Embracing Dyslexia (2013) - full transcript

BOY (READING): One night
a woman fell from a boat

into the ocean.

No one saw her fall.

The wa-- the waves were rough.

-Soon she glue--
grew-- glue tight.

Then something
bumped against her.

"A shark" she thought. "Oh, no!"

It was not a shark.

It was a dolphin.

Grint-- grinit-- grinily, it
pushed her towards the shore.

Water-- shallow water at last.



The-- she care-- ca-- cake--
cleared up-- cleared up.

Clare--

LUIS MACIAS (VOICEOVER):
This is my son Alejandro.

During first grade,
we transferred him

to a private school
near our house.

He was tested for
reading and math

and we were shocked to find out
that he was behind in reading.

In an effort to
help him catch up,

he met with the school's
resource teacher

and he met with a reading tutor.

Unfortunately, he was
still behind at the end

of first grade.

So, at the recommendation of
his teacher and the principal,

we held him back.



I will always
regret that decision

because it is something that
still haunts him to this day.

Halfway through second
grade, it was my mother

who suggested to us that we
have him tested for dyslexia.

We did and the results came back
that he was indeed dyslexic.

We went his school and told
the principal and his teacher

that he had been
diagnosed and that he

was going to need
accommodations.

And the schools actually
really good about that.

At this same meeting, I
remember asking the principal

about the best way of telling
Al that he was dyslexic.

And I remember the principal
telling us that she didn't want

to use the D word and
that labelling children is

a bad thing and we
shouldn't do it.

I thought that was a really
strange answer because here was

a child who was struggling
and he knew he was struggling.

I felt that we should
tell him and we

should help him understand
what dyslexia is

and what it means for him.

So we did.

Since then, [INAUDIBLE]
confidence has soared.

And with the help of the
school's resource teacher,

in now a private
dyslexia tutor, he

has become a much
stronger reader

and continues to improve.

Learning about dyslexia
and embracing it

has changed our
lives for the better.

MAUREEN O'CONNOR
(VOICEOVER): Dyslexia

is a neurologically
based disability.

It affects the
ability of the child

to, or the person to
acquire written language.

-It's very heredity-- hereditary
and it's-- it's generally

if there's a father who
is dyslexic or a mother,

one of their children
is going to be,

it's going to be dyslexia.

Sometimes even, it won't
affect the mother and father

but when you, when you talk to
find out, well, there's an aunt

or there's an uncle
or there's somebody

in-- in their family who has
had a similar, a similar problem

with acquiring a
written language.

It can be unexpected and
that the child appears

to be very bright, which
dyslexic children are

very bright.

And in many cases, the
high cognitive ability

can almost work against them.

They're compensating so much.

And people don't realize that
they're really struggling.

And so, they may go on and
perhaps do average work.

But maybe they were meant
to do more than that.

You know, maybe they were
meant to do above average work

and they were meant to be
super, super successful students

and they never get their chance
because the right tools were

not there to find
out what was really

going-- going on with them.

-Um, before Kendall was
diagnosed with dyslexia,

she was frustrated.

I was frustrated.

It was very difficult.

I assumed she was
being stubborn.

KAREN HOPE (VOICEOVER):
It was very hard on her

when it came time to read
because the teachers kept

telling me "you need to
spend more time with her,

spend more time with her."

And I felt like we were
adequately spending the time

she needed to learn how to read.

She just couldn't pronounce
the words, follow the story,

she didn't know how to read.

-Early on in Logan's
school career,

I would say as
early as preschool,

we noticed struggles.

Struggles learning is
letters, his numbers,

retaining that information
is in his head.

LEANN HARBAUGH (VOICEOVER): When
we would talk to the teachers,

almost always, we would hear
that he's not reading at grade

level, that he's struggling
with his spelling.

We would also get some
reports about behavior issues

because he was struggling and
sometimes he would just give up

and then there's nothing
to do in the classroom,

because you don't understand
what you're reading,

a second grader, if
they're [? greater ?],

can become a behavior problem.

-Jessica was in third
grade when we kind of

hit a wall here at
home with homework.

She had been fine up until
then and-- and then it

came to a point
where she would just

get frustrated
almost immediately.

LINDA PUPICH (VOICEOVER):
She would spend hours just

doing simple things
that were sent home.

And there were like tears, a lot
of late nights, a lot of fits.

We slowly started to see her
self-confidence just tank.

I mean, it just went
down, and down, and down.

She started to
feel really stupid

and didn't want to go to
school and it was a hard time.

-I noticed that Lauren
was having difficulties

between kindergarten
and then first grade.

Actually in kindergarten,
her teacher approached us

toward the end of the
school year and said,

"I think that Lauren needs
some extra help with reading."

LISA KURYLA
(VOICEOVER): She's not

grasping some of the concepts.

She had difficulty
decoding words.

She would recognize
the word and then not

be able to say it
again 10 seconds later.

And that was when I noticed
that were-- were some issues.

-Before Cole was diagnosed
with dyslexia, doing homework

was a very stressful time of the
day, both for us and for him.

Part of it is because we didn't
know what his troubles were.

DAN MCDERMOTT (VOICEOVER):
We didn't understand it.

DEE MCDERMOTT (VOICEOVER): I
had heard from his teachers

that, you know, he
was being lazy, not

wanting to do his work.

So that's what I thought it was.

And in reality, he
wasn't grasping it.

So it was frustrating
for both of us.

As a parent, I just I thought
he could do better, you know.

And because I was listening
to them telling me

he was lazy, so.

-It was just very frustrating.

And I remember him crying
and then I would cry

and then it just
became horrible.

So it was not a good
time at all for us.

CORNELL AMERSON
(VOICEOVER): First grade

was much like kindergarten,
you know with color and playing

with the toy and all that.

-And I remember sitting at
the table in the classroom.

You know that's the way the
teacher had everything set up.

And we can play with
the toys instead,

but you had to
finish your homework

assignment, usually
classroom assignments.

And I'm sitting here,
trying to figure out,

well I don't get it, I don't
understand it, you know.

I'm looking at these words
'cause at that particular time,

I didn't know how to read.

I don't know if
you're suppose to know

how to read in the first grade.

I knew I didn't know how
to read in first grade.

So by the time I
got to second grade,

it was-- I was just there, just
looking at um this book and all

these words and supposed
to know this stuff.

CORNELL AMERSON (VOICEOVER):
And because I didn't, I

didn't pass.

I failed, in fact,
they held me back.

Then um the rest of
it is pretty much

a blur some what but I kind of
figured out that I wasn't going

to get this and this is as
far as I was going to go.

So what I did was learned
how to be quiet, try

to be as invisible
as possible, you

know I'm saying
because you don't want

to draw any attention
to yourself.

And I was aware that the
other kids was getting it.

I wasn't.

And so drawing is
what I pretty much

start doing to keep my-- I mean
other then just being feeling

like part of furniture,
giving myself something

to do while sitting I was there.

I knew there was a problem but
it seem like nobody around me

seem to respond to it, you know.

My mother was trying to be
supportive of my circumstances

because she knew something
wasn't quite right.

And I do remember her buying
like um, um paper and pencils

and would sit me
down and try to work

with me and all
this kind of stuff.

But my father, his
thing was, he just

plainly-- he said I
was stupid and dumb

and never amount to
anything because he was

in agreement with the
teachers and stuff.

So, you know, he made
matters a little,

he made it a lot worse
than it should've been.

Presently, I'm
suffering from that.

I'm paying a great cause
because I'm shy of everything

because at 49, I have
no formal education.

Never been to high school.

Uh, never been to college.

My schooling stopped at,
to me, in the second grade,

as far as I'm concerned.

I think that's where
it all stopped,

to be perfectly honest.

When I failed, somebody
should've did something.

When I was um grade school, I
had always wanted to actually

be a pilot because I
love airplanes, you know,

then and now.

But as time went
on with my drawing,

I started realizing I was
more interested in designing

aircraft, more so than
flying an aircraft.

So now, I'm to the
point where I want

to get into
designing spacecraft.

But unfortunately, due
to my circumstances,

it's just-- that's just
a dead dream right now.

And I hate that.

I really hate that.

MARK HARBAUGH (VOICEOVER): Uh,
school for me was not easy.

It had various different
levels of failure,

had various different
levels of success.

Especially in my
elementary days,

I definitely had the
teachers that saw me as lazy,

wasn't trying.

And I had the teachers
that, you know,

just viewed it as, oh,
he'll get it some day.

And in high school, I was
definitely a C student.

-I mean, the only thing
I got an A in was Gym.

And I was happy that
it was my one A.

And-- but although I
liked history so I would

do fairly well in history.

But English and Math, uh
any of that stuff was big

struggles for me.

Um, when I took my ACT for the
first time to get into college,

I think I scored a 13 on
it, which wasn't great.

But then somehow through
the resource in high school,

I got to take the ACT again
and I scored a 19 on it.

And that time, it was read to
me and it was also non-timed.

I still remember to this day,
sitting with my high school

adviser, as you're getting ready
to start looking at colleges,

and he said, You should
stop thinking about college.

Start looking into
trade schools.

And you know it's
probably the path

that you're going
to end up in life."

And I walked out-- um, I walked
out of that situation feeling

OK, you can accept that
or you can change it.

And the way you're
going to change it

is um by not giving
up, you know.

It's easy to throw in the
towel and say, OK I'm dumb,

I'm stupid.

This is your lot in life.

But I knew I wasn't dumb,
I knew I wasn't stupid.

I had value, I had
a lot to offer.

Um, I found myself.

I'm-- I was very social.

I was very creative.

I didn't have problems
speaking in public,

so you know, to
me that piece was

the part that I was
going to go for.

Um, so then when
I went to college,

I knew that I had
to find a school

that was not the
big mega school.

If I had a big mega school,
I would have been lost.

So I found a smaller school.

I went to Bradley University.

The classroom sizes was smaller.

It was only about 4,000
students on campus.

The teachers were
actually, the classes

were actually taught by the
professors, first as a TA.

Average class size
was 25 to 30 kids.

So it was almost like
going to high school

but you had more independence.

I mean I knew my professors
and I would go to my professors

and they would work with me.

So that to me was huge.

And again, I had to take
the philosophy-- and I

joke about it today to my
kids, I said Cs get degrees.

Because that's
what I had to get.

I add to get Cs.

I get Bs every once in awhile.

But at the end of the
day, I got a degree.

And I'm happy for that.

HOLLY YORK (VOICEOVER): Some of
the common myths about dyslexia

fall under common questions
and common characteristics

of dyslexia.

-For example, reversals.

Many people think that
individuals with dyslexia

see things backwards.

When in fact, that is a myth.

They don't see things backwards.

It's actually a
neurologically-- a

neurological issue
within the brain.

Another myth is that
dyslexia is rare.

And in fact,
dyslexia is not rare.

One out of five people have
dyslexia and most of them

will go undiagnosed their
whole life and will struggle.

-Some of the myths is that
it's a vision problem.

And it's not a vision problem.

It cannot be corrected by
colored lenses or overlays.

It cannot be corrective by
any kind of vision therapy.

Efficient therapy does collect a
problem that it's not dyslexia.

There's a common misconception
that it's a hearing problem

or auditory processing
problem, which

is different than
phonological processing.

-Another thing people believe
is that dyslexics cannot read.

That is absolutely not true.

Dyslexics can read,
up to a point.

But around third
grade, if not sooner,

they hit the wall in
reading development.

Another myth is
that people believes

dyslexics will never read well.

In fact, dyslexics can
become excellent readers,

great spellers,
wonderful writers

if they are given the
proper intervention.

-Often times, I'm told,
"Well, that's just

kind of a junk term.

It doesn't mean
anything anymore."

I even recently had a parent
that took their child's

results, after being diagnosed
with dyslexia to the principal,

and the principal said,
"It does not exist.

There's no such
thing as dyslexia."

-Some of the
comments, the stories

that we get from parents--
you, you're not sure

if you want to laugh or
you want to cry about them.

Because they're just,
they don't make any sense.

We'll have a parent
say you know,

"My child's in third
grade and he's not reading

but the teachers telling me that
he's not trying hard enough."

Or "he's just a little slow."

Or "he'll grow into it."

-You know, I had one parent tell
me, who is from a very affluent

school district, when her
child was in first grade,

that the teacher said to them or
might have been administrator,

that not everybody's
child can be smart.

And somebody has to stock
the shelves at Walmart.

How do you tell that
to a first grader?

How do you sell them
that short that early?

-If I could do anything for
the children and individuals

with dyslexia, it is to
root out this insidious myth

that children who can't learn
to read are dumb or are stupid

or not working to potential.

What I want everyone to
understand that there is

reading and there
is intelligence.

And the reading circuit
is about putting together

all these parts with a
child's intelligence.

The intelligence of a
child is not shown by

whether they can
learn to read or not.

And it is an assumption that
is shared by so many people

and makes children who can't
learn to read feel stupid.

STEWART HUDSON
(VOICEOVER): So we

have a big problem in
American education.

The problem many of us
are trying to work on

in this field that affects
anywhere from 2.5 million to 10

million school kids,
we're not allowed

to name when we're working
with kids in schools, dyslexia.

-But what I think is
important about labeling

is the context matters.

Labeling is not always bad,
neither is it always good.

And it can be disabling if
what you're saying to a child

is that dyslexia is a
litany of deficiency,

a list of things
you ain't good at.

Doesn't have to be that way.

But we have a duty.

We, who are adults, have a
duty to change perceptions

so that people understand
the talents that go along

with dyslexia and
those who have it

and the way their
brains operate.

It's a package of strengths
and some areas of challenge.

More to the school
system, however,

is labeling is sometimes
relieving to a child

and that's true whether
it's a mental health

issue or a learning
issue or a health

issue that's beyond a
mental health issue.

People need to get a
hand hold on something

in order to know
it's not about them.

That whatever they're
contending with it,

it might be a challenge,
is not a character flaw.

-I know that people don't like
to refer to the word dyslexia.

Administrators, teachers,
even parents, perhaps,

don't want to acknowledge
that that's it.

Or say the word or address it.

But all I can say for
a parents prospective

is we saw our son hit a wall.

Emotionally, we were
frightened for him

because he was shutting
down on every level, felt

so frustrated, felt so
unworthy really, and incapable.

And that word dyslexia
changed everything for him.

It gave a reason for why he
struggled so much so that he

wanted to do his end of
the year fifth grade report

and presentation on dyslexia,
presented it to his classroom,

felt empowered like
this is why I struggle.

There's actually a word for
it, there's a reason for it,

I'm not stupid, I'm not lazy.

I work hard, probably
harder than most of you

have to work for
maybe a lesser grade.

But this is why.

And so that word gave
him purpose and meaning

and it really did change
everything for him.

We were able to point to
other people, professionals,

inventors, presidents,
lots of people

in powerful positions
who had dyslexia, too.

And it-- it allowed him to
believe in himself again.

Like, oh, I can do it, too.

And I can excel at
other things and I

can be-- I can be successful.

-Well after the diagnosis,
we reviewed the material,

my husband and I with the
physician that diagnosed her.

We had some interest--
you know, a list of things

that we could do
to help Kendall.

We brought information
back to her teachers

and to the principal
and we spoke with them.

The teacher still did not quite
understand what dyslexia was.

That was kind of difficult.

She tried, I mean, she
tried to figure, you know,

try to help us and
figure out what that

was but the
understanding is it's not

there yet quite
in the community.

I mean, she didn't
grasp the concept

that this wasn't something that
she was just going to outgrow.

Now talking with Kendall,
she was a little bit more

disappointed and devastated.

She didn't quite understand it.

You know, "I'm just
like everybody else."

She didn't want to go
to resource classes.

She didn't want to do the things
that you needed to progress

with her reading and with for
understanding and how to learn.

And then once we sat
down on several occasions

and we went through the
different information with her,

one day she was like, wow,
mommy this is working.

You know she'd sit down
and do her homework

and she wasn't as
frustrated, there

wasn't as much crying, you
know, more temper tantrums.

And I think she's understanding
that you know, this is OK.

This is you know, this is OK.

This is who I am and
I'm special and I'm

going to use what I have
and it's not a bad thing.

-Personally, I think Cole
when he was first diagnosed,

he was very embarrassed about
the fact that he had dyslexia.

He was always saying,
"Why do I have this?"

You know "How come
I get everything?"

And it wasn't until I
sat him down one day,

because he was getting
teased at school,

that I suggested his tutor
come into his classroom

and talk to the kids
because he doesn't have

a physical disability
that they see.

DEE MCDERMOTT (VOICEOVER):
And ever since then, Cole's

become more proud of the
fact that he has dyslexia

and it's not such a
curse to him anymore.

MAUREEN O'CONNOR (VOICEOVER):
Most public schools give

a standard battery of tests that
has three reading tests on it.

It has a test of comprehension,
a test of vocabulary,

and a decoding test.

-And that's it.

Some have a fluency test.

Um and so they take those,
they average them together

and then they tell you,
well what you know,

what the average is
and where your child

lives on that on
a standard scale.

But you need to know more about
a child's reading than that.

You need to have a
good decoding survey,

you have to know where is
the breakdown in the reading,

you know?

Where, where is it happening?

Is it happening at
the decoding level?

Is it happening at the
comprehension level?

Is it happening at the word
level with, with vocabulary?

And you don't get that from
a regular public school

evaluation.

-When a parent thinks that
their child might have dyslexia

and they're looking to
find somebody to test them,

to determine whether or
not that is their problem,

they need to make sure that they
are looking for a person who

is qualified to test
their child with dyslexia.

So that person needs to have
a real understanding of what

dyslexia is, they need to ask
them for what types of tests

they're going to be using.

And there are lists of
tests that are accepted

in the dyslexia community as
having the ability to determine

whether or not somebody
has to dyslexia.

They need you to
believe in dyslexia

and that it's-- that it's real.

And be able to use the
term in their reports,

that they give them a really
nice long report that shows

them what their
scores are and how

that, that backs
up their diagnosis.

So it needs to be
very detailed and it

needs to be explained
in the parent in the way

that they understand.

And they need to have the
educational level that would

qualify them to be
able to do that.

-For parents who are just
getting the knowledge,

the information that their
child is being diagnosed

with dyslexia, it
can be very scary.

And I believe it's scary
because they don't understand

or they don't have
enough information.

And I think it's important
that they take a deep breath

and make a commitment
to do some research

and read the good books
that are out there.

It's not a death
sentence at all.

And the more
information they have,

um the better they're
going to feel.

And the exciting part is
with that information,

they're going to be able to
help your child learn to read.

And that's the goal.

It's the parent, I
believe, that is so afraid

that they keep their
eyes shut and they

don't get the information
they need so they can't

parent that child and
advocate for that child.

And then the child
struggles to learn to read.

And we want to get past that.

We want the child to learn
to read and then become

the whole human being that
the child wants to be.

LISA STANKUS (VOICEOVER):
A dyslexic person

primarily needs two things.

They need Orton
Gillingham tutoring

and they need accommodations.

And those are the two
things to fight for.

Now, you might and
most likely will

have to go and seek elsewhere,
outside of the school

to get the Orton
Gillingham tutoring.

But that is critical
and it is attainable.

It is something you can provide.

And so you, as a
parent, have to weigh.

Am I going to wait
for the school

to catch up and figure this out?

Or am I going to take
the bull by the horns

and seek the help that
I know my child needs,

that I know is successful,
research-based, scientifically

proven, and most
supportive for my child?

I just got to do it.

-I've used Orton Gillingham
for probably 25 years

and it's just a
successful program.

I think it's successful
because it is so structured.

You don't leave room for error.

You teach every letter,
you teach every sound.

Um, you don't go on
until the child knows

what has been previously taught.

You're always
building on success.

I think the
multi-sensory part of it

is one of the most
important parts.

The child hears it, they
see it, they feel it.

-There are several Orton
Gillingham-based programs

tutors may use to teach
dyslexics to read.

It is really, really important
that the tutor is well-trained

and certified in the program
in which they'll be using.

As a tutor, I have
seen firsthand

the impact tutoring
can have on a child.

When they start with me,
they're an emotional mass,

they're very low self-esteem,
failing in school.

After their proper
intervention and hard work,

they have become
successful students,

their confidence
is growing and they

have got to the point where
they actually enjoy reading.

-Actually last summer, after
Logan had been tutoring

for about a year
and a half, he read

two novels over the summer.

Just so unusual.

Come up into his bedroom
and he'd be reading a book.

And so that was amazing.

Um we have noticed and even
the standardized tests scores

that just came home
this summer, what

an improvement his
were over last year.

So we know, we now.

I can see his
spelling improving.

I can see his writing.

And he still struggles
with getting LE thoughts

on paper and there
still other tools

that we use to help with that.

But we are definitely
seeing an improvement.

LEANN HARBAUGH (VOICEOVER):
And just his self-esteem,

that he's capable,
and able to do it,

has been really,
really neat to see.

LINDA PUPICH
(VOICEOVER): Every day,

I see a little light
coming in her face

when she does something,
spell something,

when she read something
that she wasn't

able to do before the tutoring.

And Alexia is in third grade,
her sister, and Alexia,

yelled down "How do
you spell whatever?"

-And Jess yelled
out how to spell it.

And I was like, oh, yay!

Hooray@ And um-- so I
see many celebrations

every day in her progress.

And it's so exciting to
me, to see her confidence

just build and build and build.

KAREN HOPE (VOICEOVER):
From the moment

she was diagnosed, until now,
where it's, what, two years

later, she's just
done phenomenally.

She actually had the
choice last year in school,

towards the halfway
through the school,

if you wanted to participate
in spelling tests.

And it was her choice
and she chose to do so.

And she did very well.

-Her Maths skills
went up greatly

and she's reading
and wanting to read.

She no longer, you know, comes
home and says "I hate reading.

I don't want to read ever."

KAREN HOPE (VOICEOVER):
She's asking

me to order certain
books for her.

You know, certain
books that she's

now interested
in, chapter books.

I mean that's a huge step for us
because she wants to know what

the next chapter's--
what's the next book about.

-So it's-- she's
excited about reading.

She's excited about school.

And for us, that's
just is a joy.

It's joy to see in her.

SUSAN BARTON (VOICEOVER):
Classroom accommodations are

essential for students with
dyslexia who have either not

gotten the right type of
intervention yet or it

hasn't-- may haven't had it long
enough that the gap is closed.

-Classroom accommodations
are something

the regular teacher
does to do two things.

One, to avoid accidentally
humiliating this child.

How do humiliate a
child with dyslexia?

You accidentally reveal their
weaknesses to their friends.

So things they shouldn't do,
ask them to read out in class,

make them participate
in a spelling bee,

have them come up to the
board and write the answers

to the homework where they'll
see his spelling issues

and his handwriting
issues and so on.

The most important
thing for a teacher

is to keep his
struggles private.

His academic struggles are
nobody else's business but his,

the parents, and the teacher's.

Nobody else should
be aware of it.

But there are other types of
accommodations that teachers

should also provide so that he
can access the same curriculum

as everyone else can
prove this knowledge,

even though we cannot
yet read, write,

and spell at grade level.

So for instance, he needs to
learn what's in the textbook

but he can't read what's
in the textbook, yet.

So allow him to listen
to his textbook on audio.

He knows the answer
to questions.

Trust me, he spent
hours, and hours,

and hours studying for tests.

But he can't write
down the answers

that he knows in
acceptable forms

so allow him to just
do oral testing.

If he does have to write answers
or essays, grade it on content

and ignore the spelling.

Simple, easy things
that costs no money.

They don't require
changing the curriculum.

They just require an
awareness by the teacher

that these are necessary.

And how to provide them
in a way that doesn't make

him look different.

CAROLYN COWEN (VOICEOVER): Early
intervention in the classroom,

even before they
get to the classroom

if you possibly can
do it, can really

make a big difference
in the outcomes.

-And the sooner, the
better because their brains

are more plastic
when they're younger.

The sooner, the better because
if they can-- if you can short

circuit that
failure cycle, which

carries lifelong
scars, all the better.

Outside the classroom,
it's also important.

They need all kinds of supports
that feed their self-image

because most of the
day in the school,

they're getting negative
messages about themselves.

So if there are things that can
be done that allow them to do--

to work on their strengths,
or do things that they enjoy,

positive support from the family
or activities, all of that

is really important because
it feeds their self-esteem.

And they have to have
a healthy sense of self

to do that fight, to do that
battle during the school day.

-Despite their
areas of struggle,

dyslexics tend to be gifted
in other areas, people skills.

They can make outstanding
teachers, politicians,

motivational speakers,
and community leaders.

They tend to have
amazing visual abilities.

This helps them to become
amazing artists, sculptures,

filmmakers,
hairdressers, architects.

Dyslexics can become
strong athletes

based on their intuition
and discipline skills.

And due to their
logical and hands-on way

of learning and
thinking, they can

excel in the scientific
areas, such as medicine,

engineering, and computers.

-They're not afraid
to take risks,

which is a wonderful quality.

It can be frustrating if you're
the parent of an eight-year-old

child who's jumping
out of trees or doing

things that are
seemingly impulsive.

But it's a great quality, if
you struggle with some things

but you pick yourself back up
and you say, "You know what?

I'm going to try it a
different way this time."

There are an estimated
35%, they say,

of entrepreneurs are dyslexic.

And an entrepreneur is
a risk taker, right?

It's somebody who sees
things differently.

We talk about the out-of-the-box
thinkers who might look

at something completely
differently than the average

person and come up with an idea
that no one else has thought

of, because of those
skills, those talents.

-I think it's
tremendously important

to foster the strengths if you
have a child with dyslexia.

I think that they spend a lot
of their early educational

experience in what
feels like failure.

And as parents and people
who know them intimately,

there's so much more than that.

And they might need
some convincing

in those early years.

DEBORAH LYNAM (VOICEOVER): So,
really celebrate and give them

many, many opportunities
to feel and experience

what success is like.

Because for many of our kids,
it can be the lifeline that

gets them through
the rough patches.

-Becoming an Illinois
Supreme Court Judge probably

is the results of my
entire life having someone

helping me along the
way and directing me.

For instance, when
I was a little girl,

I really didn't
do well in school.

Now I know why is because I
had dyslexia, have dyslexia.

But people would encouraged
me, "You know, you are doing

really well." it's
not-- it's OK.

My mom and dad
never really cared

whether I got As, I got Cs.

But what they did encourage
me to be was a happy kid.

ANNE BURKE (VOICEOVER):
Do what you like to do.

So off I went.

-I went to be a gym teacher
for the Chicago Park District.

Very successful.

I ran programs for several
hundred kids, day camps.

Started the Special Olympics in
1968 and was very successful.

I got married and
my husband encourage

me to go to law school.

He says "You know
all these things

about kids with disabilities.

You should be using
it to help them."

And I said, "But law school.

You know I could hardly
read, I can't spell."

He said "I'll help you."

So I did.

And it was-- I was successful.

I got Cs.

I only got one or two As
my whole law school career.

CAROLYN COWEN (VOICEOVER):
But I had that person

encouraging me about
what I could do.

JOE KURYLA (VOICEOVER): Some of
Lauren's strengths, creativity,

art, that's something that
we've been pretty happy about.

When she draws something
or paint something,

it's it's-- she
does a really nice

job with that kind of a thing.

She also has a really
good big picture

understanding of
things, it even Math.

She's not great at math but she
understands at a high level,

the concept, you know the
macro level of what's going on.

Getting the nuts and bolts
is kind of difficult for her

to put all of that
together but man, she

does understand what's going on.

Socially, she's a very
socially aware young girl.

-And she's very well liked by
I think everybody in her class.

Every, everyone in her school
really seems to like, really.

They hug her when they see her.

And then she seems
to really have

a great rapport with
just about everybody.

-I see dyslexia as
a gift, especially

in Jessica with her heart
for other struggling people.

And I think that
for her, um that's

grown a sense of compassion
in her and a love for people

that she might not have had
if she hadn't had to walk

through this journey the
way that she has already.

And um to me, that's
a gift because I

get the blessing of that,
as well bu her love.

But she's so good
with other people

and a couple weeks ago, she
told her tutor there one day she

might like to help kids that
are struggling like she is.

And it almost made
me cry because it's

just such a gift that she
could find a purpose in what

the world wants to say
is no good or a stigma

or stupid, that
she could find hope

in that and in a way to
make it a good thing.

STEWART HUDSON (VOICEOVER): We
need to be very mindful of not

making enemies of
those we need to be

part of changing
American education.

My sister's a school
teacher in Wyoming.

My sister-in-law is a
special education school

teacher in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.

Around the Thanksgiving
dinner table,

I get in trouble talking
bad about teachers,

nor do I want to.

But if you remember the
phrase "Army Strong,"

I think we need to
come up with something

called "Teacher Strong."

And if you're going to
be "Teacher Strong,"

you are going to have to
endure that you are operating

in a very big system
that does not always

provide you the
rewards you deserve.

You're going to have to find
a way, as many teachers do

and I admire them for it,
to provide your own reward.

So remind yourself you're
there for the kids.

And to take some risk.

It's not easy and it is not
often rewarded by the system

but it is rewarded by what
teachers care about most,

and that is results
with the kids.

Now I want to be
clear, this means

high standards for teachers.

This means doing the things you
need to do in a system to take

those who are really
not motivated by doing

well and giving them
something else to do.

But for those who
are doing well,

find more and more ways of
celebrating their success.

None of this is easy.

I don't want it to
sound Pollyannish.

And I'm not doing this just to
have a good Thanksgiving dinner

with my sister
and sister-in-law.

I believe in this very deeply.

I've the greatest amount of
admiration for what teachers do

and yet we know that teachers
need to be part of a change.

-I think most teachers want
the best for their students.

I think they really want
to do all that they can.

I think they want um
children who are achieving.

I think they want-- they're
in teaching because they love

children and that's
what they want to do.

I think sometimes just
because of the situations,

the many children,
the lack of materials,

um the administrative
complaints.

There's a million things in
a day that can pull you down.

And I think um that--
that also can affect

the way that we
look at children.

A child who can't
read all of a sudden

becomes a problem,
instead of a challenge.

I think you have to look at
kids as, as a whole child.

You can't look at, well,
this one can't read

and this one can't do Math
and this one can write.

You have to look at
them and you always

have to look at them
in terms of what

are the things that they can do?

If you look at their gifts
and you concentrate on those,

you're going to be able
to help with the deficits.

-We've got to start
with the universities

because if the
teachers coming out

don't know anymore
than the teachers

from 30 or 40 years ago,
we're not fixing anything.

We need the
universities to start

working in their programs.

They need to do--
especially special ED

teachers, the reading teachers.

These teachers need to
know it dyslexia is.

I had a couple friends
that went back to college

and they said they learned
more about dyslexia from me

then they learned in
any of their classes.

And one did go back with
a special ED certificate.

And she said maybe
we got five minutes

about dyslexia, if that.

And that's now.

I mean, I might have expected
that 20 years ago but not now.

-When we work with
teachers, they--

they say we want
this information.

They email us all the time,
they come into our classes

and they say we really
want this information.

And then they always in
in big capital letters

with an explanation
point, "Why didn't I

learned this in teacher
training school?"

So they really want
this information

and they have-- and the
ones that are going out

there and getting it
themselves, I applaud them.

But it's not as many
as it needs to be.

-Every teacher
should be required

to have one course on
dyslexia in order to graduate.

What it is?

What the warning signs are?

How to help?

What won't help?

Because unfortunately, dyslexia
follows them all life long.

So I'll tell you.

I've talk to a lot of
junior high teachers

and high school teachers
who say "I can't believe

how many children I have coming
in as a freshman in high school

who are reading at
the third grade level.

What am I supposed
to do with them?

How do I teach them
high school science

when they can't read the book?"

So it's not just
elementary school teachers

who need to know about this.

All teachers in public
schools and private school

should have a class on
dyslexia before they're

allowed to hit the classroom.

So they'll understand
what they're looking at

and what needs to be done
and they can warn parents,

so that parents can
take action early.

-I think the biggest
challenge to raise awareness

with educators on what is
dyslexia um it was first

getting the states
to acknowledge

that dyslexia is
neurobiological.

A lot of states don't even have
it at all, don't recognize it.

And thus, these kids who
could be identified so early,

they could be screened
in pre-K and kindergarten

and then provided
in general education

great supports that really
aren't that difficult.

And science tells us,
work for these children.

They'll be all reading by
the second or third grade

or almost all, at
least 98% of them.

So the states have
to acknowledge it.

Our policymakers have
to acknowledge it.

And then we have to give
the tools to our teachers.

MARYANNE WOLF (VOICEOVER): When
anyone asks what we could do

about children with
dyslexia, the first thing

I want the world to
know is that it exists.

-It is a-- it is a different
organization of a brain that

is a wonderful brain, a
brand that it has been

here long before reading occurs.

So the absolute first thing
is a re-conceptualization

of dyslexia for everyone.

The second is that understanding
is made available to the child,

to the parent, to the
peers, and to the teachers,

and to the school systems,
not just in this country,

but around the world.

Literacy affects everyone.

Our children with
dyslexia should never

be deprived of
access to literacy.

This is probably one of our
most interesting brains,

as a species.

We cannot have it lost in
its contribution to society.

-Right now, much of what
we know about dyslexia

comes from the careful
work of many, many people

over many years,
showing the importance

of phonological ability,
and the importance

of early environment,
stimulative language,

proper instruction
in how to read.

Reading can be miss-taught.

We have very-- it's very easy
to create what are called

curriculum casualties, where you
do not appreciate how reading

is built and what
should be reinforced.

Emphasizing phonological skills,
phonics, alphabetic principle,

vocabulary-- these are things
that have been recommended

by the National Reading Panel
that are healthy and important.

Currently, brain science
doesn't add much to that.

But it offers a promise that
we can begin to understand

differences between
people that are

very subtle and
yet very profound.

-I think in this day and age,
with-- after 20, 30 years

of science that has proven
one, that dyslexia does indeed

exist, that's not reading,
writing backwards,

and that there's
real methodology

to help these children learn--
that the time has come.

We've got to stop the cycle.

And want-- we need
parents to speak out.

And then-- that's
one reason we came

up with decoding
dyslexia groups.

-We are looking to raise
dyslexia awareness.

We're hoping to get parents
to resources and supports

in a timely fashion,
quicker than we

may have gone there ourselves.

And we also want to make sure
that we're out there sharing

our story with policymakers
and people who actually

have the ability
to affect change.

From that three point
mission statement,

we've developed also talking
points or policy goals.

And those are to have a unified
definition of dyslexia in state

education codes, to
mandate early screening,

early intervention,
teacher training,

and access to a
sister technologies.

LUIS MACIAS (VOICEOVER):
Dyslexia is a global issue.

It affects up to 20%
of the population.

That's a lot of people.

Every classroom has
at least one student

who struggles to some
degree with reading,

writing, and spelling.

Parents are frustrated
because they don't understand

why and teachers who want
to help these students

but don't know how.

One word, dyslexia,
can change all that.

But it requires
knowledge, understanding,

and support to move forward.

Parents-- it's really important
to know that it's never

too late to get help for
your struggling child.

No matter how old they are
when they are diagnosed,

you can get them help.

They can become
proficient readers

and they can get their
self-esteem back.

It's not a hopeless situation.

But it does require
work on your part.

You will have to do research.

You will have to educate
yourself so that you can learn

how best to support
your child at home

and advocate for him in school.

Teachers-- how many of you
have students in your classroom

who seem so smart but yet
they struggle so much?

How often have you been banging
your head against the wall,

trying to figure out what you
can do to help this child,

believing there is
an answer but not

knowing where to
find that answer?

Take it upon yourself to
learn more about dyslexia.

You can help give
parents an answer

and you can be the reason
a child with dyslexia

will find the road
to success, instead

of the road of
constant struggle.

Schools-- if your primary
function is to educate all

children, then you cannot
keep turning a blind eye

to something that
affects one out

of five of your
student population.

Dyslexia is real.

And please understand
that early dyslexia

screening and
intervention is smart.

It makes sense.

It saves time and money
and most importantly, it

removes roadblocks that can
keep our children with dyslexia

from reaching their
full potential.

And finally, policymakers--
you have the ability

to pass laws that make it
mandatory for all schools

to screen every single
student for dyslexia.

And to also provide
children with dyslexia

was scientifically
proven instruction.

You also have the ability
to pass laws that require

every teacher training college
to include at least one course

on dyslexia, so that new
teachers can be better

prepared to meet the needs
of all their students.

With all of the dyslexia
research that exists,

there is no reason why a child
who struggles with reading,

writing, and spelling
cannot get the help they

need to become
successful students.

you will find links to websites
that provide more information

about dyslexia and to
organizations that have me

permission to raise the
awareness around the world.

Every child deserves the
opportunity to be successful.

We can do this.

We must do this, but we
have to do it together.

[CLOSING MUSIC]