Dyslexia: It's Not Your Fault!

This post has been sitting as a draft for a long time. Now, it's time to tell my story.

I did everything right. I read to my kids BEFORE they were born. I read to them every night. I showed them words in a literacy rich environment. I'm a reading specialist. My kids should be reading by the time they are 4, before kindergarten, but neither of them did. I tried. I tried hard, but they couldn't grasp the concept.

So, I chalked it up to the fact that they were developmentally not ready. But were they?

Earlier this year, I met with my daughter's second grade teacher after finding out that she had failed the literacy screening they use. We had read all summer, moving through Amelia Bedelia books and laughing at her antics. We read Elephant and Piggie and Fly Guy books. We read Pinkalicious and Fancy Nancy. We read a LOT!

So, when I realized she had failed an assessment I give three times a year, I was stunned. I knew my son was dyslexic early on. He showed signs of it at a very early age, writing his name in weird ways, not catching on to reading concepts like his peers, and calling out random words when reading. I knew it. But I didn't know what to do.

But with my daughter, I had seen the signs, but I just thought it would pass. First graders did that, right?! I completed Orton-Gillingham training and knew the early signs. She had none of those. My son did!

And I had done everything right with her, right from her first day on earth!

And it's not my fault. I just now know what I need to do to get her ready for reading as it gets harder.

Luckily for us, her teacher was Orton-Gillingham trained with dyslexia knowledge like mine. We could talk the talk without even saying the word. We had her assessed, only to find exactly what we knew, but it wasn't enough to get her any extra help.

But the data is there, and we can use it as we talk with her teachers down the road. And I know what to do to help her. My Orton-Gillingham training came when I needed it most!

I know that she will take more time to read like her peers.

I know her fluency will be lacking, unless we focus on that more.

I know that she will need explicit phonics instruction constantly to spell correctly.

I know that blends will always be a struggle for her.

I know that math facts are not her strong point, and we will have to continue to work on those forever.

I know that cursive a MUST for her to be successful in writing more fluently and correctly.

And I know that she has the right tools to persevere and be a lifelong reader, no matter what anyone says.

It just takes time to accept it. And then everything I have to advocate for her.

As for my son, he has compensated all on his own. As a high school freshman, he finished the year with all A's and a B in Spanish (because he can't spell). He read To Kill a Mockingbird and was the only student in his class to get A's on every single quiz. He will be fine. He knows what he needs to do and be successful in school and life.

So, if your child is dyslexic, it's not your fault. You did everything you could to get your child where they are. Now, you have to be their number one advocate!