Thriving with Neurodiversity: Tips for Students with Dyslexia
My academic journey with a learning difficulty
Throughout my education, and even in my career, I have often felt out of place. It is estimated that 4% of students in higher education have a specific learning difficulty. Yet, according to the British Dyslexia Association (BDA), 10% of the population may have dyslexia, meaning there are likely 3 pupils in each class who struggle to learn. When I was in primary school, I was one of those three children who were made to sit outside the classroom so I wouldn’t disturb the lesson with my questions. That is why it was no surprise for me to learn that so few students with a learning difficulty, like my own, refuse to pursue a higher education.
With the rise of new technologies, like Scholarcy, helping neurodiverse students, I strongly believe that these statistics will change and more than 4% of students with dyslexia will continue to study at university. I know what it is like to be pushed out of the classroom for being too slow to learn, it is simply humiliating and alienating. Luckily, I had a mother who refused to give up on me and my education. We have never been wealthy, and my mother was a full-time carer to my brother, but miraculously she managed to find a tutor.
So here are some of my tips for neurodivergent learners.
Find someone who believes in you and your education
Not everyone will have a mother as assertive and persistent as my own, but you will have to find someone who can fight your corner. Dyslexia is a boxing ring. You are fighting with your own reflection. If enough people tell you, you’re not good enough, eventually you will start to believe them.
You need to find a tutor who understands your specific learning difficulty. More importantly, having one-on-one tuition is less intimidating than a classroom setting. You can make mistakes without constant scrutiny. You need to find a tutor who understands your specific learning difficulty. More importantly, having one-on-one tuition is less intimidating than a classroom setting. You can make mistakes without constant scrutiny, and you aren't disrupting any lessons or affecting the school's grade point average. A good tutor can help build a student’s self-confidence. Mine taught me that there were worlds to explore in books and that grades do not always reflect what you have learned.
Schools and universities are also improving in supporting students by offering free one-on-one tuition for those who can't afford private tutors. These programs ensure that all students, regardless of financial background, have access to personalized learning support. This initiative helps bridge the gap, providing crucial assistance to students who need it the most.
A specialist tutor should be able to support you and your education with the use of assistive technologies, like Scholarcy. If you would like any advice on how to find the best tutor or any services, I highly recommend the British Dyslexia Association, they have helped me immeasurably.
Effective Learning Strategies
Once I learnt how to read and write at eleven years old, I had to fight to keep up with the rest of my class. Having a tutor helped me identify my weaknesses, but more importantly, I found my learning style and worked on my strengths. I could memorise pages of text out of sheer necessity. After having my free assessment with the Dyslexia Centre, I was able to uncover helpful strategies for my education.
I learnt best through repetition, repetition and repetition.
It may have taken me longer to read a book but I was determined to finish one novel that everyone in my class was talking about at the time… and that was Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling. The story was published in 1997, and by some miracle, I was able to read it by the end of that year (not well, but it was a vast improvement.)
When I got to secondary school, I did not want any of my teachers or my classmates to know I was dyslexic. I had been pushed out of the classroom for long enough. Therefore, I would study in the library before and after school, repeating the lessons.
Having a tutor allowed me to practise for exams, prepare my coursework and understand my workload. By the time I finished my A Levels, I had learnt how to manage my time, stay organised and motivated by having a good support network, a tutor who encouraged me, consistent feedback and a goal… I was determined to go to university.
Learning Resources and Support
The first resource that has helped me immeasurably is Grammarly. It is an AI writing partner that helps users with their grammar and spelling. It does save time as I often repeat and rewrite sentences unintentionally. I can can can can get my words mixed up and make simple errors and Grammarly will highlight those mistakes. The powerful trait of neurodiverse students is that our minds are working at 100 mph, and we can think ahead, but sometimes we will stumble and fall because we are learning too quickly and cannot retain that information. Technology can now help me compose an email, or organise my thoughts to write an essay.
I believe Scholarcy would have helped my performance at King’s College London University. I was not mentally prepared to attend one of the top 10 UK universities in the world which has 14 Nobel Prize laureates among its alumni, current, and former faculty. The pressure to achieve excellence was something I had never experienced before. Therefore, having Scholarcy to help me read and analyse literature, and to structure and organise my research, would have helped me read and write faster and with more confidence. Especially, as I kept hiding my dyslexia from my tutors and classmates, so I was not seeking accommodations, and I did not understand my rights. Since I graduated, KCL has created a Neurodiversity Peer Network and outlined a toolkit for those who need guidance and additional resources. Now KCL offers more assistive software from Inspiration 9, Dragon Naturally Speaking, Sensus Access and many more.
There is the Disability Support and Inclusion Funding which is a government-funded scheme that provides assistive software and specialist tutor support. Again, I wish I had known this information when I was applying for university, as a DSA can cover the cost of tutoring, specialist equipment and a computer to aid your education.
Preparing for the Future
Only recently, have I started talking about my dyslexia openly and how it has impacted my education and career. I am fortunate to work with Scholarcy, especially as the team are inclusive and understanding. By speaking with John Mitchell, who was honest about his ADHD and how it has become a superpower in the workplace, I found myself opening up about my neurodiversity. My specific learning difficulty has taken years to accept and appreciate, as I have battled shame and prejudice. Neurodiversity is finally more acceptable in the classroom as well as the workplace and I hope to speak to the 4% of those students in higher education who have a specific learning difficulty. We should not be made to sit outside of a classroom, or stay silent, as our stories may help others pursue an education and change those statistics.
If you have a neurodiverse story you would like to share, we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch with us at [email protected].