Direct Learning provides dyslexia testing, professional assessment and independent advice for both children and adults. We advise parents with concerns about their children's problems with spelling, reading and learning at school, and adults with difficulties at work or college.

Dyslexic -
and
famous!

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Famous dyslexic
people

Dyslexia can be a positive advantage

Tom Cruise Although dyslexia creates difficulties in particular areas for children, students, and adults, dyslexic people frequently enjoy above average physical co-ordination skills, empathy, and can be artistically gifted.

The greatest barrier to success is the lack of confidence experienced at school because of the high profile given to correct spelling. Our policy at Direct Learning is to help build children's and adults' confidence. We recommend particular learning strategies for each person we assess, which will lead them on to success in school, at work or in college.

With accurate diagnosis and appropriate help, a dyslexic person can live a rewarding life and enjoy a successful career. There are thousands of examples of well-known dyslexic people who have achieved this, including:

Tom Cruise Tom Cruise is an American actor and producer who has starred in a number of top-grossing movies... Read on
Orlando Bloom The actor once said, “Dyslexia is not due to lack of intelligence, it’s a lack of access. It’s like, if you’re dyslexic, you have all the information you need, but find it harder to process.” He now considers himself “mildly dyslexic.”... Read on
Steve Jobs Founder of Apple Computers, CED of Apple and Pixar, the Academy Award-winning animation studio... Read on
Cher Cher is an American actress and singer. She rose to prominence in the 1960s as a member of the duo Sonny and Cher, then as a solo artist when the duo ended in 1974. She has sold over 100 million records worldwide since the start of her career... Read on
Walt Disney Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, and animator. One of the most well-known motion picture producers in the world... Read on
Erin Brockovitch She struggled in school and wasn’t diagnosed until later in life. She helped win a $333 million class action lawsuit that is the largest in U.S. history... Read on
Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an inventor and businessman who developed many important devices. Edison is considered one of the most prolific inventors, holding a record 1,093 patents in his name... Read on
Tracey Gold The actress from “Growing Pains” suffered from dyslexia in high school.... Read on
General George Patton George Smith Patton, Jr., was a leading U.S. Army general in World War II. In his 36-year Army career, he was an early advocate of armored warfare and commanded major units in North Africa, Sicily, and the European Theater of Operations... Read on
Salma Hayek Salma Hayek sometimes struggles with her lines as a result of her dyslexia.... Read on
Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller, an American politician, was Governor of New York and the 41st Vice President of the United States of America from December 19, 1974 to January 20, 1977... Read on
Jewel The singer used to love reading when she was younger and then found it more difficult as time went by and was diagnosed with dyslexia.... Read on
Pablo Picasso Pablo Picasso, Spanish painter, was one of the recognized masters of 20th century art, probably most famous as the founder, along with Georges Braque, of Cubism... Read on
Keira Knightley Keira says her problems have not affected her ability to learn her lines and adds, “I can learn them fine. It’s just reading them in the first place that is the problem.”... Read on
George Burns “For me the toughest thing about dyslexia was learning to spell it.”... Read on
Hans Christian Anderson Hans Christian Andersen, was a Danish author and poet most famous for his fairy tales... Read on
Patrick Dempsey Dempsey was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 12 and was placed in special education classes before that. He relies on memorization to overcome it .... Read on
Lewis Carroll British author of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking Glass'... Read on
Noel Gallagher “What I was bad at was spelling. Still am. Anything over six letters and that’s me gone.” '... Read on
Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance architect, musician, anatomist, inventor, engineer, sculptor, geometer, and painter. He has been described as the archetype of the "Renaissance man" and as a universal genius. Leonardo is famous for his masterly paintings, such as The Last Supper and Mona Lisa... Read on
Magic Johnson Magic Johnson is a retired Los Angeles Lakers basketball player.... Read on
Richard Branson Sir Richard Branson, KBE, a famed British entrepreneur, is best known for his widely successful Virgin brand, a banner that encompasses a variety of business organizations... Read on
Danny Glover Danny's dyslexia led him to tutor and help coordinate reading centers in the inner city. ... Read on
Woody Harrelson Woody Harrelson was diagnosed with dyslexia and attention deficit disorder as a child.... Read on
John Lennon Lennon was expelled from school for misbehavior. His teachers were unaware that he suffered from dyslexia.... Read on
Sir Winston Churchill The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, FRS, PC was a British statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War... Read on
Gustave Flaubert Gustave Flaubert, French novelist who is counted among the greatest Western novelists, known especially for his first published novel Madame Bovary, and for his scrupulous devotion to his art and style... Read on
Scott Adams Scott Adams is the creator of the Dilbert comic strip and the author of several business commentaries, social satires, and experimental philosophy books... Read on
Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Graham Bell was a scientist, inventor, founder of Bell Canada, and was formerly credited as father of the telephone... Read on
Eric Bruno Borgman Eric Bruno Borgman, an actor, writer, and film director... Read on
Michael Faraday Michael Faraday was a British scientist (a physicist and chemist) who contributed significantly to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry... Read on
Henry Ford Henry Ford was the founder of the Ford Motor Company and is credited with contributing to the creation of a middle class in American society. He was one of the first to apply assembly line manufacturing to the mass production of affordable automobiles... Read on
Richard Ford Richard Ford is an American novelist and short story writer. His best-known works include the novels The Sportswriter, its award-winning sequel Independence Day, and the widely-anthologized short story "Rock Springs."... Read on
Whoopi Goldberg Whoopi Goldberg, is a well-known American movie actress, comedian, and singer... Read on
Duncan Goodhew Duncan Goodhew is one of the most respected and instantly recognisable UK swimming athletes. He was an Olympic Gold and Bronze medallist at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. He was the England Swimming team captain, and multi-Olympics champion... Read on
Susan Hampshire Susan Hampshire OBE is an English actress best known for her many film and television roles... Read on
Eddie Izzard Eddie Izzard is a British stand-up comedian and actor. He has a very individual style of rambling, surreal monologue. He has turned his attention to acting as well as maintaining his demanding touring schedule... Read on
Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States and an American statesman, ambassador to France, political philosopher, revolutionary, agriculturalist, horticulturist, land owner, architect, archaeologist, slaveowner, author, inventor, lawyer and founder of the University of Virginia... Read on
John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy, often referred to as Jack Kennedy or JFK, was the 35th President of the United States (1961–1963)... Read on
Steve Redgrave Sir Stephen Geoffrey Redgrave, CBE, or less formally Steve Redgrave, is a British rower who won a gold medal at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000 As the only Briton ever to achieve this feat, he is widely considered to be Britain's greatest Olympian... Read on
Oliver Reed Oliver Reed ) was an English actor known for his macho image on and off screen... Read on
Rodin Charles Schwab Charles R. Schwab is the founder and CEO of the Charles Schwab Corporation... Read on
Woodrow Wilson US president during World War 1, even though he campaigned against it and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize... Read on
Steven Spielberg Film producer of 'Jaws', 'E.T.', 'Jurassic Park', and many other brilliant movies... Read on
Jackie Stewart Sir John Young Stewart, better known as Jackie Stewart, is a three-time Scottish Formula One racing champion. He is well-known as a commentator of racing television broadcasts where his Scottish accent made him a distinctive presence... Read on
George Washington George Washington was an American planter, political figure, the highest ranking military leader in U.S. history and first President of the United States... Read on
Thomas J. Watson, Jr. Thomas J. Watson, Jr. eldest son of Thomas J. Watson, the founder of IBM, dealt in his youth with the incredible pressure of being raised under the popularity and dominance of his father. Nevertheless, he himself became a successful IBM leader... Read on
Henry Winkler Henry Franklin Winkler is an actor, director and producer who is most famous for his role as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the popular sitcom Happy Days... Read on
Benjamin Zephaniah Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah is a British Rastafarian writer and dub poet, and is well known in contemporary English literature... Read on
Mohammad Ali Olympic light heavyweight boxing champion... Read on
Babe Ruthi Often called the greatest of all baseball players... Read on
William Hewlett Dyslexia forced the co-founder of the Hewlett-Packard Company to memorize schoolwork.... Read on
Theo Paphitis Dragon's Den star, Paphitis came to England with his parents and brother, Marinos, when he was six years old... Read on