Thinking Out Of The Box

This is a blog about a dog called Toby. 

I read a very interesting blog yesterday by fellow dyspraxic Alice about  visual perception and how we see things differently being dyspraxic if you haven't already have a read it's well worth having a look,  https://alittlemoreunderstanding.wordpress.com/2015/10/26/visual-perception-and-seeing-things-differently/  in her blog she talks about how some people with dyspraxia can struggle being aware of our body language, interpreting others body language and others misinterpreting non verbal clues, as it's something I struggle with I thought I would write a blog about it.

As always with my blogs no two people with dyspraxia are the same and not everyone will find this difficult.

When people think about communication they often think of just verbal speech, but non verbal communication is something many do in day to day life and don't have to think about it, for some of us it can make social situations tricky, anxiety provoking and exhausting.

When we interact with others, we continuously give and receive wordless signals. All of our non verbal behaviour from the gestures we make, the way we sit, how fast or how loud we talk, how close we stand, how much eye contact we make sends messages.  For people with dyspraxia who may struggle with this it can mean that people may misinterpret what we mean to say or how we feel.

People with dyspraxia may struggle with this mainly due to how our brains process information at different speed and in a different due to the difference in the ways the brain is wired and the information therefore is processed along those wires. I wish there was a way for the outside world to visibly see this.

The amount of times people have asked me to smile, or that "am I ok?" as my body language is making me look like I'm terrified or being stand offish,  sometimes I might fold my arms and look like I'm really bored and tired, but in reality I'm feeling fine, my body language is frustratingly showing off a different message, which can be ok for people who know us well but for strangers, or people who don't know us well it can mean people can struggle to read us for who we are given the invisible nature of dyspraxia and people not being able to visibly see why someone is doing something differently.
With supportive people it's something I've become more aware of, but still makes me feel anxious and self concious about as being the sensitive soul I am I would hate for someone to think I'm being rude.

When I was younger the only person I found comfortable to give eye contact to was my mum, over time with practice I've become better at it even though it's something which doesn't come naturally to me, when I'm tired or stressed I find it a lot harder. Sometimes I can speak far too loudly without realising but also at times be really softly spoken which means people struggle to hear what I'm saying. I remember being in a pub with my grandad who struggled with hearing and we both got told we were speaking far too loudly, much to the amusement of my grandma and mum.

When I do get upset, feel anxious, or feel excited and happy, I find my body language is very over exaggerated and I physically show it, I sometimes find it difficult to contain it and it ends up coming out by either pacing or making random physical movements. Again everyone is different and expresses emotion in their own unique way. Even though those close to me have accepted it as me being me again it can be difficult for those who might not know me well enough to understand why.

Something which I think is important as social media is around us so much is being aware how messages are conveyed to those who may struggle with all of the above, when it's just plain text I struggle sometimes to understand someone's intentions as you can't see tone of voice or any body language, I might take it literally and worry I might have upset them and done something wrong when in reality it's far from the case. It's also why I'm against indirecting, there is just no need and can make a situation upsetting for someone. If you know someone who struggles with this, be mindful how you talk to them online, think how you word your messages, little things like emojis can help.

As I say in many of my blogs it's so important not to make judgements, get to know people properly and have an open mind  you never know how others see the world differently and if you know someone who struggles try and help them as best you can, or by explaining to others they mean no malice or harm. Even though my body language is something I feel self concious of and has caused me a lot of anxiety over the years it's something I've just had to accept in what is the highs, the lows, the chaos and creativity of living with dypraxia and just makes me see the word in a different way.

As a lot of my blogs have been focusing a lot on raising awareness recently I thought I would do a more general blog but nevertheless about an issue very close to me-acceptance. In my blogs I talk a lot about understanding, but as valuable as understanding is what many people want is acceptance for who they are.  As you are reading this blog my blog will have reached 70,000 views which is such an achievement for me, and I just want to say a huge thank you for taking the time to take a read it means a lot to me.

In life there will always be things we have no control about having, whether it be a learning difficulty or disability, a mental illness, medical condition, sexuality to name a few, or just the little things which make us who we are, the music we like, our hobbies and interests to what food and drink we like,  they are things which we don't choose to have. I get so many messages from friends saying "but why can't I be normal?" To me there is no such thing as normal we are all unique in our own way. However the journey of self acceptance can be quite a difficult one which I'm on myself. Accepting my dyspraxia has been a long journey as has the associated mental  health difficulties which has come with it. But the journey of accepting the dyslexic side of things has been less so, I put that down to dyslexia being more recognised in society.

As mentioned in a lot of my blogs growing up I was very self conscious about being different and standing out and how dyspraxia could just appear from no where in the most embarrassing of situations which the latter still happens today but having understanding people around me like my boyfriend makes things easier.

It meant I was prone and still am prone to beating myself up, often over things which I have no control over. I've always struggled with my confidence and self esteem and know that that is a huge factor in my anxiety other mental health issues and experiences of bullying left me feeling very negative about myself and myself worth. But also determined to help others feel accepted and not feel alone in what they're going through.

But gradually over time I am learning to accept dyspraxia as a part of me and it's going to be a part of me for life. It might cause chaos, day to day tasks more tricky and  make me struggle in social situations, and make life more overwhelming  sometimes but it's part of who I am there nothing I can do about it. A few years ago I pretended not to have dyspraxia and the end result was disastrous and a lot more chaotic and I realised by the it was doing me more harm then good by hiding it. I've also found the strengths which have come from my experiences, being dyspaxic has made me very accepting and understanding of others and see the bigger picture when it comes to others and think outside of the box. Which I'm able to use in day to day life and in my job as a learning support.

Even though I am still on that journey myself I'm a lot further on than I was when I started this blog and I've realised for other people to accept you at first you need to accept yourself. I've also began to stop beating myself up as much and accept that nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes, we all have strengths and weaknesses just some of us have a label or a few labels to explain it.

Having acceptance from the people around you can also have a huge impact on confidence and self esteem. Nobody can fully understand 100% what someone is going through apart from the person themselves and there will always be things others will never get, but to accept someone for who they are, what they enjoy in life can be so beneficial to someone. By acceptance someone for who they are and who they are as a person you at are helping them on their own journey of self acceptance. Whilst you might never understand everything, ask why, try and find out more don't make assumptions.

Difference is nothing to be scared of and the world would be such a boring place if we were all the same, but if there was a little bit more acceptance there would be a knock on effect on happiness. Thank you again for helping me spread the word a little bit more by reading these blogs.

As Dyspraxia Awareness Week 2015 comes to a close I thought I would share my top 10 dyspraxic dilemmas (although you could probably write a book on them) for people to hopefully see that they're not alone and even though we are all unique, there's someone else out there having similar experiences. Being dyspraxic can be quite isolating at times, but you are never alone. My boyfriend Matt always says there's never a dull moment and every day is different.

1. In my reception class photo I have my arm in a sling as a week before the photo was taken I fell off a chair in my local market hall and broke my arm.

2. I once attempted to go ice skating and in true Rosie fashion gripped on to the side for dear life to be told by my friend that the arena was closing in 15 minutes and I had to get myself round.

3.  When at a theme park we decided to try out some bumper boats, as I was getting into the boat I lost my balance and ended up in the lake and very wet.

4. At an outdoor pop concert I lost my friends and didn't realize there was a hole in front of me, fell into the hole then had to have a tannoy come on for my friends to try and find me from the first aid room.

5. Meeting Mollie King after tearing a ligament in my ankle the day before, wearing my boyfriends shoes, odd socks and on crutches.

6. My boyfriend once said I should have infra red bleepers on me which go off to warn me when someone is approaching me so I don't bump into them.

7. After a pop concert we realized I'd left my house keys in our hotel and my mum and dad were on holiday so we ended up calling the locksmiths up and having a new set of locks fitted.

8. Arriving at work with my clothes inside out labels showing at the front and toothpaste down me.

9. Before leaving work getting into a panic thinking I'd lost my work key fob, get into work find it's round my neck.

10. Ending up going into a cleaning cupboard instead of the toilets.

I could go on and on, a huge thank you again to everyone who has been reading my blogs this week. Keep being you, never let anyone dull your sparkle.

For my final blog of Dyspraxia Awareness Week and as it's Funky Friday too which for those of you who aren't aware is the Foundation's main awareness day where people can wear anything funky, quirky, or bright which celebrates uniqueness. I've been planning this blog in my head for weeks, so I hope you all like it. I'd also like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been having a read of everything I've been involved in this week I hope it's helped more people find out a little bit more about dyspraxia.

Seen as the theme for awareness week this year is on how women can mask some of the dyspraxic symptoms and be later in getting a diagnosis, this could be your mum, sister, friend or loved one. I thought I would write a blog on how dyspraxia can effect day to day tasks many women don't have to think twice about,.

As with all my blogs no two people with dyspraxia are the same, and not every dyspraxic woman or girl will find some of these issues a struggle, and some men may find them an issue too.

Wherever you look around you the media portrays this image of perfection, perfect teeth, perfect hair, perfect make up, perfect body, perfect nails, which means many women dyspraxic or not feel under pressure, but not all women have the fine motor skills to be able to be able to carry out self care tasks to a high standard.

 Fine motor skills are the the little movements with our hands and fingers which we use to carry out so many tasks in day to day life. People with dyspraxia can have assumptions made about us that we mustn't care about our appearances when in reality that's far from the case.

I've always never been typical of people my own age and always struggled so much fitting in, I've always stood out and been different. But I am quite a girly girl, I love dresses, have enough necklaces to open my own Accessorize and nail varnishes and make-up to give Superdrug a run for it's money. But my dyspraxia makes using and applying these tricky as I have very poor fine motor skills, I also have sensory issues which means I dislike the touch of certain textures or fabrics against my skin I also have to be careful what footwear.

Some issues some dyspraxic women may struggle with are:

Footwear and clothing

I have to be very careful in my choice of footwear as I need shoes which give me good grip and stability to help me with my balance, I've also had quite a few ankle problems over the years so they need to be supportive and I'm very heavy footed and put quite a bit of pressure down when I walk and  wear my shoes out really easily. So heels are deffo a no go for me as are ballet pumps. I try and find boots with zips as trying to tie laces takes an age and they often come undone. There's also some textures I can't bare next to my skin including tights and silk or any clingy clothes.

Hair

Before I go into hair styling I'm going to start with the basics brushing hair. My mum used to have such a battle brushing my hair as I have very thick hair and hated the sensory feeling of it being brushed, there was a lot of meltdowns involving me and hair brushing. Even now I always miss a bit at the back of my hair and struggle brushing everywhere. I recently bought a tangle tease which is a lot easier for me to grip. As for styling my GHD's are a saviour to me as they're the only ones which go through my hair.

 I've never been able to style my hair using curlers and tend to only straighten when I know I have more time. My boyfriend dyes my hair for me as I once got red hair dye all over my bathroom door and bedroom carpet.

Make up and nails

I love the pretty colours of make up and nail varnish and I own a lot of it (I'm a nightmare if I see a 3 for 2 deal) but always struggled applying it. I recently got some Real Techniques brushes which have helped me blend a lot better. I also recently made the decision to stop wearing eye liner as I could never get it right. One thing I have found help is going to Benefit having a make-over and being advised what shades suit me.

When I apply make up or nail varnish things tend to get messy. My mum has got though a lot of stain remover over the years on clothes, bed sheets, even walls and hand rails when I've not realised foundation is over my hands. Some people with dyspraxia struggle with the sensory issues of having make up on the skin too.

Personal care

Some women with dyspraxia struggle managing around time of the month, the fine motor skills of changing and remembering when and what time of the month. I find I'm a lot more clumsy and emotional durning those times. Some women can struggle to master how to put on a bra, fiddly things they are.

Myths

Then there's the myth that all women are good multi-taskers, I'm awful I struggle to keep on task when doing one task never mind lots at once. Lots of things at once for me is just overwhelming. I've heard dyspraxic women being told they have to be good at multi- taskers as simply they are a woman- what a ridiculous assumption.

Social/emotional 

As mentioned in my blog for Mental Health Awareness Day about how people with dyspraxia male and female are prone to anxiety, stress and depression. Struggling to carry out tasks like these on top of all the day to day tasks can really effect self esteem and confidence. The amount of times I get frustrated as things don't look how I want them too and I feel self conscious.

Then there's the social aspect of fitting in Alice has done an amazing job explaining this in her blog: http://bit.ly/1OHyukB not fitting in can be difficult and society can be so judgemental too. Even little things like how society uses the words "girls nights out" not everyone feels comfortable in clubs, give me a pub or cocktail bar any day over a packed club. Funky Friday is about embracing your uniqueness and what makes you different, raising awareness of dyspraxia isn't just for one week it's 365 days a year.

To whoever is reading this blog you, yes you are beautiful in your own unique way.

At the weekend I (Rosie) Skyped Kerry Pace from Diverse Learners and her daughter Phoebe about our joint blog for Dyspraxia Awareness Week. The focus of this joint blog is the strengths of dyspraxia such as:

Emotional Intelligence
Resilience
Determination
Enthusiasm

We want to emphasise how people can change the language they use when speaking to us about the things we find challenging. The choice of language you use will genuinely make people feel a little bit more positive about themselves thus boosting self-esteem and confidence.

As always with all of our blogs it’s important to remember no two people with dyspraxia are affected in the same way. We all have unique profiles of strengths and weaknesses (or areas of improvement as Kerry likes to call them).

On Saturday there was a workshop held by fellow dyspraxics, Dyspraxic Me set up by Jessica Starns and Chloe Spicer as part of Dyspraxia Awareness week. The workshop encouraged participants to write a negative “comment” someone had made about our dyspraxia on one card. Then we had to reframe the “comment” in a positive way.



Created by Rosie in the Chloe Spicer / Dyspraxic Me workshop. The original negative comment opposite the same comment but reframed in a positive light

There were so many amazing ideas, some of which highlighted the social and emotional aspects associated with dyspraxia for example being perceived as over enthusiastic, hypersensitive and too emotional.

At the workshop I (Rosie) addressed the negative comment by reframing my quiet and sensitive, passionate nature is a sign of high emotional intelligence. This emotional intelligence means being a good listener, a passionate person who cares about what they believe in and someone who cares and understands others. One thing I love about speaking with Kerry is she’s just as passionate as I am (always good to know you’re not the only one that gets into the things you love.) It’s about changing those negative assumptions and making them more positive.

Resilience and determination are also an area of strength for many people who have dyspraxia - the ability to keep going, keep trying, and never giving up. During the Skype chat there was a discussion there was a sharing of examples of our resilience and determination.

Kerry passing her driving test after the 8th attempt (or maybe 9th). Phoebe awarded the resilience prize for completing her A-levels despite her anxiety and me completing my 10k run.




We then chatted about the little accomplishments which may not mean much to some people. However, as we are constantly trying to find different ways of completing tasks, and having to practice things many times in order to master it those little things are big achievements and show a lot of determination and strength. There is more detailed advice in Kerry’s article My Personal Experiences of Dyspraxia: Management strategies and resources for all here (see page 72).

To finish we thought of the song by Tubthumping- I get knocked down (and get back up again) - as a way to describe some of the positives of dyspraxia, we literally get knocked down or fall down, but get back up again, dust ourselves off with a few extra scrapes and bruises later and keep going in life.

Useful Links

Rosie’s Blog
Phoebe’s Blog

Kerry and Phoebe’s dyspraxia vlogs
Vlogs for Dyspraxia Awareness week 2014

Kerry’s Journal Article (Pg. 66 or in pdf reader p72)

This week is Dyspraxia awareness week (11th- 17th October), it's probably one of my favourite weeks of the year as raising awareness of dyspraxia is something which as many of you have guessed is something I'm very passionate about. This week I will be speaking at Dyspraxia Westminster group, attending The Houses of Parliament, and visiting Dyspraxia Foundation HQ for Funky Friday, I will also be blogging with fellow dyspraxics Kerry Pace from Diverse Learners and her daughter Phoebe.

To kick start my blogs for dyspraxia awareness week I thought I would blog about what seems to be one of the most common questions asked to dyspraxics "so what is dyspraxia?" then a confused, puzzled look. It's the hidden difference society hasn't heard of, and is very misunderstood and that needs to change.

The lovely Natalie has written a really informative blog 10 facts about dyspraxia please have a read of it, let's raise as much awareness of dyspraxia as we can:
https://theblogwithonepost.wordpress.com/2015/10/11/dyspraxia-awareness-week-2015-10-facts-about-dyspraxia

At some point in life you're guaranteed to come across someone with dyspraxia, whether it be a family member, friend or loved one, someone in your school, university or workplace or simply in day to day life in the street, on public transport or in a shop. You never know who you meet who might be dyspraxic, so I hope this blog helps others understand a little more.

1. Dyspraxia is when the wires in the brain get crossed and the signals and messages to the body get muddle, which means the brain is saying one thing and the body ends up doing something completely else. It is also hidden which means by looking at someone you can't tell someone has it.

2. Dyspraxia is so much more to being clumsy, although I do find lots of random bruises end up coming from nowhere and I have no idea when or where from.  It can effect co-ordination, spatial awareness, fine motor skills, sensory sensitivity, social and emotional issues. No two people with dyspraxia are the same we are all different and unique.

3. Dyspraxia is all the things in life others take for granted and don't have to think about such as going up and down stairs, tasks which require fine motor skills, being able to cross the road, cook and prepare a meal or navigate public transport are just a few for some people.

4. When we carry out tasks our brains are taking ten times longer to process the information or carry out the task, it doesn't mean that we are being lazy or not putting any effort in, we just need more time, some patience and understanding that tasks can make us prone to fatigue and tiredness.

5. Just because someone with dyspraxia has reached a good level academically doesn't mean they have grown out of their dyspraxia, dyspraxia is life long and managing adult life with dyspraxia can be tricky, frustrating and overwhelming at times.

6. Every day is different, one day we might have mastered a task, the next day it might all literally fall apart, we have good days and bad days and some days when nothing goes to plan at all, this can really effect our confidence and self esteem.

7. People with dyspraxia are quirky, unique individuals, and all are very different in our quirks. Difference is nothing to be scared of it just means our brains are wired in a different way and  we process the world is in a different way  It means we can be very creative and see the bigger picture and think outside the box. We are very passionate people and passionate about our interests, hobbies and the causes we support, some people may say it's over enthusiasm and not understand why but get to know us and don't make assumptions.

8. People with dyspraxia may find making and maintaining friends difficult and find some social situations tricky, but once we trust someone we can be very loyal, kind hearted, understanding, caring people who will go out of our way to help others.

9. Living with dyspraxia can be difficult, but we never give up, we're very determined and resilient.

10. Finally, always remember there's a person behind their dyspraxia and don't define someone by their dyspraxia.

Today is World Mental Health day, with up to 1 in 4 people struggling with their mental health meaning that we all know someone, either ourselves, a friend or a loved one and it's an issue so close to so many people's hearts that needs to spoken more about and not be a taboo subject. It really is time to talk more about mental health.

Mental Health has been in the media quite a bit recently (rightly so) a few weeks ago Anxiety UK launched their #highfiveforanxiety campaign a few weeks ago and at the moment the mental health charity Time to Change are running a campaign on social media about Small things that can make a big difference to your day or mood.

As it's Dyspraxia Awareness Week next week, I thought it was important to blog about the links between dyspraxia and mental health, as people with dyspraxia tend to get stressed, depressed and anxious easily. It's important to note that some people who are dyspraxic their mental health struggles are a completely separate issue from their dyspraxia.

The reasons why people with dyspraxia may have mental health issues could be a whole range of reasons, the impact of dyspraxia being not very well known and there not being much support, bullying of differences, the environment being overwhelming, low self esteem and emotional sensitivity or struggling to maintain friendships are just some.

In past blogs I've talked about my own personal experience I hope by sharing a little bit of my story it will help others out there.   I've personally found a lot of strength from youtuber  Zoella speaking about her anxieties,and Demi Lovato being open about her struggle has helped me feel less alone and gave me the confidence to seek help. I struggled in silence for so many years about my anxiety/depression, partly because I thought there was so many people a lot worse off than me, I didn't have the confidence and mainly I was simply terrified, please don't speak in silence.

At my worst it left me bed bound too terrified of the outside world and using very negative coping strategies towards myself. It can be very isolating, it feels suffocating, trapped and like an anchor is weighing you down, and my irrational thinking makes me think why on earth would anyone want to be in my company - a negative spiral.  Luckily I have the most supportive boyfriend who helps me rationalise my thoughts I call him my calm within the storm and with help I'm in a lot happier place than I was when I started writing these blog and I'm beginning to think more positively and use my experiences to help others.

One of the hardest things when you're experiencing high levels of anxiety from anxiety attacks or melt downs is to try and communicate to those around you, my dyspraxia means I can never verbalise my feelings when I experience anxiety, instead my body physically shows it either by either making me shake, make me pace around, or my body do involuntary movements (please tell me the latter isn't just me.) Which makes it hard for the people around me to understand why I'm upset or anxious.

I think at the time it's important to help calm someone down before they even start to communicate, try and get into an empty space, some breathing exercises and drink some water and maybe discuss environments or situations which may be triggering, for me a huge factor is confidence/self esteem.

Together we can stamp out the stigma surrounding mental health, if you're reading this blog and are struggling please remember that you deserve happiness (I know that's so hard when your mind is telling you otherwise.) But nobody deserves to feel alone, you're stronger than you think you are, I believe in you.

Little gestures and small things can make a HUGE difference to someone's day. Why not reach out to a family member,colleague or friend today and make a difference. The small things could be as simple as:

1. Just listening can mean the world
2. Remind someone you care, small things can really make someone smile.
3. Feeling involved
4. A random text or reply on social media to see how you're doing.
5. If you're feeling down sometimes all you need is that kind word.

As it's dyslexia awareness week this week, dyspraxia awareness week next week and world mental health day on Saturday, I thought it would be nice to do a blog about the value of encouragement. I recently blogged about beating yourself up and I always think whatever your age a few words of encouragement giving someone support, confidence, or hope can really make  someone's day and make them feel reassured.

We're all different so to one person may be encouraging to another person it might not work at all, so it's important to get to know the individual to find out what can give someone a little boost, whether it be a little bit of praise after someone has done something they find difficult or challenging, words of positivity  to keep going and build them up, or something as simple as giving a stranger a smile in the street. Everyone is fighting a battle, or going through something, often which we have no idea about, or no idea of the big picture of what might be going on, so a little act of kindness can really mean a lot. I know for me personally the little words of encouragement when I've been struggling or going through a difficult time have helped me believe in myself a little more.


The power of encouragement should never be underestimated, it can help boost self esteem and confidence, and rationalise anxieties, whilst reassuring someone that they aren't as bad as their mind might be telling them when they're beating themselves up. Encouragement can give people with hidden differences such as dyslexia and dyspraxia that whilst some things may be tricky and difficult and some always be, that they can achieve, succeed in their own way and have something to offer to the world to help make a difference and  most importantly put a smile on their face. Nothing makes me smile more in life than making other people smile and seeing them happy.

To any of you having a bit of a rubbish day or struggling today, I just wanted to say how proud I am for you fighting this far, this feeling will pass and you can get through it, you're stronger than you think you are.

Hello everyone, here is my yearly blog which celebrates dyslexia awareness week, this years theme is "making sense of dyslexia." Dyslexia is one of the most recognised and known learning differences, up to 10% of the population have it, so there's a good chance you know someone who has it or know quite a few famous faces with it, but the question is do you fully understand it? Hopefully this blog will help you understand it a little bit more and help any friends or family members you know who might have a different way of thinking and a unique way of seeing the world.

A lot of people think dyslexia is just reading and spelling, but there's a lot more than that such as: time management, organisation, memory, and some people may have overlaps with other hidden differences such as dyspraxia. Did you know up to 52% of people who are dyslexic are also dyspraxic? Maybe you have a friend who is always running late (what do you mean you're looking at me!) who always needs a little bit of a hand with organisation and who's day to day life can be a bit chaotic. No two people with dyslexia are the same, we all have our unique profile's of strengths and weaknesses, so it's important to get to know the individual person, yes you may know x friend or y relative who is dyslexic and doesn't find something tricky or is very good at something else it doesn't mean we all will be.

Even though there is a lot more support out there, I still think there is quite a bit of work which needs to be done for adults, as although people may develop coping strategies, you simply don't just grow out of dyslexia and may need additional support in the work place. People need the opportunity to be open about day to day struggles as often we can have "spaghetti head" days where everything doesn't go to plan, on days like these we need a little bit of kindness, reassurance and a good sense of humour in situations like that always helps.

People with dyslexia and other hidden differences literally think outside the box, we see different solutions to problems, we notice things which other's might not and we have the determination and resilience to never give up and to me one of the most important things is because we know what it's like to struggle we have the empathy and understanding for others. Society at times doesn't seem to be understanding towards difference at times, but wouldn't the world be a boring place if we were all the same.

Once you take the time to get to know a dyslexic, and get to know how their way of thinking works, you may never always understand everything, but you will get an insight into how we see and make sense of the world. Please also make sure you get involved in dyspraxia awareness week next week, and let's get dyspraxia being more well known.

Seen as today is world dyslexia day, I thought I would share one of my proudest moments, raising over £550 for Mollie King's birthday fundraiser (I had to) anything is possible when you dare to be different and think outside the box.

A year ago today I left my family, my dog Toby and the small Lancashire town Burnley and moved in with my boyfriend and his family into city life in London. Whilst it hasn't been easy and times very overwhelming, it's given me the opportunity to do something I love which is help others. Since moving to London life has very much changed for the better and I'm so grateful for the opportunities which have been given to me.

If you're a regular reader of my blogs you will know about some of the past negative experiences of bullying and ignorance I have faced, even know some of them to this day are too painful to talk to and I'm still receiving help now to deal with the emotional consequences  of it. But it was in my darkest times and after seeing my mum and boyfriend in tears of worry about me and the negative thoughts I was having that I decided that I didn't want anyone else or their families to go through what I had. It made me determined to turn a very negative experience for me into something positive by helping others and raising awareness as I know there is still such a long way to go especially for dyspraxia awareness and understanding.

Day to day life with dyspraxia can be a struggle, but having a boss who is understanding towards me and sees the strengths but at the same time offering me encouragement about my dyspraxia/dyslexia has done me wonders and my mum has her smile back.

Last week I was lucky enough to attend the International Diversity Awards at the National History Museum as my good friend Sarah Chapman was up for an award for her Young Dyslexics campaign, Sarah had an awful experience growing up and is using it to inspire others and help raise awareness and make a difference. Normally I feel very anxious and overwhelmed in new environments but having someone with me who understood me and I felt a lot more confident, we also had a good giggle about how we were both glad the awards were opposite the hotel as otherwise we both would never had got there.

Over the evening we got to hear so many inspiring stories from the whole sector of diversity, and so many motivational speakers who talked about being that change, so many had experienced horrific experiences themselves and wanted to make something positive happen. It really put into perspective why I do what I do. I'm also lucky enough to speak to so many people who have experienced difficult situations but are now using it to help others, whenever I'm lacking in confidence or having a down moment it's things like that which really inspire me. Even though I still have a way to go to fully find my confidence and anxiety can make life tricky at times, I would hate to know someone out there is alone, upset or struggling in silence, and for that I will always keep fighting. This week coming is dyslexia awareness week and the week after dyspraxia awareness week, I hope by sharing my story and helping get the word out it helps generate awareness, you are never alone I promise.