For almost twenty-years Matt Hancock hid his dyslexia. Why? Well, the truth is, he was embarrassed by it. He didn’t understand why he didn’t always understand, and he worried it would hold him back. He knows now he was wrong to hide it because being neurodivergent isn’t something anyone should be ashamed of. Far from it.
From top businessman, Richard Branson and Hollywood star Emma Watson to celebrated chef, Jamie Oliver and Olympic gold medallist, Simone Biles, each one of these highly successful household names is a proud member of the neurodivergent club.
It’s not an exclusive club - 1 in 7 people are neurodivergent. But shamefully, being a member of the identified neurodivergent club is often reserved for the wealthy.
Incredibly, almost 1 in 5 (18%) children leave school not knowing that they have dyslexia. For far too long, those with neurodivergent conditions have been let down by the state education system. After two years of campaigning for early identification within Parliament, Matt, determined to do what he could to end this scandal, founded ALF.
Accessible Learning Foundation (ALF)
Last September, inspired by my journey of supporting my neurodivergent children through primary school, I teamed up with Matt to launch the ALF. ALF has three main aims:
- Early identification of neurodivergent children in primary school
- Better support for learning differences in prison; and
- Wider understanding and support of neurodivergence within the workplace.