Neurodiversity and Me: Imposter Syndrome

I had never heard of ‘Imposter Syndrome’ until yesterday when a good friend of mine shared this video from YouTube that they had seen. My friend is someone who I have the utmost respect for, so when they post things up I always try to take a look at them, especially when it’s things I haven’t heard of before. As soon as I started watching this, I realised just how important it was not only for this Vlogger or my friend, but also for me to share with all of you who read my blog. It is just over 8 minutes long, but I will explain below why I found it so important (which you will hopefully look at AFTER watching the video).

I didn’t realise that this was an actual thing. I thought that it was just my own personal “paranoias”. “Paranoias” that I can explain exactly where they arose from. 

Dyslexia and Me: “Unrecognised dyslexia is costing the UK economy in excess of £1 billion per year”

There is a good fight going on for better help in schools for kids with dyslexia. I see it everyday on social media both from parents on discussion boards to groups like the American Decoding Dyslexia heroes (yes, that is how I see them, heroes and heroines) pushing for change in schools! It’s fantastic to see and I really hope that in the near future there is far better support for kids in school.

However, the battle to support adults with dyslexia doesn’t seem to be heard as loudly. I know I am going back to cover this topic once again, but I feel that this is an issue that is largely unrecognised. When you say ‘dyslexia’ people instantly assume ‘kids’ and ‘school’ not ‘adults’ and ’employment/unemployment’ or ‘prison’. 

Dyslexia and Me: Dyslexia at Work

The one thing you will see me campaigning for is support for adults with dyslexia. There are so many charities, groups and parent networks that are pushing for change in schools, but there aren’t enough people (in my opinion) pushing for change in the way adults with dyslexia are treated. We’re kind of left to get on with it! This really needs to change, especially when so many people with dyslexia are unemployed or struggle to find work. 

Blogging Vs. Life

I went a bit crazy with posts at the weekend when I had some time off work. Now I’ve started working full-time for the first time in a while, I’ve realised just how little of my own time I have! Get up, shower, dressed, breakfast, lift to work, work, lift home, dinner, eat dinner, unwind, zzzzzzzzzz, get up, shower…. Oh how I miss being a student!

Yesterday I really wasn’t in the right mood or frame of mind for writing a blog. Instead I created a completely new blog. I’m bad for this. I have a few that have become obsolete because I have a great idea and get bored or run out of time and stop. For Dyslexia and Me, that isn’t an option! I want to raise awareness and am determined to keep this going! But on the side now I have Oh! So Snappy! where I am posting up bits of my photos. I am by no means a photographer, but I have so many pictures I like that I have taken that I wanted somewhere to share them. I had thought about bringing it into this blog (I see so many ‘Versatile blogger awards’ but I don’t want to dilute what I am highlighting in this blog).

I will be back with more dyslexia related shenanigans in the next few days, I haven’t forgotten you my wonderful readers, I am just adjusting to being so busy!!!

Dyslexia and Me: The Results

University of Aberdeen Library

I’ve been running around like a headless chicken lately. The end of university didn’t seem to make life any less chaotic. I’ve been spending a lot of time with my flatmate who is going back home now we’re finished. We’ve been visiting loads of different things we wanted to see in Aberdeenshire before we all go our separate ways which has been great fun!!! I’ve also been sorting out my CV and applying for jobs so I can hopefully save enough money to go back to university to study a postgraduate degree. I’ve been looking at where I can move to with my partner during my year out that is suitable and not too expensive so that I can save money rather than spending anything I earn on bills etc. And on top of that I’ve been having to deep clean our current flat which was a total state after 4 of us living there for 2 years without a cleaning rota. I’m almost having to wear my sunglasses inside now it’s so shiny and clean! 

Dyslexia and Me: Get Some Hattitude!

I’ve always been a hat wearer. I absolutely love hats! While the stereotype of women is shoes and handbags, for me it’s hats. I have a couple of caps, some floppy hats, a beany hat with horns, a Frank Sinatra style hat, a couple of handmade hats from craft fairs… I LOVE HATS!!!

Dyslexia and Me: Doing it for the Grown Ups (and women?)

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

In the last month or so, I have been becoming far more active within the online community trying to raise awareness of dyslexia. It’s something that I was passionate about before I was diagnosed myself. When I was growing up we had a couple of family friends who suffered with dyslexia. Both have gone on to do amazing things, but there was always a struggle in reaching their goals. I had a poster of Albert Einstein on my wall as a teenager amongst all my posters of metal bands. It said on it, “Imagination is more important than knowledge”, a quote which I still live by to this day. Before I knew I was dyslexic I already had a number of people I admired due to their achievements despite struggling through school and the academic life to get to where they were. They were people I knew personally as well as the usual list of famous dyslexics that you can find on Google, Wikipedia etc.

Question of the Month

Dyslexia Scotland asked via Twitter: Do you feel comfortable about telling your employer that you have dyslexia?

So would you feel comfortable telling your employer?