Carlow teacher on RTÉ documentary about dyslexia

A CARLOW primary school teacher is among the inspiring portraits of Irish people with dyslexia, featured in the new documentary Lost for words. Róisín Lowe and other contributors show how they are overcoming challenges and unlocking their potential through proper care, patience and empathy. Lost for words aired on RTÉ One last week and is now available on RTÉ Player. Róisín describes how she overcame many stigmas and prejudices to qualify as a teacher. Dyslexia is a learning difference that affects people in a variety of ways and Lost for wordsdepicts their struggles as well as their triumphs. Describing her family’s attitude to her dyslexia Róisín said: “We always laughed about the things that were difficult or challenging and it just meant that when I came home with a spelling test with one out of ten, it was the one that was celebrated. Even though my brother was coming home with ten out of ten, I still felt that I’d achieved the same as him.” Produced by Subotica and RTÉ, this documentary was inspired by hotelier John Brennan, who spoke openly about having dyslexia and his desire to make the workplace more inclusive for brains that think differently. John shares his story in the documentary, alongside other individuals. From primary school pupils to talented teenagers, to adults who have excelled in their chosen field of work, this programme presents intimate portraits of life with dyslexia, a condition that affects 10% of the Irish population. “The child is not actually the problem. The child has challenges like everyone else has in life, and they have to deal with it and get on with it. But we only champion the people who get the nine A1s and I think that’s an attitude of society that is wrong,” said John. “If you’re happy, the rest will follow, because you’ll excel in what you’re doing and that goes all the way back to dyslexia in school. If you point the person in the right direction, give them support at what they’re good at and give them encouragement … the rest follows.”