All over the world, adults are making decisions for children with dyslexia. Teachers, politicians, education policy-makers and even parents… we impart our wisdom and experience on to them. We think we know what’s best for them. Yet, for parents of a dyslexic child, there is hope, with positive at-home support being really important for a child's confidence and success. Richard Branson's message to parents is simple. "The most important thing is to realise it (dyslexia) can be a gift. Don't be discouraged. Dyslexia is just a different way of seeing the world, a different way of processing information, and a different way of coming up with great ideas".

I work in a high school and recently I have seen an influx of students who are dyslexic or who have dyslexic tendencies. As a teaching assistant I am meant to be able to help these students with their struggles but it has always been baffling to me to understand the struggle because reading and writing came so naturally to me. I’ve read up on dyslexia and spoke to some experts but I have found both experiences very cold and clinical. Again, we can see trailblazers in this aspect, Rolls Royce for example, who recently adjusted their internship selection process to be more neurodiverse inclusive, by making only a few small minor changes: Business leaders from major companies, including HSBC, Facebook and Microsoft have begun advocating that employers seek out and celebrate workers who have alternative ways of thinking.For the most part, you won't directly see my dyslexia. You could have a cup of coffee next to me while I work and all you'd see is color coding, taking notes, and using Grammarly. Nothing too unusual, right? So, why bring it up, why write about it? I wanted to share that I'm dyslexic because the biggest area in my professional development that being dyslexic has impacted is my leadership style. It's made me look at how my team needs to take on new information. It makes me work a little harder to make sure my entire team is included and feels comfortable and confident moving forward with projects and can progress in their career fields. It's made me more sensitive the the fact that we all have challenges that we're working to overcome. It's made me more compassionate and fight to ensure my teams and cohorts have whatever tools they need to be successful at their disposal. Branson credits his mother with nurturing his 'crazy ideas' rather than trying to curb them. Photo / Getty Images Like any learning disability dyslexia can present challenges to school pupils throughout their education and people with dyslexia might feel like they are different to other people. Yes it is true that the dyslexic brain works differently but in fact this makes having dyslexia a positive attribute. Get the latest news to your inbox

The British Dyslexia Association define dyslexia as, ‘ a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent reading and spelling’ which occurs across all intellectual abilities and is absolutely not an indicator of poor thinking skills (more about this later!). Dyslexic individuals might also struggle with aspects of co-ordination, language, concentration and personal organisation. It is important to recognise, though, that these things are not indicators of dyslexia but more like accompanying difficulties that some people might also experience. Before understanding why Sir Branson’s particular brand of advocacy might be harmful, we must first understand the current societal context in which it was said. Neurodiversity, although a term only coined relatively recently by renowned sociologist Judy Singer, is getting more attention than ever before, which in no small part is thanks to the attention Branson and other high-profile individuals have brought to the concept, which is and should always be seen as, incredibly commendable. In fact, over the last five years searches for the term “Neurodiversity” have increased by 7,100% and then a further 300% in the first half of 2022 alone. I embrace thinking differently. My mind works like the spider web diagrams we teach kids in elementary school. It's not always linear. I can, and do, think linearly but I am also thinking of the things that will intersect and influence the progression of projects or marketing initiatives. This strength makes it easier for me to spot patterns and see trends in data. It's easy for me to connect the dots and figure out how complex systems should work together. Seeing the bigger picture – people with dyslexia often see a situation holistically enabling them to focus on the important elements without getting lost in the detail.NID cookie, set by Google, is used for advertising purposes; to limit the number of times the user sees an ad, to mute unwanted ads, and to measure the effectiveness of ads. https://www.theliteracynest.com/2018/06/the-top-ten-books-about-dyslexia-for-parents-and-teachers.html Reviewer expertise: Directly supporting families of children with learning difficulties including dyslexia. What is the book about and who is it aimed at?

Deborah Hewes, Editor of "Embrace a Different Kind of Mind - Personal Stories of Dyslexia" and DAS Head of Publicity and Publications

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I feel like my brain is creatd in the way no one else’s is. I think of a brain being shot by a lightning bolt of smartness.” Rcihard Branson, Virgin founder and self-made billionaire, says neurodiversity (which includes dyslexia, ASD and ADHD just to name a few) can give businesses a successful edge. Photo / suppplied