University

Dyslexic + Dyspraxic: The Lifelong Struggle

Written by Channon Gray

This month marks a year of being diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia; a diagnosis that has pretty much changed my life. Would you believe it has almost been a year since I posted this to the world? Because I certainly cannot!

Over the past year I have received help that is beyond my own imagination. My university has been accommodating in helping me to achieve the absolute best grades possible; despite struggling a lot with reading, essay writing and exams. Similarly, after a year of palavering about with the DSA, I have at last received my allowance report back from them determining specialist equipment and one-to-one tutoring. If you would like me to post about the DSA process, then please do let me know!

Being dyslexic and dyspraxic could lead you to a host of various advantages…

Some might think that having dyslexia AND dyspraxia is an almighty disadvantage, personally I don’t. In fact, to me, it is something that makes me unique and allows me to think outside the box. Recently I received feedback on an essay which stated that I “answered the question in a completely different way to everyone else in my cohort”; therefore this allowed me to produce something that went “beyond the box”. This is probably because of the way in which I articulate the world around me; I see everything in my life from university work to day-to-day tasks differently. This is a result of having a ‘learning disability’.

The only thing that (sort of) upsets me when I think about having a ‘cognitive disorder’ is that, I wasn’t diagnosed sooner. I wish I didn’t have to live 18 years of my life without knowing that I struggled for a reason, and not because I was just ‘stupid’ or ‘rubbish’ at reading. I am just a wee-bit different to others.

After a year, I have now fully accepted that I will always find reading slightly harder than most; that my essays will never be perfectly structured the first time round; and being able to type my exams is a good thing. It is not the end of the world being labelled as dyslexic and dyspraxic, or either, in my opinion it is just the beginning!

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About the author

Channon Gray

I'm Channon and yes, it's spelt wrong, but that is interesting right? I'm 23 years young. I like to write, create art and travel. Cornish bumpkin who studied in London then Cambridge. I'm now a Postgraduate Student, Stationery Addict and all-round Life Enthusiast.

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