Our Journey With Dyslexia - Things Have To Change

I have four boys, but when my second son, Justin, was about three, I was convinced I had a child prodigy. He could do puzzles that were far above his age level and by age five, he was doing Lego sets that were designed for teenagers. Then he started school. This social construct was so confining that my previously genius son was struggling and feeling like a failure.

When he was in second grade, I read The Myth of Laziness by Mel Levine. I knew this described Justin, and I wanted to help him. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. His diagnosis, after some very expensive testing, pointed to dysgraphia and dyslexia. Throughout elementary school and middle school, some of his teachers were very accommodating; some were not. He was punished for not putting his name on his paper when he worked so hard to get the right answer. He was forced to memorize mountains of process questions that were supposed to help him understand what he was reading. Spelling tests and multiplication quizzes caused tears.

By the time he was in high school, he was mentally done. The material was much more application based, but he had so many bad experiences, he was mentally scarred. I didn't blame him or push him. He had a few great teachers that really encouraged him, and I know they are the ones who kept him engaged at all. At age 15, Justin started his own business making farmhouse furniture. He was very successful, with people driving over an hour away to buy his furniture. A local store even contracted with him to make all of their in-store orders. I saw such a huge transformation in him. His confidence soared to levels I had not seen since his Lego days. Justin is currently studying Construction Science at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

My third son, Jameson, has very severe dyslexia, but because of my experience with Justin, I saw the warning signs before kindergarten. We began remediation at the end of kindergarten using the Barton System, an Orton-Gillingham based curriculum. First grade was a bit rough until we started doing the remediation everyday; I do it with him after school instead of his traditional phonics homework. His first grade teacher was wonderful, but each year will be anxiety filled as I wonder if the next teacher will understand dyslexia and work with him.

Although I have traveled this path twice, I have some lingering questions. First, why is testing so expensive? Children in poverty will never be able to afford an accurate diagnosis. They will hate school and probably continue the cycle. A neuropsychologist should be a standard member of each school system.

Second, why can't we educate every single teacher on dyslexia? Most sources state that up to 20% of the population has some degree of dyslexia. This number is significant enough to justify each teacher being trained to recognize the warning signs. Instead of a chapter in one class during teacher preparation programs, it should be at least entire course, and it should be a part of ongoing professional development.

Finally, WHY CAN'T WE CHANGE THE WAY WE DO SCHOOL? Sitting in rows and memorizing multiplication facts made my brilliant Justin feel stupid. Only when he was allowed to explore his interests was he able to realize his true abilities. Yes, I let him skip school occasionally to observe carpenters at work. A middle school teacher let him build a Minecraft World to demonstrate his understanding of a novel. Another teacher let him build a table in front of the class for his demonstration speech. These were some of his best learning experiences. In my own classroom, I work hard to give students a variety of ways to learn and to demonstrate what they have learned.

Things have changed since Justin was in elementary school, and Jameson has had a very different learning experience so far. I am happy to see the attention that dyslexia is getting, at least in my own community. It needs to be a shift in all areas if we want all students to be successful.