When did you discover you were dyslexic?

“I always knew a had difficulty reading and writing all through my elementary to high school years. Not until I was in graduate school for clinical psychology from 1981 to 1986 did I find out what the problem was. Dyslexia was not even a diagnosis in the DSM 3 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual number 3) until 1980. There was very little research in the 1950’s and 1960’s when I was in elementary and middle school. Even in my college years it was poorly understood and controversial. The mid to late 1970’s clinical research began to emerge then legitimized in 1980 as an actual diagnosis. With the advent of CT, MRI and PET scans neuro scientists could start to see structural differences in the brain.”

How did you cope with it in school?

“I did not feel stupid but I did feel that I was “just not as smart” as my classmates. I was pretty naive as a kid and school was more of a place to have fun and get into mischief. But the few times when I did get overwhelmed by the material or just decided not to study I would develop severe stomach pains(one time to the point of needing to see a doctor.”

How did you cope with it at home? How did your parents help you handle it?

“Fortunately, my parents enrolled me to a small private school from K through 8. The class size was always less than 8 to 12 kids so there was always extra time for each student. At that school, it wasn’t until I was in the 7th grade (1968) when they started a special education class for kids with relatively severe learning issues. I guess I wasn’t deemed bad enough to need the more structured program.

I must give most of the credit to my mother, who recognized that I had difficulties learning (especially reading and writing) and would read to me the books required for school many times with me reading my own copy at the same time. Fortunately, in college in the mid 1970’s my reading improved a little, and most of the tests were multiple choice. I think I had to write maybe 3 papers.”

Did you allow being dyslexic stop your ambition /career path?

“No, However, my career path unfolded itself as I moved along in life. I didn’t know I wanted to be a clinical psychologist until I was out of college for 3 or 4 years. if there is one thing I have much of its tenacity. I have always been able to attain the goals I set out to achieve. Sometimes I’d find that I wasn’t all that good at something or it didn’t seem all that great once I achieved it but I accomplished it all the same. The main thing that has stopped me from excelling further is my inability at rote memory tasks. I cannot memorize lists of information (like chemical equations, human anatomy, vocabulary, radio frequencies, Morse code, foreign languages, reading music, etc.) While those things may or may not be related to dyslexia they have been more limiting on what I would have liked to achieve.”

Did you find any mechanisms that benefited you?

“Learning to type in high school, the first calculators that came out in 1972, personal computers that came out in 1983 with word processing, and having to read everything 2 or 3 times before understanding and comprehending it. Without those tools that came along at those exact times and with my interests in academic fields and tenacity, I’m afraid I would have ended up in a more manual labor field. I also discovered that I need both visual and auditory modes to learn something really well.”

How did those mechanisms change over time as you grew older?

“Reading has become easier and fun as I’ve gotten older. Although writing is still difficult without a computer. And more importantly, I just don’t care as much.”

Do you see dyslexia as a gift or a curse?

“I see it as I curse in the sense that it slowed me down from achieving my dreams. But at the same time, I see many of the people who easily did well in school have lives that I would not trade for all the wealth in the world. But it really only becomes an issue if it hinders or blocks you from achieving your dreams, goals, and ambitions. Then it doesn’t really matter.”

Any words of advice for other dyslexics or parents of dyslexics?

“Read to and with your kids. Give them all the tools our current technology has to offer it makes a huge difference. Don’t let them give up. Always keep trying different approaches if needed but repetition is key. Give your kids the best chances for achieving their dreams, and goals which may change many times from age 5 to 30. But if they can cope and/or find ways to compensate they’ll have the best chance to succeed in whatever they do.”