Dyslexia and Discernment
The Church of England’s Shared Discernment Process can feel like a daunting wall of paperwork, interviews, and formal panels. If you have dyslexia, the heavy emphasis on reading, journaling, and written reflections might seem intimidating before you even begin. But...
You’ve packed your bags, left the residential panel, and made it home. The intense adrenaline of Stage 2 is wearing off, leaving you with one daunting task: waiting for the Bishop’s report. For a neurodivergent brain, this gap between the panel and hearing from your...
You’ve done it. You’ve navigated the endless paperwork, the intense interviews, and the emotional rollercoaster of Stage 2. If you’ve just received a recommendation for training—take a massive breath and celebrate. You have earned it. But once the dust settles, a new...
If you're preparing for your Stage 2 Discernment Panel, you might be looking at the timetable and feeling a familiar knot in your stomach when you see the words: Group Exercise. For those of us with dyslexia, ADHD, or other neurodivergent traits, group tasks can...
The Church of England discernment process is, by its very nature, a method of heavy reflection. For those of us with ADHD or Dyslexia, however, reflection can often feel like being lost in a thick fog. Our thoughts move fast, they loop, and they often refuse to sit...
For many of us navigating the Church of England’s discernment process, the Assessment for Pastoral Wellbeing (APW)—often called the psychological assessment—is the part of the journey shrouded in the most mystery. If you have Dyslexia or ADHD, this meeting can feel...
If you’re anything like me, the moment you saw "Bishop’s Adviser Interview" on your calendar, your stomach did a bit of a somersault. For those of us navigating the Church of England’s discernment process with a "spiky" neurodivergent profile, this meeting feels like...
For many of us navigating discernment with ADHD or Dyslexia (or any other Neurodiversity), the traditional image of the "Quiet Time"—sitting silently, eyes closed, absorbing Scripture for 30 consecutive minutes—is a source of deep spiritual failure. It’s not that we...
The discernment process requires us to stand before two very different groups: the Diocese (for the formal structure of assessment) and our PCC/Congregation (to enable personal growth throughout discernment). For a neurodivergent candidate, disclosing conditions like...