Hello, my name is Sara Jane Gorman.
I was born with Autism, Dyslexia,
Dyspraxia, Epilepsy, Anxiety, and Depression.
This book is based on my website,
which I first created in 2007, just after my Gran passed away. With the support
of my Mum and Sister, I began writing about my life—my experiences, my
struggles, and how I’ve overcome many of them.
At the time, I was working with the
Royal Wolverhampton Mencap, which was based at the Science Park. My role
involved helping others like myself—people with learning difficulties and
mental health conditions. On my website, I wrote about the struggles my family
faced to get me the support I needed—especially around conditions like Dyspraxia,
which affected me my whole life, even when no one understood what it was.
I was slow at school, but with the
right support, I caught up and gained qualifications in college. I had many early
work placements, but they didn’t last. It was only in the past sixteen years
that my skills were truly recognized.
I was bullied in both mainstream and
special schools.
I didn’t learn how to tie my shoes until I was twenty—my cousin Luke, who was
just ten at the time, taught me. I felt foolish, but grateful.
Over time, I became a Visiting
Lecturer in Learning Disability and Mental Health—first with Royal
Wolverhampton Mencap, and then at the University of Wolverhampton. I also
worked as an Advocate and Befriender with One Voice Advocacy Service and the Beacon
Centre.
I have raised awareness with student
professionals in many fields, including:
·
Learning Disability Nursing
·
Social Work
·
Occupational Therapy
·
Paramedics
·
Teaching and Education
Why I’m Writing This Book
I want this book to:
·
Educate students and professionals
·
Support families, carers, and friends
·
Speak to people who live with learning
disabilities, mental health conditions, and hidden disabilities
Whether you are a parent, teacher,
doctor, carer, social worker, or someone with lived experience—you are welcome
here.
🧠 My Lived
Experience
I want to be honest. Some things that
happened in my past might be seen as abuse by today’s standards. At the time, I
didn’t see them that way. I believe some adults were just following the systems
and rules of the time. That doesn’t make it right, but I now understand that
they may not have known any better.
As a child, I was often called clumsy
because of my Dyspraxia—but no one knew I had Dyspraxia at the time, including
me. I broke pencils and sharpened them constantly because I pressed too hard
while writing. My difficulties were misunderstood and treated like
misbehavior.
It took years for me to understand
the difference between Dyslexia (trouble with reading and writing) and Dyspraxia
(motor skills, coordination, and memory). They can overlap, but they are
different. You can learn more here:
🔗 https://www.readandspell.com/difference-between-dyslexia-and-dyspraxia
I also have Dyscalculia, a difficulty
with maths. I can’t do mental arithmetic and often rely on my fingers or a
calculator. As a child, my maths was usually wrong, and no one could explain
why.
I thought I was stupid.
But now I know I was just different, and I wasn’t alone.
There are many people like me.
You can learn more about Dyscalculia
and math anxiety here:
🔗 https://www.understood.org/en/articles/math-anxiety-vs-dyscalculia-compare-the-signs
⚕️ Epilepsy and Medication
As a baby and child, I was on a
medication called phenobarbital for Epilepsy. It made me feel hyper, sleepy,
moody, and I couldn’t focus. I had no road safety awareness, no direction, and
no sense of time or danger. It felt like I was living in a dream world.
When I was around 12 or 13, my
seizures reduced. My mum and I spoke to a doctor, and I was able to stop the
medication. After that, I began to see the world more clearly.
🧩 Understanding
Disabilities and Special Needs
Let’s ask important questions:
·
What are special needs?
·
What is a learning disability?
·
What are the differences between
Autism, ADHD, Anxiety, and more?
·
How are conditions like Dyslexia, Dyspraxia,
Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia connected?
There are many types of
neurodivergent and developmental conditions, and they are often misunderstood.
People need:
·
Accessible information
·
Easy Read documents
·
Large print
·
Verbal support (phone, video,
in-person)
And most importantly:
💬 People should
be asked how they want to receive information—never just assumed.
🎓 Education,
Employment & Advocacy
In my experience, many employers
don’t understand learning disabilities or mental health. Despite progress, discrimination
still exists. People with disabilities are often seen as a risk or liability,
rather than being given the tools and support they need.
The UK Disability Discrimination Act
and Health & Safety laws should protect us—but not everyone follows them.
In some places (like New York, where
my mother lives), people are supported to train in areas they enjoy. I wish
this were true everywhere.
✍️ My Purpose in Writing
Ever since I was 23, I wanted to be a
writer.
This book is here to:
·
Tell my story
·
Share what I’ve learned
·
Teach people about disability and
mental health awareness
·
Help people with disabilities, and
those who teach, care for, or support them
You might not agree with everything.
That’s okay. But if this book makes you think, feel less alone, or learn
something new, then I have achieved my goal.
🧠 What You Will
Learn in This Book
·
What’s the difference between a learning
disability and a learning difficulty?
·
What’s the difference between Autism
and Anxiety?
·
What’s the difference between Schizoaffective
Disorder and Bipolar?
·
How can we better support people with
multiple conditions?
Please let me know if you would like to learn, some I know from my disabilities, mental health other conditions, others I research.
🔗 Read more on Mencap’s website
Would you like me to format this
into:
·
An Easy Read version with pictures
and symbols?
·
A printable PDF?
·
A template you can edit in Word or
Google Docs?
Let me know how you’d like to move
forward!
Response 1
Reasoned about creating an accessible
book introduction for a second
Below is an Easy Read version of your
book introduction that uses clear language, bullet points, and suggestions for
symbol and table formatting. You can later insert images or symbols (using any
of the symbol sets mentioned earlier) to make it even more accessible for
people who benefit from visual cues.
📘 Book
Introduction (Easy Read Version)
By Sara Jane Gorman
Who Am I?
·
My Name: Sara Jane Gorman
·
My Conditions:
o
Autism
o
Dyslexia
o
Dyspraxia
o
Epilepsy
o
Anxiety
o
Depression
Why I Wrote This Book
·
Origin:
o
I first wrote on my website in 2007
after my Gran died.
o
I was supported by my Mother and
Sister.
·
Work:
o
I worked with Royal Wolverhampton
Mencap.
o
I helped people with similar
challenges.
o
I learned about my own struggles with
Dyspraxia, which affected me from a young age.
·
School & Work Experiences:
o
I was slow in school but gained
qualifications in college with support.
o
I tried different work experiences
early in my adulthood.
o
Only in the last sixteen years have
my skills been truly discovered.
·
Personal Challenges:
o
I was bullied in school, both in
regular and special schools.
o
I learned to tie my shoelaces at age
twenty—with help from my cousin, Luke (who was ten then).
·
Careers:
o
I have been a Visiting Lecturer on
Learning Disability and Mental Health at Royal Wolverhampton Mencap and the
University of Wolverhampton.
o
I worked as an Advocate and
Befriender with organisations like One Voice Advocacy Service and Beacon
Befriending Service.
o
I have raised awareness for students
and professionals such as learning disability nurses, social workers,
paramedics, and occupational therapists.
My Experience in Brief
·
Early Struggles:
o
I did not understand why I was
labeled as “clumsy” or why I broke pencils often.
o
I later learned this was due to
Dyspraxia.
o
I also faced difficulties with math
because of Dyscalculia, which often caused anxiety.
·
Epilepsy and Medication:
o
I was on a medication called phenobarbital
as a baby and child.
o
It made me feel hyper, sleepy, and
moody.
o
After I stopped the medication, I
began to see the world more clearly.
·
Learning Disabilities and
Communication:
o
I understand that people have many
different needs—some need pictures, others need clear text, and some prefer
spoken words.
o
Always ask each person how they want
to receive information.
What I Hope to Achieve
·
Education:
o
To educate students, professionals,
families, and carers about learning disabilities and mental health.
·
Awareness:
o
To share my personal story so that
others know they are not alone.
o
To break down misunderstandings about
conditions such as Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, and others.
·
Support:
o
To support those with disabilities
and provide clear, accessible information.
·
Questions to Consider:
o
What is the difference between a
learning disability and a learning difficulty?
o
How are Autism and Anxiety related?
o
What supports do people need at
school, work, and at home?
For more detailed explanations on
specific conditions, you can refer to helpful websites like:
🔗 Read and Spell: Difference between Dyslexia and Dyspraxia
🔗 Understood.org: Math Anxiety vs. Dyscalculia
How to Format This in a Table Style
(in Word or Google Docs)
You might consider using a table to
place symbols next to each idea. For example:
|
Symbol |
Text |
|
🧩 |
Who Am I? My name is Sara Jane
Gorman. I was born with Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Epilepsy, Anxiety, and
Depression. |
|
💡 |
Why I Wrote This Book: I started my
website in 2007 and worked with Royal Wolverhampton Mencap to support people
like me. |
|
📚 |
My Experience: I overcame school
struggles, learned from my challenges, and became a lecturer and advocate. |
|
🎯 |
My Goal: To educate and support
those with learning disabilities and mental health needs. |
After filling in your content, you
can save or export your file as a PDF to keep the layout consistent.
Next Steps
Would you like:
·
A Word or Google Docs template that
you can edit further?
·
A finished PDF version of this Easy
Read introduction?
·
Some sample symbol images or guidance
on where to insert them?
Let me know how you’d like to
proceed, and I can provide further assistance!
I prefer this response
No comments:
Post a Comment