Have you ever told someone you are dyslexic and quickly realised they think it only means difficulty with reading, writing or spelling?
There can be so much more to it than that.
For me, time awareness can be a real issue. I can become so focused on something that hours pass without me noticing. Before I know it, I have forgotten to eat, barely had a drink and am wondering why I have a headache.
This focus can be a real strength, but it also depends on the environment. Put me somewhere quiet with few distractions and I can become completely absorbed in a task. Put me in a busy room with phones ringing, people talking and constant interruptions, and it can be a very different story.
That is my experience, though. Dyslexia can look completely different for someone else.
I am a dyslexic occupational therapist with lived experience of burnout. Through Dyslexic OT, I support adults to understand what is going on for them, reduce unnecessary barriers and find practical ways of working and living that suit their needs.
There is no single way to be dyslexic.
One person may be able to explain an idea clearly during a conversation but struggle to put the same thoughts into an email or report.
Someone else may understand verbal instructions at the time but find that parts of the information have disappeared by the time they return to their desk.
Another person may be brilliant at seeing the bigger picture, solving problems and coming up with ideas, but become overwhelmed by all the smaller steps needed to finish the task.
Dyslexia can also look like spending much longer on work than other people realise. Someone may reread an email several times, repeatedly check dates or work late to make sure they have not missed anything.
From the outside, they may appear to be coping well. Behind the scenes, they may be using a huge amount of energy to keep up.
It can also affect confidence. Years of feeling slower, being corrected or being told to try harder can lead people to doubt themselves, even when they are skilled and experienced.
At the same time, dyslexic people may have strengths in areas such as creativity, empathy, visual thinking, practical problem-solving and seeing connections that other people may miss.
What matters is understanding how dyslexia affects the individual person rather than assuming everyone needs the same support.
“What is occupational therapy?” is a question every occupational therapist, Occupational Therapist student and occupational therapy assistant has probably answered more times than they can remember.
The simple answer is that occupational therapists support people to take part in the everyday activities they need, want or are expected to do.
In occupational therapy, an occupation is not only your job. It can include writing a report, attending a meeting, preparing dinner, managing family appointments, studying, parenting, looking after yourself or keeping on top of home admin.
Occupational therapists are big-picture thinkers. This may be one of the reasons the profession appealed to me as a dyslexic thinker.
When someone tells us they are struggling with something, we do not only look at the difficulty itself. We want to understand what else is going on.
For example, someone may say they struggle to remember information at work. An occupational therapist may ask:
This is why occupational therapists ask a lot of questions. We are not being nosy. We are trying to understand the whole picture so that any strategies or changes are relevant to the person.
Occupational therapists often look at the relationship between three areas:
The Person
We consider the person’s strengths, needs, energy, confidence, preferences, previous experiences and goals.
I would want to understand what helps you concentrate, how you prefer to receive information, when your energy is highest and which situations leave you feeling overwhelmed.
I would also want to know what you are good at and what matters to you. Support should not only focus on difficulties.
The Environment
The environment can make a task easier or much harder.
This includes the physical environment, such as noise, lighting and interruptions. It can also include workplace culture, communication, management style, expectations, time pressures and whether someone feels safe asking for support.
Someone may think they are poor at following instructions when the real issue is being given several verbal instructions in a noisy room.
Sometimes people believe they are the problem when the environment is creating unnecessary barriers.
The Task or Occupation
We also look closely at the activity the person is trying to complete.
Someone may say:
“I struggle with writing reports.”
But when we look more closely, it may not be the whole report that is difficult.
They may struggle to get started, organise their ideas, remember the relevant information or turn their thoughts into clear sentences.
Once we understand which part is causing the difficulty, we can begin to look at practical changes.
Bringing the Whole Picture Together
The person, environment and task all affect each other.
For example, speech-to-text software may help someone get their ideas down. However, it may not be useful if they work in a busy shared office and do not feel comfortable speaking aloud.
This is why the same strategy will not work for everyone. It needs to fit the person, their environment and what they are trying to do.
Occupational therapy support may include helping someone to:
This is not about handing everyone the same planner or recommending the latest app.
A strategy is only helpful if it works in the person’s real life. There is no point creating a complicated system that becomes another thing to manage.
Sometimes the most useful changes are simple: clearer written instructions, fewer interruptions, a checklist, a more suitable workspace or permission to complete a task differently.
Explore: We look at how dyslexia affects your work, daily life and wellbeing, as well as your strengths and priorities.
Understand: We make sense of the factors influencing the difficulty, including your environment, routines, energy and previous experiences.
Adapt: We identify practical changes, strategies, technology or adjustments that may help.
Empower: You develop greater self-awareness, confidence and the ability to communicate what you need.
Thrive: The aim is to create ways of working and living that feel meaningful, sustainable and authentic.
Dyslexia coaching, study-skills support and workplace needs assessments can all be valuable.
Occupational therapy brings a particular focus on participation in everyday life.
We consider the person’s wellbeing, environment, routines, roles, responsibilities and the activities they need or want to complete.
It is not only about becoming more productive. It is about understanding the whole picture and reducing the barriers that make everyday life harder than it needs to be.
I do not believe dyslexic people need fixing.
Sometimes what needs to change is the environment, the task or the expectations being placed on the person.
My role is not to tell someone how they should work or live. It is to work alongside them, help them understand what is going on and find practical changes that make life feel more manageable.
Sometimes a relatively small change can remove a barrier that someone has spent years blaming themselves for.