As I write this, my brain is on overdrive slowly working out the word order and which letters go where, reading it back gives me a small headache which is tricky as I love creative writing.

I remember difficult spellings by rhymes in my head and I try to type instead of hand-write as my hand-writing is hard to understand.

For me, it was extremely helpful being diagnosed with dyslexia. It  helped to explain why I had always had to work so hard to achieve well at school.

People always thought I was “dizzy” and a bit “slow.” So being diagnosed whilst I was at university studying Philosophy and Italian meant that I could access so much support through the disability service, such as tutoring and assistive technology.

Simple things like reading long texts with a green overlay really helps me to read. And when I am writing long pieces I can use spider diagrams and note-cards to help with the chronological order of my work.

Dyslexics often have “a spiked profile,” i.e. they are weak in some areas but very strong in others…

Being dyslexic means that whilst I am slow at processing in certain areas, I am also very creative and think laterally.

I can see things in a way that most people can’t. I’m rubbish at jigsaws but I’m brilliant at dancing (un-choreographed) and making films.

I love organising events but don’t ask me to control figures or the guest-list. Instead, I will create the most amazing event filled with colour, creative arts and it will be unique (if my wedding was anything to go by!).

The ironic thing about all of this, is that I work freelance as a journalist, publicist and blogger – so words are in most things I do.

Proving that anything is possible with the right help and coping strategies.

Just look at the likes of Richard Branson, Albert Einstein and Muhammad Ali…

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT DYSLEXIA:

1. The British Dyslexia Association estimate that as many as 10% of the UK population have a dyslexic profile. The majority of these cases do not receive any specialist intervention.

2. A dyslexic individual has no problem thinking of excellent ideas but may have difficulty expressing those ideas in written format.

3. Dyslexia is a common type of specific learning difficulty that mainly affects the skills involved in the reading and spelling of words and in some individuals it also impacts on numeracy.

4. Since dyslexia is a syndrome, it affects everyone differently. That’s why individualised support is essential.

5. Dyslexics often display outstanding creative thinking, verbal skills, visual-spatial skills and intuitive understanding, so thinking outside the box, giving an impromptu speech, learning to drive and reading between the lines often come more easily to them than to non-dyslexics.

6. In addition to learning to read and spell, dyslexia also impacts on working memory, processing speed, sequencing skills, fine motor skills and auditory and visual perception.

7. It’s a myth that being dyslexic makes the letters move around the page or appear distorted.

8. There have been many theories over the years as to the true cause of dyslexia. The most dominant theory is that dyslexia is down to a phonological deficit. This makes a lot of sense as dyslexic individuals commonly display difficulties with memorising English spelling patterns and matching the right combination of letters to the corresponding sound.

9. Dyslexia is more common in individuals for whom English is their native language. This is likely due to the fact that the English spelling system is so complex and inconsistent. Just consider the varying sounds that ‘ough’ makes in ‘through’, ‘cough’, ‘tough’ and ‘thought’!

10. Dyslexia is not linked to intelligence! Successful dyslexics include Albert Einstein, Richard Branson, Leonardo Da Vinci and Muhammad Ali.