Growing up, our Head of Happiness, Stephanie Davies, knew she was different; she was told so in school. However, it wasn’t seen as a good difference.
She was put in the bottom set for most things, held back a year and often sent out of class. This is because she has dyslexia with ADHD, but this wasn’t picked up in school; it was spotted much later in life.
This will be a similar story for many people. Out of 8.7 million school children in England, this report from the BBC estimated about 870,000 of them have dyslexia but fewer than 150,000 were diagnosed, according to Department for Education figures. Meaning like many kids, Stephanie was held back by systemic biases that only cater for neurotypical children and people.
Head of Happiness on stage at Virgin Media O2 (VMO2) auditorium talking about Dyslexia is my Superpower
Schools and workplaces still need to be set up to cater for neurodiversity, and we still have a system that discounts neurodiversity, which is not only wrong but incredibly misjudged. So, when Stephanie was not only asked to talk about her differences but to deliver a half-hour stand-up show for Virgin Media O2 (VMO2), she jumped at the chance.
Stephanie talked openly about her dyslexia and that it’s solely why Laughology exists and why she went into stand-up. Many people with dyslexia and ADHD people think very differently. Her ability to mix ideas, break the rules and turn things on their head is her superpower and has defined her career and successes ever since. From stand-up, she turned to psychology, and by mixing laughter and psychology – Laughology was born. Yes, it’s a made-up word, but that’s what dyslexics do best.
Stephanie shared her story and challenges at VMO2 offices for the #AllyUP event, inviting everyone to be an inclusive Ally. (You can watch the whole thing here) Stephanie shared her experiences and struggles and helped everyone recognise that every neurodivergent person is different and will have different superpowers and struggles.
Stephanie Davies with Matt Herridge VMO2 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion partner
Today, we’re aware of diversity, and workplaces and schools are improving, but we’re still afraid of asking questions. With cancel culture rife, we’re scared of asking questions and being curious. So, Stephanie ended her talk with a powerful story of connection through laughter and invited the audience to ask questions. Because if we stop asking questions, we stop caring and learning.
As someone with dyslexia and ADHD, Stephanie describes her brain as a Ferrari engine and her mouth as old bicycle brakes. This means there’s lots of chatter, conversations, and ideas whizzing around her brain faster than she can process them and sometimes these pop out. Especially when tired or stressed. This means her questions aren’t always structured, and she can make mistakes. Most of you probably can empathise with this somehow.
So, if someone asks you a question that could cause offence and make your bum cheeks tighten with anger, calmly explain to the person why it’s not right, help them understand and encourage them to ask it differently. Only by doing so will we all get better at understanding and creating an inclusive society.
Read more on neurodiversity in our ‘How to support neurodivergent individuals in your workplace’ blog.
And if you want Stephanie to come and chat with your team about neurodiversity, get in touch with stephanie@laughology.co.uk
