How old were you when you found out y... - The Dyslexia Comm...
How old were you when you found out you were dyslexic?
I found out I was dyslexic at the age of 32 when I was doing a MA course (as course I regret doing!).
I have to say, I find universities don't fully explain how much of an effect finding out your dyslexic has on you, and that being dyslexic is more than just having extra time to complete written course work etc, as being dyslexic has an effect on many parts of how you function even away from academic studies.
I, like you, was 32 and undertaking a university course, which although I passed took me twice as long as my contemporaries, of which I am not particularly proud. Since then, I've been lukewarm about my diagnosis. Having both doubts about dyslexia and whether I latched onto something as an excuse for not being good enough academically and eureka moments for explanations of my behaviour and why things that are supposed to be easy and second nature are painfully hard and alien to me. What you've written resonates with me as you are right. It is more than just about the academics, it's the organisation of life, which people including those closest expect a person in their forties to have sorted. Now, I am beginning to accept who I am, a dyslexic - with bad habits, survival skills and talents, in need of getting to grips with all that entails. Not easy as 1) I'm lazy and 2) I've done a very good job of not admitting to my dyslexia, causing some chaos along the way. Here's to the future!
I've never been assessed I went through school and early adult life thinking I was thick. My two older sisters went to grammar school,I didn't. Now at sixty I can accept things just wish this had been known when I was younger.
I found out at 52 and was shocked as "I can read and write" however I now understand why I have problems with understanding and CBT Training and remembering things I have read
I was 38, When I told friends they all said "yeah we thought as much"
Why didn t you tell me??
I found out at the age of 22, I had come out of nursing college as I kept failing some of the assigments then went back to night school and couldn't pass the a level. When I had said that I thought that I was dyslexic before I didn't get any help... spent my whole school life really not enjoying myself and quite ashamed, was in the bottom groups. Managed to get a BSC with hons, through shere hard work and determination. I found the Tony Buzan books invaluable!
I was 23 years old when i found out that i dyslexic, i was always behind at school and got bullied abit because i had a speaking problem aswell. I feel if i got the right help when i was younger i would of want far quicker, but now i have a full time job as a training veterinary nurse. Now Studying level 3 veterinary nurse diploma, which i will be happy if i can passed.
I found out at 35 when my brother was training to be a teacher.I had no idea about dyslexia Very releived But there so much miss information about .How ever I trained as a nurse and have two degrees in English and creative writing !
I've not been assessed, but now at 43 believe I have traits of dyslexia.
My eldest son did well at school, my second son struggled, my third son had issues too. Now my daughter is 11 I have just paid to have her assessed, and she is dyslexic, like I believe two of her brothers are.
I just felt I was failing the children. I felt I wasn't teaching them enough or the right way. Now I realise I needed greater understanding and proper support from schools.
The future looks bright 
I found I was Dyslexic at the age of 40 and this caused additional pressure from my then manager to evaluate my work, although its not a major problem for me it does seem to be for employers.
I found out a few months ago at age 30 that i am dislexic an its only because im at college i was tested i struggled at school and was always told i was thck or lazy but i wasnt i tried hard and got nothing to show for it. Things now make sence the eaisly forgetting the struggling with reading righting and paperwork and things like driving theory, was sick of nevwr beong able to go highr in any jobb i do. I have young children an wory they may be likeme .
I found out at 27 when I was tested for a program my brother was taking to cure his dyslexia.
Sadly too many people think that treatment for dyslexia is just for kids. I took the treatment and would never regret it. So if your 32 like BenMark is, or 52 like onhereagain is, or 38 like KrisSmith, or 42 like JulieTurner, or 40 like gerrystarr or even 30 like katieocarroll - it's not too late and help is available to seriously move you forward in so many ways - check out dyslexiatherapy.co.uk
I ended up in counciling this year age 42 and have had it comfirmed im as dyslexic as u get.....add adhd ocd u name it I have it at some times worse than others....I am text book age 14 refused to go school and was labelled a delinquent by everyone.....never held a job down yet I have a high iq.... I even remember watching a programme one night with my mum and dad when I was in my late 20s and it described me....when I said it I remember my dad saying sure u have everything.....gradually after that and years passing I realized I was and began telling people I was....then about 2 years ago my then 6 year old had problems with reading and I went online and it has been like the matrix since..i could see clearly things teachers can and never will be able to see as they r not dyslexic.....against their advice I had my son privately tested and diagnosed with severe dyslexia a month ago....I am so happy.....the schools plan from the first sign of this was read read read something that will only ever make my son develop other right brain dominant traits to compensate for his dyslexia....the new term starts in September and god love that school cause I am going to torture them
Well done to you!
I wouldn't exactly say torture them but (if it makes you feel better!!) get them to live up to their responsibility of making an ILP-Individual Learning Plan for your son. Get it reviewed every month or two and watch his progress.. They should provide you with information about what his working on so you can assist him at home.
Use the BBC web-wise and get him to play the letter games and so on it.
Go to your local library as their suppose to have a section on Dyslexia with loads of current information.
Here's this I knew my son was when he was in reception class. He needed glasses and when he got them he improved a bit. Each school he went to I asked for him to be assessed.He had an assessment only to be told it was ADHD- no my child was a PRODIGY child. highly intelligent just could write down what he could tell you verbally.
One day when at university he said to me i need to talk to you about something-they think i might be Dyslexic and have asked me to go for a test-I'm not sure if I should. He got the biggest kiss ever (while on the street)!
A few weeks later he confirmed it, but best of all he was a Prodigy, having had the right support he could have done a degree at around 8! Yeh!- If he had a scribe he would have passed with flying colors..
He couldn't quite get his head around it but has embraced it. He passed and got a 2:1 i Acting for Professional Stage Practice and recently played a part in Emmerdale. So I'm as proud as him a ever..
Enjoy the learning journey you will be on with him..embrace and catch what you can...
I found out at age 20 at university
I know something was wrong when I lift school in the 60's, i was told by school the only work you can do is factory work, did that for 15 years from machine operator to charge hand then lift and went to college, I have done two media college courses one IT course, ran a TV & Sound studio for a Birmingham school, ran my own wedding video business until health problems which is always getting in the way. I have been a care worker for the last few years helping clients in a home then health problems again had to pack up job. I have and still trying to put together a group for Dyslexics in media for a way for them to express their self's in video music Photo graphics and artwork (WHY IS IT SO HARD TO PUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS TOGETHER) ???? TONY Quinton Birmingham UK
Hi there. I am 49 and have gone through some very difficult times trying to compete at the highest level and boy it was hard and now i found out I was dyslexic, it makes me understand why I was having severe headaches from very young age. No one in schools stopped to ask themselves why his reading is so poor when he is so good in almost all other subjects. For me the worst was completing tests as i misread the questions and had to go backwards time and time. But now having found out, i just like to share my experience and reading about others it makes me feel better.
I got diagnosed in university in march after 2 years of doing my foundation degree in graphic design but ever since i have doubts on doing my BA HNS Top Up, I'm glad in a way i did it however i haven't received any support that i was promised as of yet and have to hand in my dissertation by 18th december, hopefully should be sorted soon, i recommend if your in university talking to your disability advisor and getting the DSA grant as there is a grant available for equipment and software which is very useful.
Software which i recommend:
MindView: Great mind mapping software just to get your ideas down before you forget.
TextHelp Gold: Reads out text the normal voice is a bit naff however can be tweaked, also can create a tint on your screen which will help with reading.
Dragon Dictate: exactly as it says on the tin works flawlessly.
I am also currently doing a Final Major Project on Dyslexia Awareness and any Research/Help would be much appreciated
Thanks in Advance
Aged 25 when I decided to go back into education. I was fully assessed at college by an educational psychologist so I have the paperwork I needed to prove it for extra help both at college and university.
My mum suspected in primary school, but it didn't matter how many teachers she told in both primary and high school, she was dismissed as a pushy parent and that 'she can't be good at everything!'. The kids at school knew though, they used to taunt me and bully me when we had to read out loud in class. Shame the teachers paid no attention to my struggles despite asking for help.
I, like BenMark (see post 10 months ago), was 32 and undertaking a university course, which although I passed took me twice as long as my contemporaries, of which I am not particularly proud. Since then, I've been lukewarm about my diagnosis. Having both doubts about dyslexia and whether I latched onto something as an excuse for not being good enough academically and eureka moments for explanations of my behaviour and why things that are supposed to be easy and second nature are painfully hard and alien to me. What he has written resonates with me as in my opinion he is right. It is more than just about the academics, it's the organisation of life, which people including those closest expect a person in their forties to have sorted. Now, I am beginning to accept who I am, a dyslexic - with bad habits, survival skills and talents, in need of getting to grips with all that entails. Not easy as 1) I'm lazy and 2) I've done a very good job of not admitting to my dyslexia, causing some chaos along the way. Here's to the future!
I was 50 years old. But I was not surprised at this diagnosis. It all started from taken to grievance at work for not taking proper minutes! ! and I didn't pass my probation. Academically I have done well but I attribute this to being educated in a school for creative children. This was in Puerto Rico where school assessments were done in many forms. Also for 22 years my formal education was in Spanish which is a phonetical language. I completed a BA in Psychology and later in London an M.Sc. in Social Psychology at London School of Economics . At present after more than 35 years out of formal education I'm back completing an MA in Career Guidance and this time I've found it challenging. I do receive support from DSA and assistive technology. particularly good is the mind mapping software; couldn't do my assignments without it. I also have a dyslexic tutor who checks my spelling and sentence order. Work wise the story is different as appraisals are usually based on performance targets and outcomes which are all time based. In addition office support is minimal and work is about multi tasking in a competitive environment with little resources. This is where my dyslexia shows, little time to think and make connections a lot if time following procedures, ticking boxes and producing endless excel sheets to evidence our outputs. The new work environment is not dyslexia friendly
Would like to see your report once you have finished. Based on your graph most people have found as an adult. This highlights the need for dyslexia awareness and support in the workplace. Access to work are a good source of funding.
I was 38 I am now 64 and wondering how cataracts will affect me? Lately I have been trying to figure out why strategies for dealing with dyslexia have not advanced. Dyslexia has been studied extensively it would seem that there are tests aplenty but solutions are not many! Cognitive specialists don't seem to relate in a way that would help those of us who need it. I think it would be great for one simple thing to make my computer screen more readable. It would seem easy to provide a transparent overlay for better comprehension. It also seems like there should be an app to help change fonts and whip websites into more understandable websites. I feel a diagnosis without a solution is lazy science. What is I was 38 I am now 64 and wondering how cataracts will affect me? Lately I have been trying to figure out why strategies for dealing with dyslexia have not advanced. Dyslexia has been studied extensively it would seem that there are tests aplenty but solutions are not many! Cognitive specialists don't seem to relate in a way that would help those of us who need it. I think it would be great for one simple thing to make my computer screen more readable. It would seem easy to provide a transparent overlay for better comprehension. What is DSA? I wish I felt like we were talking to each other?
I was 37 when I had mine and got progressively worse. I had no inclination of it before 37 when I went to college and wrote many many papers. Never had it even in grade school. I often wonder how somebody such as myself wakes up one day out of the blue close to 40 and has this condition. It is the strangest thing to identify the rationale, and very frustrating to observe it getting worse. Unlike what others choose to perceive or belief, it does not get worse by any stress or any other mental factor. I find it sad that even this condition there are professionals that are very uneducated still and continue to blame physiological ailments such as this on the a mental foundation which is incorrect.
I went all the way through primary and secondary school struggling. It was only when I started college they noticed my dyslexia and got me tested and guess what yes I was and still am dyslexic! My son is currently in year 3 at school and they've noticed his since year 1 at the point it wasn't a big issue he was behind but not major. He is now really struggling at school and falling behind dramatically he finds all these extremely hard spellings, reading, writing, speech, understanding of words, following instructions (he has to be told a few times before he can do it) and maths like remembering times tables patterns and getting mixed up with + and X signs. I'm pushing the school on testing my son I do not want him going through school thinking he is stupid just like I did. Hopefully he will be tested sooner rather than later
I found out this year and I'm 26, it really threw me as I went all through school and university to do a masters! It was only after this I started to hit barriers. The diagnosis has allowed me to understand why I do things the way I do.
I have just found out at the age of 53 and have been feeling a little shocked but now understand why things have been the way they have and hopefully in time I can accept and carry on with my life with no regrets or remorse. Never knew what it meant until now what it means to be dyslexic , wondered at times if I was autistic but now I know why I process things differently and maybe now I can learn to live with the differences
4 weeks ago at the age of 53
I am 49 years old and just found out i was dyslexic. In my entire time at school and university back home, no one even questioned me why my reading it is so bad while I was one of the best in all other subjects. It made me sad that even i was good at many other things including sport and language, i always pushed myself too hard to keep up completing tests and as a result use to get severe headaches even today.
I wanted to hide in class from year two and upwards to avoid having to read as i felt ashamed and jealous not been able to read like most other children.
But i was pushing so hard on other subjects and managed to learn seven different languages from very young age to try and be proud of something, but i always felt there was something wrong . Now i know i can live with and probably feeling happier about myself to have achieved in very difficult circumstances.