Issue 26: Empowered by Dyslexia Struggles - My Passion to Help Others Thrive | Hannah Milton | Dyslexia LaunchPad

Why was it so easy for them but so difficult for me?

I still remember sitting in my school classroom, watching my peers breeze through their work while I struggled to keep up. It wasn't that I wasn't trying - I was trying harder than most. But no matter how much effort I put in, reading, spelling, and processing information took me significantly longer than it did for my classmates. I felt the weight of frustration and self-doubt pressing down on me. Why was it so easy for them but so difficult for me?

My parents and teachers shared my concerns, and when I was around nine years old, they decided to have me assessed for dyslexia. The assessment was held in the principal's office—a place I had never stepped foot in before. It felt like an intimidating and mysterious space, adding to my already nervous energy. I remember wanting to impress the assessor, to prove that I was intelligent. I had just learned a difficult song in music class that listed all 50 U.S. states in alphabetical order. In my mind, I imagined she would ask me to name a state, and I'd be able to reel off all 50 in perfect order. She would think I was a genius! Of course, that question never came up, and instead, the results confirmed what my teachers and parents suspected - I was dyslexic.

Surprisingly, rather than feeling defeated, I felt relief—finally understanding that I wasn't stupid, just a different kind of learner.

Surprisingly, rather than feeling defeated, I felt relief—finally understanding that I wasn't stupid, just a different kind of learner. My parents, teachers, and assessor explained dyslexia to me in a way that lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. I began working with a dyslexia tutor, which helped me make significant strides in reading and spelling. Even with the right support, however, school still felt unfair. My friends could finish their homework in under an hour, while I spent entire evenings struggling through assignments. I longed to be outside playing, enjoying my childhood, rather than battling with words on a page.