GUEST
Dr. Shae Wissell
Director, re:think dyslexia
APPEARED IN 1 EPISODE
Biography
Dr. Shae Wissell is a researcher, coach, speech pathologist, and leading advocate for adults with dyslexia and neurodivergence. She is the Director of Rethink Dyslexia and the founder of the Dear Dyslexia Foundation, through which she launched the Dear Dyslexic podcast in 2017 to provide a dedicated platform for adults navigating learning differences. Diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia at age 27, and later with ADHD, Shae’s personal journey deeply informs her public health research and advocacy. Her doctoral research explores the lived experiences of Australian adults with dyslexia, challenging the common misconception that dyslexia is merely a childhood educational issue. Shae highlights the hidden cognitive fatigue, executive functioning challenges (such as working memory limits, task initiation, and retaining verbal instructions), and the emotional toll of navigating environments built for a single neurotype. Having experienced a mental health breakdown following her diagnosis, she speaks openly about the high rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout among dyslexic adults due to systemic barriers and persistent social stigma. Through Rethink Dyslexia, Dr. Wissell provides accessible adult screening tools, peer support, and workplace coaching to connect individuals with Australian Government JobAccess funding. She reframes workplace accommodations not as expensive or special treatment, but as low-cost, high-impact business tools—such as text-to-speech software, generative AI (ChatGPT, Copilot), Grammarly, extra processing time, and flexible working options. Shae actively champions strength-based leadership, lived-experience storytelling, and empathetic management to help organisations leverage the strategic problem-solving and creative innovation of dyslexic thinkers.
