I wrote about a heroine in CASSIDY'S COWBOY who has dyslexia, a developmental reading disorder. I've researched the subject but I'm not an expert. This blog isn't about the condition itself, but rather about the effects of it.
I had experience with dyslexia when I taught second grade. This disability concerns the part of the brain that decodes symbols. I believe teachers are more aware these days than even a dozen years ago and reading problems are caught sooner. Early intervention is paramount. But children have slipped through the cracks for many years. In my case as teacher, the learning difficulty manifested in behavioral problems. When a child feels he or she can't keep up with peers, when a child feels he or she is on the outside looking in, if this child feels unable to learn, behavior changes. Acting out is common. So is sullenness or withdrawal. A teacher working with parents tries to find the root of the problem. Now testing aids in this cause.
My heroine had a reading disability that was never diagnosed. Her history in foster care helped her slip through the cracks until teachers and caregivers just considered her a difficult child. Fortunately she found a mentor who took her under her wing. But instead of addressing the problem, she helped Cassidy learn to live with it. Was she an enabler or a loved one helping Cassidy cope? Because she finally had people around her who cared, Cassidy learned tricks to hide her reading disability from those outside her circle. She had a great memory. In the same way a child memorizes a favorite book, Cassidy used her memory to retain information and absorb it. She learned to duck situations that could reveal what she felt was a flaw. Imagine the vigilance necessary to remember how signs read, the anxiety in fearing her secret will out. But in the end, Cassidy has to reveal her secret to the person she cares about most.
Unconditional love teamed with a dose of reality wins the day in Cassidy's story. I wish all of our children could be so lucky.
4 comments:
My boss, label as educationally retarded in school and largely left to deal with it himself now has a PhD. Two of three kids struggled with dyslexia growing up and it's interesting to listen to them talk. Sometimes the schools finding the problem is helpful, sometimes it's simply used as a excuse to define behavior. I'm so thankful for the teachers and parents out there who care to take whatever label has been put onto their child and use it as a motivator to help the child be the best he can be.
Carrie--So many things can prevent us from learning...or growing. I believe it's up to teachers to figure out a way around a barrier, not just to label it. Motivation is a big part of success. Thanks for commenting.
First of all, I love the look of your website.
I am a retired special education teacher and so your post about your book found a soft spot in me. For 20 years I worked with dyslexic children.
Depending on the severity, most can learn. They often have difficult behavior because of their frustration at their own limitations and other people's reactions.
For me it was a puzzle to try and solve--find the way to that child's potential.
The book sounds like a winner.
Cora--Thank you so much! Believe it or not, traditional publisher would not let me write a heroine who can't read. I thought it was an important road to take.
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