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Dyslexia has been a part of my life from birth, although it wasn’t noticeable until I started school. For most of my life I was bemused and perplexed by my dyslexia, as were my teachers. I didn’t understand why I struggled with so many different things, not just reading, but writing, numbers, sequencing, and more. I felt ashamed and had very unrealistic expectations of what I could and could not do.

This internal conflict stayed with me for most of my adult life and even when I succeeded or excelled in certain endeavors, it seemed more of a fluke. I never really felt like success was deserved. Little did I know that my story, filled with inner conflict and struggle, was not unique to me and that I share it with literally hundreds of thousands of other people with dyslexia.

My perception and understanding of dyslexia, and in turn, of myself, took a dramatic leap forward a few years back when I discovered the Rawson Saunders school in my area that caters specifically to dyslexic students. The school was hosting a special screening of The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia and I was invited. My world shifted profoundly as I recognized myself in the experiences of others for the very first time. Thus began my personal journey to understanding of what dyslexia is and is not. Since then I have written many articles about dyslexia and have done numerous presentations for parents and educators about the condition. For Dyslexia Awareness month I offer a concise shortlist of dyslexia articles I’ve written.

For anyone reading this blog, I would like to hear about your journey, either with dyslexia or in working with someone with dyslexia

Also check out my dyslexia-inspired picture book, The Higgledy-Piggledy Pigeon. It’s the story of a carrier pigeon named Hank who starts flight school full of hope, but soon learns he has a terrible sense of direction due to dyslexia. Hank’s caring teacher patiently encourages him and helps him learn to compensate for his learning difference and this has a tremendous impact on his life.

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