Your Say: Abby on Dyslexia and Changing Schools
If you’ve got dyslexia and are starting at a new school, you may have some worries. You could be wondering what it will be like… and will you get the support you need?
If this is the case, you might find it reassuring to hear from Abby. Abby is a pupil who goes to secondary school in Scotland and has dyslexia.
She has shared her thoughts and experiences Dyslexia Scotland’s magazine Dyslexia Voice, and this is what she said…
HOW DID ABBY FEEL ABOUT MOVING FROM PRIMARY TO SECONDARY?
ABBY: “Before I came up to High School I was worried about lots of different things. However, I am very glad that my worries have not become a reality….“
“My first worry was that people might pick on me. I want to tell you that nobody picks on you because you have dyslexia – in fact nobody even knows that you have it.”
SOMETIMES PEOPLE WITH DYSLEXIA CAN USE TOOLS IN CLASS TO HELP THEM LEARN. HOW DID ABBY FIND THIS?
ABBY:“At first I didn’t feel confident about bringing out my coloured overlay in class [a learning tool I need to help me with my dyslexia]. But nobody mentioned the fact that I was using it and lots of other pupils were using them too. We now have every colour of overlay available in each department across the school.”
WHAT DID ABBY FIND DIFFICULT ABOUT BEING IN CLASS?
ABBY: “I was very worried about people asking me to read aloud in class. In fact people don’t ask me to do this very often.”
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WORRIED ABBY ABOUT SCHOOL?
ABBY:“I was also worried about the work that we would have to do. I was afraid that the tasks set might be too hard for me. In fact, the teachers are happy to work with you if you find tasks difficult or give you different sheets to do to help you learn best.”
Thanks to Abby for sharing her experience.
Here are some takeaways from what she said:
➜ You don’t need to feel self conscious about your dyslexia
➜ It’s ok if you need to bring special equipment to classes to help you learn
➜ You can tell the teacher if reading aloud in front of the class is hard for you
➜ If your school work worries you, try talking to your teachers.
If you haven’t had the same positive experience as Abby, try talking to someone you trust. You can also get advice about bullying here.
A big thank you to Abby and Dyslexia Scotland for letting us feature this piece, which first appeared in Dyslexia Scotland’s magazine Dyslexia Voice.
Looking for more info and support about dyslexia? We love Dyslexia Unwrapped, the online hub for young people with dyslexia.
More advice
Information to help you get the right support when moving to a different school.
Read about some of the differences between primary and secondary school. and the type of support you could get.
Advice from pupils about their experiences of meeting new people at school.