Dear Dish-It: Dyslexia

Sep 07, 2011

Dear Dish-It,

I have dyslexia but no one knows. What will I do if the teacher calls on me to answer a question in class, and I don’t know the answer?

bb123

Dealing with Dyslexia

Dear bb123,

Dyslexia, as you know, is a learning problem that some kids have. Even though it has to do with your brain and the way that you learn, it definitely doesn’t mean that you’re dumb – not by a long shot. There are tons of smart, talented and successful people out there that have struggled with dyslexia, just like you. It definitely does NOT have to keep you down!

Help & Hard Work

With a little help and some hard work, I know that you can succeed in your studies, just like any other kid in your class. And yes, you WILL be able to answer the questions – even the really tough ones – that your teacher asks in class. If you aren’t seeing one already, your best bet is to have your parents take you to a specialist in learning disabilities, who can help you figure out what you can do to overcome your dyslexia. Getting this kind of amazing help is the first step toward feeling more confident in the classroom. The specialist may also give you some techniques and tips to help make learning easier. Depending on your own unique situation, he or she may tell you that simply giving yourself some extra time to study or complete your homework, or getting a tutor to give you some extra help in the school subjects that really stump you, could help out a lot.

Tell Your Teacher

The next thing you should do is talk to your teacher, in private, and let him or her know that you have a learning disability. Your teacher can only help you if he or she knows what’s going on with you. If you’re not comfortable with any of the other kids in your class knowing, then ask your teacher if you can keep it just between the two of you. I’m sure he or she will totally understand! Plus, you may be able to reach an agreement about how you will take tests (maybe you’ll get a little extra time to complete them), etc.

Fill Your Friends In

If you feel comfortable letting the other kids in your class know what’s going on with you, you may want to share your story with them. This is totally up to you. You may be surprised: the kids in your class could be totally understanding, and then you’ll have a whole bunch of support that you didn’t have before! It may even be fun to do some research about dyslexia and present it to your class as a project – you can help them to learn something new and share your story with your friends.