Would dyslexia be considered a hook, or the opposite?

I agree with @jym626. But I think if done right it can make for a good essay. Students with LD’s like dyslexia and or ADHD can present as kids that are barely keeping their heads above water with lots of support and accommodations from parents and the school. (And as the parent of a dyslexic ADHD 10th grader that is sometimes what it feels like.) Or the kid can present as someone who “thinks different” and finds unique ways to solve problems. Think of the Star Trek scene with the Kobayashi Maru, where Kirk solves the no-win scenario by reprogramming the simulator. That’s my kid, who’ll sometimes go miles out of her way to work around an obstacle in a convoluted way that usually seems inefficient to me but sometimes seems brilliant.