Living life with dyslexia can be a struggle at times but i have just learnt its part of me and makes me who i am.
So how did i find out that i was dyslexic?
As a baby you normal go through the stages of crawling and then walking, but for me i never crawled. My mum just thought it may be because i was a chubby baby and maybe thats way and she never really thought anything of it.
When i started school, from infant school to juniors, i was always a year behind on my work, such as reading and spelling ect. Especially when it came to my spelling test, my mum always use to practice with me, she use to aske me to spell the words out verbally and i was getting them perfect every time, but when it came to the day of the test and i had to write them down in my book, i would only ever get 2 out of 10. My teacher at the time brought this up with my mum and dad and some people would just say its because i wasn't clever or they would always come up with some reason.
My mum looked into it further and i had all the symptoms of being dyslexic. She booked me in for a test to see if what she thought was correct and the results came back and yep i was dyslexic and not just stupid or any other reason people would give. My mum was really good when she fount out and researched into it, so she could know every single thing about what was happening and she could have a good idea what it was like to be me.
As soon as i got diagnosed with dyslexia, i got booked into a center which was in Sheffield , where they did more tests to try and find out how bad it was and what was the best way to try and help me. I had to attend over a long period of time, which meant i could get the best help. They gave me lots of exercises to do which involved balancing on things, throwing bean bags ect, but tried to make it really fun and in little games which i had to do at home every morning and every night before i went to sleep.
i think this really helped me when moving to high school as i had all the help and support i could have at that moment in my life. High school did have good and bad moments. When i first started the school my mum informed them that i was dyslexic and they gave me loads of support but i believe all the help and support i had before i started high school gave me so much more confidence and i didn't let the fact i have dyslexia stop me.
I was in the bottom set of all my classes but i tried the best i could. My worst subject has to be maths, i am terrible at it and got a F in my GCSE, but i feel like my maths teacher never understood and didn't know how to deal with the fact i was dyslexic, as he used to kick me out of the class every lesson for 2 years and send me to another class with work sheets, i never understood and never use to do. In my last year of school i got placed in the ''colouring class'' which was known as the bottom set. It only had a hand full of pupils in and the teacher was amazing, she talked everything through with me and i always had a lot of support. I guess being kicked out of class didn't really have much of a chance of getting a good grade in my GCSE.. On a better note i got a C in English which i was amazed at and good grades in my other subjects, when taking my GCSE i was able to have extra time but normally i didn't really need it but it was a bit of pressure off my shoulders knowing it was always there if i need it.
Leaving school.
Being a nurse is my dream job but i never knew how to get into it or even thought i would be able to become one really as i didn't think i was good enough, clever enough and just didn't really have the guts to do it thinking i would just fail, i always thought it would just be a dream job that would never happen.
I followed in my sisters foot steps (she is 2 years older than me) and did a beauty therapy course which i was really good at the practical side but not as good at the exams but i got through it and passed my course.
After i finished the year, i decided to have a change of mind and decided to take a course in childcare, which was mainly based on assignments which i was good at, it is exams i can not do and this course didn't contain any, so i guess it was the perfect choice. I managed to pass my course. Once i had passed that i worked at a special needs school were i was a teaching assistant for 2 year, and it made me realise how lucky i am and made me see life from a whole different point a view.
After working in the school, my passion to be a nurse was as high as ever, i looked into how to become one and what grade i would need ect. So now here i find my self doing an applied science course going into my second year in September and i am doing maths classes, where i passed my first exam a couple of months a go and applying for uni soon, something i never thought i would do.
Being dyslexic is part of who you are and you should never let it hold you back from your dreams, or use it as an excuse. I always believe if i can do it, anyone can . Don't get me wrong it is really hard and a lot of work, but will be worth it in the end.
I would like to hear your stories and experiences.
Nicolle x
