My 8-year old son was diagnosed with dyslexia a few months ago. He doesn't like to talk about it and he doesn't tell anyone else he has it. So I don't usually either. However, it's Dyslexia Awareness Month and I believe that the more who know about it, the more kids we can help. Plus, I tell my son all the time how proud I am of him, and I hope that one day he'll be proud of all that he is too.
My son makes friends everywhere he goes. He is kind and generous to everyone he meets. His smile is contagious. He also happens to have dyslexia.
We suspected that there was something going on a few years ago. It was more than that he was having trouble reading. It's that he tried so hard and still struggled. Despite any improvements he was making, he was still falling farther and farther behind. Even when we gave him all the tools to learn, his brain just couldn’t put it together.
The diagnosis was actually a relief. No one’s happy to be told that their child has a learning disability. It broke my heart to hear someone tell me there was something wrong. However, seeing the tears in my son’s eyes while he tried to sound out words and sentences was already breaking my heart. This diagnosis would finally get him the help he needed to set him on a path to success.
In the last few months, I’ve tried to educate myself on dyslexia, and have found there are so many misconceptions about it. Some people think dyslexia means you just write letters backward; or that kids with dyslexia have low intelligence, have problems with vision, or just don’t try hard enough. But I’ve learned that none of those are right.
Dyslexia means that my son’s brain processes information differently than most people. He has to work extra hard to do what comes naturally to others, especially reading, writing and spelling. Using specific evidence-based reading programs, he can learn strategies on how to overcome many of the challenges, but he will never completely outgrow it. Dyslexia can vary to different degrees, but experts say that between 5-20% of the population has some form of it.
Because of how the brain works, many people with dyslexia tend to have incredible strengths too. My son is both innovative and resourceful - he can spend hours with cardboard and a roll of tape and turn it into something unique. In fact, some of the most famous storytellers, entrepreneurs, inventors and out-of-the-box thinkers even credit dyslexia for helping make them successful. People like Steven Spielberg, Richard Branson, Octavia Spencer, and Jamie Oliver are all dyslexic. Many believe that some of the world’s biggest game-changers had it too, including: Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Walt Disney, Pablo Picasso, and possibly even Albert Einstein.
You can find more info about dyslexia and other learning challenges on Understood.org. I highly recommend trying the simulations to see what it’s like for kids who have reading, attention, or other issues. Check them out here.
Being well over school age it is interesting to look back see how we would be pushed to excel and learn despite the issues we had to overcome. I have lived with dyslexia my whole life and i an thankful that i have never allowed it to make me feel less than the perfect me that i can be!
My youngest son makes me so proud of him! He was born with physical and cognitive challenges and has worked hard every day of his life to overcome his challenges. He never gives up and always has a smile on his face! He is so inspiring!
My husband make me feel so proud to be his wife
My 10 year old son also has Dyslexia, as well as ADHD. He makes me proud because, no matter how hard things are for him, he tries so hard. He sometimes spends hours working on his homework and studying for tests, but he gets it done.
I am proud of my mom for all the amazing things she's pursued and accomplished. She is an inspiration to me.
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I am so proud of my daughter. She suffers from depression but has earned 2 degrees and is teaching math at an honors high school.
I am proud of all of my children, but they also make me proud of myself. They force me to face my fears and do things out of my comfort zone.
My sister makes me proud because she's a great mother to my nieces.
My sister! She's working her way through college without any support at all aside from siblings and what little they can offer. She's incredible and making the world hers.
Thank God you found out what it was that your son was struggling with. May he grow to be into an amazing man one day that will make such a difference in many lives - he sounds amazing already! xoxoxo
I am a Teacher/Tutor and I have worked with many students that are dyslexic and/or have dysgraphia. The problem is that so many teachers are not educated well enough in different learning difficulties and some of them tend to choose to label many of our students as discipline problems when actually they have some sort of real learning needs that need to be addressed. That has already caused some problems in those poor students minds because they know they aren't misbehaving they're just asking for help in figuring out what is causing them problems. We have to be so concerned in addressing and making sure that they know that we understand that we are here to help them and we will. If you have to change them to another Teacher to get better cooperation do it. It is your child and you want the BEST for them. Don't ever hesitate when it concerns their education and feelings.
My hubby and best friend...he works so hard and tries to make a huge difference each and every day! Thanks for asking...wow!
My boys (sons) make me proud everyday with their hearts and minds, what they choose every day, and how they treat others.
A friend struggled for years because he was never properly diagnosed. He was always a smart kid but thought he was stupid. Of course he is not!