That’s child abuse. No wonder I didn’t get misdiagnosed. If I got my work done early, which was rare, I’d just read a book or work on other homework, because the teacher said if you had your work done early you can read a book.

I did have a learning difficulty. Because of that, I was exempt from studying the Irish language in school, which was otherwise compulsory. Usually, I would go to another classroom where myself and a bunch of other students with learning difficulties catch up on subjects we were struggling with - it was called Resource. But I would come back to class 10 minutes before my classmates were finished learning Irish, so I read a book or did some homework I got in resource while I waited. When I was in my last year of primary school, I improved my typing skills on the computer. In secondary school, if resource was cancelled, I would go into the Irish class, sit quietly and either do homework or read a book. The Irish teacher didn’t mind and liked that I was quiet. I criticise the Irish school system a lot, but we do get some things right.