October is National Dyslexia Awareness Month, and this year it feels much more personal. Dyslexia is now part of our family’s story, although it took us ten years to realize it. (Read about that HERE.)
Looking back, the signs were there. Our daughter struggled with reading from the time she was young. She worked harder and longer than her peers. We used flashcards, audiobooks, visual supports, and countless other strategies to help her succeed.
And she did succeed. That was part of the problem. Because doing well and learning easily are not the same thing.
It was not until high school that we finally understood just how difficult reading had been for her all along. After years of questions, concerns, headaches, frustration, and trying to figure out what we were missing, she was finally evaluated and diagnosed with dyslexia.
That experience changed the way I look at learning struggles, not only as an educator, but as a mom. Her brain is beautifully and uniquely wired. It also taught me something I wish I had understood much sooner: learning disabilities do not always look like failing.
Sometimes they look like a child earning good grades but spending hours on homework. Sometimes they look like avoidance, frustration, exhaustion, headaches, or a child finding clever ways to compensate for something that is incredibly difficult for them.
And sometimes the biggest red flag is not the grade on the report card. It is the amount of effort required to earn it.
As both a mom and an educator, I wish I had understood that sooner. Early answers can lead to earlier support. Our kids should not have to struggle for years before we start asking why.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. — Psalm 139:14
