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A Dad's Perspective on Dyslexia

2/19/2015

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This post comes courtesy of Paul Godwin, one of the admins for the Facebook group Homeschooling Dyslexic Kids, where this was originally posted.

I have been contemplating writing a post for the Dads for quite some time. This will be a long post, but please take the time to read it. I wanted to give my perspective as a Dad who probably did everything wrong before we found out our child was dyslexic. Academics came very easily to me. I did not have a lot of patience with my son when it came to his struggles. I did not understand what the problem was and I thought it was just a lack of effort on his part. 

As men we are taught that, although not everything may come easily, if you just work hard enough you can accomplish a set goal. I could not fathom why it took my son so long to accomplish basic tasks such as reading a single word on a flash card. I had ZERO patience. Once he finally started getting the flashcards down, we moved on to sentences with the words from the flash cards. This was a disaster. He could not read anything. I was livid. I would berate him for what I deemed was a lack of effort. 

I did not get my “Compassionate and Understanding Dad” merit badge. There were other things that drove me crazy. He had great difficulty in doing things that I thought should have come easily. Tying shoes, riding a bike, and other fine motor skill functions did not come naturally. I remember becoming so frustrated when trying to teach him how to ride his bike that i picked up the bike and threw it into an empty lot in our neighborhood. 

My son had originally been diagnosed PDD-NOS, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. At that point this was considered part of the autism spectrum which basically meant “we know there is something wrong but we are not quite sure what”. My son did not fit into the a typical autistic category, but there were definitely some issues. My wife started doing some research about his behavior. 

The more she read, the more she became convinced he was dyslexic. Once we had him tested we found that he had moderate to severe dyslexia. I still did not fully grasp all that this entailed. I obviously felt like a complete and utter jerk for how I treated my son concerning reading and his academics. I still look back and think how much differently I should have done things. That being said, I did not buy into how dyslexia could affect the other areas of his life. What did a reading disorder have to do with tying your shoes? 

The reality is that dyslexia affects almost every aspect of a child's life. Motor skills, memorization, math, remembering sequential steps(both in academics and in daily tasks), and organization skills are all impacted by dyslexia. 
As men, we are wired to fix things, no matter what it may be. 

My best advice to you dads is that you can't fix your child because your child is not broken. They are different. They think different, act different, and react different, but they are definitely not broken. Don't try to fix them, try to understand them. Be patient. Do research, this is not just your wife's job. The better you understand why they are the way the are, the better you can help.
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Dyslexia: Making it Personal: Free Simulation Event in Maryland

2/19/2015

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Register NOw!
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Dyslexia: Making It Personal shows you what it’s like to have dyslexia. Designed for teachers, administrators and parents, this interactive simulation gives you firsthand knowledge about the challenges and frustrations faced by people with this language-based learning difference. You’ll experience what dyslexia is like — and understand it like never before.
Download the flyer in PDF format 
Free Community Workshop by Learning Ally
Hosted by the Decoding Dyslexia – MD and the Chelsea School PTO
Two sessions: Two sessions: March 25th from 4:30–6:30 pm and 7–9 pm
Chelsea School
2970 Belcrest Center Drive, Suite 300
Hyattsville, MD 20782

Questions? Contact Decoding Dyslexia Maryland at ddmdpgleader@gmail.com

simulation_flyer_ddmd.pdf
File Size: 646 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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First Annual Dyslexia Awareness Day in Annapolis!

2/6/2015

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On Wednesday, March 18, from 9am – 3pm, please join Decoding Dyslexia Maryland, and our community sponsors, in Annapolis to educate legislators and their staff about dyslexia.  Calendar LINK

Where:  Lowe House Office Building, 6 Bladen Street, Annapolis, MD, Room 145 (map)

Who: Parents, Families, Teachers, Advocates, Tutors, Professionals, Students with Dyslexia 

What: Meet and Greet, Information and Resources, Presentations, Legislator Visits Where: Annapolis, Maryland -- Maryland General Assembly 

Please join us in Annapolis to raise awareness and educate legislators about dyslexia.  It is important that legislators know what dyslexia is and learn about the student/family struggle to read, write and spell in the public school setting.  Light food and beverages will be provided.

DD-MD and our Community Partners encourage families and individuals who join us on March 18th to reach out to your legislators to set up meetings and briefings on dyslexia. The goal of the day is to educate as many State Delegates and Senators as possible. 

Talking points and a briefing will be provided -- stay tuned for more information!

RESOURCES 
Find Your State Legislators:  Click box in upper right hand corner after clicking this link! 
How to Contact Your State Legislator & What to Say
Talking Points for Decoding Dyslexia MD
Bullet Points for Legislators
Why We Need To Change Reading Education
Who is DD-MD

 Sponsored and organized by: Decoding Dyslexia MD & DD-MD Community Partners 
 For more information, please call 703-477-4847 or email DecodingDyslexiaMD@gmail.com

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