Countdown worker Tyler Christmas (24) said the poor preparedness of teachers and schools during his schooling years forced him to leave at 15.
He said everyday things such as reading labels or signs were a struggle and he would be lost without the cellphone applications that helped him.
''I taught myself different tools to be able to deal with it. My cellphone is the thing I use most,'' he said.
A recent parliamentary inquiry has revealed dyslexia, among other learning difficulties, is often missed by teachers and if it is identified, teachers lack the necessary skills to cater to pupils' needs.
Dyslexia Foundation NZ board of trustees member Guy Pope-Mayell said most schools could not cater to the needs of pupils with dyslexia.
''Some schools, both secondary and primary schools, are well equipped and very engaged in supporting the learning needs of students with dyslexia. However, the majority are not.
''There are various reasons for this, ranging from funding issues to attitudes towards inclusion,'' he said.
Mr Christmas said he used several applications on his smartphone to help him with things the school did not teach him.
Assistive technology was an imperative for everyday life, particularly applications such as Google Translate, which allowed him to easily communicate and read things, he said.
''I use it to text. I can just speak and see the text come up or I can snap photos then, boom, it brings it up.''
He said if he had these tools when he was in school he would have finished his education and thought it a good idea to use in schools now.
Mr Pope-Mayell said assistive technology was a fast-emerging and important form of support for pupils with dyslexia.
''They are potentially a game-changer, whether it's using a smartphone to take photos of notes on the whiteboard, or text-to-speech applications,'' he said.
Otago Secondary School Principals Association chairman Wayne Bosley said schools looked for any and all advantages to help pupils with learning disabilities such as dyslexia.
He said schools struggled to help pupils with dyslexia but it was an improving scenario and schools were continually working on it.
''Schools are doing their damnedest to help students in every way they can,'' he said.
He said schools would be grateful if they received government funding to improve the systems they had in place.
''If we had resources that would help a dyslexic pupil, it would assist all students in return,'' he said.
- By Ryan Dunlop
