In Primary 1, my teacher told my parents that I wasn’t picking up the curriculum. By Primary 2, all I was doing in class was colouring in.

I think that’s why I’m so good at art now, because of my colouring in. Most of my hobbies are creative because it was initially recognised, and when something is recognised, you just keep going.

The teachers were lovely, but they didn’t have the right skills to help me thrive.
A friend of my mum’s suggested a supported learning school.

The new school was far from where I lived, so I didn’t get to go with friends from my street. I missed out on that.

I didn’t always feel supported in school. I found math and English very hard. This made me upset as I tried very hard to learn but I wasn’t getting the right help. Eventually, I said: let’s throw out the “right” way of learning—and let’s run with my way.

That mindset helped me become a leader. And I believe other children can develop leadership too—if they’re supported properly.

Supported learning made me stronger. But I still had gaps, and I still experienced bullying in school.

At first, I didn’t want to interact with other children, but over time, I did. Especially when I had someone beside me in the classroom, talking me through things. That’s when I started to blossom.

There’s no such thing as “I can’t be a leader.” Everyone can—with the right support.

There was one teacher I learned skills from that I would take into employment. She took me to the PE hall and got me to project my voice to the end of the room.

At first, I thought this was silly, but then I thought, you know what?

This is teaching me a valuable lesson that’s built my confidence at speaking up for myself, which encouraged me to present and educate others.
She didn’t have the training from anybody else.

She didn’t have special training—she just took the time to know me. And by doing that, she made history. She shaped my future.

If more teachers were trained to connect like that, we’d see more stories like mine.

There’s still too much stigma around learning disabilities. People assume we won’t succeed in the classroom. But everyone has a unique learning style—and if that’s recognised, we do better.

We need more training for teachers, especially from people with lived experience. Imagine if trainers with learning disabilities helped train the professionals. That would make a huge difference.

When teachers understand their students’ needs, they build real relationships. And that makes learning possible.

Some teachers believed all students should be taught the same way. But every child needs something different.

If I’d been given the right support in the nineties, I could’ve learned math and English more easily.

That kind of support only became common years later—and even now, it’s not always accessible. Parents need more information. Children need more early assessments. And schools need to be asking gentle, thoughtful questions about learning styles from the start.

We need to support parents, too, so they can ask for the help their child deserves.

I wouldn’t be who I am today without the support I eventually received. And now, I train and teach others because I believe in change.

I’m here. I have a voice. And I want to help others find theirs too.