Dyslexia Awareness Month
Did you know that one in every five people is dyslexic? That’s 20% of our population!
Yet classroom teachers aren’t trained to teach students with dyslexia, and children often go undiagnosed for years.
Parents, teachers, and doctors really don’t know much about what causes dyslexia and what treatment options are available. What makes dyslexia different from other learning problems is that people with dyslexia have average to superior intelligence — they are NOT slow learners.
They are often quite gifted in math, science, fine arts, journalism and other creative areas. Geniuses like Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, and Leonardo da Vinci were dyslexic.
So what is dyslexia?
According to the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), dyslexia is characterized by difficulties with word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension, which can result in limited reading experiences, vocabulary, and general knowledge.
Some of the difficulties associated with dyslexia (according to the IDA) include:
- Learning to speak
- Learning letter names and their sounds
- Organizing written and spoken language
- Memorizing math facts
- Reading quickly enough to comprehend
- Comprehending reading assignments
- Spelling
- Learning a foreign language
- Solving math equations
Dyslexia is caused by neurological problems in the brain. With proper training and exercises, dyslexic people can learn to read, write, and excel in a wide variety of careers.
A Merit Academy alumni, Zohar Wouk, struggled with dyslexia all throughout his schooling. After high school graduation, he formed a tech startup called Futuristic Lights and recruited an excellent team of programmers and social marketing experts. Zohar’s vision and drive was instrumental in the instant success of this business. Just 15 minutes after they launched their Kickstarter campaign, they raised $20,000 — and his company went on to raise over $50,000 in one month! This is a perfect example of how the dyslexic brain can be innovative and creative.
Long-time dyslexia advocate and mother, Char Mercadante, continues to promote dyslexia awareness and drive campaigns to improve teacher training — even after both of her sons have gone off to college. Next week, she will be a guest blogger on GakkoMom. Can’t wait to hear the latest about new legislation for dyslexia research and teacher training programs. Stay tuned!