Scott 5ive - I overcame dyslexia
When I was at my first school, everyone thought I
was just a slacker because I used to muck about so
much in lessons. But really, it was because I never
used to understand what the teachers were going on
about because I'm dyslexic. To try and hide my
embarrassment I found it easier to become the
clown of the class and pretend I didn't want to
understand. It worked in a way because no one
noticed what was going on - they just thought I
was a bit of a rebel. Then I went to stage school
and it started off the same, with me mucking
about and playing the fool all the time, but then
the headmistress, Maggie, picked up on it, and
immediately tried to help. They gave me an IQ
test and found out that it was quite low for my
age.
I mean, I can read and write and stuff, but I hate my writing - that's why I
won't ever do those questionnaire things that some magazines ask you to do. I don't
like them, because they don't show what I'm really about. Abs has got really nice
handwriting and I sometimes really wish I had attractive writing like him.
I don't class myself as unclever at all, and I hate the fact that some people
think I'm think because of it. It's like, you know me - I can talk for Britain,
and if I could've spoken my exams instead of writing them, then I reckon I'd have got
an A in all of them. I've got a good all round general knowledge, but I just found it
far too intimidating at school. I remember in my maths exam i wrote, "I'm a fish,'
on the paper and walked out - I knew there was no way any of
it was going to make sense and I felt I had a two second memory, like a fish, that day.
I do wish I'd had more help at school, and I'd say to anyone who's having the same sort of problems to tell a teacher straightaway and get
help - they really will understand. And now I don't fell disadvantaged in any way at all. I don't want anyone's
sympathy or anything - I'm still a clever lad...
If you are, or think you may be, dyslexic and would like to speak to someone
about it, you can contact the British Dyslexia Association on
011 8966 8271 between
10 am and 5 pm, or you can write to them at 98 London Road, Reading, RG1 5AU.