Jen is a mature student, taking the courageous step of studying for a full-time degree. She hopes to pursue a career in education.
We asked Jen about receiving a dyslexia diagnosis as an adult and how this affects her experiences.
Can you tell us how your dyslexia diagnosis came about?
When I was 19, I went to uni to study Dance Performance, a subject I really love. I excelled at, and very much enjoyed, the dancing and choreography elements. I could visualise everything in my head, but just couldn’t translate it to paper. I didn’t know I was dyslexic then, and there was no mention of support or accessibility strategies. I ended up dropping out at the end of the first semester, feeling like I had failed. I became very depressed and gave up on education, believing it’s just not for me.
Over a decade later, I decided to try uni again, thinking I might be able to cope better as a mature student. My support tutor noticed there were things I struggled with, so she recommended that I have an assessment. Luckily, following the diagnosis, I was able to access some technical support software, which helps to make studying more accessible. I really appreciate this, but there are still things that I seem to find more challenging than the other students appear to.
How does being dyslexic affect your day-to-day life?
Dyslexia can mean that everyday thought processes are pretty jumbled. I forget dates and times, and when I do remember, I can get them mixed up.
When I was growing up, it took me longer to learn to tell the time. Even now, I struggle to figure out timings, including my working hours. In the past, I have lost money and have been taken advantage of because of my difficulty keeping track of time.
I find that the organisation can be very chaotic, so I am often running late. In supermarkets, I struggle to read labels and cannot keep a mental note of adding up prices. So I regularly spend more than I had intended. It helps to stick to one store, where I visually know the layout, and I know that my regular items will be within my budget.
Because of difficulty with spelling, I generally spell things out phonetically. I worry that this will be a barrier to my planned career working with children.
Does being dyslexic affect your dating life?
My boyfriend has a lot of patience with me! He understands a lot of the different ways my mind works. Recently, he remembered our anniversary – I didn’t! For partners who don’t understand dyslexia, things like this could be problematic!
As a parent of young children, are there additional challenges that you attribute to being dyslexic?
The amount of daily admin involved with having children can be very overwhelming. I have a lot of anxiety around drop-off and collection due to my struggles with time. As time management is so difficult, I find it seriously stressful to plan the things I need to do before it’s time to pick the children up again. This makes me very tired.
I believe my dyslexia does have a positive side – I am very creative. Time with my children is never boring, and they find our creativity a lot of fun. I try to be very structured in my parenting style, which works well for me and the kids. Although I do worry that this might seem controlling, as I have to have the house clean and tidy. This is an ongoing battle, as children leave things everywhere!
Do you find that being dyslexic affects your self-esteem?
Growing up, my self-esteem was dreadful. I am very oversensitive, which meant I struggled to make friends. I couldn’t (and still can’t) understand sarcasm. As a teenager, I internalised this as bullying.
I have body issues and constantly compare myself to others, and I do not appreciate my achievements. I worry that I am not as reliable as other people, and I hope that I can find a job where my positives can be celebrated.
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