Unlocking the universe within: how dyslexia fue my greatest strength
I’ve spent years staring back through the lens of my own life, using a device I invented in my imagination – a retrospectroscope – to dissect the pathways of my past. It’s a surprisingly potent tool for understanding where we truly begin.
A childhood of ‘lacking’ – and a universe of potential
Growing up, I was constantly labelled. Thirteen schools in twelve years, a childhood punctuated by custody battles and reinvention. I remember clutching my Wombles slippers and pyjamas, running away from home at six years old. I was often relegated to the back of the class with safety scissors and glue, struggling to keep pace with the coloured reading books my classmates devoured.
The message was clear: I was somehow ‘lacking.’ But looking back, through the prism of my diagnosis last year, it becomes terrifyingly obvious how profoundly that perception shaped my early experiences. Dyslexia wasn’t a deficit; it was a foundational element of my thinking, my problem-solving, my communication, and my very imagination.
Beyond the difficulty: a gift of seeing differently
For years, I spoke gloomily of ‘suffering’ from suspected dyslexia. But encountering the work of Made By Dyslexia shifted everything. They’ve identified something remarkable: ‘dyslexic thinking’ – a suite of traits that adds immense value in countless areas of life. Suddenly, those ‘Maggieisms’ – my seemingly random quirks – started to coalesce into something far more meaningful: empathy, storytelling, a relentless curiosity, lateral thinking, and an unwavering resilience.
A legacy of ‘different thinkers’
It’s not just me. Dyslexic pioneers have consistently reshaped our world. Richard Branson, Isaac Newton, Galileo, Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking – all demonstrate how ‘different thinking’ can propel innovation. It’s not about awarding gold stars after the fact; it’s about recognizing that humanity’s progress has always been fueled by those who see the world differently. We don’t just think ‘outside the box’ – we often think ‘off the planet’ and beyond.
My retrospectroscope reveals a startling truth: dyslexia didn’t close doors in my life. It frequently provided the resilience to keep going, and the unique skills to seek out the next door I needed to explore. Dame Dr Maggie Aderin is a space scientist and CEO of Science Innovation Ltd. Her memoir, Starchild: My Life Under the Night Sky, is available at www.whatisdyslexia.org to view the transformative short film.