Issue 30: My Past Empowered my Future | Alexie Better

For as long as I can remember, learning felt like trying to unlock a door without the right key. I sat in classrooms watching other students seem to understand things effortlessly, while I worked twice as hard just to keep up. Words didn’t behave the way they were supposed to. Letters blurred, sounds slipped away, and no matter how much I tried, reading and writing never felt natural to me. What people didn’t always see was the effort behind it all. The extra tutoring.

The long hours. The frustration that built quietly over time and the question that sat heavily in the background, “Why is this so easy for everyone else but so hard for me?” At the time, I didn’t have the language to understand what I was experiencing. My dyslexia was undiagnosed, and like many children in similar situations, I began to internalise the struggle. It wasn’t just about learning anymore; it became about identity and who I was. I started to believe that maybe I just wasn’t capable, maybe I would never be good enough.

The Turning Point

What changed everything for me wasn’t a single moment; it was persistence and hard work. My parents never gave up on me. They saw something in me that I couldn’t yet see in myself. They instilled resilience, determination, and the belief that just because something is difficult doesn’t mean it’s impossible. And slowly over time, I began to find my way. Not the traditional way, not the easy way, but my way, and that made all the difference.

Finding My Purpose Through My Struggles

As I grew older, I found myself reflecting more deeply on my own journey. I began to notice the children who reminded me of myself, the ones sitting quietly in classrooms, trying their best, but still feeling like they were falling behind. The ones who were misunderstood, overlooked, or labelled incorrectly. And I couldn’t ignore it because I knew exactly how they felt. That was the moment I realised my struggles weren’t just something I had overcome, they were something I could use. I didn’t just want to help these children. I needed to.

Creating What I Once Needed

In 2018, everything changed. I founded Better Multisensory Learning Centre. This wasn’t just the start of a business; it was the beginning of a mission. A mission to create the kind of support I had once needed but had to search so hard to find. A space where children didn’t have to feel “less than”, a place where they felt safe and accepted, even when they learned differently.

Effective education starts with understanding that every learner is different.

Changing The Way We Teach

Effective education starts with understanding that every learner is different. Instead of expecting students to fit one way of teaching, teaching should adapt to the learner. Multisensory approaches are very effective because they involve seeing, hearing, and doing, which helps learners understand and remember more easily. Clear and structured teaching is also important, breaking skills into small steps with plenty of practice. These strategies are especially helpful for students with learning differences, but they support all learners. At my centre, these principles guide each session to ensure learning is engaging and suited to the individual. Today, more educators and therapists around the world understand how to support neurodiverse learners, meaning future students will greatly benefit from this growing awareness and support.