Growing up with dyslexia
this is my story of growing up as a dyslexic so please keep
in mind just as every person is different so is each person with dyslexia. Also
I want to state that church played a big part in my life, if it wasn't for
Jesus, my parents and the church I would be a much different person.
-life’s normal then you go to school.
Before I went to school I remember
having a normal life as a kid, but things changed drastically when I went to
school. Unfortunately when I went to school I had some bad kindergarten
teachers. It started of ok I had some trouble keeping up in things like numbers
and litters but I loved art and making new friends. I had a very outgoing
personality. One day the teacher wrote a paragraph on the chalk board and told
us to copy it in a short amount of time. Everyone else was able to do it in
time but I couldn't, the letters kept on moving around on the board and I just
couldn't get the letters to look right. So as a punishment my teachers sent the
class to recess and I had to skip. This started happening more often, and not
only at recess I also had to skip lunch from time to time. During the time I
was alone in the class with the teacher she would tell me that I was stupid and
lazy and that is why I was not with the other kids. What I learned in
kindergarten was that I was different and that was bad.
-so confused why are the letters moving?
As I
continued with school I begin to notice that no one else had problems like I
did. I would ask myself and I would ask God why do my letters and numbers move
around and why can’t I learn like the other kids? I was and still am to this
day an analytical thinker, but I just couldn't put the puzzle of school
together.
-did I get dealt the stupid card in life?
After
about 2nd grade I began to think well everyone has to play the hand
they are dealt in life, and I just so happened to get dealt the stupid card. No one
really likes people who aren't intelligent so I keep to myself mostly at
school. Did my best at my school work yet I could make the grades I wanted. I did
my very best to avoid reading out loud or writing on the board because if I did
people would know how stupid I was, and they would start treating me different;
even the teachers. I remember specifically a time when a teacher was helping me
with school work in 3rd grade and she was spelling all the words out
loud so I would spell them right even the word the (which I already knew how to
spell at that time), but the thing is she was doing it out loud for the whole
class to hear; I was so embarrassed.
-what’s wrong with me?
I knew
there was something wrong with me but I just didn't have a name for it. I would
sit for some times an hour or more trying to come up with some explanation for
why I could not learn and why I just could not make a good friend at school. I
had a good set of friends at church and I am very thankful for that.
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-test results and relief.
At the
end of my 8th grade year I went to children’s hospital to get
tested, and to my relief I was tested positive for dyslexia and short term memory
loss. Yes I said relived, I had been searching for so long to find out why it
was so hard for me to learn and now I had the answer. Since then I have studied
and research about different ways that I can learn and have made some great
progress.
-more frustrations.
With
the diagnosis also come a special education teacher and IEP (individual
education plain) meetings. Teachers who once were not interested in me at all
(or so I though) were now at these meetings asking questions like where I want
to go in life and how they can help. Now you may be thinking that sounds
awesome, not for me I had learned to do it all on my own and I did not need to
bug others with helping me. I had learned not to trust anyone till they have
proven to me that I can trust them. So for me these meetings were hard and the questions
were even harder to answer. The 1st special education teacher I had
was terrible she treated me like I was stupid, that was the last thing I
needed. Thank goodness I only had her for 2 years. The 2nd special
education teacher I had was much better.
-is there an end to this madness.
I still had a hard time learning and hated the
fact that I just couldn't seem to do certain things. That lie that I was told
all the way back in kindergarten keep coming back to me. Your stupid your lazy,
I thought even with the help I have I still won’t be as good as my peers, so
why even bother. I had decided that after high school I was never going to
return to school ever, I was for sure never going to go to college that was
just a joke. So for 2 years I got jobs in child care. God had been there for me
for all the hard times when I was little and even though I was never going to
be the best, I was going to do my best to serve God though children’s ministry.
-the choice I never thought I would make.
Well about a year after I graduated from high
school I felt God calling me to go to school. I immediately said absolutely not
going to happen God I made a promise a year ago don’t you remember that. Then
he said Carissa I want you to go to college. So after about 3 months of me
saying no and God saying yes, I said fine but only if you find me a college where
almost everything is free and then go there. About a week later my youth pastor
tells me about a school where everything is free and you get to study about mission’s
ministry. If that’s not a clear sign for you I don’t know what is. So I applied
got accepted and now I’m in college.
- School finally starting to get good.
School
has never been easier for me than it is now. Never in my life have I ever been
able to say that I love school (besides homeschooling. love ya mom and dad :)) but I can now. I’m learning that you might not
be good at academics but in no way does that make you stupid or unloved. I’m
learning more and more about how God can use me to help others and build his
kingdom here on earth. Do I still struggle with learning academically?
Absolutely it’s hard, but now its ok and it doesn't bug me as much anymore. I
know god has a plain for me and it’s a good one.
10 Ways you can help
people with a learning disability
1.
Don’t treat them like they are stupid
2.
Challenge them to do their best
3.
Tell them they can do it
4. Don’t give up on them
5.
Don’t let them give up
6.
Listen to them
7.
Love them
8.
Tell them and show them they are smart
9.
Don’t jokingly tease them about their disability
10.
Be their friend
These rules can even apply to people who don’t have a
disability. Everyone needs to be loved; everyone needs a good friend.
Here’s a video to help you understand what it is like to be
dyslexic. (its rather funny I think :-))
and here is an educational one
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