Another terrific BBC News article: Songwriter Freya Ridings 'grateful' for dyslexia

[Deleted User]

I was very moved by this article of Paul Glynn for BBC Music about dyslexia sufferer Freya Ridings whose track Lost Without You she wrote was specially selected by Scott Mills as his tune of the week on BBC Radio 1.

This account could be most useful and encouraging to someone special and well loved here.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-45095942

Best wishes,

Mandy

Former Member

Thank you for sharing this Mandy, it is lovely hearing her story ♥️

Former Member

Thank-you for sharing,

I think it's great that people are so open about learning disabilities, as somebody who suffers from a learning disability 'dyspraxia' it's great to see people being so open and honest. I am open about my disability, it doesn't define who I am and I can still do everything I want to do in life, just sometimes have to do things differently.

Aoife

Thanks for sharing @Floxy. Such a lovely story. What she said here was really inspiring: 

Basically all my music teachers gave up on me, one by one. Then, at the age of nine, I started writing my own songs as no one would teach me anyone else's.

It's amazing she didn't give up when all her music teachers did. She's so talented!

[Deleted User]

Aife said:

Thanks for sharing @Floxy. Such a lovely story. What she said here was really inspiring: 

Basically all my music teachers gave up on me, one by one. Then, at the age of nine, I started writing my own songs as no one would teach me anyone else's.

It's amazing she didn't give up when all her music teachers did. She's so talented!

Yes, that girl was inspiring and courageous, too! And thank you @Aife thank for letting me know. So appreciated!

Former Member

Thank for the link, its very inspiring  

I get nervous mentioning my dyslexia and I get treated differently after I let someone know. My teachers will say, "its a good essay considering your disability." Which I feel like just translates to, 'its not good but heres a pat on the head for trying.' 

I'll also end up with teachers saying that, because of my dyslexia any deadline extensions will be looked at sympathetically. I don't want people to feel sorry for me or factor in my dyslexia into everything I do, I just want them to know I might take more time than others. I try to work really hard and I've got some very high grades on past essays, but still people seem surprised whenever I get good marks. 

My mum even said that when she found out I was dyslexic she was afraid I'd never make it anywhere. Too bad I'm stubborn as hell and will prove them all wrong. I wrote a 300 page book and I keep editing it and going over it so that one day I can have it printed and post a copy to everyone who ever told me I was stupid. But its not for them, its for me. I want to prove to myself I can write a book. I practice with short stories online and the comments I get on them are really motivating and mean so much to me. 

I didn't get a choice in being dyslexic, so I'm not going to let it stop me doing what I want to do.

Former Member

Eyepatch said:

Thank for the link, its very inspiring  

I get nervous mentioning my dyslexia and I get treated differently after I let someone know. My teachers will say, "its a good essay considering your disability." Which I feel like just translates to, 'its not good but heres a pat on the head for trying.' 

I'll also end up with teachers saying that, because of my dyslexia any deadline extensions will be looked at sympathetically. I don't want people to feel sorry for me or factor in my dyslexia into everything I do, I just want them to know I might take more time than others. I try to work really hard and I've got some very high grades on past essays, but still people seem surprised whenever I get good marks. 

My mum even said that when she found out I was dyslexic she was afraid I'd never make it anywhere. Too bad I'm stubborn as hell and will prove them all wrong. I wrote a 300 page book and I keep editing it and going over it so that one day I can have it printed and post a copy to everyone who ever told me I was stupid. But its not for them, its for me. I want to prove to myself I can write a book. I practice with short stories online and the comments I get on them are really motivating and mean so much to me. 

I didn't get a choice in being dyslexic, so I'm not going to let it stop me doing what I want to do.

I agree with you so much where you said ' I don't want people to feel sorry for me or factor in my dyslexia into everything I do, I just want them to know I might take more time than others'

I feel the same about my dyspraxia, when I started my current job I was working with people who didn't even want to take the time to understand me, they didn't like that I was slower than other staff there, and like you I wasn't looking for them to feel sorry for me, I just wanted them to understand. I can say that they never took the time, and I am now working with other staff at the same workplace, and the people there are a lot better with me. 



I find it so inspirational when people don't let a disability define who they are or where they want to go in life. I feel the same. It may just take me a bit longer to get there. 

Your amazing btw 

Former Member

@*BananaMonkey*

Thank you

Its great the new staff where you work a better, unfortunately there will always be some people who understand and others who don't take the time to. Sometimes its hard not to feel defined by dyslexia, especially when I come across a word I've tried to spell a hundred times and still can't seem to get the hang of, or when someone asks me to spell something out loud and I get all the letters jumbled. 

Its not the time it takes to do something, its the quality and the work you put into it that shows who you are I write stories online as practice and the comments I get are really motivational, you could try it too, with writing or artwork or anything.  

It does take time and I will sometimes have bad days when I feel useless, but looking back at work I've done helps. I can remember the time and effort I put in and how happy it made me, even if I wasn't as fast as others, I've still tried my best so that a I can be proud of the result.  

Former Member

Yeah I hear what your saying about it being hard to not feel defined by it, I am totally the same there are things that I see people do and they do it straight away, and don't have to take time. Take yesterday for example I was in London and I needed to plan my route home as there were different trains and changes and things and cos dyspraxia affects how I plan my thoughts it took me ages and I just couldn't work it all out .in the end I gave up. Not the attitude to have really, but sometimes I have too.

My inbox is always here if you ever wanna chat or anything cos I may not have dyslexia but I do understand what it's like.. 

Former Member

The London Underground is far to complicated for me, I usually have to google it and triple check everything. Even then I'll sometimes still feel totally overwhelmed. I'm so glad the lines are colour coded otherwise I'd have no idea what to look for.

And Same to you  

Former Member

Yeah I think it's quite confusing as well if you've not done that journey before too.