Jacqui Perks

I was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child. My mum had to put up a fight to get me tested and ended up paying for it her self. So many times I heard my mum tell the teachers she is not thick.

In the days I was at school, I kept getting held back as they said that I was thick! So keeping up with my friend was hard. I also had a teacher after school that helped me with my reading.

I can say it had a positive impact on me; I have just tried not to let it stop me. I learnt to hide it I think, and I become a confident person with communicating with others.

The only support I got was at school. I got taken out of class to have help in some of my lessons and this was the only help I had.

In my working life I don't think anyone even knew I was dyslexic. One time I got pulled up on my spelling and punctuation; I walked out of the office upset. That was the only job that knew I was dyslexic at the time and I felt I had it thrown in my face.

I am age 43 and doing an apprenticeship for the Home Office and the journey I am on is not an easy one; I am still on that journey. I have had to lean a lot of laws and procedures, as well as doing my apprenticeship and having to sit my maths and english, and still waiting to do them.

There are days I just want to cry as it is all to much and just give up on this job, but I have to tell myself 'I can do this, I am not thick'.

Nobody that I work with understands dyslexia; they just think it's cos you cant read or spell and it's a disability. You can be working with younger, clever people, who learn and pick things up quickly while you are hoping and trying to find a way to remember everything you are learning - you have to keep going over and over it.

Never stop believing in yourself, and never let anyone tell you that you are thick because you are not.

I would like to know why school GCSE and A Levels are not designed for dyslexia - the way they are written makes it much harder for us to understand.