The Invisible Wall: How I Hacked My Dyslexia and the SEN Admin Crisis with a Wireless Mic and AI

The Invisible Wall: How I Hacked My Dyslexia and the SEN Admin Crisis with a Wireless Mic and AI

By [Mark Cooper] FE Practitioner | Dyslexia Advocate | EdTech Pragmatist

I am currently existing in that weird, foggy limbo between Christmas Day and New Year's Day. You know the one—where nobody knows what day of the week it is, the Quality Street tin is just empty wrappers and regret, and everyone is universally tired. 😴

Naturally, as the sugar crash settles, my brain has drifted to the upcoming academic term. And with it, the familiar creeping dread of "The Admin."

This academic year, I have lived a professional double life. In the printshop and the classroom, I am confident, observant, and articulate. I can spot a micro-achievement in a learner with complex needs from across the room. But the moment I sit down in front of a keyboard to document that achievement, I hit an invisible wall.

I have been formally diagnosed with dyslexia. In a sector that lives and dies by evidence tracking—specifically in UK Further Education (FE) and Special Educational Needs (SEN)—this is a friction point that often feels like a physical weight. I knew the value was in my observations, but getting them onto the screen was a battle I was losing.

According to the British Dyslexia Association, around 10% of the UK population is dyslexic. Yet, startlingly, 80% of dyslexic individuals do not disclose this to their employers. Why? Because in a world of compliance, "struggling to write it down" is often mistaken for "struggling to do the job."

But this term, something changed. I didn't just survive the admin; I automated the friction out of it.

Here is the story of how a set of wireless microphones and a custom AI workflow became my biggest productivity game-changer—and why I believe Contextualised Speech-to-Structured-Text (CSST) is the future of inclusive education.

The "Why": A System at Breaking Point

Before we talk about the tech, we have to talk about the context. If you work in SEN or FE, you don't need me to tell you the system is bursting at the seams.

The latest government data is staggering. As of January 2024, there are 576,474 Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans in England—an increase of 11.5% in just one year. That is over half a million young people who need specific, evidenced, statutory support.

Simultaneously, the administrative burden on teachers is reaching critical mass. The 2024 DfE Working Lives of Teachers survey found that full-time leaders are working nearly 57 hours a week, with a massive chunk of that time dedicated not to teaching, but to "general administrative tasks." It is no wonder that Education Support reports 36% of education staff are at risk of clinical depression.

We are drowning in data requirements. We need to track Core 4 targets, EHCP outcomes, safeguarding notes, and soft skill progression. For a neurodiverse educator like me, typing these updates for a roster of learners wasn't just boring—it was exhausting.

I needed a way to let technology handle the sorting, so I could handle the teaching.

The Solution: The "Walk and Talk" Workflow

I purchased a set of wireless lavalier microphones (the kind you clip to your collar) and connected them to a dictation workflow. The hardware cost less than a round of drinks, but the impact was immediate.

The physical act of sitting at a desk was part of my block. By clipping on a mic, I could walk around the empty classroom at the end of a session, tidy up, and simply speak my feedback.

But raw transcription isn't enough. If you’ve ever used standard speech-to-text, you know it results in a "wall of text" filled with "ums," "ahs," and unstructured rambling. You can't upload that to Evidence for Learning (EFL) or send it to a parent.

This is where the AI comes in.

How It Works: Contextualised Speech-to-Structured-Text (CSST)

I developed a specific workflow using a custom AI prompt designed specifically for UKFE and Skills compliance.

1. The Input: I speak my raw observations. “Okay, let's look at Student X. Today was a win. He managed to stay on task for 15 minutes during the woodwork assembly, which beats his target of 10. He used the pillar drill with supervision but set up the clamp independently."

2. The Processing: I run that messy transcript through my custom AI prompt.

3. The Output: The AI parses the speech against an attached list of EHCP outcomes and Core 4 targets.

Here is what the system does for me:

 * ✅ Personalisation at Scale: It converts a single block of raw speech into structured, professional written updates.

 * ✅ EHCP Alignment: It automatically scans my spoken feedback against the learner's specific targets. It identifies that "clamping independently" maps to Outcome 4: Developing vocational independence.

 * ✅ Zero "Hallucinations": I built in strict, non-negotiable rules. The AI is forbidden from making assumptions. If a learner wasn't mentioned in my speech, it clearly flags "No feedback given" rather than inventing progress to fill a box.

 * ✅ Accessible Output: The output is pre-formatted in clear, British English at Level 1 readability (short sentences, simple vocabulary), making it perfect for sharing directly with learners and their families.

The result? I can generate termly progress updates that are evidence-backed and grammatically perfect with minimum typing. It keeps the "human" in the loop but removes the admin barrier.

The "Twixtmas" Reality Check: It’s Not Magic

Following a recent post on LinkedIn about this breakthrough, I’ve been overwhelmed by the positive feedback. However, in the spirit of transparency (and because I'm currently in that reflective post-Christmas headspace), I need to share the caveats.

We must talk about the constraints. It is not magic; it is a tool. And like any tool—be it a chisel or a chatbot—it has quirks.

Here is what I’m navigating right now:

1. The "Accent" & "Waffle" Factor

Speech technologies are great, but we all have different dialects. The AI sometimes struggles with regional accents or industry-specific jargon. Furthermore, if I go "off on one" and start rambling about the weather in the middle of an observation, the AI has to work hard to sift that out. I have had to train myself to speak more deliberately.

2. The Identity Issue

What happens if I mispronounce a learner's name? Or if I have two learners named "Connor"? The data gets messy.

The Fix: I’ve learned to be hyper-deliberate—using full names and clear diction to ensure the data goes to the right place.

3. "Garbage In, Garbage Out" (Crucial)

This is the most important lesson. The AI is only as smart as the person speaking to it.

If I speak into the app and just say: "Well done, good lesson today," the AI will structure that perfectly... but it means absolutely nothing. "Did well" is not data.

For this approach to work, the verbal feedback has to be properly personalised:

 * ❌ Generic: "Well done Student X, you did good."

 * ✅ Specific: "Well done Student X. You managed to stay on task for 15 minutes, beating your target of 10 minutes. I noticed you completed the task with less staff support than last week."

The AI captures the "15 minutes," the "target met," and the "reduced support" and files it against the correct outcome. You have to give the context to get the tracking.

Flipping the Script: When Students Use the Mic 🎙️

Perhaps the most profound moment of this journey wasn't about my admin at all. It was about my students. 

Last term, my ICT group took charge of our termly newsletter. Many of these students face significant literacy barriers. They had brilliant ideas, incredible humor, and insightful stories to tell, but the mechanical act of writing them down was a wall they couldn't climb. They would stare at a blank Word document, defeated before they began.

So, I handed them the mic.

The Workflow:

 * Speech: Students spoke their raw thoughts on a topic (e.g., "The Christmas Trip to the Garden Centre").

 * Structure: We used the CSST workflow to restructure that raw speech into a polished article, removing the "ums" and "ahs" but keeping their specific content and tone.

The result was a "win-win-win." The students saw their exact thoughts in print. The barriers were gone. When "I can't write it" becomes "I just published an article," the shift in self-esteem is palpable.

The Future: Keeping the Human in the Loop

As we move into 2025, the debate around AI in education will intensify. There is a fear that AI will replace the teacher's voice. My experience suggests the opposite: AI allows the teacher's voice to finally be heard clearly, without the interference of administrative fatigue.

But we must remain vigilant.

 * No Hallucinations: My prompts are set up with strict constraints: Do not add anything I haven't spoken. It captures my evidence and my assessment. It doesn't generate observations from scratch.

 * Oversight: We review everything. Speech-to-text can mishear pronunciations. The human must remain in the loop.

I am really looking forward to contributing to discussions on this topic at NatSpec Peer Exchange Week next month. The potential to reduce teacher burnout while simultaneously improving the quality of evidence for EHCPs is too significant to ignore.

For anyone working in SEN or FE, finding ways to let technology handle the sorting while we handle the teaching is vital. We are just scratching the surface of how this can revolutionise our sector.

Have you experimented with speech-to-text workflows for classroom evidence? Or are you a dyslexic professional who has found a different "hack"?

Let me know in the comments. 👇

#EdTech #Dyslexia #AIinEducation #UKFE #EHCP #Accessibility #Productivity #TeachingTips #HumanInTheLoop

The Great Yo-Yo: Why My Sleep Debt is Sabotaging My Waistline

Right, it’s another blog post. I’m taking advantage of the speech-to-text feature again because if I don't speak these thoughts out loud, I’ll hide from them forever.

Today, I need to talk about my weight.

Over the years, I have been a massive "yo-yo" dieter. I have swung wildly from being morbidly obese to being actually quite skinny and lean. I’ve spent time trying to pinpoint why I fluctuate so drastically, and I’ve realised it comes down to a binary mindset.

I am either "Laser Focused" (100% on it, weighing every gram) or I simply "Don’t Give a S*"** (eating whatever is in open sale). There is no middle ground.

The Timeline of the Slump

Looking back at the data, the pattern is obvious:

 * Late 2024: I was in "Laser Mode." Between September and December, I was ultra-careful. I joined Slimming World, followed the programme to the letter, and lost 3 stone in 12 weeks. I knew the consequences of bad food, and I avoided them.

 * Summer 2025: The slide began. I went on an all-inclusive holiday. Naturally, you have to enjoy yourself—drinking, good food, relaxing. But when I came back, my clothes were tighter, and I never managed to flip the switch back to "focused."

 * Christmas 2025 (Now): I have ballooned. I have really indulged—sweets, chocolates, and loads of "crap food."

The "Pagan" Excuse

I’ve been telling myself that this is just what winter is for. In pre-Christian times, the Pagans would slaughter their cattle and literally spend the grim winter months eating and getting drunk just to survive the cold.

That has literally been my Christmas. Just getting through the dark months by hibernating and eating. But the festive period is over, and I have a holiday to Turkey coming up. I refuse to look fat in those photos.

The Science: It’s Not Just "Willpower," It’s Sleep

In my last post, I admitted I’m running a 20-hour weekly sleep deficit. I’m realising now that my weight struggle isn’t just about being "lazy" with my diet; it is biologically linked to my exhaustion.

Science backs this up. When you are sleep-deprived (like I am), two major hormones go haywire:

 * Ghrelin levels spike: This is the "hunger hormone." When you sleep 5 hours a night, your body screams for high-calorie, sugary energy to stay awake.

 * Leptin levels drop: This is the hormone that tells you you’re full.

Basically, my tired brain is chemically programmed to hunt for biscuits and crisps. The "lunchtime walk" feels impossible because my body is trying to conserve energy, not burn it.

The Plan for 2026

I know I can do this because I’ve done it before (hello, 3 stone loss in 2024). But I also know that relying on "willpower" alone is going to fail if I’m exhausted.

To get ready for Turkey, I need to attack this on two fronts:

 * The Environment: I am going back to work soon. I need to physically remove myself from temptation. No office biscuits. I’m spending my lunch breaks walking, getting away from the food and the desk.

 * The Mindset: I need to stop viewing food as a way to stay awake.

 * The Sleep: As mentioned in my last post, I have to fix the sleep to fix the cravings. If I get my 7.5 hours, the "laser focus" will be much easier to maintain.

I’ve done it before. I’ll do it again. But this time, I’m doing it with my eyes open (and hopefully, a bit more rested).

From "Ums" to Outcomes: How a Wireless Mic & AI Changed My Teaching Workflow

I haven't written a blog post in a while. Usually, when I do write here, I link it to personal growth, general things I’ve been up to, or things that have interested me. But today, I want to talk about something specific that happened just before we broke up for Christmas—a shift in how I work that has been an absolute game-changer.

I want to talk about contextualised Speech-to-Structured Text AI.

The "Admin Beast" and the Friction Point

If you work in Further Education (FE) or SEN (Special Educational Needs), you know that tracking meaningful progress is vital. But the administrative burden of typing detailed feedback is a massive friction point.

For me, this is personal. As a professional formally diagnosed with dyslexia, getting my observations out of my head and onto a screen is a battle. I know the value is in what I see in the classroom, but typing it out is exhausting. And let’s be honest—if you just type "Well done," it doesn't really work. Feedback needs to be bespoke, detailed, and mapped to specific outcomes.

So, I decided to try something different.

The Experiment: A Mic and a Prompt

I purchased a set of wireless lavalier microphones and developed a specific workflow using AI.

It’s actually quite simple: At the end of a session, instead of sitting at a keyboard, I just speak. I record a big block of raw speech—"ums," "errs," and all. I then run that raw transcript through a custom AI prompt I designed specifically for UKFE and Skills compliance.

Here is what the system does for me:

 * Personalisation at Scale: It takes that one big audio file and splits it into structured, personalised written updates for every learner on the roster.

 * EHCP Alignment: It automatically scans my spoken feedback against an attached list of EHCP learning outcomes and Core 4 targets. It maps the feedback to the specific goal, identifying exactly where the evidence was met.

 * Zero "Hallucinations": I built in strict rules. The AI is forbidden from guessing. If I didn't mention a learner in the recording, it flags "No feedback given" rather than inventing progress.

 * Accessibility: It formats the output into clear British English at Level 1 readability, making it perfect for sharing directly with learners and families.

The Result

The impact has been massive. I can now deliver meaningful, evidence-backed feedback and upload it directly to Evidence for Learning (EFL) with minimum typing.

It also solved a problem I didn't realise we had. When staff are overseeing an EHCP review, they need high-quality data. Because of this workflow, the quality of the progress updates is so much better, meaning the review team is equipped with really good information about how that learning is progressing.

From Invisible Work to National Recognition with Natspec

I’m really looking forward to seeing how this evolves. In fact, I received some incredible news just before the break.

I have been invited by Natspec (The National Association of Specialist Colleges) to showcase this workflow during their upcoming Peer Exchange Week. I’ll be contributing on the topic of using AI to increase productivity in the sector.

To be honest, working where I work—often offsite—means that effectively nobody gets a 'seat' to see me in action. It’s easy to feel a bit invisible. That is why this invitation is such a big deal. It is fantastic for the college to be represented in a national project, and personally, it is incredibly validating to have my work recognised on this platform.

Keeping it Real (The Caveats)

I do want to acknowledge that it’s not always perfect. There are a few caveats. We all have different accents and dialects, and that can impact pronunciation in the transcript. Also, if you have two people in your class with the same first name, the AI can get confused.

Even though this is a productivity game-changer, the need for human oversight is really key. You can't just leave it on autopilot. It keeps the "human" in the loop but removes the admin barrier.

I’d highly recommend exploring speech-to-text workflows if you want to let technology handle the sorting while you handle the teaching. I'm excited to share more with Natspec soon!

Tags: #EdTech #Dyslexia #AIinEducation #UKFE #Natspec #Productivity #PersonalGrowth

The Data Doesn't Lie: Why I’m Finally Fixing My Sleep Debt

I haven't written a blog post in a while. To be honest, I haven’t had the energy.

Lately, my sleep has been absolutely atrocious. I feel constantly tired—actually, "tired" doesn't quite cover it. I feel re-tired, drained, and perpetually foggy. For a long time, I just assumed this was the new normal of modern life.

Then I got a Samsung Watch. I started tracking my sleep, thinking I’d find out I had insomnia or restless legs. But the data does not lie, and it told a very different, much clearer story.

It turns out, I’m not just "tired." I am chronically, clinically sleep-deprived.

The Reality Check

I used to think that because I could fall asleep instantly, I was a "good sleeper." My watch data quickly debunked that myth. Here is the breakdown of what is actually happening to my brain:

 * The Massive Deficit: I am averaging about 5 hours and 2 minutes of sleep per night. My biological need is closer to 7.5 hours. That means I am missing 2.5 hours of recovery every single night.

 * The Maths: Over a week, that creates a deficit of nearly 20 hours. That is physically the equivalent of pulling two full "all-nighters" every single month. No wonder I feel like I'm running on fumes.

The "3-Minute" Warning

The most alarming statistic wasn't the total hours—it was how fast I fall asleep.

According to my data, it takes me on average 3 minutes to fall asleep.

I used to wear this as a badge of honour. I thought it meant I was efficient. In reality, falling asleep in under five minutes is a clinical sign of pathological sleepiness. A well-rested human takes 15 to 20 minutes to drift off. My body is essentially "crashing" the moment I stop moving because it is so starved for rest.

It’s Not Insomnia, It’s Neglect

Here is the silver lining (and the frustration): My sleep efficiency is 86%. My Deep Sleep and REM cycles are actually normal relative to the time I'm in bed.

This means my internal machinery works perfectly fine. I don't have insomnia. I don't struggle to stay asleep. The problem is entirely self-inflicted. I am simply not staying in bed long enough to let my brain finish its wash cycle. By cutting my sleep at the 5-hour mark, I’m waking up right before the heavy REM stages occur in the early morning—cutting off my mental recovery at the knees.

The Mission for 2026

I am realising that I cannot optimise my professional life or my physical health while running a 20-hour weekly sleep deficit. The inconsistency—my bedtime shifting from midnight to 2:00 am—is causing "social jetlag," confusing my circadian rhythm even further.

So, as we approach 2026, my mission is simple: Respect the debt.

I’m not going to try complex bio-hacks. I don't need supplements. I need time.

 Anchor the Bedtime: Stop the 2:00 am drift.

 

The 15-Minute Rule: I’m going to start going to bed 15 minutes earlier every few days until I hit that 7.5-hour mark.

 Prioritise Recovery: Treating sleep not as a luxury or a waste of time, but as the foundation for everything else I want to achieve.

The data showed me I was crashing. Now, I’m going to use the data to make sure I finally recharge.

Is Your Brain Being Rewired by Short Videos?

Is Your Brain Being Rewired by Short Videos? What Science Says About Your Attention Span

In our hyper-connected world, we're all familiar with the endless scroll of Facebook Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. These bite-sized videos are incredibly engaging, a quick hit of entertainment whenever we want it. But have you ever paused to think about what this constant, rapid-fire consumption is actually doing to your brain? It turns out, a growing body of scientific research is sounding some serious alarms.

Chuck Palahniuk famously wrote:

"Old George Orwell got it backward. Big Brother isn't watching. He's singing and dancing. He's pulling rabbits out of a hat. Big Brother's busy holding your attention every moment you're awake. He's making sure you're always distracted. He's making sure you're fully absorbed. He's making sure your imagination withers. Until it's as useful as your appendix. He's making sure your attention is always filled. And this being fed, it's worse than being watched. With the world always filling you, no one has to worry about what's in your mind. With everyone's imagination atrophied, no one will ever be a threat to the world."

While Palahniuk's "Big Brother" might be a metaphorical entity rather than a literal one, the scientific findings on short-form video consumption eerily echo his chilling prophecy.

The Shrinking Attention Span: It's Not Just You

It might feel like your ability to focus has changed, and you're not wrong. Scientific studies are revealing a compelling negative correlation between excessive short-form video consumption and our attention spans. This is particularly true for younger generations, who've grown up immersed in this digital landscape.

Consider this startling fact: The average human attention span has plummeted from roughly 2.5 minutes in 2004 to as little as 45-47 seconds by 2021. This dramatic decline runs directly parallel to the explosion of short-form digital media. It suggests a collective cognitive shift, where our brains are becoming accustomed to constant, rapid stimulation – precisely the kind of "singing and dancing" Palahniuk warned us about.

How Short Videos Are Changing Our Brains

So, what exactly is happening up there when we're lost in a scroll, being "fed" by the digital world?

 * Cognitive Overload: Our brains have a finite capacity for processing information. When you're jumping from one quick video to the next, your brain is constantly forced to reset and adapt to new contexts and stimuli. This "fragmented processing" is exhausting and hinders your ability to focus on a single task for extended periods. It's like constantly opening and closing dozens of tabs on your computer – eventually, it slows everything down, leaving you "always distracted," just as Palahniuk described.

 * Dopamine Driven: These platforms are expertly engineered to tap into our brain's natural reward system. Each engaging video delivers a little burst of dopamine, a feel-good chemical. The infinite scroll, much like a fruit machine, conditions us to keep seeking that next "win," that next entertaining clip. This constant, unpredictable reward cycle trains our brains to crave immediate gratification, making less stimulating real-world tasks (like reading a book or tackling a complex project) feel less rewarding and harder to stick with. This is the essence of "being fed" — a constant stream that keeps you "fully absorbed."

 * Neurological Adaptations: Research is even showing physical changes. Studies have observed structural and functional differences in the brains of individuals with high short video consumption, particularly in regions involved in reward processing and decision-making. These aren't just habits; they might be deeper neurological shifts, perhaps contributing to the "withering" of functions like imagination, as our minds become less active creators and more passive receivers.

Beyond Attention: The Ripple Effect

The impact of excessive short-form video consumption isn't confined to just our attention span. It creates a cascade of negative consequences that can affect critical aspects of our lives, fulfilling parts of Palahniuk's dire prediction:

 * Academic and Professional Performance: If you can't focus, how can you learn deeply? Reduced attention directly contributes to struggles with studying, retaining information, and performing well in academic or professional settings where sustained concentration is key. Our ability to engage with complex ideas, which often requires imagination, may indeed diminish.

 * Mental Health: Prolonged engagement with these platforms is linked to increased anxiety, stress, cognitive fatigue, and disrupted sleep. The curated, often idealised content can also fuel social comparison, leading to lowered self-esteem and body image concerns. Ever felt a bit rubbish after a long scroll? That's part of it. When your attention is "always filled" with external stimuli, it leaves little room for introspection or self-generated resilience.

 * Social Behaviour: There's even evidence pointing to changes in how we interact in real life, with some studies suggesting a reduction in face-to-face communication within families as members spend more time watching reels. If "no one has to worry about what's in your mind," perhaps a decline in genuine connection follows.

Taking Back Control: What You Can Do

This isn't about ditching digital media entirely, but understanding its profound impact and making informed choices. We can push back against the "Big Brother" of constant distraction.

 * Be Mindful of Screen Time: Start by setting realistic limits for yourself and your family. Many phones and apps have built-in tools to help with this. Recognise when you're being "fed" and choose to step away.

 * Prioritise "Deep Work" and Analog Activities: Actively seek out and engage in activities that demand sustained attention. Read a physical book, work on a complex puzzle, spend time in nature, or engage in a focused conversation without distractions. These activities can help rebuild your attentional capacity and rekindle your imagination.

 * Boost Your Digital Literacy: Understand how these platforms are designed to keep you scrolling. Recognising the mechanisms at play can empower you to resist their pull, preventing your mind from being entirely "filled" by external forces.

 * For Parents: You play a crucial role. Monitor media use, encourage balanced digital consumption, and model healthy screen habits in your household. Help the next generation cultivate imagination and independent thought.

While much of the research is correlational, compelling causal evidence exists. For instance, a randomised controlled trial where participants blocked mobile internet access for a period showed significant improvements in objectively measured sustained attention and mental well-being. This suggests that intentional disconnection can yield tangible, positive results, allowing us to reclaim our attention and our minds.

The interaction between our minds and rapidly evolving digital media is complex and ongoing. By understanding the science behind how short videos affect us, and reflecting on warnings like Palahniuk's, we can begin to foster a healthier relationship with technology, reclaim our attention, and enhance our overall cognitive well-being.

What are your thoughts on this? Have you noticed changes in your own attention span or those around you? Share your insights and strategies below!

The Unseen Hurdle: How a Late Diagnosis Rewrote My Academic Story

For years, a frustration simmered beneath the surface of my academic life. As an undergraduate ecology student, I poured hours into my studies, meticulously preparing for exams and assignments. Yet, the results rarely seemed to reflect the effort. I’d watch peers, who seemingly coasted, achieve higher grades, leaving me questioning my own intelligence and capability. It was a lonely and demoralising experience, one that chipped away at my self-esteem and love for learning. What I didn't know then was that I was fighting a battle with unseen adversaries: undiagnosed dyslexia and dyspraxia.

My university experience was dominated by summative assessments, primarily timed essays in exam conditions. While these formats are meant to gauge understanding, for me, they were often a source of intense anxiety and bewildering outcomes. I now understand why. The very nature of these tasks played directly into the weaknesses I wasn't even aware I possessed. Literature points to the significant impact dyslexia can have on vocabulary, spelling, and handwriting, all of which can impede academic progress. Difficulties with organisation, composition, and even the speed of writing are common – all hurdles in a timed essay environment.

It wasn't until my postgraduate studies, when a tutor noticed consistent grammatical errors in a lengthy assignment, that the possibility of a specific learning difficulty was raised. The subsequent screening, revealing traits of both dyslexia and dyspraxia, was a watershed moment. It was like finding a missing piece of a puzzle I’d been struggling with for years. Suddenly, so many of my past struggles began to make sense.

The assessment report laid bare some of the cognitive challenges I'd been unknowingly grappling with. For instance, my performance on the DA Digit Memory Test, a measure of auditory working memory, was in the low average range. My score corresponded to the 18th percentile for my age group. This meant my working memory capacity, as assessed by this particular test, was comparable to or exceeded that of only 18% of people my age. The report concluded this demonstrated a limitation in this cognitive area. This specific finding resonated deeply. The difficulty in holding and manipulating information, especially under pressure, explained so much about my exam experiences. I would meticulously plan my essays, breaking down questions and brainstorming key points. Yet, vital information would often slip away, only to resurface when the main body of the essay was already written, leading to a disjointed structure. My free writing speed was also found to be 33% below the expected average, and under pressure, the clarity of my writing decreased, with more words being omitted.

This wasn't just about academic scores; it was about my sense of self. I’d always been punctual, assertive in lectures, and dedicated to independent revision. The disconnect between my effort and the outcome was profoundly damaging. I developed a perfectionist streak, setting impossibly high standards for myself. When I inevitably fell short, the self-criticism was relentless, eroding my motivation and fostering a sense of anxiety and procrastination. The Davis Dyslexia Association International notes that many dyslexic students exhibit these perfectionistic tendencies and the associated negative attributes. This was my reality.

The diagnosis was, in many ways, a relief. It validated my experiences and allowed me to reframe my academic journey. I wasn't unintelligent or incapable; I simply learned differently and faced challenges that required a greater work ethic for literacy-based tasks. The knowledge that my brain was wired differently allowed me to be kinder to myself, to accept that reading and writing would take more energy and time.

If I had known earlier, my undergraduate experience could have been so different. Access to special educational needs support, like extra time in exams and proofreading assistance, would have levelled the playing field. More importantly, understanding and accepting my specific learning difficulties would have lessened the burden of perfectionism and self-criticism. My approach to revision would have changed too – focusing on shorter, more regular study periods and placing greater emphasis on prewriting strategies, which Worden (2009) found corresponded to higher assessment scores.

This journey hasn’t just changed my view of myself as a learner; it has profoundly shaped my perspective as an aspiring educator. I am now acutely aware of the detrimental impacts of undiagnosed learning difficulties, not just on academic performance, but on mental health. While I believe diagnostic tools and support systems have improved, there is always more to be done, particularly, as Carter (2014) suggests, in developing writing pedagogy for students with specific learning difficulties.

My story is a testament to the fact that academic success isn't solely about effort or intelligence in the traditional sense. It's also about understanding how we learn and having the right support to navigate our unique cognitive landscapes. The diagnosis may have come late, but it has empowered me to move forward with a greater understanding of myself and a deeper empathy for others who may be facing their own unseen hurdles.