Spotlight on Dyslexia Awareness Week

A head shot of Inclusion and Diversity staff member Patsy Goodwin smiling to camera.

Patsy Goodwin – IDN’s Social Media Manager – shares her story with her dyslexia diagnosis.

At any age, you can feel overwhelmed finding out you have Dyslexia, which falls into the Neurodiversity family. Many people are unaware of what dyslexia really means until they’re faced with it personally. 

Here’s a bit of my journey and how I’ve learned to adapt and grow along the way. 

When were you diagnosed?   

Primary school

How did you feel when you were diagnosed?   

Other 

If other, please explain: 

I was 10. I didn’t know how to feel. I’d never heard of ‘dyslexia’ before. I’d always been taken out of class for 1:1 learning, so it didn’t feel that different at first but helped me understand why I needed extra help. 

  

At primary school, my teachers used to call me lazy. Little did they know I had dyslexia. I wasn’t getting the right support. I vividly remember the long drive to get tested. “It’ll be good to know if you have dyslexia or not. You’ll get better support at school” my mum and the examiner reassured me. 

  

My experience with dyslexia has been a strange one. Others made me feel like I was different, but I never felt that way, I figured I needed longer to do some stuff. I’ve never been ashamed or embarrassed, or thought I was less intelligent. If anything, I took time to figure out how to navigate my challenges and how I can work around the harder aspects for me and that came from everyday experience, learning as I went into different situations. 

Being ‘different’ from a young age gave me a lot of empathy for people who struggle for various reasons, whether similar or different to mine. I know it can take me longer to do something ‘simple’ like writing a formal email, and I tend to avoid tasks if I think I can’t do them. I guess that’s where the ‘lazy’ label came from. 

'Dyslexia' with red, blue and black overlay
A text version of the word 'dyslexia' with there different colour overlays that symbolises what it can be like for some people with dyslexia when reading.

It’s been 19 years since my diagnosis, and to be honest, I’m still learning how my dyslexia shapes who I am. But I think that’s just part of life, whether you have dyslexia or not. 

 

Every journey is different. 

Patsy Goodwin playing basketball at university.
Patsy playing basketball for her university team

This is a small snippet of my journey. The key aspect that’s helped me is recognising where I struggle and finding ways to adapt. For example, I love using pen and paper before turning to technology—it makes everything feel a bit less overwhelming. 

I’ve always been extremely sporty because I don’t have to worry about not being able to do it. I will always try and be in spaces where I can learn and flourish but also to be in spaces where I can shine too because it’s important to know your strengths, just as much as areas of improvement. 

Further Information and Resources
The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) has been the voice of dyslexic people since 1972. 
NHS gives an overview on what dyslexia is, symptoms, diagnosis and management.

Dyslexia Awareness Week 7 – 13 October 2024. #DAW24