0:00:07 > 0:00:11Publicly, I'm known as an actress and performer
0:00:11 > 0:00:14but, privately, I'm one of the six million people
0:00:14 > 0:00:16born with dyslexia in the UK.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21I found school life difficult, at times.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24I remember running after my dad in the mornings, in tears,
0:00:24 > 0:00:26when he dropped me at the school gate.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29It wasn't just the reading and the writing I suffered with,
0:00:29 > 0:00:33but my self-confidence was extremely low.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38But I then got diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of seven,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42which meant from that moment on, I got the help, the support I needed
0:00:42 > 0:00:45and if I hadn't, I know it would have held me back.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Ben also found it hard to learn to read and write.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55Ben didn't really cope at all when he started school.
0:00:55 > 0:01:00He was very tearful and really found school a challenge.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04A really terrifying place, I think, for him.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07I couldn't read hardly, couldn't write,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09I just didn't know what was happening.
0:01:09 > 0:01:14And I gave up on myself, really, I thought, "I can't do it, really."
0:01:16 > 0:01:20He was very distressed and whenever you asked him,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22"What did you to today, that you enjoyed?"
0:01:22 > 0:01:24he'd say, "I came home."
0:01:24 > 0:01:28At seven years old, Ben was diagnosed with dyslexia
0:01:28 > 0:01:31but he continued to struggle in class.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Sometimes I felt that I was stupid
0:01:34 > 0:01:39because my friends would be doing much better than me.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43He walked looking at the ground,
0:01:43 > 0:01:48he was a sad little boy, there was a shadow over him.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52A rain cloud of not being able to read and write.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55My experience with dyslexia
0:01:55 > 0:01:59has led me to get involved with Dyslexia Action,
0:01:59 > 0:02:03a charity dedicated to empowering everyone affected by dyslexia
0:02:03 > 0:02:05and literacy difficulties,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09giving children and adults all the help and support they need.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14When Gavin was growing up, his undiagnosed dyslexia
0:02:14 > 0:02:17plagued his entire school life.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22Coming home, getting homework, I used to, like, cry a lot
0:02:22 > 0:02:24because I knew I couldn't do it.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28The writing part, the spelling part, that was like a nightmare,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31your worstest fear that you could ever have.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35I just knew that I couldn't cope, just something I just didn't get.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37I couldn't read words.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42The teachers were saying, "Oh, Gavin, you can do it, maybe next time,"
0:02:42 > 0:02:45and I'm, like, "Help me, please, please help me."
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Gavin's dyslexia was finally recognised at the age of 14
0:02:49 > 0:02:52and he was granted additional lessons.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Gavin managed to get eight GCSEs...
0:03:00 > 0:03:02..but his hopes of a further education at college
0:03:02 > 0:03:04were soon crushed.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09I was told that I was going to get support for the two years I was there
0:03:09 > 0:03:11but I only got it for six months.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15The funding ran out so I just gave up.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20Feeling angry and rejected, Gavin started to lose his way.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24I started smoking, hanging around with the wrong crowd.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27I was close to almost going to prison,
0:03:27 > 0:03:30hanging around with those type of people.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Fortunately, this is just the type of situation
0:03:33 > 0:03:37that Dyslexia Action can help with.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41With early identification and the right kind of help,
0:03:41 > 0:03:43the charity believes that dyslexia needn't be a barrier
0:03:43 > 0:03:45to achievement or success.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49So they offer support to people of all ages who have dyslexia
0:03:49 > 0:03:52through their 26 centres across the UK.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58Kevin Geeson is head of the charity and is dyslexic himself.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Dyslexia Action is about removing the barriers
0:04:02 > 0:04:04for people with dyslexia.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06And one of the best ways of doing that is by giving them
0:04:06 > 0:04:09the kind of specialist tuition that we offer here at the centre.
0:04:09 > 0:04:10"Asked."
0:04:10 > 0:04:12What's making the "t" sound?
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Two letters.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16'It's not about being stupid or lazy...'
0:04:16 > 0:04:18You know, I know you know it!
0:04:18 > 0:04:19'..it's just about our brains working'
0:04:19 > 0:04:21differently to everybody else's
0:04:21 > 0:04:23and processing information in a different way.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25At this centre, in North London,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28specially trained teachers provide one-to-one tuition.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33The skills we're trying to help people to develop here
0:04:33 > 0:04:37are reading, writing, spelling, organisational skills,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40and building their working memory.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44Each individual is given a tailor-made learning programme.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49See how quickly you can match the letters to the picture cards.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53The specialised teaching
0:04:53 > 0:04:56helps them develop the basic skills that they need
0:04:56 > 0:05:00but also it helps them develop their self-confidence,
0:05:00 > 0:05:02in order that they have the opportunity
0:05:02 > 0:05:05to maximise their potential and thrive in today's world.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Ben's family discovered Dyslexia Action when he was eight years old
0:05:10 > 0:05:15and he started to attend regular lessons with a personal teacher.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19When I went to Dyslexia Action I felt happy
0:05:19 > 0:05:23and my problems would go away for that hour
0:05:23 > 0:05:26because all you focused on was yourself and the teacher.
0:05:26 > 0:05:32She supported him in her lovely, gentle, caring way
0:05:32 > 0:05:36and she taught him EXACTLY the way he needed to be taught,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39and, within a year, he was completely literate.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45When I went back to school from Dyslexia Action,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48I felt that I'd made enormous progress
0:05:48 > 0:05:52and my work would just get better and better and better.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55It was fantastic to see the progress that Ben made.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58He has gone from strength to strength.
0:05:58 > 0:06:04She really did change his life and she made him a very happy young man.
0:06:04 > 0:06:09He's gone from being that very quiet little boy who was afraid
0:06:09 > 0:06:12to being a normal 13-year-old boy
0:06:12 > 0:06:16who is very popular and has lots of friends,
0:06:16 > 0:06:21and he doesn't tidy his bedroom enough!
0:06:21 > 0:06:26And he's coping really well with school, and enjoying life.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27He's living it to the full.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Dyslexia Action was also there for Gavin,
0:06:31 > 0:06:36when they paired him up with one of their teachers, Margaret Rooms.
0:06:36 > 0:06:41So I went to Margaret Rooms at the age of 26 to get some help,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45to help me to become a London black cab driver.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49When I failed my first exam, I got kind of nervous.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50I failed my second one
0:06:50 > 0:06:53and she started to show me some things that I could do.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56So if I found a name of a building that I couldn't read,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59I'd use it as an association, like she told me.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04So I made up songs, nursery rhymes, stories, I rapped some of them.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08It made me realise that anything's possible.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Finally, three years later,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Gavin passed his exams to qualify as a London taxi driver.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17When I got my badge,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19it was the best feeling that I ever had in my life,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21knowing I wasn't never a waste, that I had a gift,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24I had something to offer.
0:07:24 > 0:07:25Since becoming a father,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Gavin's learnt that his daughter has dyslexia
0:07:28 > 0:07:32but, thankfully, Dyslexia Action are now helping her too.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36So I can say, "Thank you very much," to Dyslexia Action
0:07:36 > 0:07:37for helping me and my children
0:07:37 > 0:07:40because it's helped me to be a better son,
0:07:40 > 0:07:42a better brother, a better father to my family
0:07:42 > 0:07:46and that's all I've ever wanted to be, so thank you very much.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Dyslexia Action knows that specialist tuition
0:07:52 > 0:07:56for those with dyslexia really does change lives
0:07:56 > 0:07:59but currently they are unable to address the needs of everyone
0:07:59 > 0:08:01who comes to them for support.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03With your help, they can.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08Please, go to the website...
0:08:08 > 0:08:10to donate.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14If you haven't got internet access, then call 0800 011 011.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17And if you can't get through the first time, please,
0:08:17 > 0:08:18please, keep trying.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21You can also donate ten pounds by texting...
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Texts cost ten pounds plus your standard network message charge
0:08:29 > 0:08:33and the whole ten pounds goes to Dyslexia Action.
0:08:33 > 0:08:38Full terms and conditions can be found at bbc.co.uk/lifeline.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Telephone calls are free from most landlines.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Some networks and mobile operators will charge for these calls.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Or, if you'd like to post a donation,
0:08:47 > 0:08:50please, make your cheque payable to Dyslexia Action
0:08:50 > 0:08:53and send it to Freepost, BBC Lifeline Appeal,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56writing, "Dyslexia Action," on the back of the envelope.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00And if you want the charity to claim Gift Aid on your donation,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02please include an e-mail or postal address
0:09:02 > 0:09:05so that they can send you a Gift Aid form. Thank you.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd