October is ...Dyslexia Awareness Month!

I know, I know, October is Everything-Awareness-Month.   But I resurrected the blog for the month as my tiny little outreach project for dyslexia.  There are a lot of positive things going on in the world of dyslexia right now, and that is what I will focus in this month.  If you have any ideas for the blog or questions about dyslexia, let me know and I will try to answer them.

I spoke on the phone the other day to the mom of a first grader who is struggling and as she cried and talked, it brought me right back to where I was when I had a first grader who struggled (and I cried).

That little fellow in the orange cap couldn't name all the letters of the alphabet, spell his own name aloud consistently, or read anything. Nada. He got by on his charm and extreme cuteness...

High school has been bumpy, I will not lie.  He has lost pages and pages of homework, bombed tests when "all the information fell out" of his head - Spanish was painful.  Math? We won't mention it.  The ACT is a nightmare - when other teens say, "I did terrible and only got a 25", mine just rolls his eyes, keeps his score to himself, and pretends to shrug it off.  He has taken it 6 times, has extra time and studies, and still only dreams of a 25.

  Now, he is a senior in high school, and other than the ACT struggle, he is hitting his stride.  He is dual enrolled in college English and getting an A (although his first drafts are grammatically horrifying, he and his GINGER software are working well together). He audits a Developmental Psychology class from a nearby University and HAS THE HIGEST AVERAGE IN THE CLASS! 

 Then the other day this happened...

His college acceptance letter! I surprised myself by getting all choked up.  It was like the last remnant of that long, frustrating struggle was washed away.  I am pretty sure I am happier than he is about it!

It is nice to be on the other side of dyslexia, where I don't have to worry so much, cry so much, fight so hard.  If you are "in the midst" of it now,  I promise, it will get better.

Pam