Stories Of Dyslexia Hope

I am working hard to give my son role models that he can look up to.  One of the older boys in our county has struggled with dyslexia.  My little man really looks up to him, because he knows that if J can get through school so can he.  I don't think J knows it, but I can see that he has taken a special interest in my little guy which makes him beam with pride that someone older notices him at a livestock show.  We never know where their special talent will take them, but what I do know is that we need to give them a wide range of experiences to help them find where they fit.  That goes for all kids, not just ones with dyslexia.

PB shared this when one of our mutual friends linked to one of my first dyslexia posts.   I think it is safe to say that someone took an interest in her son as well.

"My youngest son Jim was and still is dyslexic. It caused him to develop a phenomenal memory and he is very analytical. Those traits made college hard but achievable. 

He never took notes but sat in the front and listened intently. And he made it getting a BS in Ag Econ with a minor in Animal Science. 

Now he has a great job in Garden City as a Risk Manager at Cattle Empire. He buys feed grains and is starting to trade other commodities. He still can't spell or write a decent paragraph but his ability to read the market is uncanny. So the message is 'don't despair' . Your son will find a path.

 Oh and I forget to tell you. J was in special ed for reading and he thought he was not smart, but in middle school Sandy Fraser took him to the state horse expo at Rock Springs. He watched the horse quiz bowl. He came home and wanted to try it the next year.

A special thank you to my friend Laurie over at Country Linked for this photo.

We practiced all winter and the rest is history. He discovered he was very smart. The last year he was in Horse Quiz Bowl he dominated the competition at state.  It gave J belief in himself and his intellect. School was still hard but it was manageable."

My little guy knows that feeling of not feeling smart, because he was in what they now call Title I reading.  He was so frustrated with being pulled out of class.  I am happy to say that after our summer of tutoring, he is not attending Title I reading this fall!  :)

There are so many great leaders and inventors that struggled with dyslexia, but overcame and did great things.  People like:  Alexander Graham Bell, Steve Jobs, Jay Leno, John Lennon, Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Cruise, and even Walt Disney.  Follow the Center for Research, Evaluation and Awareness of Dyslexia to see a different person everyday this month.  You might be surprised at what they can accomplish with the right encouragement.

-A Kansas Farm Mom