Missed signs, masking and mirroring letters were just a normal part of Alix Frosdick’s school life with undiagnosed dyslexia and dyspraxia.

It took two decades for the 22-year-old from Pudsey to be diagnosed with the often misunderstood and undetected disorders.

Despite her academic success, school was an exhausting ordeal.

It wasn’t until she came “crashing down” while studying graphic design at Falmouth University that the world made more sense.

“Dyslexia was never something anyone would have pegged me as,” Alix told the Telegraph & Argus.

“Even when I was mirroring letters, couldn’t pronounce ‘l,m,n,o,p’ in the alphabet, my coordination and concentration suffered, [and] I struggled with exhaustion at the start of every school year - struggling to adjust to a jump in workload.

“My mother tells stories of me guessing words from the context of stories when reading, not actually reading.

“I was always conscientious and eager to please and spending five times more energy than a neurotypical student finding coping mechanisms.

“I was successful enough; so it wasn’t until I grafted my way through high school, college and to my final year at uni and I came crashing down, the word was even mentioned.

“The doctor thought dyslexia likely but the NHS couldn’t offer any support or guidance as I was an adult. I had to pay to go private.”

Alix’s diagnosis changed the path of her life, granting her permission to accept and understand how her brain works.

After dropping out of her degree, she is now the manager of a coffee shop and passionate advocate for dyslexia screening.

Alix has shared her story ahead of the second reading for the Dyslexia Screening and Teacher Training Bill in Parliament.

It would see universal screening for every child and specialised training for every teacher.

Expressing her support, Alix said: “This bill would have meant that little me would have felt the confidence and validation I waited 20 years for.

“She would have worked just as hard but had people working as hard to support her. She would get that knowledge of her brain, its strengths and how to make the most of them.”

She added: “Dyslexia and dyspraxia affect me every day.

“They’re caused by a difference in the way my brain processes information, so it’s all day every day. Even down to my speech, mixing words up, mispronunciation and stuttering are part of my every day. Every piece of information I process is impacted.

“I think that’s the misconception, people think it’s just at school or work you’re affected.”

One in five children in every school classroom are dyslexic, according to organisation Made by Dyslexia, yet just 20 per cent of children are diagnosed in school.

The organisation - regularly backed by celebrities diagnosed with dyslexia, including Princess Beatrice, Richard Branson and Keira Knightley – has urged MPs to back the bill.

Speaking in Parliament last December, former health secretary Matt Hancock MP told MPs how screening pupils for dyslexia before leaving primary school would change lives.

Mr Hancock, who was not diagnosed with dyslexia until he went to Oxford University, called the bill a “vital” reform.

The dyslexia screening bill is set to be debated in Parliament on September 16, 2022.

Mr Hancock said: “Everyone has a contribution to make. But the system holds dyslexic people back – when, in truth, the potential has never been greater. Today’s Bill is a small step to releasing that potential.”

Dyspraxia and dyslexia - how the learning disabilities affect people differently

Dyspraxia is a developmental coordination disorder affecting physical coordination in around five per cent of children.

The Dyspraxia Foundation (dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk) says the condition can affect the speed at which children reach milestones, gross motor coordination – including large body movements such as balance and posture – and fine motor skills, allowing us to grip and handle objects like pencils and cutlery.

It can also impact speech and executive functions such as memory, attention, time management and organisational skills.

Meanwhile dyslexia is a learning difficulty that mainly affects reading and spelling.

Some people’s coping strategies are so good that it doesn’t become apparent until much later.

According to the British Dyslexia Association, signs can include a slow speed of processing, poor, difficulty following instructions and forgetting words.