Managing dyslexia and ADHD: Finlay’s story

Finlay shares the story of his diagnosis of dsylexia and ADHD

Being self-employed has been amazing for me because I get to organise my time my way without needing permission from someone else. I’m a Service Design Consultant and I help large corporations manage change, design and implement new projects and facilitate new ways of working. There are many different methods and models in this line of work, and I get to work intuitively.

I’m great at seeing the bigger picture and figuring out how to get the best out of people, but there was one area I consistently had trouble with. I was terrible at filling in forms, completing paperwork and organising digital documents. It’s boring administrative work, but I have to do it as part of my job.

For many years I coped by bluffing, claiming that I was too busy or had forgotten to do things. Then last year, I lost out on an extremely lucrative and career-boosting contract because I had not paid attention to some of the details on initial proposals. I was devastated by this, really crushed.

Getting help with Aim Forward

I took some time off and spoke to some friends and family, people I trusted. More than one of them voiced the opinion that I might have dyslexia and ADHD. I started searching online to see what options you have to get diagnosed or find support for these things, and I found Aim Forward.

We got the ball rolling with an initial informal chat over the phone, after which they booked my diagnostic assessment. The moment I got that post-assessment report in my hand, it felt like a door had opened. It was the first thing I’ve read that carefully in my life, filled with insights about how my dyslexia and ADHD traits impacted the way that I work and the strengths and weaknesses that they had identified through testing my different abilities.

My needs assessment with Aim Forward

After the diagnosis, I was able to have a needs assessment with Aim Forward to find ways to mitigate those aspects of dyslexia and ADHD that get in the way of really achieving my goals. Aim Forward made it seem like the easiest thing in the world, but without feeling judged or patronised. They just saw me so clearly and brought such calm and experience to the table. I now feel completely in control of myself, and I know what I need to do to ensure I never lose another big contract.