You're so clumsy Charley

Writing a children's book about Dyspraxia and not fitting in.

In December last year I had my first children's book published (do you like that note of optimism?) The book is a children's story book about Dyspraxia made beautiful by the brilliantly talented Colin Shelbourn.
People asked my why i wrote it and there is a short answer and some longer answers here ...

Dyspraxia and Housework

Most Dyspraxics will tell you that housework is a pretty serious challenge (honest guv!) but actually a tidy and organised house is really important.

I run a business and I'm a single mum, so  I made a very  rational decision to stop trying to be Super Woman and employ a cleaning company to give me a hand. It actually turned out to be a big emotional journey!
My latest guest blog for Work From Home Wisdom is all about the dilemmas involved in making that decision.

Would you employ a cleaner?

Is it OK to employ a cleaner when you work from home?

Jane Binnion has written for us before about working from home as a disabled or chronically ill entrepreneur. In today’s guest post she describes a dilemma you might share.

In my last blog Work in progress I wrote about my plans to employ a cleaner.
 Working from home was meant to make the house keeping easier, but who wants to use every coffee and lunch break doing house work?



Being dyspraxic I am a bit of a disaster around the house – don’t get me started on how often I can trip over the vacuum cleaner cable. It takes me an hour to clean one room, or I just wander off and do something more interesting half way through!

But it’s one of my biggest stress points because it’s really important that the house is tidy so that I can find things and don’t trip too often.

To employ a cleaner makes total sense. I regularly outsource various aspects of my work that other people can do better and quicker than me. I have no emotional issues about hiring an accountant, a bookkeeper and someone to do my newsletters. I have a milk man and a window cleaner.

All of those are perfectly rational decisions and I like supporting local traders. Continued

Actually, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I have made, I love it. :) 

If this post raises issues for you, please do leave a comment below, I would love to hear your story.

Jane x

Beyond First Impressions - Disability and Employment

Beyond First Impressions.

Last night I was watching one of my favourite tv programmes on iplayer, Death in Paradise. I was delighted to see that the new DI is clearly dyspraxic; clumsy, disorganised, sensitive with, of course, a brilliant mind.

I woke up this morning thinking about  how hard it is for people with dyspraxia to make a good first impression. I remember attending an interview  for a  youth worker post  in Coventry many years ago, on my way in I fell up the stairs and spilt coffee all down me. It can be hard to recover from a start like that as inevitably people pass judgement, and this was well portrayed in Death in Paradise. Interestingly the Telegraph describe Kris Marshall's  character as Shambolic.

I'm a member of some Dyspraxia forums and the question is frequently asked  "Should I declare my dyspraxia on the application / at interview?"  That is such a hard issue as still most people have no idea what dyspraxia is, or what it means to provide reasonable adjustments, and I don't know the answer. 

Obviously this does not only apply to Dyspraxia. During World Autism Awareness Week last year  I was shocked to read that only 15% of adults with autism were in full time paid employment .  Clearly the autistic spectrum is broad, but still that tells me that many of our finest brains are sitting at home, living on benefits, probably bored with poor self esteem, when their skills could be put to good use.  I know that the same applies to Dyspraxia with many graduates unable to get, or hold down a job. 

It seems to me that we need a little rethink here. I went self-employed to deal with this issue for myself - and I have a series of posts  from others that did the same here .  Whilst I would totally recommend that option, it isn't right for everyone, so what would need to happen for employers to shift their thinking regarding what a good balanced workforce looks like?

I had the pleasure of seeing  Phil Jones, MD of Brother UK, talk  at Lancaster University last year. He is the first entrepreneur that I've heard talk about his shift from lack of awareness and frustration to embracing the skills of those that are wired differently to himself. He was so inspiring that last  weekend I asked him to put those thoughts in writing and being a good bloke he did just that. It's a good read and you can see it  here. 

I would really like to see us open up a debate on disability, diversity and employment.  The world has changed, remote working is totally viable and the digital world has completely changed the landscape of possibility. What would need to happen to enable employers to see beyond that first impression? 

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please do leave your comments below, or email me jane@janebinnion.com

Jane x

Jane Binnion is a trainer and writes and talks on the issues of diversity, social media and ethical trading. 

Dyspraxia and School

Time after time I hear of children with Dyspraxia falling out of love with school and not wanting to go because they are not understood.

Because we look normal teaching staff often forget that we have additional needs and children with Dyspraxia get told off for things that they can't do - obviously this applies to other conditions too.

So I was delighted when I was pointed in the direction of Oscar Marshall's prize winning story about a day in his life at school.

It is a wonderful story and here it is... 

The Articulator
by Oscar Marshall

The morning takes a little longer than usual to fall into place. Memories, tasks and sequences hover and float like leaves spiralling to a forest floor and I need to wait for them to lie still so that I can fit them together to make sense. And like some leaves that flit and dance, some of my thoughts are hard to grasp especially when they are disturbed.

This morning's disturbance comes in the form of new instructions from my mum; "Come on get dressed and take your inhaler and don't forget that it is your review today and your dad and I will be at the school at 11am. I have signed your report card so don't forget to take it or you will be in trouble again." She says all this whilst passing my bedroom door and I have forgotten the first two things she has said by the time she reaches the bathroom. I untangle myself from the quilt and sheet that have twisted and tightened around me during the night and then wait for the room to settle before standing up.

My toe stubs on my school bag and that fires an exciting memory in my brain.

‘Mum! Mum! There is a new boy starting today, I wonder what he will be like? He might be a bit like me because I heard he has been to three other schools before this one!" I am determined to help the new boy to settle in, if I can get to him before the others, then perhaps he will like me and be my friend and then we could hang around together. I lie back down and begin to think about the new boy. I yawn and close my eyes.

"Now class this is Morgan." My teacher, Mr. Johnson, is standing at the front introducing the new boy. He looks scared; in fact he is as white as a sheet. His eyes are darting about the class studying everyone's faces.  I smile, his anxiety is familiar and he reminds me of myself when I start a new school. Mr. Johnson tells Morgan to sit in the work station next to me, which is just what I was hoping he would do.

"Hi," I said with a grin going from ear to ear. "I'm Oscar, don't look so worried." "Why did people snigger when I walked in?"  Morgan asked in a nervous soft voice as he sat down. "Well it's probably because you... well... we are not used to people walking in without bumping into the door frame. What do you think all the bubble wrap is for?  You didn't go anywhere near it, you just looked a bit odd that's all." I spoke gently and tried to sound light hearted, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. Continued 

If this post  raises issues for you, please do leave your comments below, I would love to read your story. 

Jane x