My 8-year old son was diagnosed with dyslexia a few months ago. He doesn't like to talk about it and he doesn't tell anyone else he has it. So I don't usually either. However, it's Dyslexia Awareness Month and I believe that the more who know about it, the more kids we can help. Plus, I tell my son all the time how proud I am of him, and I hope that one day he'll be proud of all that he is too.
My son makes friends everywhere he goes. He is kind and generous to everyone he meets. His smile is contagious. He also happens to have dyslexia.
We suspected that there was something going on a few years ago. It was more than that he was having trouble reading. It's that he tried so hard and still struggled. Despite any improvements he was making, he was still falling farther and farther behind. Even when we gave him all the tools to learn, his brain just couldn’t put it together.
The diagnosis was actually a relief. No one’s happy to be told that their child has a learning disability. It broke my heart to hear someone tell me there was something wrong. However, seeing the tears in my son’s eyes while he tried to sound out words and sentences was already breaking my heart. This diagnosis would finally get him the help he needed to set him on a path to success.
In the last few months, I’ve tried to educate myself on dyslexia, and have found there are so many misconceptions about it. Some people think dyslexia means you just write letters backward; or that kids with dyslexia have low intelligence, have problems with vision, or just don’t try hard enough. But I’ve learned that none of those are right.
Dyslexia means that my son’s brain processes information differently than most people. He has to work extra hard to do what comes naturally to others, especially reading, writing and spelling. Using specific evidence-based reading programs, he can learn strategies on how to overcome many of the challenges, but he will never completely outgrow it. Dyslexia can vary to different degrees, but experts say that between 5-20% of the population has some form of it.
Because of how the brain works, many people with dyslexia tend to have incredible strengths too. My son is both innovative and resourceful - he can spend hours with cardboard and a roll of tape and turn it into something unique. In fact, some of the most famous storytellers, entrepreneurs, inventors and out-of-the-box thinkers even credit dyslexia for helping make them successful. People like Steven Spielberg, Richard Branson, Octavia Spencer, and Jamie Oliver are all dyslexic. Many believe that some of the world’s biggest game-changers had it too, including: Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Walt Disney, Pablo Picasso, and possibly even Albert Einstein.
You can find more info about dyslexia and other learning challenges on Understood.org. I highly recommend trying the simulations to see what it’s like for kids who have reading, attention, or other issues. Check them out here.
My hubby makes me proud. He works so hard to take care of our family.
I'm proud of my friend who is fighting cancer.
My mom makes me proud as she is showing me how to live healthy when you retire
I'm proud of my daughter for turning a passionate hobby into a career she loves!
Stolen from another commenter because I agree 100%: My husband makes me proud especially to be his wife and my son's father. He works hard and takes care of his family without complaint. He always puts us first and let's us know how much he loves us.
My daughter makes me so proud everyday. She is wise beyond her years and always treats everyone with kindness, I just had a parent teacher conferance and her teacher said she wished she had a whole classroom of my Olivia. I couldnt be more proud of who my daughter is growing into.
I am proud of my dad. We just lost our mom and it is very hard for him to go on, but he is so strong.
My mother is so kind and strong. She has had cancer and helped support my father during his long illness.
My son is who I am the most proud of. He grew up having ADHD and his childhood was so hard dealing with it. He is now 29 years old, works a full time job, is engaged and he has not been on any medication since high school, so he really got is life in order without the past coming back to haunt him because of the ADHD.
My children make me proud everyday!
my sister inspires me - she works so hard to support her family and has some health scares that have only made her stronger
My son has learning disabilities and he is struggling at school but works so hard and I am very proud of him
My kids by doing really well in school and being positive happy people
My mom makes me so proud. She is the caretaker for my dad who is in a wheelchair and for myself (struggling with fibromyalgia). She always puts herself last, unfortunately, and she is such a strong hardworking person.
My daughter joined the Tennessee National Guard. She makes me so proud and only 18!