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About Daring Dyslexic
Hi I'm B, well, Bernadette actually, but what a shocker of a name to spell as a dyslexic kid! Yep, I'm a proud dyslexic and mum of a 10-year-old son (Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscualia, ADHD-Inattentive).
Welcome to the growing Daring Dyslexic community, a social enterprise with a mission - A significant mission: To see all children with Dyslexia be proud of who they are, know what they are capable of and see Dyslexia as the advantage it can be. With 100% of my profits going towards the screening and early intervention of Australian children. Because EVERY child should have access to the knowledge and support needed to thrive.
How did I get there? Like many people with Dyslexia of my generation, my school journey was anything but kind. I struggled at a time when there was minimal discussion about Dyslexia, let alone the effective strategies that could support my learning process. The narrative that was most often shared with me was that my brain didn't work as well as everyone else's, so I should lower my expectations.
By the time I was in year three, I was so far behind it was suggested that I repeat the school year. My only other option was to keep struggling, so I put my big girl pants on and did it. Sadly, this threw me into a whole new crisis of being bullied. A trauma that took some 20+ years to heal.
But it wasn't all doom and gloom. I also made a great group of friends, and as I transitioned into high school, the option to do more practical-based subjects helped me start to thrive. Nevertheless, I couldn't wait to be free from the constraints of school.
Within a few short years, I was operating a multi-million dollar business with tremendous success. At first, I thought it was luck, but over the next decade, I realised it had nothing to do with luck; I had a knack for business. My brain did work differently, and that was to my advantage.
The journey for my son has been considerably different. He was nearly four when I said to my husband I was pretty sure he had Dyslexia. I was seeing much of my own early behaviours in him. Based on this hunch, I started early intervention, and by the time he was 7, he was officially identified.
I am committed to supporting him on his journey in the most positive and influential way possible. Through my own experience, I know that it starts and ends with mindset and what he believes to be true about himself.
I'm a passionate champion of Dyslexia. I rebel against old, antiquated systems that have made us believe that Dyslexia is a deficit to be fixed, not a difference to be fostered. It is from this belief that Daring Dyslexic was born.
My focus is changing this narrative for current and future generations. To shift the stories about what it means to be a young person with Dyslexia, particularly in our mainstream school environments. There is no hiding the fact that some of our planet's greatest inventors, entrepreneurs, artists and contributors have Dyslexic brains, so it begs the question, why any child would ever be left in the back of a classroom believing they aren't smart or capable of great things. EVER.
So here I am, committed to supporting you in the most positive and influential way possible. Through my own experience and that of my son, I hope I can help you on your journey in some meaningful way.
I appreciate you being here.
B