Oliver’s recent documentary, Dyslexia Revolution, about his experience growing up with non -diagnosed dyslexia, also revealed that he was not reading a book until he was 33
“I am not the same person I was before,” says Sue. ‘When I was younger, I never had faith because I was ashamed that reading and writing did not come as easily for me as other children.
‘After I left the school, I just stopped trying to read books – I thought it wasn’t for me. Now I know why I was struggling and that I can read, but I just take longer and have to work harder than other people. ‘
The struggles of Sue are far from unique. The recent documentary by Jamie Oliver, Dyslexia Revolution, about his experience growing up with non -diagnosed dyslexia, also revealed that he was not reading a book until he was 33.
He said: ‘I knew I wanted to be a chef, so I had somewhere, catering school, where I could thrive. But not everyone is lucky as me. ‘
The famous chef has now called on the government to test all children, so that those who have the condition can get extra support.
Two weeks ago Dr. wrote Ellie Cannon about how she shared the worries of Oliver, now 50, about the number of children who were not diagnosed. The post on Sunday general practitioner columnist asked whether readers had later discovered that they had dyslexia – and she was flooded with e -mails and letters.
There are 6.3 million people in Britain with dyslexia – which makes it the most common learning difficulties – but studies suggest that four of the five cases at school have not been diagnosed, which means that there are millions of adults who do not realize that they have the condition.
Dyslexia influences how the brain processes information – in particular the sounds within words that are crucial for reading and spelling. And although people with dyslexia are usually just as intelligent as their peers, this can cause long -term problems.
Part of the problem is that tests for the condition are rarely available on the NHS, both for children and for adults.
Formal reviews, by an educational psychologist or qualified specialist teacher, usually costs between £ 500 and £ 1,000. This is why adults such as SUE have slipped through the net.
Kay Carter, Chief Executive of Charity and Diagnostic Center The Dyslexia Association, says: ‘We see many adults coming to us for diagnosis and help, probably because the condition was not well recognized when they were at school.
‘Often adults seek help when certain things happen – go back to the university, follow a course at work or change a line manager. And for many it is a bit of a search for self -consciousness. They finally ask: “Maybe I wasn’t stupid.” ‘
Evelyn Atkins, now 75, did not realize that she had dyslexia until she was at work at work – when she was 47.
During a test, she and the colleague next to her noticed that they had the same difficulties. Evelyn says: ‘He asked me if I had dyslexia like him. I booked a test and, I see, I did.
‘I always succeeded in bypassing things by using small tricks. But I was really bad at speaking for myself because I didn’t think I had the right vocabulary. Now I feel much more confident because I understand that it is not my fault, I struggle with words. ‘
An early dyslexia diagnosis can help improve the opportunities of children at school. They can get extra reading and spelling lessons plus extra time in exams. Although adults will not benefit from these measures, specialists claim that a dyslexia diagnosis can still improve lives.
Sue Kershaw was diagnosed with dyslexia on her 60th birthday, and although the situation cannot be cured, she insists that getting the diagnosis has changed her life
One reason is that the handicap is protected under the equality act. Workplaces must offer ‘reasonable adjustments’ for such employees. The law also means that companies cannot use dyslexia as an excuse not to hire someone.
Educational psychologist Dr. Sally Eccleston says: ‘Dyslexiators are often eligible for extra support at work. Depending on the severity of
Their difficulties, this can mean that they are expected to take less written work or that they can get visual templates – diagrams that explain tasks instead of written instructions. ‘
She adds: ‘Often the most important advantage of a diagnosis that increases self -confidence. There are people who question for decades. If they discover that reading and writing problems are not their fault, this can really improve well-being. ‘
Although the symptoms vary between patients, there are some behaviors that can suggest that someone does not have -diagnosed dyslexia.
Dr. Eccleston says: ‘Fatigue of reading, having professional success, but struggling to produce error -free work, having difficulty organizing tasks or calling up information are common problems.
“The key is that these problems are persistent. Many people have “off” days, where they feel that they have trouble reading quickly or making spelling errors, but for people with dyslexia these problems are permanent. ‘
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