The Gift of Dyslexia: The Book that Completely Changed my World

In this podcast episode, Elizabeth Takyi shares her inspiring journey from a traumatic childhood in Ghana, where she was penalized for poor spelling and experienced the cane in the classroom, leading to feelings of inadequacy. After moving to the UK for secondary education and facing disassociation with schooling, she eventually left an abusive relationship.

Determined to prove her worth, Elizabeth enrolled in a college HR course but faced initial failure. It was only later that she discovered her Dyslexia and Dyspraxia, leading to a search for answers in the pre-Google era. With college support and assistive technology, she excelled in subsequent years.

With newfound confidence, Elizabeth founded “Aspire2 Inspire,” offering support to dyslexic business owners and others. She now serves as a neurobox ambassador, raising awareness about dyslexia and intersectionality. Despite being a single mother of three, Elizabeth continues to inspire through her resilience.

Key topics covered include childhood trauma, leaving an abusive relationship, discovering and overcoming dyslexia, supporting dyslexic entrepreneurs, navigating job searches with dyslexia, and finding one’s sense of belonging.

**Podcast Show Notes:**

**No Money in the NHS for Adult ADHD!**

Sarah Templeton repeatedly heard this from NHS GPs before going private to confirm her ADHD diagnosis. This diagnosis led to discovering she also had Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, and Central Processing Disorder in her 50s. Reflecting on her past, Sarah reveals how undiagnosed ADHD and Dyscalculia impacted her education, preventing her from attending Grammar School and receiving adequate support in a Secondary State School.

Decades later, Sarah is dismayed by the lack of improvement in screening children for these conditions. Driven by her experiences, she became a specialist in neurodiversity awareness, advocating for ADHD screening in the criminal justice system. With over nine years of experience, Sarah founded ADHD Liberty, offering free ADHD screening to those in the justice system. She has authored three best-selling books on ADHD, frequently speaks on neurodiversity, and collaborates with various agencies to support neurodiverse individuals.