Emanuel met a 9-year old named Thomas who is also a dyslexic child. She asks the child the same question what's it like to have dyslexia? Thomas answered that it's infuriating not able to comprehend the easiest word in the world. He decides to show it, unfolding his book and chose the word galloping. He was having a hard time reading the word then end up quitting.
Thomas - a fourth grader - is an intelligent child despite having shortcomings. It's the common misconception when talking about dyslexia: It's not regarding of having a low level of IQ or poor education, but it's all about dealing lost for words. Thomas' mom, Geneva Lester says he is fond of books but just present him the audio version, and he will listen to it a thousand times. One of the examples is the Harry Potter which he can understand but incapable of reading it.
According to Dr. John Rack, Action's Director of Education, from the Dyslexia Action publication said that dyslexia has a significant impact on people in distinct ways. It creates a barricade in the long run of progress. Nevertheless, it can be overcome with the right guidance and support in action.
Before they began coming to the reading center, his mom says she would watch her son make every effort with the simple text. She recalls observing Thomas that he would recognize out the word then on the following pages he would see it often without having an idea what it means.
Seeing Thomas and his mom like that would remind Emanuel so much of her in the past- and in some manner, she still does.
Emanuel as a child, experiencing dyslexia was always been undisclosed. Keeping herself detached from everyone. Walking down the hallway avoiding eye to eye contact as much as possible from others while mentally chanting wishing nobody would notice her. In middle school, she would find hard to recognize even picture books. She would always pretend during her classes then at home; she'd listen to cassette tapes. When during summer, she'd go to Lindamood Bell, just like Thomas, which offers to tutor and reading programs. As the years go by, she gets through with it by memorizing a few thousand of words written in the index cards every night according to Understood.
When she'd stumbled on words she doesn't know; she'd freeze on the spot. Since dyslexia is not a kind of something you outgrow with and you have to live with it. After she had become an education reporter, it changed her. In every place, dyslexia would keep popping out, and she saw how the school and parents were alarmed by the struggles of students. It is widely misunderstood that even simple questions don't have simple answers.
Many people believe that dyslexia is all about letters being jumbled, but experts dissolve these common misconceptions. What is it?
Jonathan Gohrband, a 31-year old videographer in Chicago says it's like staring at a foreign word. He would stop in front of the unfamiliar word and asks his girlfriend. After knowing, he would say he already knows.
There's nothing wrong with a dyslexic's vocabulary. They understand the meaning and can use it in spoken English, but they just can't utter the word. Dyslexia is considered to be tagged word blindness.
He would avoid letting the others know about being dyslexic thinking they would think he's dumb. A turning point happened which the shame he felt before faded. He found a new language through videography that was noticed easily to others. It builds the confidence he once lost and made him more productive and less critical.
Emanuel felt everything as she talked with others who also experienced the same hardships. One thing she learned that it would not be as easy as counting 1 2 3, but you will learn to work and live with it.
