Reading the Land: How a Map Changed Life for a Dyslexic Dad

An illustrative story — names and details are fictional, written to reflect experiences commonly shared with us by dyslexic and dyspraxic people. Want to tell your own story? Email info@outsidersclub.co.uk.

"I thought I was stupid"

Jordan, 41, left school at 16 with almost no qualifications. Dyslexia wasn't picked up until he was in his thirties. Dyspraxia — the reason he always tripped, dropped things and struggled with sequences — came later still.

"For years I genuinely believed I was thick," he says. "Words on a page just swam. I avoided anything that might show me up."

A map that made sense

It was his son's Scout group that got him outdoors, helping on a navigation evening. Jordan expected to be the one who got everyone lost.

"But a map isn't really words. It's shapes and patterns — contours, rivers, woods. I could see the land. I found I could picture the hill in my head from the lines on the paper before we even got there."

He went on to do a navigation course, and later started helping other beginners.

What he's gained

• A different kind of intelligence. Spatial thinking and big-picture problem solving — often strengths for dyslexic people — turned out to matter far more outside than in a classroom.
• Body confidence. Scrambling, balancing on stepping stones and climbing slowly improved his coordination and, just as importantly, his trust in his own body.
• Learning by doing. "Nobody hands you a textbook on a hillside. You learn by trying, failing and trying again. That's how I've always learned best."
• Less anxiety. Years of feeling judged had left him on edge. Being somewhere with no tests and no forms let that settle.

His advice

"If school made you feel like a failure, the hills don't care. Go with someone patient, learn one skill at a time, and let yourself be a beginner. You might find you're better at it than anyone expected — including you."

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