Ryan was 19 years old when his employer put him in touch with FRED.  He had completed his education at mainstream schools: primary, secondary and then two years at college, but was still unable to read at the end of it.  He told me that he believed that he couldn’t read and had developed strategies to hide this from his teachers.

Initially, Ryan felt nervous about having a reading coach but has worked hard and made huge progress. He feels that he has achieved a lot and is now able to read and send messages at work and sometimes reads the newspaper.  He understands that he can still learn a great deal more and is looking forward to improving further.

His employer, said that he is extremely proud of what Ryan has achieved.  They are now able to communicate efficiently about work through texts and messaging, and that Ryan’s success with reading has made him more confident in general and he has become a valued asset in the workplace, taking on new responsibilities and challenges.