Episodi
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“I’ve been juggling work, creativity, and burnout in 2024…”
For the final episode of 2024, Matthew Head invites you into his personal journey—a year of juggling work, creativity, and burnout, and the lessons he learned to regain balance.
It’s early 2024, Matthew is working full-time as a lead engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, where his days are filled with designing complex prototypes for concept cars. Passionate and driven, he spends his mornings at the computer editing podcasts in his pajamas, rehearses for amateur dramatics two nights a week, and squeezes in guitar practice between his packed schedule. On the surface, it’s a life fueled by creativity and ambition, but beneath it, something was off.
By mid-year, exhaustion caught up with him. Despite loving his work and hobbies, Matthew found himself staring at his desk in the afternoons, completely drained. Even with all his self-help experiments—cutting caffeine, optimising sleep habits, and powering through with podcasts—something had to change. It was during rehearsals for a pantomime that Matthew stumbled upon an unexpected truth: energy comes not just from rest but also from passion. Acting on stage made him feel alive, more energised than ever. So, why was work and podcasting so draining?
The answer lay in simplifying his life. Matthew took a step back and reassessed. He began outsourcing his podcast editing, freeing hours he didn’t realise were holding him back. He reintroduced exercise, focusing on small, achievable goals—like swimming twice a week—and noticed how even light movement improved his energy and sleep. He experimented further with small but mighty tweaks: drinking water earlier in the day to avoid waking up at night, and even discovering the power of an eye mask to sleep uninterrupted.
Slowly but surely, Matthew saw the fog of burnout lift. The overwhelm of “doing it all” was replaced by intentional choices: doing what mattered most. He learned to trust the process in his work as well, realising that new challenges—like mastering a complex CAD system—take time, and pushing himself too hard only added to the strain. By the year’s end, Matthew found a rhythm that worked: a balance of passion, health, and personal growth.
This episode is not just Matthew’s story—it’s a reminder to anyone feeling stretched thin that small changes can lead to big transformations. From struggling to juggle it all to embracing a simpler, more sustainable approach to life, Matthew shares his hard-won insights so you, too, can create a life you love in 2025.
Tune in to hear his reflections, practical strategies, and the inspiring truth that sometimes, slowing down is the real hack to moving forward.
Key Topics:
Energy Comes from Passion: Engaging in hobbies like theatre and music can boost energy, even during busy periods.Prioritise Sleep Quality: Small tweaks, like using an eye mask and managing evening water intake, significantly improve sleep.Simplify and Delegate: Outsourcing podcast editing freed time for health, relaxation, and growth.Progress Takes Time: Learning a new job or skill requires patience—pressure for instant results can hinder growth.Exercise is Essential: Consistent movement (e.g., swimming) improves sleep, energy, and mental well-being.Reflect to Recharge: Periodic self-reflection allows for course correction and renewed focus.For more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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Do people with dyslexia make the best storytellers?
There are many strengths which come with dyslexia. One of the more common strengths is our ability to effectively communicate and our typical way of doing that is through the medium of storytelling.
Storytelling might come in the form of explaining complex concepts at work, or in the form of telling a joke to friends.
Many people with dyslexia take storytelling to the next level by applying it to writing a book. There are many famous dyslexic authors such as Agatha Christie and WB Yeats. Today we can ad our guest Kirsty Heap to the list!
In this episode, Matthew Head welcomes back Kirsty Heap, who shares her journey from HR professional to dyslexia coach and now children's book author.
Kirsty discusses the challenges of balancing her growing business with family life, her experiences in coaching, and the inspiration behind her upcoming children's book, 'Silent Snow'.
Kirsty emphasises the importance of creativity in storytelling and aims to create a stress-free reading experience for parents and children, particularly those with dyslexia.
In this conversation, Kirsty Heap discusses her journey of creating a children's book titled 'Silent Snow', focusing on the storytelling process through illustrations. She shares insights on how to build narratives from images, the challenges of publishing, and the importance of embracing creativity and vulnerability. Kirsty also highlights her strategies for promoting the book and her plans for future projects, emphasising the significance of collaboration and support in her creative endeavors.
In a world where children have more access that ever before to media such as youtube, netflix, disney and social media, the importance of imagination and storytelling for young children is greater now more than ever before. Imagination and storytelling within young children can build bonds and relationships as well as develop new neurotransmitters in the brain demonstrating that storytelling and use of their imagination helps to build happy and healthy brains.
Order Silent Snow
Paperback EbookFor more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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Could this be the ‘cure’ for Dyslexia?
Do you know what is going on inside your dyslexic brain? Until you listen to this episode… you have no clue!
In this episode Matthew Head meets with the brilliant Dr. Robert Melillo from New York, USA as they discuss how understanding the brain’s neuroanatomy and how if is different in dyslexic brains from neurotypical brains, is the key to understanding how to get the most out of our brains and practically eliminate the challenges of dyslexia whilst keep all the strengths!
Dr. Robert is one of the most respected specialists in childhood neurological disorders in America, and he has been helping children overcome learning disabilities for over 30 years.
Dr. Melillo helps adults and children with various learning disabilities. He is focused on addressing the primary issue in most learning disabilities and behavioural disorders which is known as a functional disconnection. Since he introduced this concept, functional disconnection has become one of the leading theories in the world related to Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia and more. This work is leading the way toward understanding the underlying nature of these disorders and their causes.
Dr. Robert Melillo is the creator of the ‘Melillo Method’, his holistic approach to treating patients with a broad spectrum of brain related disorders. The ‘Melillo Method’ is used to identify brain imbalances and treat many symptoms of mental, attention, behavioural, and learning disorders in patients of all ages. This revolutionary approach is paired with diet and nutritional counselling and lifestyle modification to help promote brain and body balance, effectively correcting the underlying problems common to the entire spectrum of seemingly disparate childhood or adult neurological dysfunctions.
In this episode, Dr. Melillo shares how his research in this topic started when his children started to show signs of dyslexia, autism, and ADHD. Wanting to know, ‘dad mode’ kicked in and Robert read every book on the subject and, over a 10 year period, wrote his own book about these disorders and his research into the concept around brain imbalances.
Dr. Robert Melillo is a bestselling author of many books in the dyslexia and ADHD space which are all well worth a read for parents and educators wanting to support their dyslexic children.
Be prepared to think about dyslexia in a completely new way and see it from a new perspective, and maybe, find a new way of navigating the challenges and lean into your dyslexic strengths.
The neuroanatomy of a dyslexic brain. imbalances between the left and right sides of the brain and the link to Dyslexia and ADHD,How diet is a key factor if affecting the challenges of dyslexia,
Key Topics:For more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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What if it was possible to beat dyslexia?
Maybe Neuro Linguistic Programming can help?
In this episode, host Matthew Head sits down with Lou Barnes as they explore how Lou’s experience as a teacher led her to seeking alternative ways to help children (and adults) with dyslexia.
As a primary school teacher for 20 years, Lou loved teaching, being in a classroom, and watching children flourish.
However, Lou always met children who simply couldn't get to grips with reading, writing and spelling branded as ‘lazy’ or ‘naughty’. Not satisfied with this narrative and accepting that these children were lost causes, Lou knew there had to be a reason for their behaviour.
Lou shares how, even after praise for hard work and highlighting their strengths, these children who have been left behind, still called themselves 'stupid', thick or 'rubbish' which simply wasn't true.
Lou believed that something had to change because the current system wasn't helping.
After trying all sorts of different approaches to teaching children with dyslexia, and other neurodiversities, Lou came across Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and became instantly fascinated. Lou decides to delve deeper into NLP seeing the potential this could have for people with dyslexia.
Lou then spent the next few years training in NLP and incorporating what she had learnt into her lessons. The impact for children with dyslexia was so profound that she decided to take it full time and leave full time teaching.
So what is NLP? And how might it help me with my Dyslexia?
Listen to this episode and see if NLP can help you!
Key Topics:
Neuro Linguistic Programming,Problems with education system for people with dyslexiaFine Lou at:
LinkedIn WebsiteFor more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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“Life was dance, and dance was life…”
Telling your story of life with dyslexia isn't always expressed through the written word.
Our guest in this episode, Aakash Odedra, shares his experience of the challenges with dyslexia through dance.
In Aakash’s currently touring production ‘Little Murmur’, he shares his story of never fitting in at school, being cast aside by teachers and being moved from school to school, never finding his feet and never getting the support with the challenges of dyslexia.
Diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age, Aakash found school very challenging, dance became his outlet to fully express himself and enjoy his strengths of dyslexia.
Combining visual design and technology with dance and humour, Little Murmur explores the warped and exaggerated realities of living in a world you struggle to process.
For Aakash, dance was his way of escaping into another world away from the challenges of his dyslexia. Today, ‘Little Murmur’ is his way to help others with dyslexia to see that they can, and have permission to lean into their dyslexic strengths and live a fulfilling life.
Aakash’s Dyslexic Life Hack is to ‘Just Dance’ which is a way of saying ‘do what you love’ which is a great lesson for everyone with dyslexia to learn.
Key Topics:
Not being accepted and supported in education Dancing to escape Finding your rhythm with dyslexiaFind Aakash at:
Website YouTube Link Tree-
Proudly sponsored by neurobox. Working together with organisations and employees neurobox builds neuroinclusive workplaces. They do this by creating awareness, improving wellbeing, and breaking down barriers through their tailored end-to-end support programmes.For more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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35% of entrepreneurs have dyslexia.
Up to 50% of people in prison have dyslexia.
It's clear that, for people with Dyslexia, the path between success and ending up on the wrong side of the law can be narrow.
So what's different between these groups of people and what's the thing that sets them head on the right path?
For entrepreneur, philanthropist, and author, Jamie Waller, it all comes down to the support from people in your early years of your life.
Jamie is a serial entrepreneur and the author of the book ‘The Dyslexic Edge'.
Growing up in the west end of London, Jamie’s teachers had written him off from the start and didn't give him the support he needed at school.
If it hadn't been as a result of a motorcycle display team and a supportive mother, Jamie believes he could have ended up in the wrong group of dyslexic people, being let down by society and living a life in prison.
Having been given the chance to join the Imps Motorcycle Display team with help from a supportive mum, Jamie turned his back on education and followed a life into entrepreneurship.
Despite leaving school with no qualifications he started multiple businesses, became a multimillionaire in his twenties and featured in a prime-time TV show that followed him starting his first business.
The idea for the book ‘The Dyslexic Edge' came from a conversation with one of the most famous dyslexics on earth, Sir Richard Branson during a cycle ride in early 2022. The Dyslexic Edge challenges the narrative that views dyslexia as a deficit or impediment to success, presenting compelling research and case studies from interviewing some of the worlds most successful dyslexics (Paul Orfelia, Theo Paphitis, Duncan Bannatyne and Kelly Hoppen to name a few), to demonstrate quite the opposite. By delving into the lives and experiences of some of the best-known dyslexic minds worldwide, Jamie and Dr Helen Taylor highlight the distinct advantage that dyslexic thinking brings.
Jamie wants to change the perception of dyslexia and help everyone see the great value and strengths dyslexia has.
WebsiteLinkedInBook - The Dyslexic Edge
Find Jamie at:-
Proudly sponsored by neurobox. Working together with organisations and employees neurobox builds neuroinclusive workplaces. They do this by creating awareness, improving wellbeing, and breaking down barriers through their tailored end-to-end support programmes.For more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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If you're an adult just having been diagnosed with dyslexia, if you're a parent whose child has been diagnosed with dyslexia, there is often a lot of confusion and questions that need answers. It can also feel so isolated and lonely.
Where do you turn?
How do you know the advice you're getting is legitimate?
Who can you trust to talk to to seek answers?
Our Guest in this episode of the podcast is that person who, as a person with dyslexia, has seen it all. He was written off at school and at work and through grit and determination and lots of self-belief, he completed a Masters Degree and went from a failing child in school to advising businesses how to grow. He managed this through leaning into his dyslexic strengths.
Our guest is the brilliant Philip Long!
Having his own success story with dyslexia, Philip wants to share his story so that no child can go through the trauma he did through school and early career. Now Philip shares this with the community he set up to ensure parents and children got all the support in the early days/weeks/months and years of a dyslexic diagnosis.
Philip has set-up a free dyslexic community ‘Success with Dyslexia’ as a safe space for parents, children and adults to come to get answers they desperately need by utilising the power of community to support one-another.
As well as offering support, Success with Dyslexia also contains resources and coaching so that everyone can find support in a way that works for them.
In this episode you will hear an inspiring story from being discarded by school and and discriminated at work, to achieving a masters degree, leaning into your dyslexic strengths, and creating a community to support other people with dyslexia!
Key Topics:
Struggling at SchoolBullying Early days of a career and the discrimination Getting a masters degree Founding a dyslexic community Helping others to thrive with dyslexiaFind Philip at:
SkoolXYoutubeWebsite-
Proudly sponsored by neurobox. Working together with organisations and employees neurobox builds neuroinclusive workplaces. They do this by creating awareness, improving wellbeing, and breaking down barriers through their tailored end-to-end support programmes.For more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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7 Marathons, 7 Continents, in 7 Days!
This is the World Marathon Challenge, the ultimate endurance running competition!
Our guest in this episode, Jared Blank, shares with us his amazing journey with dyslexia and how running became his outlet for escaping and coping with the stress and challenges from dyslexia at school and college.
Jared completed the World Marathon Challenge in aid of raising awareness and money for Dyslexia charities.
What goes into preparing for the ultimate running challenge? How does it work? And, Why would you do it!? Jared tells us all in this episode, and how he used his dyslexic strengths to complete the world's hardest running challenge.
Jared was diagnosed with dyslexia aged 5. Like many people with dyslexia, Jared had that person in his corner backing him all the way. For Jared this was his mum! With this support, nothing stopped Jared from being able to achieve academically at school and university, achieving two masters degrees!
Sports has always been a big part of Jared’s life and through his career he has worked with athletes and American Football teams. Today Jared is the Football Chief of Staff for University of Texas, Austin. Jared shares what this career entails and how he managed to find his way into an area he is passionate about.
Having completed the World Marathon Challenge, Jared shares his story around the globe to continue to support the dyslexic community and inspire young people struggling with dyslexia in demonstrating that EVERYTHING is possible if you work hard at it!
This is a story of true grit and determination, using strengths of dyslexia to complete the hardest running challenge in the world!
Key Topics:
American Football - Working for an American Football team in the statesInternational Dyslexia Community - Engaging with the community and rising awareness and money through runningRunning - Using running as an outlet for stress from school/workWorld Marathon Challenge - Training and running the World Marathon Challenge, 7 marathons, in 7 continents, in 7 days.Find Jared at:
WebsiteHis book - Running the Distance-
Proudly sponsored by neurobox. Working together with organisations and employees neurobox builds neuroinclusive workplaces. They do this by creating awareness, improving wellbeing, and breaking down barriers through their tailored end-to-end support programmes.For more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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Have you ever been on a ‘digital detox’? Do you think you could do it? Would you know what to do?
Well, in this episode of the podcast, Host Matthew Head is joined by Neil Jones, a coach from Lincoln, UK.
Neil has had a varied career over his life and has spent some of that living abroad in Switzerland.
Throughout Neil’s career, Neil has become specialised in Mental Health, and more so Mental Fitness, describing mental fitness as something you do with intention so that you don’t have to treat the symptoms of mental health by preventing them occurring in the first place.
More recently, Neil has started coaching people in Digital Detox helping people to break away from a dopamine fueled connection to our smart devices.
Neil tells us about the time he was diagnosed with dyslexia (though it wasn’t called that back then!) and at the time was told to keep it secret so as not to get bullied about it. Though that didn’t stop the bullying! To cope with the vigorous bullying, Neil found an outlet through Judo and learning about Japanese culture, which introduced him into the concept, and life long love, for meditation.
Neil is a Psychologist and a Chartered HR professional with extensive experience of industry and commerce. Currently assisting companies serious about Mental Health to make the right changes to improve the mental health of their staff as well as boost the bottom line.
If you want to know more Mental Health/Mental Fitness, or a Digital Detox, this is the episode for you!
Neil's - LinkedIn
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Proudly sponsored by neurobox. Working together with organisations and employees neurobox builds neuroinclusive workplaces. They do this by creating awareness, improving wellbeing, and breaking down barriers through their tailored end-to-end support programmes.For more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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“I’ve been helped and supported so much through my life, I want to give and help as much as I can to give back.”
We’re going to share with you a story of a person who is so incredibly willing to want to help others with so much drive, enthusiasm, empathy and passion it is infectious.
This story is about Akua.
Akua is a Senior EUC Engineer at the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and whilst she is a very accomplished Engineer, this is just one of the many things that Akua does and is involved in inside and outside of her professional work!
It was through researching methods of support for neurodiverse people in her organisation when she recognised some of the common dyslexia and ADHD traits in herself. The more she read about Dyslexia and ADHD, she decided to be tested to discover she does in fact have dyslexia and ADHD!
Now she shares her story with as many people as possible to help others find support for themselves.
Outside her primary role at LSEG, Akua is a keen Diversity & Inclusion advocate, LSEG WIN Network Head of External Partnerships, WIN Tech Network Community Lead, UK Accessibility Lead, Mental Health Champion and UK Coordinator for the outreach programmes/fundraising activities at LSEG. As a STEM ambassador, she is passionate about raising the profile of Women in STEM.
And if all that wasn't enough, Akua is also a Non-Executive Director, Neurodiversity advocate, Cajigo Technology Mentor, charity ambassador, fundraiser and a keen sports volunteer for Netball England and British Athletics.
This is an absolutely amazing story that you do not want to miss!
Key Topics:
STEMNeurodiversity AdvocateEngineering and ITVolunteering, Neurodiverse friendly theatre.-
Proudly sponsored by neurobox. Working together with organisations and employees neurobox builds neuroinclusive workplaces. They do this by creating awareness, improving wellbeing, and breaking down barriers through their tailored end-to-end support programmes.For more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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Meet Roxanne Varzi, an Anthropologist, Artist, writer, Professor, filmmaker, playwright, and this episode's guest on the Dyslexia Life Hacks Show!
Roxanne's interest in anthropology started when she wanted to study something that would pay and still allow her to enjoy her passion for writing. What she found was that she had this huge passion for people and what made people tick.
Now a professor in Anthropology, Roxanne shares her passion with her students.
Alongside being a full time Anthropologist, Roxanne also writes and publishes books with her Armchair Anthropology series Whodunit books.
Discovering Roxanne has dyslexia after her son was diagnosed, Roxanne shares with us that her dyslexia strength is visual thinking. Roxanne says that the more she leans into her strength by using visuals to present her research, it means that she can thrive because of her dyslexia.
Roxanne is incredibly passionate about lots of different topics and she shares how her way of wanting to do things, like writing a book series or making films doesn't fit into ‘normal’ and so her mantra is ‘to do things in your own way’ a lessons we can all take away from this episode.
Key Topics:
Anthology Doing things your own wayDyslexia running families Books and book writingRoxanne's
WebsiteLinkedInDeath in a Nutshell: An Anthropology Whodunnit: An Anthropology Whodunit: ONE (Armchair Anthropologist)
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Proudly sponsored by neurobox. Working together with organisations and employees neurobox builds neuroinclusive workplaces. They do this by creating awareness, improving wellbeing, and breaking down barriers through their tailored end-to-end support programmes.For more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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In this episode of the podcast, we’re talking again about Assistive Technology, this time about mind mapping and how it can help people with dyslexia organise and make sense of all the ideas flowing through their heads.
People with dyslexia typically have lots of great ideas and can sometimes link seemingly unconnected topics or themes to one another. The challenge that we face is getting those ideas down in a coherent way which makes sense.
Mind mapping those ideas can help get those thoughts down on paper and visualise how they link up so that you can then organise them into written text or a presentation.
A couple decades ago, developments in assistive technology meant that mind mapping could be undertaken on a PC. In its infant stages of development, it was great to help get things down quickly electronically, but it didn’t go much further! Today, with the power of AI (Artificial technology) there are no limits to how mind mapping can help get those ideas from head to paper!
In this episode, our host Matthew Head is joined by Chris Collier, an Assistive Technology and DSA (Disabled Students Allowance) Advisor and Director of Assistive Technology at OpenGenius
It wasn’t until Chris started his career as an English Secondary School Teacher in South Africa when he first started to learn about Dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions. Chris became familiar with DSA and assistive technology for his students. From here, Chris grew his expertise in DSA and assistive technology and became a freelance advisor.
Chris is now Director of Assistive Technology at OpenGenius, the world’s leading experts in the application of Mind Mapping via there product Ayoa in real-world situations, where he got up close and personal with the power of mind mapping technology and AI, and the many applications it has in school/education and in the workplace for everyone.
Key Topics:
What is Mind Mapping,How Mind Mapping can help people with Dyslexia,How to take mind maps to develop presentations, programmes, and even reports!-
Proudly sponsored by neurobox. Working together with organisations and employees neurobox builds neuroinclusive workplaces. They do this by creating awareness, improving wellbeing, and breaking down barriers through their tailored end-to-end support programmes.For more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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If you’re a person with dyslexia and had assistive technology you will have had at some point a scan pen. In this episode we meet the Founder and CEO of Scanning pens and Empowering Technology Group, Jack Churchill OBE.
Jack’s story is not unlike most people’s stories who have dyslexia. During the school years, Jack felt that dyslexia was holding him back from keeping up with his peers. It was a relief when, at 14 Years Old, Jack got assessed and diagnosed with Dyslexia so that he could access all the support to level the playing field so that he could start to flourish.
After losing his first job during the dot.com bubble burst in the late 1990’s, Jack and his university friend Toby started what became the Scanning Pen business.
After first discovering a basic version of a text to audio pen, Jack instantly saw the benefits of this technology for people with Dyslexia. Today, after a lot of hard work, the technology has developed and there are many varieties of Scanning Pens including pens which have been approved to be used in exams in the UK.
Scanning Pens is only a game changer for many people in the UK but it is exported across the world. In 2023, Jack and his business partner were presented with an OBE or ‘services to international trade, and to the dyslexia, and special educational needs and disabilities community’.
In this episode you get to hear how Scanning Pens started, how they’ve developed over the years, the variety of pens which are available, and what the future looks like for Assistive Tech.
Struggling with dyslexia at schoolFinding support when diagnosed The beginnings of the Scanning Pen The Development of Scanning Pens andThe future for Scanning Pens
Key Topics:-
Proudly sponsored by neurobox. Working together with organisations and employees neurobox builds neuroinclusive workplaces. They do this by creating awareness, improving wellbeing, and breaking down barriers through their tailored end-to-end support programmes.For more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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There’s no Money in the NHS for Adult ADHD!
These are the words which our guest, Sarah Templeton, heard for NHS GPs time and time again before having to go private to prove that she did in fact have ADHD!That diagnosis of ADHD then kicked off the diagnosis of other conditions for Sarah, such as Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia and sensory processing disorder! And all this in her 50’s!
Looking back, Sarah shares with us that the turning point in her life was when the un-diagnosed ADHD and Dyscalculia changed the course of her education throughout her teenage years. Not having had accommodations for ADHD and Dyscalculia she failed her 12+ exam and missed the opportunity to go to Grammar School and spent her teenage years in a Secondary State School which could not support her gifts.
Decades later, Sarah was shocked to find that the school system has not improved in screening children for these conditions which otherwise could change the course of their lives.
Diven to make sure that others do not have to go through her experience, Sarah is a recognised specialist in neurodiversity awareness and a passionate advocate for screening for ADHD in the criminal justice system.
Today, Sarah has over 9 years of experience in counselling, education, and community support. Sarah is the founder of ADHD LIBERTY - Charity, a non-profit organisation that provides free and confidential screening for ADHD and related conditions to adolescents and adults involved in the justice system.
To add to all her amazing work in this field, Sarah has authored three best-selling books on parenting and teaching ADHD kids, and a frequent keynote speaker, court and media expert, and campaigner on neurodiversity issues.
Working closely with the police, prisons, probation, youth offending services, and other agencies, Sarah ensures that each offender has their conditions identified and the correct support put in place to enable them to engage fully in education and employment. I believe that screening for ADHD can reduce reoffending, improve mental health, and unlock the potential of neurodiverse individuals.
ADHD LIBERTY
Key Topics:
Finding out Sarah has ADHD and other neurodiversity in her 50’sImpact on non-diagnosis in her childhood, Screening for ADHD and other neurodiversities in the CJS.-
Proudly sponsored by neurobox. Working together with organisations and employees neurobox builds neuroinclusive workplaces. They do this by creating awareness, improving wellbeing, and breaking down barriers through their tailored end-to-end support programmes.For more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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This story starts when I turned 18 years old, it was 2002, I was riding a Honda - CB400 Super 4, mid-length hair, at College doing Automotive Engineering, and Dyslexia was not something I talked about.
At this point in my life career advisors would push university on you. But I WAS DONE! I poured everything I had into my College course.
And this is where I took my life in a Direction I didn't think I would (or could).
I started working as a mechanic servicing Trucks for Volo and as time ticked by I lost interest and I wanted more for myself.
I saw an amazing job opportunity to test engines to destruction, essentially BLOWING engines up! But the employer wanted an Engineering Degree. So that's what I did, but not before Imposter Syndrome hit. Feeling not capable and not in the right place.
But I managed to complete the degree as a mature student and pursue my dream career, starting on a graduate scheme at age 30.
But one thing that has stuck around since that start of this story is Dyslexia. It's not something I had talked about until I was well in to my 30's but I had never let it hold me back. I gave it all I had with all the grit and determination I could muster.
In this episode, I share my story of my life with Dyslexia, going to college and university, and pursuing my dream career.
Key Topics:
Motorbikes,Going to college,Going to University as a mature Student Discovering my dream career-
Proudly sponsored by neurobox. Working together with organisations and employees neurobox builds neuroinclusive workplaces. They do this by creating awareness, improving wellbeing, and breaking down barriers through their tailored end-to-end support programmes.For more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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What's the BIGGEST misconception about Dyslexia?
People with Dyslexia can’t learn to read or write.
Well in this episode of the Podcast, we hear from Kait Feriante from Chicago to share with us why she is on a mission to help everyone struggling with literacy realise their potential and grow confidence to achieve their dreams and aspirations.
Growing up in Albania and travelling the world with her parents, Kait was exposed to a wide variety of different educational models from country to country. From this experience, she found that there are many routes to learning.
Kait shares that she believes everyone thinks differently therefore everyone’s education, especially those who are neurodiverse, should have a tailored education to meet their way of learning.
Kait shares that each teacher needs a big educational tool box to enable them to select the right tools to fit the situation of the student. Even in Dyslexia, there is no ‘one- size fits all’!
Through her experience as a teacher and tutor, she witnessed firsthand the discrepancy between different socio-economic backgrounds. She saw that the better access you have to resources, the more support you will have and the more likely the student is to succeed.
Not content with the inequality, Kait founded Redwood Literacy, with her partner, to see the evidence-based reading intervention they had seen change the course of many of their student’s lives become more widely available to any student who needed it, regardless of age, geographical location, or socio-economic background.
At Redwood, they do this by using a 50/50 model, whereby 50% of their services fund the opportunity for 50% of Redwood’s students to receive services for free.
As of January 2021, Redwood is serving 290 students, with 160 of them having access to our services for free.
Learning to read and write with dyslexia.Tailoring education to each person's individual needs,Routes to Learning,Challenges with access to quality support dependant on socio-economic background.
Key Topics:Find Kait at.
Redwood LiteracyKait's LinkedIn-
Proudly sponsored by neurobox. Working together with organisations and employees neurobox builds neuroinclusive workplaces. They do this by creating awareness, improving wellbeing, and breaking down barriers through their tailored end-to-end support programmes.For more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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When Emily Gee became that student at school who was left behind and forgotten, it was hard to see where she fitted into the world. Always having that sense at school that something wasn’t quite right when struggling with common challenges of dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. Emily always found comfort and confidence in the performing arts.
Being a talented performer, Emliy found her place in the world, and whilst she would always struggle with the challenges which come from dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia, performing not only brings her joy, but is also the area where she excels the most in.
Surrounded by the right support and encouragement from some great teachers and her parents, Emily learnt to lean into her strengths in performing arts, share her talent with everyone, and not to overthink and dwell on what she found a challenge.
The traditional school system would commonly ask students to stand up and read chapters of books and write on the blackboard (old school interactive white boards for those who didn’t go to school in the 1980s). But never do teachers ask students to stand up in front of the class and sing. In Emily’s experience, she had teachers which would celebrate her talents by welcoming her to sing at the front of class as opposed to reading.
These early days of building confidence in your strengths as opposed to focusing on weaknesses are incredibly formative for most people with dyslexia. For Emily, with the support and encouragement she received, she studied performing arts at university and is now pursuing a career in that field.
From Emily’s experience, support for dyslexia was plentiful. Most teachers are fully aware of the challenges people with dyslexia face, and how to support them. However, this was not (and still is not) the case for dyscalculia.
Very little is known about dyscalculia, how to identify it at school, and to support people with dyscalculia. It is the reason and through Emily’s experience that she is an ambassador for the Dyscalculia Network.
Emily is now on a mission to share her experience and help others get the support for dyscalculia that they need as early as possible.
If you are a parent with a child who has early signs of either dyslexia, dyspraxia, or dyscalculia, this episode is for you.
https://dyscalculianetwork.com/dyscalculia-ambassador-emily-gee/https://dyscalculianetwork.com/Key Topics:
Surviving school with Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, and Dyspraxia. Leaning into her strengths through encouragement. Sharing experience to spread awareness.-
Proudly sponsored by neurobox. Working together with organisations and employees neurobox builds neuroinclusive workplaces. They do this by creating awareness, improving wellbeing, and breaking down barriers through their tailored end-to-end support programmes.For more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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When a life changing moment spawned a desire to understand herself more and figure out why she struggled with spelling and reading, our guest in this episode, Usha Patel, put aside all her years of training and experience as an Architect, and retrained as a Neurocognitive Therapist.
After setting up her own therapy practice in London in 2008, Usha has helped countless children and parents with dyslexia, dyspraxia, and ADHD. Because everyone is different and each brain works differently, Usha introduces unique and bespoke solutions for each child.
In Usha’s therapy sessions, she discovers how each child learns through the process of play. Using play as an ice breaker and a way to connect with children on their level, Usha gains their trust and finds a much deeper understanding of how their brain works.
One method which is not widely used in the UK but has found much success with Usha is the Infinity walk Method. Developed in the 1980s by clinical psychologist Deborah Sunbeck. Infinity Walk is a therapeutic method for progressively developing coordination. It strives to improve the sensorimotor functioning of those who practise it.
If you are a parent of a child with Dyslexia or ADHD, this episode is for you!
WebsiteCase Studies
Find Usha At:Key Topics:
What is Neurocognitive Therapy,How Neurocognitive Therapy could help you or your child,The Infinity Walk method, Reading techniques, andDyslexic challenges in the workplace.-
Proudly sponsored by neurobox. Working together with organisations and employees neurobox builds neuroinclusive workplaces. They do this by creating awareness, improving wellbeing, and breaking down barriers through their tailored end-to-end support programmes.For more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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What is it like working in the government? What is it like working in the front bench of the government? What is it like leading a major government department through a deadly pandemic? What is it like doing all that, with Dyslexia?
Well, that was the job of the well known and proud dyslexic, Matt Hancock.
Most people in the UK will know Matt Hancock as the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and he became a very familiar face during the COVID -19 pandemic.
What most people may not know is that Matt Hancock is a very proud dyslexic person.
In this episode of the podcast, Matt tells us about how his dyslexic strengths helped him to reach a senior level in government, in particular, Big Picture thinking, and Communication.
Now as a backbencher in government, Matt remains a big advocate for the dyslexic community and ensures that their needs are being heard by the very top, through the introduction of the “Dyslexia Screening and Teacher Training Bill” to parliament.
In this episode you will hear what led to Matt receiving a late diagnosis of dyslexia at the age of 18, while studying at Oxford University and the help that he then experienced which in turn, has supported him throughout his life.
WebsiteAccessible Learning Foundation
Recorded in person at The Dyslexia Show 2024 on 15th March 2024.
Find Matt at:Key Topics:
What is it like working in UK Politics as someone with dyslexia?UK GovernmentCOVID -19 The Dyslexia Screening and Teacher Training BillThe formation of the Accessible Learning Foundation-
Proudly sponsored by neurobox. Working together with organisations and employees neurobox builds neuroinclusive workplaces. They do this by creating awareness, improving wellbeing, and breaking down barriers through their tailored end-to-end support programmesFor more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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Do you find that, because of your dyslexia, you are interested in loads of different things which seemingly don't go together!? Our host is an Automotive Engineer turned Dyslexic Podcaster, not an obvious link.
Well, this is the theme of this podcast.
This is a truly amazing life story of navigating dyslexia, travelling around Europe, writing, teaching and Eating Psychology Coaching!
In this episode we meet an amazing person, Kathy Elkind! Kathy has lived a full and exciting life all while navigating the challenges of dyslexia.
I think you can agree that, on the face of it, writing a book, planning for a 3 month expedition around Europe, training to be a coach and coaching people in Eating Psychology, and teaching don’t all naturally link together. But when you throw a Dyslexic mind into that mix. Suddenly it starts to make sense.
Kathy's story demonstrates how many dyslexic people are multi-interests people. Not only that, when we find something we’re passionate about we go ALL IN!
However, people with dyslexia can often feel guilty for having multiple interests which don't seem to marry together. When you listen to this episode you will feel inspired and empowered to keep up with all of your interests.
Kathy’s Book “To Walk it is to See it”Key Topics:
What is an Eating Psychology Coach?Teacher’s approach to Dyslexia through the decades,Taking an Adult Gap Year to go Travelling,How to support children with dyslexia or suspected dyslexia, Writing a book,Discovering ways to feel positive about your dyslexia!-
Proudly sponsored by neurobox. Working together with organisations and employees neurobox builds neuroinclusive workplaces. They do this by creating awareness, improving wellbeing, and breaking down barriers through their tailored end-to-end support programmesFor more hacks tip and tricks for dyslexia and full show notes please visit Dyslexia Life Hacks.
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