Keira Knightley
She has spoken publicly about being dyslexic and told BBC Newsround it “doesn’t mean you’re stupid”.
Your report explains part of your story. It does not define your future.
Short pages. No lectures. Pick what is useful and ignore the rest.
Adults are allowed in—but this page is written for you.
What it explains
What dyslexia may help explain
Reading takes longer
You may read accurately but slowly, or lose your place.
Spelling is tricky
The same word can come out differently on different days.
Holding information
Instructions can slip away before you have used them.
Getting ideas down
What you know can be much more than what lands on the page.
It uses more energy
Working harder for longer is tiring. That is real, not laziness.
Dyslexia is part of how your brain processes some kinds of information. Some things may genuinely be harder because of it — and there are ways round many of them.
Just as important
What dyslexia does not mean
- It does not mean you are not clever.
- It does not mean you cannot read or write.
- It does not mean you cannot do the job you want one day.
- It does not mean you will always need the same help.
- It is not something you caused, and not something you can be told out of.
How it can feel
Sometimes it can feel really frustrating
Dyslexia does not only affect reading and spelling. It can affect how school feels. Not everyone recognises all of these, and some people recognise none of them.
- You know the answer but cannot get it onto paper quickly enough.
- Everyone else seems to have finished while you are still reading the question.
- You have checked a word three times and it still does not look right.
- Reading aloud makes you nervous, because you do not know which word might trip you up.
- You revise something and then cannot remember it when you need it.
- Someone tells you to try harder when you are already trying harder than everyone else.
- You get fed up with needing help.
- You avoid something because you are worried about getting it wrong.
You might feel angry, embarrassed, tired or simply completely fed up with it. Those feelings do not mean you are bad at learning.
Struggling with the same thing again and again is exhausting. Understanding why something is difficult can help you find a different way of doing it.
If it still feels heavy
Talk to someone you trust: a parent or carer, a teacher, a teaching assistant, the SENCo or another adult at school. Saying it out loud usually makes it smaller.
If you feel low or worried for more than a few weeks, tell an adult so they can help you get support. In the UK you can also contact Childline free on 0800 1111, at any time.
What can I do?
Things worth trying
Try this
- If reading a whole page feels overwhelmingCover part of it and work through one section at a time.
- If you know the answer but writing slows you downAsk whether you can type, record a voice note or use speech-to-text.
- If instructions disappear from your headAsk for them written down as well as spoken, or repeat them back to check.
- If a long task feels impossible to startAsk which part matters most, and do that part first.
None of these will suit everyone. Try one, keep it if it helps, drop it if it does not.
Strengths
Strengths you might recognise
There isn’t one dyslexic personality. You might recognise some of these in yourself, or none of them. Both are completely normal.
Big-picture thinking
Spotting how things connect, not only the details.
Talking ideas through
Many people explain far more out loud than on paper.
Making and designing
Building, drawing, filming, cooking, coding, performing.
Problem solving
Finding a different route when the usual one is blocked.
Understanding people
Noticing when someone else is finding something hard.
Persistence
You have already kept going through difficult work.
Dyslexia does not have to come with a special talent to be valid.
Watch
Videos about dyslexia
Nothing plays on its own. Choose a video and it opens here.
British Dyslexia Association
A short animation explaining what dyslexia is, made by the British Dyslexia Association.
Bella Thorne
An actor describing what dyslexia was like for her at school, in her own words.
Lizzie Acker
The Bake Off baker talks about her own dyslexia with the British Dyslexia Association.
More videos are being added
Space is kept here for young people talking about dyslexia, study strategies and short explanations. Only videos we have checked are added.
Read
Interviews and articles
These are written pieces rather than videos, so they open on the original site.
Lewis Hamilton
He has said he did not know he was dyslexic until he was 17, and has told his young niece that they are “no less” — their minds work in different ways.
Lizzie Acker
She says she was diagnosed in primary school, when it was clear she was struggling.
People you may recognise
People who have talked about being dyslexic
Not a list of famous names for the sake of it. Each of these people has publicly described their own experience, and every point comes from a source you can check.
Being dyslexic is not the interesting part of anyone’s story. What they did with their time is.
Some of these people found out early, some found out very late. None of them stopped being dyslexic when things went well.
Keira Knightley
Actor, Pirates of the Caribbean and Pride and Prejudice.
She has spoken publicly about being dyslexic and told BBC Newsround it “doesn’t mean you’re stupid”.
Take from this: Having a reason to read that you actually care about can make the practice feel worth it.
Lewis Hamilton
Formula 1 world champion.
He has said he did not know he was dyslexic until he was 17, and has told his young niece that they are “no less” — their minds work in different ways.
Take from this: Some people find out late. Finding out earlier gives you more time to work with it.
Bella Thorne
Actor and writer.
She has spoken openly about being called stupid at school before she could read well.
Take from this: What other people say about your reading is not a measure of your mind.
Lizzie Acker
Baker from The Great British Bake Off and a British Dyslexia Association ambassador.
She says she was diagnosed in primary school, when it was clear she was struggling.
Take from this: Early difficulty at school is one chapter, not the whole story.
Choose your page
Where are you right now?
Three pages, each with practical ideas and things you could say.
I’m at primary schoolHelp with reading, writing, instructions and finding an adult to talk to.Open this page I’m at secondary schoolHelp with different subjects, homework, organisation and asking for support.Open this page I’m at sixth form or collegeHelp with independent study, assignments and preparing for what comes next.Open this page
My Learning Snapshot
A short, private page where you can note what helps you and what you would like adults to understand. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Open My Learning Snapshot