The lowdown on dyslexia
As Matt Hancock discusses his dyslexia on I’m A Celebrity..., charities reveal things about the condition that may surprise you. By
DYSLEXIA affects 10% of the population but it can be misunderstood.
Matt Hancock has shone a spotlight on the learning difficulty by discussing his own dyslexia diagnosis with campmates in the I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! jungle.
The former health secretary, 44, said: “The moment I was identified as dyslexic at university it was ‘Ahh so actually I am OK with language, it’s just my brain works differently and I can work on that’.”
Here’s the lowdown on dyslexia...
1. DYSLEXIA BRINGS STRENGTHS TOO
Although the NHS describes dyslexia as a learning difficulty that mainly causes problems with reading, writing and spelling, Kate Griggs, CEO and founder of Made By Dyslexia points out the condition has positive effects. “Dyslexic brains process information differently,” she says. “This results in a pattern of strengths, like problem solving, creative thinking and seeing the big picture.”
2. IT CAN CAUSE MEMORY PROBLEMS
Steven O’brien, CEO of the Dyslexia Foundation (dyslexia-help.org) says memory deficits are a critical issue for dyslexic adults. “Simple tasks – remembering people’s names, birthdays and appointments, become problematic,” he explains.
3. DYSLEXIA MAY OR MAY NOT BE SPOTTED AT SCHOOL
Signs of dyslexia may become apparent when a child starts school and begins to learn to read and write. However, Made By Dyslexia research has found 80% of dyslexic children leave school unidentified.
4. PEOPLE WITH DYSLEXIA MAY FEEL ASHAMED ABOUT THEIR CONDITION
Even though it’s not their fault, dyslexics can feel ashamed about their difficulties, Steven points out.
“People with dyslexia can feel a lot of shame when it comes to simple things like writing on birthday cards, giving a presentation at work, or having to stand up and read out loud,” he explains. 5.
MORE THAN HALF OF PRISON INMATES COULD BE DYSLEXIC
Made By Dyslexia says research suggests more than half of inmates in the UK prison system are dyslexic.
Kate points out that the 2012 Dyslexia Behind Bars programme found that when prisoners were taught to read, the reoffending rate dropped to 5.9% within four years, compared with the usual reoffending rate of around 55% within two years (taken from a small sample size).
6. FEW SCHOOLS SCREEN ALL PUPILS FOR DYSLEXIA
Research has found only 4% of schools screen all learners for dyslexia, resulting in 80% of dyslexics leaving school unidentified.
7. DYSLEXICS CAN BE SOUGHT AFTER IN THE WORKPLACE
Kate says: “Companies including HSBC, Facebook (Meta) and EY are actively looking for dyslexics, recognising that dyslexic thinking is a valuable asset to every team.”
She suggests entrants to the British Intelligence agency GCHQ’S apprentice scheme are four times more likely to have dyslexia than those on other organisations’ programmes.
8. MANY SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE ARE DYSLEXIC
Steven says a disproportionate number of millionaires are dyslexic, and there are many successful dyslexics – including businessman Sir Richard Branson, chef Jamie Oliver, film director Steven Spielberg and the physicist Albert Einstein.
9. ‘DYSLEXIC THINKING’ IS A TERM
It is defined in the dictionary as “an approach to problem solving, assessing information, and learning, often used by people with dyslexia, that involves pattern recognition, spatial reasoning, lateral thinking, and interpersonal communication”.