HOW DID JAMIE OLIVER OVERCOME HIS BIGGEST OBSTACLE?

In the past, being diagnosed with dyslexia often created a whole lot of problems for kids at school.

There was a stigma attached to it and kids were made to feel as though they were under achievers and teachers didn’t know what to do with them.

But perhaps not being diagnosed was even worse, with kids spending their whole school life wanting to learn and not knowing what was wrong with them. Dyslexia often meant being singled out and thought of as a ‘problem’. Kids would often give up and drop out and never realise their potential.

Things have changed dramatically in classrooms over the last decade when it comes to nurturing kids with dyslexia.

Dyslexic minds process information differently. This can create problems in the classroom, but it also means that people with dyslexia can think more laterally, are often creative and are good problem solvers.

Some of the world’s most successful people are dyslexic.

Dyslexia doesn’t have to be a disadvantage. With good support, kids can thrive in the right environment and enjoy learning in the classroom.

We are loving the videos by famous and successful dyslexics on the Made By Dyslexia website. The videos are candid and encouraging for kids and their families.

The website also offers practical support and solutions. They are developing campaigns and tools for people needing help and encouragement.

The first video launched is an interview with Jamie Oliver.

Although Jamie loved school because of the social aspect, he was shuffled off to a special class for kids with various learning disabilities and was made to feel as though he didn’t have anything to offer.

Thankfully he didn’t let this affect him. Although academically he suffered during his school years, overall he found school enjoyable and didn’t drop because of his teacher’s treatment of him.

After finishing school, Jamie followed his passions and found that he was not only bright, but talented and driven. He discovered his desire for cooking and the rest is history.

Jamie Oliver is just one of the hugely successful dyslexics featured on the website, others being Richard Branson, Henry Ford and Albert Einstein. (Where are the ladies you ask? We did too…and did our own research; actress/comedian Whoopi Goldberg, human rights activist Erin Brokovich, world record sailing champion Jessica Watson, Nobel Prize winner Professor Elizabeth Blackburn to name a few).

With the right diagnosis, understanding and support, kids with dyslexia don’t need to lose their confidence and fall behind.

Dyslexia needs to stop being perceived as a disadvantage and start being seen as gift – because being unique and thinking differently is sometimes exactly what the world needs.