Dyslexia Support: A Lifelong Struggle
In a candid interview with Sunday Life, North Down MP Alex Easton shared his lifelong struggle with dyslexia, revealing the profound impact it has had on his confidence and career in politics. The learning difficulty, previously known as word blindness, significantly affects a person’s ability to read and write fluently. For Alex, it made his political career particularly challenging.
“I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was eight,” Alex explains. “I used to think I was sick because I had to spend so much time trying to keep up with schoolwork compared to other people. I always had to work a lot harder to achieve my goals and dreams.”
The Challenge of Dyslexia in Politics
For Alex, writing and delivering speeches in the Assembly was especially nerve-racking. “When writing speeches for the Assembly, I would be working on them for many hours and over the weekends,” he shares. “Writing a speech and trying to commit it to memory is a tough thing to ask the dyslexic brain to do. If you know anything about how the dyslexic brain processes information, you will know that when you are asked a question, your brain can start playing tricks on you.”
This constant struggle severely impacted Alex’s confidence, but a chance meeting with constituent Susan Steele from Bangor changed everything. Susan, who has sons with traits of ADHD and dyslexia, had developed a balance and coordination programme that showed dramatic improvements in her boys within a year. Motivated by her success, she left her job of 26 years to open Performance Breakthrough, a centre dedicated to providing dyslexia support.
A Life-Changing Programme
Alex’s journey with Performance Breakthrough began with a simple KitKat. Susan recalls their first conversation, “The first time I spoke to Alex, I had sent a KitKat to every councillor and MLA in Northern Ireland to raise awareness of my programme. When I spoke to Alex, he mentioned he was dyslexic.”
From there, a remarkable partnership began. Susan asked Alex about his ultimate goal in politics, and he replied, “Westminster.” Susan confidently told him, “I’ll help you get there,” and she did.
Alex diligently completed the 12-month programme, which uses balance boards and simple tools like bean bags, based on the science of neuroplasticity. The programme aims to help the brain create new neural connections by improving balance, coordination, visual tracking, auditory processing, and sensory processing.
Transcript from Our Meeting with Alex Easton
Here’s an excerpt from our conversation with Alex, shedding light on his experience with dyslexia and the programme:
Susan Steele: Mr. Alex Easton, MP, huge congratulations on making it. You’ll remember the first day we talked, I told you a little bit about what I did with children, with adults who had dyslexia, ADHD, autism, et cetera. And you said to me, you had dyslexia.
Alex Easton: Yep.
Susan: And I said, right, okay, so how does that affect you in The Assembly, and you told me that you’d be writing your script, all weekend, spending ages on it, going over it, and can you remember what you told me whenever you’d be standing in the Assembly giving your speech? What would be happening?
Alex: Yeah, well, my mind would be going over time, just sort of going, have I got this right, have I missed words out, have I missed letters out, panicking in case somebody was going to ask me a question. I hadn’t retained it in my mind, so it was a whirlwind. Okay. Okay. And stressful.
Susan: Yeah, it was very stressful. Okay. And I said to you, I can help you with all that. And then I asked you, what is your ultimate goal in politics? And you said, I want to get to Westminster. And what did I say?
Alex: You said to me that you would get me to Westminster. And you did.
Susan: And I did! I did. And, we had fun doing it.
You can watch our full interview below:
Looking Ahead with Dyslexia Support NI
Alex’s experience is a testament to the power of perseverance and the right support. “The programme effectively improved how my dyslexic brain processed information,” Alex says. “It organised my thoughts, removed that chaos that had plagued me, and built my confidence enough to work towards my goal of running for MP.”
Susan Steele is delighted to have played a part in Alex’s journey. She reflects, “I told Alex I’d get him to Westminster, and I did. The work I did with Alex effectively rewired his brain and enabled him to address the NI Assembly and now Westminster with confidence.”
Susan is holding an information evening at Corrs Corner Hotel, Newtownabbey on 7th August at 7 pm.
To book, go to Eventbrite and search for ‘Dyslexia, ADHD/Antrim’ or visit Eventbrite.
For more information about Performance Breakthrough, visit Performance Breakthrough.
Alex Easton’s story is not just one of personal triumph but also an inspiration for others facing similar challenges. With the right support and dedication, overcoming dyslexia is possible, and achieving your dreams is within reach. If you’re looking for dyslexia support NI, look no further than Performance Breakthrough for your Child or for Yourself
