What does dyslexia feel like from a child's perspective?
In this episode, 11-year-old Lola and her mom, Heather, share Lola's journey with dyslexia.
The most powerful part is hearing from Lola herself. She talks about embracing dyslexia, recognizing the creativity and imagination in the way her brain works, and learning to trust herself. That perspective shines through in her essay response:
WHAT SPECIAL GIFTS, TALENTS, INTERESTS AND HOBBIES WILL YOU BRING TO IMMACULATE HEART?
I have many talents, hobbies and interests that I enjoy doing. One of my hobbies is soccer! I've played AYSO soccer ever since I was in kindergarten. I love to score. Season after season, I keep trying and improving, and will never give up even if we don't win every game. Another special hobby of mine is being a Girl Scout. I've been in Girl Scouts since I was in TK. I started as a scared little kid and now I'm a Junior. Girl Scouts not only teaches life skills and giving to the community, it also teaches you teamwork and how to cooperate better.
I also love performing, including dancing, acting, improv, ukulele and singing. Singing especially is something I love to do and I always have. I have been in a chorus group and I've sung in the talent shows at my elementary school. If I go to Immaculate Heart I would love to sing in some way.
But another big and special part of me that I want to talk about is how I've become much stronger and more resilient since being diagnosed with dyslexia. When I was really little, like in kindergarten, I didn't notice a difference between me and the other kids. No one could read. I understood everything I was being taught and my family said I was smart and creative. Reading was a bit hard but at the time I didn't think much of it because I was just learning to read for the first time. Then in 1st grade my teacher had shelves of books with letters on them from A to Z, A being the "easiest" and Z being the "hardest" . We got assigned letters that fit with our reading level. I watched the other kids all move up but I couldn't move past the bottom few levels.
In 2nd grade I started to notice everybody was moving ahead while I felt I was making no progress. For example, one of my best friends was reading Percy Jackson and I was still trying to master picture books. I thought to myself "Why can everybody else read and I can't?" Even with the books that were so easy to all of my friends, I just couldn't read them. The letters were flipping in my head. The d's were b's and b's were p's. I would sound it out but that was wrong.
They would tell me to just "picture read" but that still wasn't reading. My eyes would get really tired and it was always "just try honey" but I was trying as hard as I could. I didn't understand sight words. I would hear a word, see it, say it, but it never stuck. It was just impossible and frustrating. Throughout this time my parents kept trying different things. I had group tutoring at school 3 days a week, but it wasn't getting better. I got great grades in everything else but when it came to reading it just seemed impossible. I didn't know what to do. I felt confused and frustrated, even just infuriated. And sometimes lonely.
Eventually we did a lot of tests and I was diagnosed with dyslexia. One day my parents and I were sitting on the couch and they told me that I would have to do a special dyslexia program, hour-long lessons three afternoons per week for almost two years. At first I freaked out. I didn't think I could do it but I had to, so the journey began. I met my therapist Jennifer and worked with her on zoom. At first it was hard and I worried that it wouldn't work like all the other things I had tried. But slowly it started to make a difference. I started getting more confident and I felt like reading started clicking like it never had before. It doesn't mean reading was suddenly easy but it was easier.
Fast forward a little over two years, and this week I just graduated from the program! I celebrated on zoom with Jennifer. I don't know where I would be right now in reading without it. Being able to get through it has given me independence and helped me believe in myself. Sometimes it felt unfair that other kids could get it so easily. But then I think about all the other things I can do easily, like I have a huge imagination and can create stories in my head. I love to write and I'm actually good at it. I love art and thinking outside of the box. At first having dyslexia used to make me feel sad sometimes, but it's different now because I know I can deal with it. Now instead of seeing it as a liability, I've started thinking of it as also a kind of superpower. Everyone's brain thinks differently and I'm grateful for all of the special things my brain can do. And going through all of this has made me feel strong and like I can be prepared for a challenge. I feel special and I know I can do things that are hard.
With Love and Gratitude,
Megan, Eryn & The Don't Call On Me Team