Growing up with dyslexia wasn’t an issue for me. I’m the fortunate one. I escaped the stigma well into my teens and finally got diagnosed just prior to applying for a place at university. For this I am eternally thankful.
I escaped the ‘stupid’ tag.
Fast forward 30 to 40 years, and both the educational system as well as the general attitude toward people with dyslexia are very different. We know now and understand that having dyslexia has no correlation to intelligence. However, when I was at school this was not the consensus. If you had any form of learning difficulties you were rounded up, bunched together and chucked into the ‘special class’.
So, how was I fortunate?
Well, remaining undiagnosed until I was 17-years-old enabled me to continue to read and write with the other kids; though it wasn’t always easy and I was never top of the class. But, I did receive the education that everyone deserved. Without that I wouldn’t be writing stuff today. I wouldn’t have published articles. I wouldn’t be me.
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Don’t get me wrong – I still struggle; I still mix up “d” and “b”, “2” and “5”; I still muddle up sentences while reading; and my spelling is still atrocious. Patience has been a key factor to me – oh and spell-check!
As a single parent, I have been very hands-on with my lot from a young age and it’s not all fun and games. At some point in any parent’s life you get faced with having to help with the dreaded homework.
Stress, drama, tears, tantrums and that’s just from me! But, together we bumble our way through it. Homework is now met with good humour. We can laugh at Dad’s lack of ability when it comes to spelling and grammar. “How do you even write a blog Dad? You can’t even spell!” or “Dad, you would never get a pen licence – your handwriting is rubbish”.
Reading has been a great help to me as well. I love reading and really encourage my own children to read. I wouldn’t use the word “force”, but I do actively and subliminally persuade them. I am always providing them with books as gifts, as stocking fillers and as rewards. When it’s raining – we take trips to the library. I have them read me the recipe as I cook with them. As a young boy, my middle son suffered with a dairy intolerance. At five-years-old, he was probably the only boy in his class who could spell the word l-a-c-t-o-s-e – and that was all thanks to me asking him to read out the ingredient list on food packets at the supermarket.
As far as I’m concerned, being a writer as well as being dyslexic are not mutually exclusive – I am living proof of this. In my opinion, parenting and adulting in general are far harder nuts to crack. While I have managed to live and write with dyslexia, I feel like I’m still getting the hang of this parenting gig.
I will not let anything – including dyslexia – get in the way and hold me back in life. I’m a big believer in the phrase ‘everyone has at least one book in them’. I intend to fulfil that belief – one blog at a time.
Ian Northeast is a full-time Dad as well as part-time gardener and part-time blogger. He lives in England. Check out his blog at: www.dadsdeliciousdinners.co.uk
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