My diagnosis is Dyslexia and Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
How did this affect me?
When I was younger, I would be considered as the naughty child at school. When I was at school there was a lack of understanding from teachers about child disabilities. I missed a lot of my lessons and was often in trouble. Because I didn’t know how to learn, so instead I displayed poor behaviour. It did hold me back, I left school with limited education, it was so extreme that I was about 15 when I learnt to spell my name.
Since joining Cygnet I have been given so many opportunities that I didn’t have anywhere else.
People have believed in me, people have ensured I have received support and have seen something in me as an adult that was completely missed when I was a child.
Simple things for others, like grammar were alien to me, whereas now I can put sentences together, in the right order, but sitting still in meetings is still a challenge. I know I still make some mistakes but my life has transformed.
My most recent and biggest achievement has been completing my Level 5 diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care. I started my apprenticeship through Cygnet’s apprenticeship scheme three years ago. I had to learn how to write academically. I didn’t even know how to structure an essay or that there was a wrong or right way, it wasn’t something I’d done before. My tutor had to redirect me more than once and really spent time explaining how to get it right.
It was one of the biggest challenges for me, but during the course, I learnt the importance of good leadership and how that makes a big difference to the teams you work with. To get the best out of your teams you really have to be a good leader.
People put restrictions on you when you have a disability or use it to excuse you. People are aware of my disability and have learnt how to support me. I have also learnt to use whatever tools are available to me to make sure I succeed. I think about how I can overcome the challenges I have and make every attempt to think out of the box. I’ve learnt techniques, for example I squeeze blue tack, as I’m moving it between my fingers, it will help me slow my thoughts down and encourages me to slow my speech down too.
What do I like about my neuro diversity?
It’s my energy and the confidence I have because I don’t put restrictions on my thoughts and I don’t get worried because my brain doesn’t work like that, it doesn’t connect in that way. For me, I’m just Ollie from Essex and successful Home Manager and Leadership guru.
I’d like to thank Cygnet for encouraging me, in particular my very supportive Operations Director, Beatrice Nyamande, also my Regional Manager, Wilma Lobo for the patience she shows me when I take a bit longer to understand. And Jenny Gibson, our HR Director who really listened to me when she first visited me and then put the wheels in motion to get my diagnosis and coaching.
Cygnet has a strong network of support around you, make sure you use it, whether that be the employee assistance programme or our new Disability Network, chaired by Chris Stone.