Episode Description:

On today’s very special episode, we’re bringing back one of our favourite guests from season one - educational specialist Paloma Forde to talk about the invisible gift workshops they've been launching to schools. In the episode, Andrew and Paloma explain in more detail what the workshops are, Andrew opens up about his ultimate goal for them in the future, and Paloma reveals the shocking statistic that shows the mental health crisis young people face today.

Top Quotes:

“My goal with these workshops is that someone, ten years from now, sits on a couch and talks about the workshop they did in school - called the invisible gift - and how it changed their life.” - Andrew Kitley

“We want to get to the stage with these workshops that parents are no longer like ‘oh no - my child got diagnosed with dyslexia’. We want them to be able to see neurodiversity as an invisible gift. We want them to say, when their child gets diagnosed, ‘okay, my child has dyslexia. What do I need to do now?” - Paloma Forde

About the host:

The Invisible Gift is hosted by entrepreneur and dyslexic, Andrew Kitley. With twenty years experience, Andrew Kitley has worked his way up the metaphorical and literal ladder to become Managing Director of Kitall: an engineering firm.

Under Andrew's guidance, Kitall is now one of the most sought after names to complete complex engineering projects in the UK. In each episode of The Invisible Gift, Andrew seeks the advice and inspiration of a fellow trailblazer who has defied the odds to achieve the extraordinary - turning the challenge of dyslexia into a gift.

About the guest:

Paloma Forde is a teaching specialist and founder of the award winning business Screening4Dyslexia. Paloma has worked for over twenty years in teaching. She initially specialised in autism but became aware of the lack of research and understanding in dyslexia, and began researching the topic herself. Paloma has since developed teaching strategies that are designed to aid dyslexic children in their learning and education.

Paloma now advocates for the early screening and intervention of children with dyslexia, arguing children must be given the tools to adapt and thrive with dyslexia. In 2017, Paloma founded Screening4Dyslexia: A business dedicated to providing affordable and accurate testing for younger children. In 2017, her work was recognised nationally by The Sunday Business newspaper - Winning the ‘Small Business Award’, presented by Theo Paphitis.

Resources:

https://www.kitall.co.uk/

https://screening4dyslexia.com/

https://www.onefineplay.com/

http://theinvisiblegift.com/