A Champion Parent Story By Liz R.

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A Parent's Story

My 19 year old son, Zachary has dyslexia.

Zachary is currently a sophomore at UNLV. During a campus visit, Zach and I met with the Learning Disability Director. She was in a wheelchair. I will never forget what she said to Zach: "Everyone can see my disability and makes an effort to help me. No one can see your disability; it will be harder for you." Her statement brought back to me how hard it has been for Zach.

Zach's problem started in pre-school when his Montessori teacher wrote me a letter that he wasn't picking up the reading. I wasn't concerned, because he was still so young. In elementary school, Zach was in a special reading class and in private tutoring for the Lindamond reading method. He did great in middle school; we naively thought the problem had corrected itself. Zach's middle school grades were so high he was placed in high school Honors math and science.

Everything fell apart his freshman year in high school. I initially thought he was having adjustment problems. He was overwhelmed by the amount of work; he just couldn't keep up. Teachers were writing and calling me at home, describing a kid that was lazy and a behavioral problem. I repeatedly explained his history of reading problems to them. It just didn't make sense. Every night he was staying up late to complete his homework. I would stay up with him reading out loud his history and literature chapters, while he took notes. His teachers were more then critical, they were punitive with him. One teacher had Zach go out in the hallway and do push-ups, because he hadn't finished an assignment. Another teacher made him frequently read out loud to the class. He felt humiliated by his slow reading and stumbling over words in front of his peers. No matter how hard he worked, he couldn't get decent grades. Zach ended his freshman year with a 1.5 GPA. Not one teacher or counselor even considered that he might have a learning disability. Zach's self image took an unbelievable beating.

The first semester of Zach's sophomore year, the pattern was repeating itself. His grades were low and teachers were calling me again. Surprisingly it was Zach that came to me saying "Mom, this is more than an adjustment problem, something is wrong." I called his counselor, but my concerns were not taken seriously. The school would not have him tested, because his CSAP scores were in the acceptable range. Therefore, I paid $700 to have him tested for learning disabilities outside of the school system. It was confirmed, he had dyslexia. Zach was reading at the speed of a third grader. However, his comprehension skills were strong. Now that the problem was identified, he would need extra help and cooperation from his teachers. Eventually a meeting was scheduled with the school officials. My goal was to get my son a 504 designation. It was an emotional meeting I cried, because the school officials continue to argue with me about the need for accommodations. Zach was granted a 504. A 504 is under the Americans with Disability Act and allows an individual to receive accommodations.

The 504 helped Zach tremendously. He was given extended time for tests and assignments. He was able to get a membership with Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic and get his text books, everything from history and literature to chemistry, on tape. With the tapes he was able to complete his assignments on time. With the right tools he could be a successful student. In Zach's entrance paper to UNLV he wrote "I am grateful for my 504. My teachers' attitudes have changed; I am no longer viewed as a trouble maker or a slacker. My GPA jumped from a 1.5 my freshman year to my current semester GPA of 3.2. My ACT score went from a 19 to a 23. I have gone from feeling hopeless to feeling successful." Zach's first year & half in high school was a source of frustration, anger and tears for both of us. But we never gave up.

My son, who was considered lazy, graduated from high school one year early and is now a full time student at the college of his choice. He is still getting text books from RFB&D and he has extended time for tests.

Kids with dyslexia are not dumb, not lazy and not troublemakers. They are wired differently. If you saw someone in a wheelchair you would open the door for them, help open the door for these kids.