Former Rose of Tralee Hannah Daly is on a mission to spread awareness about dyslexia, dyspraxia, sensory processing disorder and other learning differences that neurodivergent people experience, in a world that doesn’t value them.
A woman of many talents, Daly is a paediatric occupational therapist with multiple university degrees, a former actor and model and an author, all while having the reading age of a seven-year-old. Her path to receive an education was not an easy one, navigating both the complexities of dyslexia and dyspaxia as well as a school structure that was woefully unprepared to help her. She attended five primary schools navigating a barrier system that excluded rather than included her.
“There were times where I wanted to give up, I would be going into school not knowing if I would have a reader or a scribe, both of which I needed. Imagine going into your Leaving Cert and not knowing if you could sit it. I attended classes in Trinity in the evening to help me with my classes because evening study didn’t work for me and there were moments of extreme anxiety where you just want to give up.
“It was never about my ability; it was about a barrier system that didn’t value me.”
Daly persevered with education thanks to a love of acting, pursing a degree in Performing Arts and working as an actor for some time as well as teaching drama to young offenders and as a medium for people who struggle with communication, this work would instil the desire to go back to university and retrain as an occupational therapist. This was not without its difficulties with the familiar issue with lack of funding made retraining extremely hard for Daly and at times practically inaccessible, but nevertheless, she persevered and is now a paediatric occupational therapist helping to diagnose children with dyslexia and dyspraxia.
“Now I diagnose kids with dyslexia and dyspaxia and it’s almost like it takes one to know one,” said Daly with a laugh, adding, “I speak with kids and they say, wow you just get it and understand what I mean. Which is great but it’s important to note that everyone is an individual and it is the same for neurodiverse people. What works for me, might not work for others but I understand what they are going through.”
With her book, Knowing no Boundaries, Daly recounts her life, her experiences and her challenges in a refreshingly raw look at what it is like to grow up in a system that, at times, seems unwilling to adapt to help her. Now driven to discuss her experiences with others through the medium of her book, Daly hopes that one day she may be able to influence policy so that future generations of neurodiverse children may never feel the sting of exclusion.
“Being neurodiverse means that sometimes, some parts of the world as we know it, is not for us, but I think my book is a great story for people who are dealing with neurodiversity to know that we are not left behind.
“No one is asking for a total change, but just for the system to make some space for us neurodivergent people.”
On Thursday, May 4 at 6pm, Daly will be in Kenny’s Bookshop discussing her book and her experiences living with dyslexia, dyspraxia and sensory processing disorder. The event is free and would be especially interesting for neurodiverse people, their families or teachers. All are welcome. To learn more about Daly and her book, visit knowingnoboundaries.com, a full list of suppliers is available. Knowing no Boundaries is also available on Audible.
