Laura Busby, M.Ed.
Jan 10, 20152 min
A couple weeks ago, we were getting the Internet and WiFi set up in our new Dyslexia Pros- Arcadia Phoenix location. The technician installed a phone box and a modem, and connected our WIFI router. For some reason the WIFI was not working. Even after a phone call to technical support, the problem was still not fixed. I decided that I was just going to figure it out, and told myself that it can’t be that hard to do. Now, I cannot tell you exactly what I did, but guess what? I figured it out and got the WIFI working! I got really excited and started going around to all the tutoring rooms and letting our dyslexic students know that I figured out the problem. I exclaimed, “Technical support couldn’t even touch my dyslexic brain. Dyslexia rules!”
I contributed this success, and countless others in my life, 100% to my dyslexia. I do this for two reasons. First, my dyslexic brain thinks logically and analytically. I see a problem and I think about how this problem could be fixed. Sometimes it means I go back through all the steps, and sometimes it means I just mess around with things until I have figured it out. The second reason is because my dyslexia taught me to work HARD, and to never give up. Growing up in a school system that did not understand me meant I had to figure out and learn things a lot on my own. I had to get creative, and I had to study A LOT. Giving up was never and option, so I never did. While I was younger, this was annoying and hard. However, now that I am older I am very grateful for the tenacity and persistence I have gained.
This technical example is just one of many times my dyslexic mind helped me solve a problem. Younger dyslexic kids should know that things can and do get better, and the advantages dyslexia can give are blessings.
It is our mission at Dyslexia Pros to educate and empower the dyslexic student and their families. We talk so much to our students about their gifts and talents, and how their dyslexic minds have helped them in their lives. Feeling grateful for dyslexia and owning it completely is the trick to positive self-esteem for people with dyslexia. I would love to hear your stories about how having a dyslexic mind helped you in your lives. Please share! #DyslexicandProud
-Laura Busby