Wednesday, 23 May 2007

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Jerry Hall: My whole family is dyslexic

But the model and her children don't let it stand in their way

As the daughter of Jerry Hall, it’s not surprising that Elizabeth Jagger has inherited her mother’s striking looks. But, along with her brothers and sister, she’s also like her mum when it comes to suffering from dyslexia, a neurobiological condition that affects a person’s reading, spelling or organisational skills.

‘They take after me,’ says Jerry. ‘Being dyslexic is very difficult in the beginning, but as you get older you learn to cope with it and I think it’s great. It’s like a gift because it makes you think differently.’

The former model says her four children with Rolling Stone Mick Jagger, Lizzy, James, Georgia May and Gabriel, all suffer from the condition.

Many are never diagnosed

It’s thought that one in 10 people have some form of dyslexia and, although it’s usually diagnosed in childhood, there are also many adult dyslexics who’ve never been diagnosed.

‘If you discover that you or your child is dyslexic, find out what support is available,’ says Hester Bateman from The British Dyslexia Association (BDA). ‘It depends on what kind of problems the sufferer has, as dyslexia can manifest itself in different ways – whether it’s problems with reading, writing, spelling or organisation.

Sufferers can lead normal lives

Many schools offer extra support for pupils with dyslexia and organisations such as the BDA can provide help.‘Having dyslexia doesn’t need to be a big problem – sufferers can lead normal lives.

Generally, it’s only if it goes unrecognised that it can have a negative impact – for example, the stress caused by trying to cover up the fact that you’re struggling with reading at work.’

Lizzy Jagger has coped successfully with her dyslexia and now enjoys a flourishing career as a model for big names such as Lancôme and Marks & Spencer. She’s not alone in making the most of her talents.

‘Many very successful people, such as Richard Branson, Jamie Oliver and Keira Knightley, are dyslexic,’ says Hester. ‘When it comes to dyslexia, people tend to focus on the negative rather than the positive.

Receiving vital support

But because sufferers often have to work hard to keep up when they’re at school, they’re used to sticking with things to get the results they want – even when the rest of us would give up. This transfers positively to their adult lives and makes them likely to be good at troubleshooting and problem solving.’

It seems that Lizzy’s younger siblings are also lucky enough to receive the same vital support from the family as she did. Jerry spends two hours every day driving Gabriel to a special school that cares for dyslexic children. ‘It’s a slog, but it’s worth it,’ she says. ‘And it really helps him when I read to him. I love family life and my children are the greatest gift life has given me.’

Dyslexia explained

What is it?
A combination of difficulties that affects the learning process with regard to reading, spelling or writing. Sufferers have poor short-term memory, so they struggle to remember the context of what they're reading. Organisational skills can also be affected.

What causes it?
Dyslexia can occur regardless of intellect or teaching. It's something you're born with and it can often run in families.

How is it treated?
There are many techniques that dyslexics can use to help them cope with their condition - for example, by imagining pictures when trying to remember something.

For more information contact The British Dyslexia Association on 0118 966 8271 or visit www.bdadyslexia.or.uk.

Emily Attwood