My Life As A Dyslexic

I have not updated this sight lately, mainly becuase my laptop broke and I have had no access to a computer. Mant things have happened in my life since then. I was in a newpaper for the James Still Settlement School, for my reflection on my experiences as a student and a tutor of dyslexic students. As well I have been honored with the title of "Kentucky represenitive" for the 2011 Nation Youth Conferences at George Mason University. I have had good luck lately. My point to this post is that all dyslexics who are consently told they can't do this and they are only limited to jail or a dead in job can make something of there life starting now. I was always told in school to do my best but i was never pushed by anyone, all my success is becuase i did for myself what no one else could do for me, I pushed myself. 

           If we could only see how many people have dyslexia that are around us, would it make and difference? I think if we could change the world it would have happened by now, but unfortunitly that hasn't been the case. We try to hard to make things easier on everyone but those who severly nee the help. If all teachers were trained in dyslexia and how to teach a dyslexic student then it would make the average classroom different and so much easier to know and comperhend for many young students.

            Or at least have all elemetary teacher certified in knowing how to teach dyslexia so you can incoorperate it in the average everyday classroom structure and help both dyslexia and the avaerage student. I don't like the owrd normal becuase what is normal to you might not be normal to someone else. I truly think it would change our world and help us understand why the world is so blind to these problems till they are to advanced in years to learn how to correct the problem. 

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent!" -Eleanor Roosevelt 

That is my favorite quote by her. She was so right in saying this because with dyslexic kids they tend to feel inferior with most everything they do. They feel as if they have done something wrong so they get intimidated and shut down. When you give the instruction make it simple and easy to follow. Never give them more then one instruction at a time, because if you do then they tend not to follow them all at one time. 

I have been told about a thousand times that if you are intimidated the best way to get rid of that fear is to face it and I disagree. It is not the best way, taking it slow and easy with the child is the best way. Keep a calm environment, then with a authoritative voice give them one instruction. Wait form them to follow through and then give them another. Make them repeat  what you want them to do after you say it so you know they are listening to you, and make them look at you when you say it. 

Dyslexic children what very short attention spans. Most have ADHD or ADD. They do not follow direction that well. When you give them a direction "REMEMBER" that they need one on one direction, that way you can keep their attention and it causes less stress. That also implies that you need to be calm and not tense because that means that the child will get stressed and tense.

Keep your voice in a distressed. calm, and authoritative, and they will pay attention. Say to them "LOOK AT ME", it will insure that they heard you. Then ask them to repeat it back to you. Repetition is the best thing for them to have.

Follow these steps and you will see a big difference in how long your child pays attention to you, and whether or not they follow up on your instruction. 

One thing I have noticed about these children is that they all think uniquely. Some might call it "Thinking Outside the Box!" In my belief that all dyslexics are the same as every other child in America, this has the opposite effect on the subject. 

Some children do not have the mental stability to make things simpler. Such as most kids will ride their bike to mountain and try going up it because they can't fathom any other way of getting to the other side. As for a dyslexic it is different, they will find a way to go through the mountain instead of going over it. In no way am I saying that all children who are not dyslexic have that ability, because I am sure they do, but I am saying that more then 60% of people who think "outside the box" are dyslexic.

I think that it is a common misconception that dyslexics are most common people to go to jail. Because those who do think "outside the box" end up in high priced jobs and in the life style that they always dreamed of. Just like some Actors/actresses have climb their way to freedom from this learning disability, such as Orlando Bloom, Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, and Tom Cruise.

Never let your child go a day without the encouragement to think outside the box, dyslexic or not, I am going to put a link below that will take you to a website that has famous people with dyslexia.

http://www.dyslexiamentor.com/famousdyslexics.php   ;

I am a Teacher or rather tutor at the Hindman Settlement School in Kentucky. This School is the same school that I went to for my dyslexic problems. This program also holds after school programs all over eastern Kentucky which I was a part of too. Seeing my life through dyslexic eye's changed my perception of so many different things, but being a tutor to these kids is so much different. I have seen through the same eye's they see through and I now get how hard it is, but I never saw the pain it caused so many children.

I understand that being dyslexic is hard but these kids thing they are so horrible because everyone jut says they are lazy. I can see the pain in their eye's as they try to learn new things and when they get something wrong how much it hurts them. When I don't understand is who gave them this idea about themselves! I would love to talk to a person with the wrong conception about dyslexia, because I want to understand their point of view!

But next time on www.dylexiaforme.webs.com I am going to have the research to show you why we are called dyslexic! Thanks for reading!

1. I am 16 years old. I am a dyslexic student. I am creating this website for all the dyslexics in world. 
2. I have been a dyslexic for as long as i remember. I was diagnosed when I was 7. My Father is dyslexic and so is my uncle. You could see I was bound to end up the same. My mother is my biggest supporter. I am here to give you my out look on life as a dyslexic child. 
3. I hope this will help parents and children alike to be more of and advocate for dyslexia. I have learned to live with the fact that I am dyslexic and I can't change it. I don't think i would want to. It has made me who I am. I am normal I just learn different. I am not stupid nor lazy. Despite what people may think.
4. This website will have information on how to help and how to be and advocate for you child or for yourself. If you have anything you think I should add to show people then comment me and i will put your idea on here. Thank you for reading.